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Home › Mantras › Durga Saptashati › Durga Saptashati Chapter 2
Chandi (Durga) Durga Saptashati Chapter 2: the gods giving their weapons to the eighteen-armed Goddess born from their light, her lion at her feet
The gods' anger becomes the Goddess, and each god gives her a weapon from his own
Mantra · The gods' anger becomes one Goddess; armed by each, she wipes out Mahisha's army

Durga Saptashati Chapter 2

देवासुरमभूद्युद्धं पूर्णमब्दशतं पुरा । महिषेऽसुराणामधिपे देवानां च पुरन्दरे ॥

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

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What the Durga Saptashati Chapter 2 is

Durga Saptashati Chapter 2 is named Mahishasura Sainya Vadha by the line that ends it, meaning the destruction of Mahishasura's armies, and it begins the Devi Mahatmya's central section: three chapters given to Mahalakshmi. Her meditation verse is printed before it: seated on a lotus, her face calm, she holds eighteen things in her hands, from a rosary and an axe to a wine cup and the Sudarshana discus, and is named sairibhamardini, crusher of the buffalo. The chapter has one speaker throughout, the sage Medhas, and falls into four movements. Verses 2 to 8 tell of a hundred-year war that Mahishasura wins, and the gods' complaint to Shiva and Vishnu. Verses 9 to 19 turn that complaint into anger, and the anger into light that takes a woman's form, each part of her body from a different god. Verses 20 to 34 are the gifts: weapons, ornaments, a lion, and the roar that shakes the worlds. Verses 35 to 69 are the battle with Mahishasura's generals and their numberless chariots, elephants and horses, which ends with the demon army destroyed and flowers falling from heaven. Mahishasura himself is on the field in verse 47 but is not killed here; his death is the subject of chapter 3.

A Goddess made from the anger of the gods

Medhas begins with a defeat. The gods and demons fight for a full hundred years, the gods lose, and Mahishasura makes himself Indra (verse 3). Verse 6 lists what he has taken: the offices of the Sun, Indra, Agni, Vayu, the Moon, Yama and Varuna. Thrown out of heaven, the gods wander the earth like mortals, and with Brahma at their head they go to Shiva and Vishnu to ask how he can be killed. Hearing them, Shiva and Vishnu frown, and a great light pours from Vishnu's face, then from Brahma, Shiva, Indra and the rest. The lights merge into a blazing mountain that fills every direction, and in verse 13 the mass becomes a woman. Her face comes from Shiva, her arms from Vishnu, her feet from Brahma, her three eyes from Agni. Each god then draws a copy of his own weapon from it and hands it to her, and Himavan gives the lion. She laughs and roars until the oceans tremble. Mahishasura rushes towards the sound with the cry 'Ha! What is this?' (verse 36) and sees her crown grazing the sky and her thousand arms filling the directions. The battle that follows is told as a scene of carnage and music at once. The breaths she lets out as she fights become attendant hosts by the hundreds of thousands, who beat drums, blow conches and play the mridanga at what verse 55 calls the great festival of battle. The ringing of her bell stuns whole ranks, headless trunks take up weapons and dance to the war music, and rivers of blood run through the fallen elephants and horses. In verse 67 she burns the army away as fire burns a heap of grass and wood, and the gods rain flowers.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiदेवासुरमभूद्युद्धं पूर्णमब्दशतं पुरा । महिषेऽसुराणामधिपे देवानां च पुरन्दरे ॥
Tamilதேவாஸுரமபூத்யுத்தம் பூர்ணமப்தஶதம் புரா । மஹிஷேஸுராணாமதிபே தேவாநாம் ச புரந்தரே ॥
Teluguదేవాసురమభూద్యుద్ధం పూర్ణమబ్దశతం పురా । మహిషేఽసురాణామధిపే దేవానాం చ పురన్దరే ॥
Kannadaದೇವಾಸುರಮಭೂದ್ಯುದ್ಧಂ ಪೂರ್ಣಮಬ್ದಶತಂ ಪುರಾ । ಮಹಿಷೇಽಸುರಾಣಾಮಧಿಪೇ ದೇವಾನಾಂ ಚ ಪುರನ್ದರೇ ॥
Malayalamദേവാസുരമഭൂദ്യുദ്ധം പൂര്ണമബ്ദശതം പുരാ । മഹിഷേഽസുരാണാമധിപേ ദേവാനാം ച പുരന്ദരേ ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationdevāsuramabhūdyuddhaṃ pūrṇamabdaśataṃ purā | mahiṣe'surāṇāmadhipe devānāṃ ca purandare ||
“The sage said: Long ago a war between the gods and the demons went on for a full hundred years, when Mahisha was lord of the demons and Indra was lord of the gods.”
देवासुरम्
devāsuram — between gods and demons
अभूद्
abhūd — there was
युद्धं
yuddhaṃ — a war
पूर्णम्
pūrṇam — full
अब्दशतं
abdaśataṃ — a hundred years
पुरा
purā — long ago
महिषे
mahiṣe — Mahisha being
असुराणाम्
asurāṇām — of the demons
अधिपे
adhipe — lord
देवानां
devānāṃ — of the gods
च
ca — and
पुरन्दरे
purandare — Indra being (lord)

