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Home › Mantras › Durga Saptashati › Durga Saptashati Chapter 6
Chandi (Durga) Durga Saptashati Chapter 6: the Goddess on her lion turning Dhumralochana to ash with a single sound as her lion scatters his army
With the sound 'hum' alone, the Goddess turns Dhumralochana to ash
Mantra · Dhumralochana comes to drag her off by the hair; one 'hum' burns him to ash

Durga Saptashati Chapter 6

इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः । समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥

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 6 is

Durga Saptashati Chapter 6 is titled Dhumralochana Vadha, the slaying of Dhumralochana, in the colophon that seals it; it is the second chapter of the last episode and, at 24 numbered lines, the shortest of the thirteen. Its opening dhyana in the standard printed edition pictures the Goddess as Padmavati. The chapter picks up the moment chapter 5 leaves off, with Shumbha's envoy turned away by the Goddess's vow. In verses 2 to 5 the envoy reports back, and the demon king, angry, sends his commander Dhumralochana to bring her by force and to kill anyone, god, Yaksha or Gandharva, who stands up for her. Verses 7 to 11 carry the only exchange: Dhumralochana's threat on the snowy mountain and her one-line reply. Verse 13 is his death. Verses 14 to 19 belong almost wholly to her lion, which destroys his army of sixty thousand in a moment. Verses 20 to 24 return to Shumbha, who, lip trembling with rage, gives Chanda and Munda the orders that chapter 7 sees carried out. The threat to drag her by the hair, first made by the envoy at the end of chapter 5, comes three more times here: from Shumbha in verse 4, from Dhumralochana in verse 9 and from Shumbha again in verse 23. The chapter has no hymn and no half-verses; its four speaker lines (1, 6, 10 and 12) are numbered, so the verse numbers skip there.

A demon commander, one sound and a lion

The envoy of chapter 5 goes back to Shumbha's court, still smarting, and repeats what the Goddess said: she will marry only the one who beats her in battle. The demon king does not send another message. He turns to Dhumralochana and tells him to take his own troops, go at once, and bring 'that wicked woman' back dragged by the hair (verse 4); if anyone tries to protect her, even a god, he is to be killed. Dhumralochana sets out with sixty thousand asuras and finds the Goddess standing on the Himalaya. He shouts up to her to come along to Shumbha and Nishumbha, and adds that if she will not come willingly he will haul her there by her hair, using the very words of his master's order (verse 9). Her answer in verse 11 is quiet and turns his strength back on him: he is sent by the lord of the demons, he is strong and has an army around him, so if he takes her by force, what can she do to him? He runs at her, and in verse 13 Ambika burns him to ash with nothing more than the sound 'hum'. When his army attacks, it is the lion that answers, roaring, mauling, tearing and beheading until nothing of the host is left (verses 15 to 19). Hearing this, Shumbha orders Chanda and Munda to take large forces and bring her bound or by the hair, and, if they doubt they can win, to strike her down with every weapon, kill the lion, and bring her back bound (verses 22 to 24).

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiइत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः । समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥
Tamilஇத்யாகர்ண்ய வசோ தேவ்யாஃ ஸ தூதோமர்ஷபூரிதஃ । ஸமாசஷ்ட ஸமாகம்ய தைத்யராஜாய விஸ்தராத் ॥
Teluguఇత్యాకర్ణ్య వచో దేవ్యాః స దూతోఽమర్షపూరితః । సమాచష్ట సమాగమ్య దైత్యరాజాయ విస్తరాత్ ॥
Kannadaಇತ್ಯಾಕರ್ಣ್ಯ ವಚೋ ದೇವ್ಯಾಃ ಸ ದೂತೋಽಮರ್ಷಪೂರಿತಃ । ಸಮಾಚಷ್ಟ ಸಮಾಗಮ್ಯ ದೈತ್ಯರಾಜಾಯ ವಿಸ್ತರಾತ್ ॥
Malayalamഇത്യാകര്ണ്യ വചോ ദേവ്യാഃ സ ദൂതോഽമര്ഷപൂരിതഃ । സമാചഷ്ട സമാഗമ്യ ദൈത്യരാജായ വിസ്തരാത് ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationityākarṇya vaco devyāḥ sa dūto'marṣapūritaḥ | samācaṣṭa samāgamya daityarājāya vistarāt ||
“The sage said: Hearing the Goddess's words, the messenger was filled with fury. He went back to the king of the demons and told him everything in detail.”
इत्याकर्ण्य
ityākarṇya — having thus heard
वचो
vaco — the words
देव्याः
devyāḥ — of the Goddess
स
sa — that
दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः
dūto'marṣapūritaḥ — messenger, filled with fury
समाचष्ट
samācaṣṭa — reported
समागम्य
samāgamya — having come back
दैत्यराजाय
daityarājāya — to the king of the demons
विस्तरात्
vistarāt — in detail

Durga Saptashati Chapter 6 lyrics in full

The Padmavati meditation verse and all 24 numbered lines of the chapter in the standard numbering, 20 verses and 4 speaker lines; the speaker of each passage is named above it.

