Pauri
After restoring the kingdom to the gods, Durga disappeared from the scene. Now warriors like Sumbh and Nisumbh, who seemed to have been born out of pride, sat together to discuss the blessing given by Shiva for their victory. Ever since Shiva gave them a blessing, they had an eye on usurping Indra’s capital.||21||
After restoring the kingdom to the gods, Durga disappeared from the scene. Now warriors like Sumbh and Nisumbh, who seemed to have been born out of pride, sat together to discuss the blessing given by Shiva for their victory. Ever since Shiva gave them a blessing, they had an eye on usurping Indra’s capital.||21||
The great warriors now resolved to invade Indrapuri. They put on armours, wore iron-net masks, put armour on horses and camels and thus collected their war materials. A huge army of one akshauhani (comprising of 21870 elephants, equal numbers of chariots, 65610 horses and 109350 soldiers foot) now set out. As they marched the dust raised by them covered the entire sky. Beholding all this Sumbh and Nisumbh were further seething with rage.||22||
Sumbh
and Nisumbh desired that war drums be sounded. Rage seemed personified
here. The warriors were making their steeds run about. Drums were beaten
on both sides. The sound seemed to be of male buffalo, the carriage of
the god of death. Both the gods and demons had come prepared for a fight.||23||
Clash
between the gods and demons continued uninterrupted. The blood stained
uniforms of the soldiers looked like flowers bloomed in a garden. The
evil spirits, kites and crows fed them selves on the dead bodies. The
scene was completely chaotic and noisy. The brave soldiers were raising
loud war noises. ||24||
Both
the gods and demons sounded the war drums. The demons ultimately routed
the gods who fled from the field. The demons sway now ran in the three
worlds. The frightened gods again sought protection from Durga. They succeeded
in persuading her to attack the demons.||25||
Pauri
Durga again came to the rescue of the gods when the news reached her. In the other camp many proud demons also got together. The demon-king Sumbh sent for a chieftain Dhumarlochan by name and with a smoke like complexion. He considered himself very great. The war drum was sounded and the slogan was to bring Durga as captured.||26||
Durga again came to the rescue of the gods when the news reached her. In the other camp many proud demons also got together. The demon-king Sumbh sent for a chieftain Dhumarlochan by name and with a smoke like complexion. He considered himself very great. The war drum was sounded and the slogan was to bring Durga as captured.||26||
When
Durga saw the enemy forces, she thundered. She pulled the khunda, double
edged sword out of the sheath and moved upfront before the enemy. All
the brave soldiers of Dhumar got killed. Their dead bodies lay scattered
in the field as a labourer might have felled many trees.||27||
The
drum beaters again sounded the drums and a fierce clash ensued between
the two sides. Then Durga in a rage appeared before the demons. In her
left hand was the khunda. She struck the weapon on many a soldier which
turned it red with blood. The demon soldiers were so confused that they
killed their own companions mistaking them for Durga. Now the goddess
Durga seething with rage made blow for the chiefts and with this single
blow Dhumarlochan was despatched to the other world. It seemed as if Dhumarlochans
death was an advance-money paid for the death of Sumbh.||28||
The
crushed demons now cried before their king, sumbh “Dhumarlochan
has been killed along with his soldiers.” She targeted select warriors
in the battlefield and killed them. The falling soldiers looked like falling
stars in the sky. Their dead bodies lay like mountains struck by lightening.
The demons got frightened and got routed. Many were killed and those who
were able to save their lives stood around the king.||29||
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Pauri Boiling with rage the demon-king summoned his demons. They sat together and resolved that they must bring Durga as captive. Chand and Mund came to the battlefield with huge armies. The hordes wearing armour looked like rising dark clouds. The swords dangling down their waists they marched towards the field. It seemed as if they were being led the the god of Death for slaughter. ||30|| |