Durga Saptashati Chapter 2 lyrics in full

The Mahalakshmi meditation verse and all 69 numbered lines of the chapter in the standard numbering; line 1 is the sage's speaker line, so the verses run from 2 to 69.

All 69 numbered lines, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Durga Saptashati Chapter 2 PDFAll 69 numbered lines with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Dhyanam 1

ॐ अक्षस्रक्परशुं गदेषुकुलिशं पद्मं धनुष्कुण्डिकां दण्डं शक्तिमसिं च चर्म जलजं घण्टां सुराभाजनम् ।
शूलं पाशसुदर्शने च दधतीं हस्तैः प्रसन्नाननां सेवे सैरिभमर्दिनीमिह महालक्ष्मीं सरोजस्थिताम् ॥

Om. I worship here Mahalakshmi, the slayer of the buffalo demon, seated on a lotus, her face serene, who holds in her hands a rosary, axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, water-pot, staff, spear, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine cup, trident, noose and the Sudarshana discus.

Verse 2

ऋषिरुवाच
देवासुरमभूद्युद्धं पूर्णमब्दशतं पुरा । महिषेऽसुराणामधिपे देवानां च पुरन्दरे ॥

The sage said: Long ago a war between the gods and the demons went on for a full hundred years, when Mahisha was lord of the demons and Indra was lord of the gods.

Verse 3

तत्रासुरैर्महावीर्यैर्देवसैन्यं पराजितम् ।
जित्वा च सकलान् देवानिन्द्रोऽभून्महिषासुरः ॥

In that war the army of the gods was defeated by the mighty demons, and having conquered all the gods, Mahishasura made himself Indra.

Verse 4

ततः पराजिता देवाः पद्मयोनिं प्रजापतिम् ।
पुरस्कृत्य गतास्तत्र यत्रेशगरुडध्वजौ ॥

Then the defeated gods, with the lotus-born Brahma, lord of creatures, at their head, went to where Shiva and Vishnu, whose banner bears Garuda, were.

Verse 5

यथावृत्तं तयोस्तद्वन्महिषासुरचेष्टितम् ।
त्रिदशाः कथयामासुर्देवाभिभवविस्तरम् ॥

The gods told the two of them just what had happened: the deeds of Mahishasura and, in full, how the gods had been overpowered.

Verse 6

सूर्येन्द्राग्न्यनिलेन्दूनां यमस्य वरुणस्य च ।
अन्येषां चाधिकारान् स स्वयमेवाधितिष्ठति ॥

He himself has taken over the offices of the Sun, Indra, Agni, Vayu, the Moon, Yama, Varuna and the other gods.

Verse 7

स्वर्गान्निराकृताः सर्वे तेन देवगणा भुवि ।
विचरन्ति यथा मर्त्या महिषेण दुरात्मना ॥

Driven out of heaven by that wicked Mahisha, all the hosts of gods wander the earth like mortals.

Verse 8

एतद्वः कथितं सर्वममरारिविचेष्टितम् ।
शरणं वः प्रपन्नाः स्मो वधस्तस्य विचिन्त्यताम् ॥

We have told you everything the enemy of the gods has done. We have come to you for refuge; please think of a way to slay him.

