Mārkandeya Mahā Purana
90 - The Devi-mahatmya.
The slaying of Shumbha.
Ambika absorbed all the other goddesses, and fighting with Shumbha in single combat, killed him. —The universe was then filled with joy.
The rishi spoke:
1 Seeing his brother Nishumbha slain, who was dear to him as his life, and his army being slaughtered, Sh’umbha in
2 wrath spoke thus— “O Durga, who art tainted with the arrogance of strength, bring not thy pride here, thou who, trusting in the strength of the other goddesses, dost fight in exceeding haughtiness!”
The goddess spoke:
3 Alone verily am I in the world here; what other goddess is there besides me? See, vile one! that these goddesses, who have their divine power from me, are entering into me indeed.
4 Then all those goddesses, Brahmani and the others, became absorbed into the goddess’ breasts; Ambika then remained alone indeed.
The goddess spoke:
5 Whereas I existed* with my divine power in many forms here—that has been drawn in by me, truly alone I stand now. Be thou steadfast in combat!
*For yada sthita read yad asthita as in the Bombay edition.
The rishi spoke:
6 Thereupon commenced a battle between them both, the goddess and Sh’umbha, while all the gods and the Asuras
7 looked on - a battle without quarter. With showers of arrows, with sharp weapons and also with pitiless missiles both engaged anew in a combat which set all the world in fear.
8 And the lord of the Daityas broke the heavenly missiles, which Ambika discharged in hundreds, with weapons that
9 parried them. And the supreme goddess in merest play broke the heavenly missiles that he discharged, with fierce
10 shouts, ejaculations and other sounds. Then the Asura covered the goddess with hundreds of arrows, and the goddess enraged thereat split his bow also with her arrows.
11 And when his bow was split the lord of the Daityas took up his spear. The goddess split it, as he held it in his
12 hand, with a discus. Next the supreme monarch of the Daityas, seizing his scymitar and sun-like shield, on which a hundred moons were pourtrayed, rushed at the goddess†
†For devi read devim. The Bombay edition reads tam hantum,
13 at that monent. Just as he was falling upon her, Ch’andika hastily split his scyrnitar with sharp arrows shot from her bow, and his shield also which was spotless as the sun’s rays.
14 With his steeds wounded, with his bow split, without a charioteer, the Daitya then†† grasped his terrible mace, being
†† For sadd read tadd.
15 ready to slay Ambika. As he was falling upon her, she clove his mace with sharp arrows; nevertheless raising his fist
16 he rushed swiftly at her. The lordly Daitya brought his fist down on the goddess’ heart, and the goddess also smote
17 him on his breast with her palm. Wounded by the blow of her palm the Daitya king fell suddenly on the earth; and
18 again indeed he rose up, and springing upward he seized the goddess and mounted on high into the sky. There also
19 Ch’andika, heing without any support, fought with him. The
Daitya and Chandika then fought at first with each other in the sky in a close combat, which wrought dismay among the
20 Siddhas and munis; after carrying on the close combat for a very long time with him, Ambika lifted him up then and
21whirled him around and flung him on the earth. When flung thus he touched the earth, he raised his fist hastily and rushed, evil of soul as he was, with the wish to kill Ch’andika.
22 Seeing him, the lord of all the Daitya folk, approaching, the goddess then pierced him in the breast with a dart and
23 felled him down on the earth. Shattered by the point of the goddess’ dart he fell lifeless on the ground, shaking the whole earth and its seas, islands and mountains.
24 When that evil-souled demon was slain, the universe became placid, the earth regained perfect well-being, and the
25 sky grew pure. Porteut-clouds, which were full of flame before, became tranquil, and the rivers kept within their
26 channels, when he was stricken down there. All the bands of gods then grew exceedingly joyful in mind, when he was
27 slain; the Gandharvas sang out sweetly, and others of them sounded their instruments, and the bevies of Apsarases danced; and favourable breezes blew, very brilliant grew the sun, and the tranquil sacred fires blazed freely, and tranquil became the strange sounds that had occurred in the regions of the sky
Summary of chapter 90 of the Mārkandeya Mahā Purana is as follows:
Left alone on the battlefield, the titan Śumbha arrogantly taunts the Goddess for relying on the strength of other Śaktis. The Mother smiles and declares that all these goddesses are merely Her own divine emanations, instantly absorbing all Mātṛkās back into Her single body. A thrilling wrestling battle takes place in the sky, culminating in the Goddess hurling Śumbha to the earth and piercing his chest with Her spear, restoring peace and radiant joy across all realms.