Durga Saptashati Chapter 10 (Dashama Adhyay): Shumbha Vadha, "Ekaivaham Jagatyatra", with Meaning
Durga Saptashati Chapter 10, the Dashama Adhyay, is the death of Shumbha, the last of the great asuras, and the end of the war that began in Chapter 5. It belongs to the Uttara Charitra, presided over by Mahasaraswati, and has 32 verses in the standard numbering. The chapter is given here in full, with the dhyana and every verse in Sanskrit followed by its meaning.
Its opening exchange is the philosophical summit of the Saptashati. Shumbha taunts the Goddess for fighting with the strength of others; she answers ekaivaham jagatyatra dvitiya ka mamapara, "I alone exist in this world; who else is there besides me?", and Brahmani, Kali, Shivaduti and every Matrika dissolve back into her body. The combat that follows is single, weapon by weapon, on the ground and in the sky, until the trident pierces Shumbha's chest and the world, its clouds, rivers, winds and fires, returns to order.
संक्षेप में: दुर्गा सप्तशती का दसवाँ अध्याय (शुम्भ वध) यहाँ पूरा दिया गया है: ध्यान और सभी 32 श्लोक संस्कृत में, हर श्लोक के हिंदी अर्थ के साथ। शुम्भ के ताने पर देवी सब शक्तियों को अपने में समेट लेती हैं, 'इस जगत् में मैं अकेली ही हूँ', और धरती तथा आकाश में अकेले लड़कर त्रिशूल से उसकी छाती बींध देती हैं; उसकी मृत्यु से जगत् फिर व्यवस्थित होता है। परंपरा में यह अध्याय खोए हुए को पाने और शत्रु या बाधा के अन्तिम निवारण के लिए पढ़ा जाता है। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →
This chapter is part of the complete Durga Saptashati path, with all 13 chapters and the angas in reading order.
Chapter 10 at a glance
- Chapter: Tenth of 13, "Shumbha Vadha" (शुम्भ वध)
- Charitra: Uttara Charitra (the last episode)
- Presiding deity: Mahasaraswati
- Rishi: Rudra
- Chhanda: Anushtup
- Shakti · Bija · Tattva · Veda: Bhima · Bhramari · Surya (the sun) · Samaveda
- Verses: 32 in the standard numbering (uvacha lines counted)
- Traditional fruit of reading: Tradition reads the tenth chapter for finding a lost person or thing, and for the final removal of an enemy or an obstacle.
The story of Chapter 10 in brief
Seeing Nishumbha dead and his army dying, Shumbha accuses the Goddess of pride and of fighting on the strength of others. She replies that she alone exists and that the Shaktis are her own powers; as he watches, Brahmani and all the Goddesses merge into her body, and Ambika stands alone, telling him to stand firm. The battle is fought with divine missiles on both sides, each breaking the other's, hers by her hum. She cuts his bow, cuts the spear in his hand with her discus, cuts his hundred-moon sword and sun-bright shield, kills his horses and breaks his chariot. He takes up a hammer; she cuts it. He comes at her with his fist and strikes her heart; she strikes his chest with her palm and he falls, rises, seizes her and carries her into the sky, where they fight without any support beneath them, a combat that amazes the siddhas and sages. After a long struggle she lifts him, whirls him and throws him to the earth. He rises once more with raised fist, and as he comes she drives her trident through his chest. He falls dead, shaking the earth with its oceans and mountains. The sky clears, the portents cease, the rivers run in their courses, the gods rejoice, the gandharvas sing, the apsaras dance, holy winds blow, the sun shines and the sacrificial fires burn calm.
Durga Saptashati Chapter 10: Sanskrit text with meaning
The Sanskrit follows the standard text of the Devi Mahatmya; the numbering is the common 700-verse numbering, in which the uvacha lines are counted. Each verse is followed by its meaning in plain English.
Dhyanam
ॐ उत्तप्तहेमरुचिरां रविचन्द्रवह्नि-
नेत्रां धनुश्शरयुताङ्कुशपाशशूलम् ।
रम्यैर्भुजैश्च दधतीं शिवशक्तिरूपां
कामेश्वरीं हृदि भजामि धृतेन्दुलेखाम् ॥
Meaning: Om. I worship in my heart Kameshvari, bright as molten gold, whose three eyes are the sun, the moon and fire, who holds in her lovely arms the bow and arrows, the goad, the noose and the trident, who is the form of Shiva and Shakti together, and who wears the crescent moon.
Verses 1 to 32
ॐ ऋषिरुवाच ॥१॥
Meaning: Om. The sage said:
निशुम्भं निहतं दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं प्राणसम्मितम् ।
हन्यमानं बलं चैव शुम्भः क्रुद्धोऽब्रवीद्वचः ॥२॥
Meaning: Seeing his brother Nishumbha, dear to him as life, slain, and his army being slaughtered, Shumbha spoke these words in anger:
बलावलेपदुष्टे त्वं मा दुर्गे गर्वमावह ।
अन्यासां बलमाश्रित्य युद्ध्यसे चातिमानिनी ॥३॥
Meaning: "O Durga, wicked with the arrogance of strength, do not be proud; you are full of conceit, yet you fight relying on the strength of others."