Verse 9

इत्थं निशम्य देवानां वचांसि मधुसूदनः ।
चकार कोपं शम्भुश्च भ्रुकुटीकुटिलाननौ ॥

Hearing these words of the gods, Vishnu, slayer of Madhu, and Shiva grew angry, their faces twisted with frowning brows.

Verse 10

ततोऽतिकोपपूर्णस्य चक्रिणो वदनात्ततः ।
निश्चक्राम महत्तेजो ब्रह्मणः शंकरस्य च ॥

Then from the face of Vishnu, the discus-bearer, filled with great anger, a great radiance came forth, and likewise from Brahma and Shankara.

Verse 11

अन्येषां चैव देवानां शक्रादीनां शरीरतः ।
निर्गतं सुमहत्तेजस्तच्चैक्यं समगच्छत ॥

From the bodies of the other gods too, Indra and the rest, a very great radiance came out, and it all merged into one.

Verse 12

अतीव तेजसः कूटं ज्वलन्तमिव पर्वतम् ।
ददृशुस्ते सुरास्तत्र ज्वालाव्याप्तदिगन्तरम् ॥

There the gods saw that mass of radiance like a blazing mountain, its flames filling every direction.

Verse 13

अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेवशरीरजम् ।
एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं त्विषा ॥

That matchless radiance, born from the bodies of all the gods, gathered in one place and became a woman, filling the three worlds with her light.

Verse 14

यदभूच्छाम्भवं तेजस्तेनाजायत तन्मुखम् ।
याम्येन चाभवन् केशा बाहवो विष्णुतेजसा ॥

From Shiva's radiance her face was formed; from Yama's came her hair, and from Vishnu's radiance her arms.

Verse 15

सौम्येन स्तनयोर्युग्मं मध्यं चैन्द्रेण चाभवत् ।
वारुणेन च जङ्घोरू नितम्बस्तेजसा भुवः ॥

From the Moon's radiance came her two breasts and from Indra's her waist; from Varuna's her shanks and thighs, and from the Earth's radiance her hips.

Verse 16

ब्रह्मणस्तेजसा पादौ तदङ्गुल्योऽर्कतेजसा ।
वसूनां च कराङ्गुल्यः कौबेरेण च नासिका ॥

From Brahma's radiance came her feet, from the Sun's her toes, from the Vasus' her fingers, and from Kubera's her nose.

Verse 17

तस्यास्तु दन्ताः सम्भूताः प्राजापत्येन तेजसा ।
नयनत्रितयं जज्ञे तथा पावकतेजसा ॥

Her teeth arose from the radiance of Prajapati, and her three eyes were born from the radiance of Agni.

Verse 18

भ्रुवौ च संध्ययोस्तेजः श्रवणावनिलस्य च ।
अन्येषां चैव देवानां सम्भवस्तेजसां शिवा ॥

Her brows came from the radiance of the two twilights and her ears from that of Vayu; so the auspicious Goddess arose from the radiance of the other gods as well.

Verse 19

ततः समस्तदेवानां तेजोराशिसमुद्भवाम् ।
तां विलोक्य मुदं प्रापुरमरा महिषार्दिताः ॥

Then, seeing her who had arisen from the gathered radiance of all the gods, the immortals oppressed by Mahisha were filled with joy.

Verse 20

शूलं शूलाद्विनिष्कृष्य ददौ तस्यै पिनाकधृक् ।
चक्रं च दत्तवान् कृष्णः समुत्पाद्य स्वचक्रतः ॥

Shiva, bearer of the Pinaka bow, drew a trident out of his own trident and gave it to her; and Krishna (Vishnu) brought forth a discus from his own discus and gave it.

Verse 21

शङ्खं च वरुणः शक्तिं ददौ तस्यै हुताशनः ।
मारुतो दत्तवांश्चापं बाणपूर्णे तथेषुधी ॥

Varuna gave her a conch, Agni a spear, and Vayu gave a bow and two quivers full of arrows.

Verse 22

वज्रमिन्द्रः समुत्पाद्य कुलिशादमराधिपः ।
ददौ तस्यै सहस्राक्षो घण्टामैरावताद् गजात् ॥

Indra, the thousand-eyed lord of the immortals, brought forth a thunderbolt from his own thunderbolt and gave it to her, and a bell from his elephant Airavata.