All 24 numbered lines, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Durga Saptashati Chapter 6 PDFAll 24 numbered lines with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Dhyanam 1

ॐ नागाधीश्वरविष्टरां फणिफणोत्तंसोरुरत्नावलीभास्वद्देहलतां दिवाकरनिभां नेत्रत्रयोद्भासिताम् ।
मालाकुम्भकपालनीरजकरां चन्द्रार्धचूडां परां सर्वज्ञेश्वरभैरवाङ्कनिलयां पद्मावतीं चिन्तये ॥

Om. I meditate on Padmavati, the supreme Goddess seated on the king of serpents, her slender body shining with the great string of jewels from the serpents' hoods; she is bright as the sun and glows with three eyes. She holds a rosary, a water-pot, a skull-bowl and a lotus, wears the half-moon on her head, and dwells on the lap of Bhairava, the all-knowing Lord.

Verse 2

ऋषिरुवाच
इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः स दूतोऽमर्षपूरितः । समाचष्ट समागम्य दैत्यराजाय विस्तरात् ॥

The sage said: Hearing the Goddess's words, the messenger was filled with fury. He went back to the king of the demons and told him everything in detail.

Verse 3

तस्य दूतस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्यासुरराट् ततः ।
सक्रोधः प्राह दैत्यानामधिपं धूम्रलोचनम् ॥

Hearing that report from the messenger, the demon king grew angry and spoke to Dhumralochana, a commander of the demons.

Verse 4

हे धूम्रलोचनाशु त्वं स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः ।
तामानय बलाद् दुष्टां केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥

O Dhumralochana, go quickly, surrounded by your own army, and bring that wicked woman here by force, dragged helpless by her hair.

Verse 5

तत्परित्राणदः कश्चिद्यदि वोत्तिष्ठतेऽपरः ।
स हन्तव्योऽमरो वापि यक्षो गन्धर्व एव वा ॥

If anyone else rises up to protect her, kill him, whether he is a god, a Yaksha or a Gandharva.

Verse 7

ऋषिरुवाच
तेनाज्ञप्तस्ततः शीघ्रं स दैत्यो धूम्रलोचनः । वृतः षष्ट्या सहस्राणामसुराणां द्रुतं ययौ ॥

The sage said: So commanded by him, the demon Dhumralochana set out at once, surrounded by sixty thousand asuras.

Verse 8

स दृष्ट्वा तां ततो देवीं तुहिनाचलसंस्थिताम् ।
जगादोच्चैः प्रयाहीति मूलं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥

Seeing the Goddess standing on the snowy mountain, he shouted aloud: Come along to Shumbha and Nishumbha.

Verse 9

न चेत्प्रीत्याद्य भवती मद्भर्तारमुपैष्यति ।
ततो बलान्नयाम्येष केशाकर्षणविह्वलाम् ॥

If you do not come to my master willingly now, I will take you by force, dragged helpless by your hair.

Verse 11

देव्युवाच
दैत्येश्वरेण प्रहितो बलवान् बलसंवृतः । बलान्नयसि मामेवं ततः किं ते करोम्यहम् ॥

The Goddess said: You are sent by the lord of the demons, you are strong, and you have an army around you. If you take me by force like this, what can I do to you?

Verse 13

ऋषिरुवाच
इत्युक्तः सोऽभ्यधावत्तामसुरो धूम्रलोचनः । हुंकारेणैव तं भस्म सा चकाराम्बिका ततः ॥

The sage said: When she said this, the asura Dhumralochana rushed at her. Then Ambika burnt him to ashes with nothing more than the sound hum.

Verse 14

अथ क्रुद्धं महासैन्यमसुराणां तथाम्बिका ।
ववर्ष सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तथा शक्तिपरश्वधैः ॥

Then the great army of the asuras, in a rage, and Ambika rained sharp arrows, spears and axes on one another.

Verse 15

ततो धुतसटः कोपात्कृत्वा नादं सुभैरवम् ।
पपातासुरसेनायां सिंहो देव्याः स्ववाहनः ॥

Then the lion, the Goddess's own mount, shaking its mane in anger and giving a terrifying roar, fell upon the asura army.

Verse 16

कांश्चित् करप्रहारेण दैत्यानास्येन चापरान् ।
आक्रम्य चाधरेणान्यान् स जघान महासुरान् ॥

It killed some demons with blows of its paws, others with its jaws, and still other great asuras by trampling them and biting with its lower jaw.

Verse 17

केषांचित्पाटयामास नखैः कोष्ठानि केसरी ।
तथा तलप्रहारेण शिरांसि कृतवान् पृथक् ॥

The lion tore open the bellies of some with its claws, and with slaps of its paw it struck the heads off others.

