Durgama Vadha and Śatākshī: Umā Saṃhitā

Durgama Vadha is the killing of the asura Durgama by Devī Umā, who appeared as Śatākshī (the hundred-eyed one) and Śākambharī. The Umā Saṃhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa tells it in Chapter 50. Durgama, the son of Ruru, received all four Vedas by a vara (a boon) from Brahmā, and the Vedas left the world. Without Vedic action a famine of a hundred years fell. The devas prayed to Devī Umā. She appeared with countless eyes, fed the world with her tears, killed Durgama and brought back the Vedas. The devas gave her three names: Śatākshī, Śākambharī and Durgā.

Durgama’s rise

Ruru’s son Durgama performed hard tapas (austerity). By it he won from Brahmā a vara (a boon): he would receive all four Vedas, the Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva. By this vara of Brahmā the Vedas themselves passed out of the world into Durgama’s hands. With the Vedas gone, all Vedic action stopped: no yajñas, no homas, no dānas (gifts) and no tapas. Without these rites to hold up the order of the cosmos, dharma fell apart in all three worlds. (Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

Strengthened by his vara and by the disorder it caused, Durgama became unbeatable by any of the devas. He committed countless pāpas (sins) through the worlds. The devas could not stand against him and shook with fear even in Svarga.

The famine of a hundred years

The loss of the Vedas had a direct effect on the earth. The yajñas and homas that keep the cosmic cycles going had stopped, and drought came over the earth for a hundred years. Every river, sea, lake, well and pond dried up. Trees and creepers withered. All the crops failed. The whole world, devas, humans and all creatures, suffered terribly from hunger and thirst. The sound of weeping rose from all three worlds at once. (Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

The devas pray to Devī Umā

In this plight the devas gathered and prayed to Devī Umā. They called her Yogamāyā-svarūpiṇī, the form of cosmic mercy, who has always come to guard the worlds in their hour of need. They reminded her of her earlier victories over Mahishāsura, Śuṃbha and Niśuṃbha, and Madhu and Kaiṭabha, and begged her to appear again. They said: “Children make mistakes at every step. But who, other than a mother, would bear those mistakes in this world? Whenever the devas and brāhmaṇas have suffered, you have always appeared and given them back their joy.” (Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

Umā appears as Śatākshī

Devī Umā heard the devas’ cry. Moved by pity for her suffering children, she appeared in a form with countless eyes (ananta-nayanas). The devas saw her face like an open lotus. She had four arms, holding a bow, arrows, a lotus, and many roots and fruits.

She saw her own creation in such misery, and she wept for nine days and nine nights, shedding rivers of tears. The tears fell on the earth and brought all life back: people, trees, creepers and herbs were fed and satisfied by the Devī’s tears. Rivers and oceans filled again. The earth turned green with plants, vegetables, roots and fruits.

She gave fruits from her own hands to the devas, fine grass to the cows, and fitting gifts to every being according to its need. When the devas had recovered, they asked for the most important thing: “Please give back the Vedas that Durgama stole.” Umā promised: “Go back to your homes. I will restore the Vedas to you very soon.” (Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

The war with Durgama

The noise of the Devī’s work of restoring order reached Durgama’s city. The asura at once called out his army, the full strength of his hundred akshauhiṇīs, and surrounded the Devī.

The Devī made a protective cakra of tejas (radiance) round the devas, and then stepped forward herself. The battle began. Both sides poured down sharp arrows that could pierce armour.

Then from the Devī’s own body came the ten Mahāvidyās, ten beautiful armed devīs: Kālī, Tārā, Chinnamastā, Śrī-Vidyā, Bhuvaneśvarī, Bhairavī, Bagalā, Dhūmrā, Śrī-Matta-Tripurasundarī (Mahāvidyā-svarūpā) and Mātaṅgī. Each held weapons and shone with divine light. (Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

Then countless Mātṛ-devatās also rose, each wearing the crescent moon and blazing like flashes of lightning. These Mātṛ-gaṇas joined the Mahāvidyās in the fight, and together they destroyed Durgama’s hundred akshauhiṇī armies.

At last the Devī struck Durgama with the tip of her śūla (trident), and the great asura fell like a tree cut at the root. (Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

The three names

After the victory, Umā took all four Vedas from Durgama’s hold and gave them back to the devas. The devas were full of gratitude and gave her three names.

Śatākshī (she with a hundred eyes): “You appeared with endless eyes, so let the maharshis call you Śatākshī.”
Śākambharī (she who nourishes with śāka, vegetables and plants): “You fed all beings with the śāka, the plants and herbs that rose from your own body, so your name Śākambharī will be famous in the world.”
Durgā, Bhagavatī and Bhadrā: “You killed the great asura Durgama, so human beings will honour you by the names Durgā, Bhagavatī and Bhadrā.”

(Umā Saṃhitā, Chapter 50)

The Devī’s promise to the devas

At the end Umā spoke to the devas to calm them:

“Just as a cow runs anxiously towards her calf, so I run anxiously towards you when I see you. I care for you as small children and would give even my life for you. If I do not see you even for a moment, it feels like a yuga.
I am able, and I have always stood at your side to remove your troubles. You who are full of devotion need have no worry of any kind.
I have killed asuras in the past. I will kill them in the future. Have no doubt of this. I speak the absolute truth.
Two more asuras will rise, Śuṃbha and Niśuṃbha. Then I, the glorious one, will take a human female form as the daughter of Nanda and Yaśodā in a cowherd village, and kill both those asuras. So I will gain the name Nandajā.
I will take the form of bees and kill Aruṇa. So human beings will call me Bhrāmarī.
Again I will take a terrible form and devour asuras. Then I will be called Bhīmādevī.
So, whenever trouble from asuras arises in the world, I will appear in each such age and without fail restore happiness.”