Verse 23

कालदण्डाद्यमो दण्डं पाशं चाम्बुपतिर्ददौ ।
प्रजापतिश्चाक्षमालां ददौ ब्रह्मा कमण्डलुम् ॥

Yama gave a staff from his staff of death, and Varuna, lord of the waters, a noose; Prajapati gave a rosary of beads, and Brahma a water-pot.

Verse 24

समस्तरोमकूपेषु निजरश्मीन् दिवाकरः ।
कालश्च दत्तवान् खड्गं तस्याश्चर्म च निर्मलम् ॥

The Sun placed his own rays in all the pores of her skin, and Kala (Time) gave her a sword and a spotless shield.

Verse 25

क्षीरोदश्चामलं हारमजरे च तथाम्बरे ।
चूडामणिं तथा दिव्यं कुण्डले कटकानि च ॥

The Ocean of Milk gave a pure necklace and a pair of garments that never wear out, a divine crest-jewel, two earrings and bracelets,

Verse 26

अर्धचन्द्रं तथा शुभ्रं केयूरान् सर्वबाहुषु ।
नूपुरौ विमलौ तद्वद् ग्रैवेयकमनुत्तमम् ॥

a bright half-moon ornament, armlets for all her arms, a pair of shining anklets and a peerless neck ornament,

Verse 27

अङ्गुलीयकरत्नानि समस्तास्वङ्गुलीषु च ।
विश्वकर्मा ददौ तस्यै परशुं चातिनिर्मलम् ॥

and jewelled rings for all her fingers. Vishvakarma gave her a gleaming axe,

Verse 28

अस्त्राण्यनेकरूपाणि तथाभेद्यं च दंशनम् ।
अम्लानपङ्कजां मालां शिरस्युरसि चापराम् ॥

weapons of many kinds and armour that cannot be pierced; and garlands of never-fading lotuses, one for her head and another for her breast.

Verse 29

अददज्जलधिस्तस्यै पङ्कजं चातिशोभनम् ।
हिमवान् वाहनं सिंहं रत्नानि विविधानि च ॥

The Ocean gave her a most beautiful lotus; Himavan gave a lion to ride and jewels of many kinds.

Verse 30

ददावशून्यं सुरया पानपात्रं धनाधिपः ।
शेषश्च सर्वनागेशो महामणिविभूषितम् ॥

Kubera, lord of wealth, gave a drinking cup never empty of wine; and Shesha, lord of all serpents, who bears this earth,

Verse 31

नागहारं ददौ तस्यै धत्ते यः पृथिवीमिमाम् ।
अन्यैरपि सुरैर्देवी भूषणैरायुधैस्तथा ॥

gave her a serpent necklace adorned with great gems. Honoured likewise by the other gods with ornaments and weapons,

Verse 32

सम्मानिता ननादोच्चैः साट्टहासं मुहुर्मुहुः ।
तस्या नादेन घोरेण कृत्स्नमापूरितं नभः ॥

the Goddess roared aloud again and again with laughter, and the whole sky was filled with her terrible roar.

Verse 33

अमायतातिमहता प्रतिशब्दो महानभूत् ।
चुक्षुभुः सकला लोकाः समुद्राश्च चकम्पिरे ॥

That immense sound could not be contained, and a great echo arose; all the worlds were shaken and the oceans trembled.

Verse 34

चचाल वसुधा चेलुः सकलाश्च महीधराः ।
जयेति देवाश्च मुदा तामूचुः सिंहवाहिनीम् ॥

The earth shook and all the mountains moved. Joyfully the gods cried 'Victory!' to her who rides the lion.

Verse 35

तुष्टुवुर्मुनयश्चैनां भक्तिनम्रात्ममूर्तयः ।
दृष्ट्वा समस्तं संक्षुब्धं त्रैलोक्यममरारयः ॥

The sages, bowed in devotion, praised her. Seeing the three worlds all in turmoil, the enemies of the gods

Verse 36

संनद्धाखिलसैन्यास्ते समुत्तस्थुरुदायुधाः ।
आः किमेतदिति क्रोधादाभाष्य महिषासुरः ॥

rose up with all their armies armed and weapons raised. Mahishasura cried out in anger, 'Ha! What is this?'