Verse 18

विच्छिन्नबाहुशिरसः कृतास्तेन तथापरे ।
पपौ च रुधिरं कोष्ठादन्येषां धुतकेसरः ॥

It cut off the arms and heads of others, and shaking its mane it drank the blood from the bellies of yet others.

Verse 19

क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वं क्षयं नीतं महात्मना ।
तेन केसरिणा देव्या वाहनेनातिकोपिना ॥

In a moment that whole army was destroyed by the mighty lion, the Goddess's mount, in its great fury.

Verse 20

श्रुत्वा तमसुरं देव्या निहतं धूम्रलोचनम् ।
बलं च क्षयितं कृत्स्नं देवीकेसरिणा ततः ॥

Hearing that the asura Dhumralochana had been slain by the Goddess, and that his whole army had been destroyed by the Goddess's lion,

Verse 21

चुकोप दैत्याधिपतिः शुम्भः प्रस्फुरिताधरः ।
आज्ञापयामास च तौ चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ॥

Shumbha, the lord of the demons, grew furious, his lip trembling, and he gave orders to the two great asuras Chanda and Munda.

Verse 22

हे चण्ड हे मुण्ड बलैर्बहुभिः परिवारितौ ।
तत्र गच्छत गत्वा च सा समानीयतां लघु ॥

O Chanda, O Munda, go there surrounded by large armies, and once there, bring her back quickly.

Verse 23

केशेष्वाकृष्य बद्ध्वा वा यदि वः संशयो युधि ।
तदाशेषायुधैः सर्वैरसुरैर्विनिहन्यताम् ॥

Drag her by the hair or bind her and bring her. If you are in doubt of success in battle, then let her be killed by all the asuras with every weapon they have.

Verse 24

तस्यां हतायां दुष्टायां सिंहे च विनिपातिते ।
शीघ्रमागम्यतां बद्ध्वा गृहीत्वा तामथाम्बिकाम् ॥

When that wicked one is struck down and the lion is killed too, bind that Ambika, seize her, and come back quickly.

The syllable people get wrong

In verse 13, huṃkāreṇaiva (हुंकारेणैव), 'by the sound hum alone', has an anusvara before k that is said as the 'ng' of 'sung', and a retroflex ṇ: say hung-KAA-re-ṇai-va, not 'hum-ka-rena-iva'.

When the Durga Saptashati Chapter 6 is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Navaratri, as part of the fourth day's reading (chapters 5 to 8)

Questions

Padmavati is the name the standard printed edition gives the Goddess in the meditation verse printed before chapter 6; the chapter itself calls her only Devi and Ambika. The verse pictures her seated on the king of serpents, her body lit by the jewels on the serpents' hoods, bright as the sun, with three eyes and the half-moon on her head. In her hands are a rosary, a water-pot, a skull-bowl and a lotus, and she sits on the lap of Bhairava, the all-knowing Lord. Some printings read bhairavanga for bhairavanka, which shifts the sense from 'on Bhairava's lap' towards 'in Bhairava's body'; the standard printed reading and its Hindi both have the lap.
It joins dhumra, 'smoke-coloured' or 'smoky grey', with lochana, 'eye', so the name reads 'smoke-eyed' or 'the one with smoky eyes'. The text adds nothing more about him: in verse 3 Shumbha addresses him as a commander of the demons, in verse 7 he leads sixty thousand asuras, and by verse 13 he is ash. One English translation of the Chandi Path renders the name as 'Sinful Eyes', reading the smoke as clouded or impure sight. That is an interpretation, not a gloss in the Sanskrit; the literal meaning is the colour of smoke.
Verse 13 says only that when he rushed at her, Ambika made him ash 'by the hum-sound alone' (humkarena eva). Hum is a syllable of anger and menace in Sanskrit, the sound of a growl, and also a seed syllable in later mantra practice. The force of the verse is in the word eva, 'alone': she lifts no weapon. It answers her own words in verse 11, where she asked what she could possibly do against a strong commander with an army. The fighting that follows in verses 14 to 19 is left almost entirely to her lion, which kills with paws, jaws and claws and in verse 18 drinks blood from the bellies of the slain. In this chapter the Goddess herself does nothing more than speak and make one sound.
Verse 23 tells Chanda and Munda to drag her by the hair or bind her, and if they doubt they can win, to have every asura attack her with every weapon. Verse 24 then says that once she is struck down and the lion felled, they are to bind Ambika and come back quickly. The verb in both verses is from han, which can mean to strike as well as to kill, so the pair of verses can be read as Shumbha wanting her beaten into submission, not dead, since he still means to have her as a wife. The text does not settle it. Either way, the chapter closes on an order, not an outcome: chapter 7 opens with the two generals marching out to carry it out.
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