Verse 37

अभ्यधावत तं शब्दमशेषैरसुरैर्वृतः ।
स ददर्श ततो देवीं व्याप्तलोकत्रयां त्विषा ॥

and rushed toward that sound, surrounded by all the demons. Then he saw the Goddess, filling the three worlds with her light,

Verse 38

पादाक्रान्त्या नतभुवं किरीटोल्लिखिताम्बराम् ।
क्षोभिताशेषपातालां धनुर्ज्यानिःस्वनेन ताम् ॥

the earth bowing under the tread of her feet, her crown grazing the sky, all the netherworlds shaken by the twang of her bowstring,

Verse 39

दिशो भुजसहस्रेण समन्ताद् व्याप्य संस्थिताम् ।
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तया देव्या सुरद्विषाम् ॥

standing with her thousand arms filling the directions all around. Then began the battle of the enemies of the gods with that Goddess,

Verse 40

शस्त्रास्त्रैर्बहुधा मुक्तैरादीपितदिगन्तरम् ।
महिषासुरसेनानीश्चिक्षुराख्यो महासुरः ॥

the quarters lit up by the many weapons and missiles hurled. The great demon named Chikshura, Mahishasura's general,

Verse 41

युयुधे चामरश्चान्यैश्चतुरङ्गबलान्वितः ।
रथानामयुतैः षड्भिरुदग्राख्यो महासुरः ॥

fought, and Chamara too, with others, at the head of a fourfold army. The great demon named Udagra fought with sixty thousand chariots,

Verse 42

अयुध्यतायुतानां च सहस्रेण महाहनुः ।
पञ्चाशद्भिश्च नियुतैरसिलोमा महासुरः ॥

Mahahanu with ten million, and the great demon Asiloma with fifty niyutas (five million).

Verse 43

अयुतानां शतैः षड्भिर्बाष्कलो युयुधे रणे ।
गजवाजिसहस्रौघैरनेकैः परिवारितः ॥

Bashkala fought in the battle with six hundred ayutas (six million). Parivarita, surrounded by many thousands of elephants and horses,

Verse 44

वृतो रथानां कोट्या च युद्धे तस्मिन्नयुध्यत ।
बिडालाख्योऽयुतानां च पञ्चाशद्भिरथायुतैः ॥

and by ten million chariots, fought in that battle. The one named Bidala, with fifty ayutas of chariots (five hundred thousand),

Verse 45

युयुधे संयुगे तत्र रथानां परिवारितः ।
अन्ये च तत्रायुतशो रथनागहयैर्वृताः ॥

fought there in the fray, surrounded by chariots. Other great demons, by the tens of thousands, surrounded by chariots, elephants and horses,

Verse 46

युयुधुः संयुगे देव्या सह तत्र महासुराः ।
कोटिकोटिसहस्रैस्तु रथानां दन्तिनां तथा ॥

fought there in battle with the Goddess. And with thousands of crores upon crores of chariots and elephants

Verse 47

हयानां च वृतो युद्धे तत्राभून्महिषासुरः ।
तोमरैर्भिन्दिपालैश्च शक्तिभिर्मुसलैस्तथा ॥

and horses around him, Mahishasura himself was there in the battle. With lances and javelins, spears and clubs,

Verse 48

युयुधुः संयुगे देव्या खड्गैः परशुपट्टिशैः ।
केचिच्च चिक्षिपुः शक्तीः केचित्पाशांस्तथापरे ॥

with swords, axes and halberds they fought the Goddess in battle. Some hurled spears, and others nooses.

Verse 49

देवीं खड्गप्रहारैस्तु ते तां हन्तुं प्रचक्रमुः ।
सापि देवी ततस्तानि शस्त्राण्यस्त्राणि चण्डिका ॥

They set about killing the Goddess with sword strokes. Then that Goddess Chandika, raining down her own weapons and missiles,

Verse 50

लीलयैव प्रचिच्छेद निजशस्त्रास्त्रवर्षिणी ।
अनायस्तानना देवी स्तूयमाना सुरर्षिभिः ॥

cut all their weapons and missiles to pieces as if in play. Her face showing no strain, praised by the gods and sages,

Verse 51

मुमोचासुरदेहेषु शस्त्राण्यस्त्राणि चेश्वरी ।
सोऽपि क्रुद्धो धुतसटो देव्या वाहनकेशरी ॥

the sovereign Goddess loosed her weapons and missiles on the bodies of the demons. The lion that carried the Goddess, enraged and shaking its mane,

Verse 52

चचारासुरसैन्येषु वनेष्विव हुताशनः ।
निःश्वासान् मुमुचे यांश्च युध्यमाना रणेऽम्बिका ॥

moved through the demon armies like a fire through forests. The breaths that Ambika let out as she fought in the battle

Verse 53

त एव सद्यः सम्भूता गणाः शतसहस्रशः ।
युयुधुस्ते परशुभिर्भिन्दिपालासिपट्टिशैः ॥

at once became attendant hosts by the hundreds of thousands, and they fought with axes, javelins, swords and halberds.

Verse 54

नाशयन्तोऽसुरगणान् देवीशक्त्युपबृंहिताः ।
अवादयन्त पटहान् गणाः शङ्खांस्तथापरे ॥

Strengthened by the Goddess's power, they destroyed the demon hosts; some of these attendants beat drums and others blew conches,

Verse 55

मृदङ्गांश्च तथैवान्ये तस्मिन् युद्धमहोत्सवे ।
ततो देवी त्रिशूलेन गदया शक्तिवृष्टिभिः ॥

and still others played mridangas at that great festival of battle. Then the Goddess, with her trident, her mace, showers of spears,

Verse 56

खड्गादिभिश्च शतशो निजघान महासुरान् ।
पातयामास चैवान्यान् घण्टास्वनविमोहितान् ॥

her sword and other weapons, slew great demons by the hundreds, and felled others who were stunned by the sound of her bell.

Verse 57

असुरान् भुवि पाशेन बद्ध्वा चान्यानकर्षयत् ।
केचिद् द्विधा कृतास्तीक्ष्णैः खड्गपातैस्तथापरे ॥

Other demons she bound with her noose and dragged along the ground. Some were cut in two by the blows of her sharp sword, and others,

Verse 58

विपोथिता निपातेन गदया भुवि शेरते ।
वेमुश्च केचिद्रुधिरं मुसलेन भृशं हताः ॥

crushed by the fall of her mace, lay on the ground. Some, struck hard by her club, vomited blood.

Verse 59

केचिन्निपतिता भूमौ भिन्नाः शूलेन वक्षसि ।
निरन्तराः शरौघेण कृताः केचिद्रणाजिरे ॥

Some fell to the ground, their chests pierced by the trident; some on the battlefield were riddled through by a flood of arrows.

Verse 60

श्येनानुकारिणः प्राणान् मुमुचुस्त्रिदशार्दनाः ।
केषांचिद् बाहवश्छिन्नाश्छिन्नग्रीवास्तथापरे ॥

Those tormentors of the gods, swooping like hawks, gave up their lives. The arms of some were cut off, and the necks of others were severed.

Verse 61

शिरांसि पेतुरन्येषामन्ये मध्ये विदारिताः ।
विच्छिन्नजङ्घास्त्वपरे पेतुरुर्व्यां महासुराः ॥

The heads of others fell, others were split through the middle, and other great demons, their legs cut away, fell to the earth.

Verse 62

एकबाह्वक्षिचरणाः केचिद्देव्या द्विधा कृताः ।
छिन्नेऽपि चान्ये शिरसि पतिताः पुनरुत्थिताः ॥

Some were split in two by the Goddess, left with one arm, one eye and one foot. Others, though their heads were cut off, fell and rose again.

Verse 63

कबन्धा युयुधुर्देव्या गृहीतपरमायुधाः ।
ननृतुश्चापरे तत्र युद्धे तूर्यलयाश्रिताः ॥

Headless trunks seized fine weapons and fought the Goddess, while others danced there in the battle to the rhythm of the war music.

Verse 64

कबन्धाश्छिन्नशिरसः खड्गशक्त्यृष्टिपाणयः ।
तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति भाषन्तो देवीमन्ये महासुराः ॥

Other great demons, headless trunks with severed heads, swords, spears and lances in hand, cried out to the Goddess, 'Stop! Stop!'

Verse 65

पातितै रथनागाश्वैरसुरैश्च वसुन्धरा ।
अगम्या साभवत्तत्र यत्राभूत्स महारणः ॥

Where that great battle took place, the earth became impassable with the fallen chariots, elephants, horses and demons.

Verse 66

शोणितौघा महानद्यः सद्यस्तत्र प्रसुस्रुवुः ।
मध्ये चासुरसैन्यस्य वारणासुरवाजिनाम् ॥

Great rivers of blood at once flowed there, through the middle of the demon army, among its elephants, demons and horses.

Verse 67

क्षणेन तन्महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका ।
निन्ये क्षयं यथा वह्निस्तृणदारुमहाचयम् ॥

In a moment Ambika destroyed that great army of the demons, as fire destroys a great heap of grass and wood.

Verse 68

स च सिंहो महानादमुत्सृजन्धुतकेशरः ।
शरीरेभ्योऽमरारीणामसूनिव विचिन्वति ॥

And the lion, shaking its mane and letting out a great roar, seemed to be searching out the very life-breath from the bodies of the enemies of the gods.

Verse 69

देव्या गणैश्च तैस्तत्र कृतं युद्धं महासुरैः ।
यथैषां तुतुषुर्देवाः पुष्पवृष्टिमुचो दिवि ॥

The Goddess's attendants fought such a battle there with the great demons that the gods in heaven were delighted with them and rained down flowers.

The syllable people get wrong

In verse 40, the name of Mahishasura's general, cikṣura (चिक्षुर), carries the cluster kṣ: a k that slides without a break into a retroflex sh, the tongue tip turned up toward the roof of the mouth. Say chik-shu-ra, not 'chik-sura'.

When the Durga Saptashati Chapter 2 is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Navaratri, read with chapter 3 on the second day of the seven-day division

Questions

Verses 14 to 18 go through her body piece by piece, each part formed from one god's light. Shiva's light became her face, Yama's her hair and Vishnu's her arms. The Moon gave her breasts, Indra her waist, Varuna her shanks and thighs, and the Earth her hips. Brahma's light formed her feet, the Sun's her toes, the Vasus' her fingers and Kubera's her nose. Her teeth came from Prajapati, her three eyes from Agni, her brows from the two twilights and her ears from Vayu. Verse 18 closes the list by saying that the light of every other god went into her as well, so that no deity is left out of her making.
In verses 20 and 22 Shiva draws a trident out of his own trident, Vishnu a discus out of his own discus, and Indra a thunderbolt out of his own thunderbolt, so each god keeps his weapon and she receives its double. Yama does the same with his staff of death in verse 23. The rest are straight gifts: Varuna's conch and noose, Agni's spear, Vayu's bow and two full quivers, the bell from Indra's elephant Airavata, a rosary from Prajapati, Brahma's water-pot, Kala's sword and shield, Vishvakarma's axe and unpierceable armour, Kubera's ever-full wine cup and Shesha's serpent necklace. The Sun puts his rays into every pore of her skin. The standard printed edition notes in a footnote that many copies add a verse here in which the gods hand over their weapons and cry 'Victory'.
Both numbers belong to the chapter, at different levels of the text. The meditation verse printed before it lists eighteen objects held in her hands: rosary, axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, water-pot, staff, spear, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine cup, trident, noose and discus. That matches the eighteen-armed Mahalakshmi of the Vaikritika Rahasya, the form set up for worship. The narrative itself goes further. In verse 39 Mahishasura sees her standing with a thousand arms that fill the directions all around, her feet bending the earth and her crown scraping the sky, an image of size rather than a count of hands. The weapons given in verses 20 to 31 are more than eighteen as well, since several gods also give ornaments, garlands and armour.
Verses 40 to 45 name the commanders who meet her first. Chikshura is called Mahishasura's general, and Chamara fights beside him with a fourfold army of chariots, elephants, horses and foot soldiers. Udagra brings sixty thousand chariots, Mahahanu ten million, Asiloma fifty niyutas and Bashkala six hundred ayutas; Bidala fights surrounded by chariots, and the standard printed reading takes Parivarita as another commander, ringed by elephants, horses and ten million chariots. The numbers climb to crores upon crores of chariots around Mahishasura himself in verses 46 and 47. None of these generals dies by name in this chapter, which ends with their armies destroyed. Chikshura, Chamara, Udagra, Bashkala and the others fall one by one in chapter 3, before Mahishasura's own death.
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