देव्युवाच ॥४॥
Meaning: The Goddess said:
एकैवाहं जगत्यत्र द्वितीया का ममापरा ।
पश्यैता दुष्ट मय्येव विशन्त्यो मद्विभूतयः ॥५॥
Meaning: "I alone exist in this world; who else is there besides me? See, O wicked one, these are my own powers entering back into me."
ततः समस्तास्ता देव्यो ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखा लयम् ।
तस्या देव्यास्तनौ जग्मुरेकैवासीत्तदाम्बिका ॥६॥
Meaning: Then all those Goddesses, Brahmani and the rest, dissolved into the body of the Goddess; Ambika alone then remained.
देव्युवाच ॥७॥
Meaning: The Goddess said:
अहं विभूत्या बहुभिरिह रूपैर्यदास्थिता ।
तत्संहृतं मयैकैव तिष्ठाम्याजौ स्थिरो भव ॥८॥
Meaning: "The many forms in which I stood here by my power, I have withdrawn; I stand alone in battle. Stand firm!"
ऋषिरुवाच ॥९॥
Meaning: The sage said:
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं देव्याः शुम्भस्य चोभयोः ।
पश्यतां सर्वदेवानामसुराणां च दारुणम् ॥१०॥
Meaning: Then began the battle between the Goddess and Shumbha, a terrible one, with all the gods and asuras looking on.
शरवर्षैः शितैः शस्त्रैस्तथा चास्त्रैः सुदारुणैः ।
तयोर्युद्धमभूद्भूयः सर्वलोकभयङ्करम् ॥११॥
Meaning: With showers of arrows, with sharp weapons and most dreadful missiles, their battle grew again into something that terrified all the worlds.
दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि शतशो मुमुचे यान्यथाम्बिका ।
बभञ्ज तानि दैत्येन्द्रस्तत्प्रतीघातकर्तृभिः ॥१२॥
Meaning: The hundreds of divine missiles that Ambika loosed, the lord of the daityas broke with weapons that countered them.
मुक्तानि तेन चास्त्राणि दिव्यानि परमेश्वरी ।
बभञ्ज लीलयैवोग्रहुङ्कारोच्चारणादिभिः ॥१३॥
Meaning: And the divine missiles he loosed, the supreme Goddess broke as if in play, by uttering fierce "hum" sounds and the like.
ततः शरशतैर्देवीमाच्छादयत सोऽसुरः ।
सापि तत्कुपिता देवी धनुश्चिच्छेद चेषुभिः ॥१४॥
Meaning: Then the asura covered the Goddess with hundreds of arrows; and the Goddess, angered at that, cut his bow with her arrows.
छिन्ने धनुषि दैत्येन्द्रस्तथा शक्तिमथाददे ।
चिच्छेद देवी चक्रेण तामप्यस्य करे स्थिताम् ॥१५॥
Meaning: His bow cut, the lord of the daityas took up a spear; the Goddess cut that too with her discus while it was still in his hand.
ततः खड्गमुपादाय शतचन्द्रं च भानुमत् ।
अभ्यधा वत तां देवीं दैत्यानामधिपेश्वरः ॥१६॥
Meaning: Then the supreme lord of the daityas took up a sun-bright sword marked with a hundred moons and rushed at the Goddess.
तस्यापतत एवाशु खड्गं चिच्छेद चण्डिका ।
धनुर्मुक्तैः शितैर्बाणैश्चर्म चार्ककरामलम् ।
अश्वांश्च पातयामास रथं सारथिना सह ॥१७॥
Meaning: Even as he rushed, Chandika quickly cut his sword with sharp arrows from her bow, and his shield as bright as the rays of the sun; and she brought down his horses and his chariot with its driver.
हताश्वः स तदा दैत्यश्छिन्नधन्वा विसारथिः ।
जग्राह मुद्गरं घोरमम्बिकानिधनोद्यतः ॥१८॥
Meaning: His horses dead, his bow cut, without a charioteer, the daitya then seized a dreadful hammer, intent on killing Ambika.
चिच्छेदापततस्तस्य मुद्गरं निशितैः शरैः ।
तथापि सोऽभ्यधावत्तां मुष्टिमुद्यम्य वेगवान् ॥१९॥
Meaning: She cut the hammer with sharp arrows as he came; yet he rushed at her still, swift, with his fist raised.
स मुष्टिं पातयामास हृदये दैत्यपुङ्गवः ।
देव्यास्तं चापि सा देवी तलेनोरस्यताडयत् ॥२०॥
Meaning: That bull among daityas brought his fist down on the Goddess's heart, and she too struck him on the chest with her palm.
तलप्रहाराभिहतो निपपात महीतले ।
स दैत्यराजः सहसा पुनरेव तथोत्थितः ॥२१॥
Meaning: Struck by the blow of her palm, the daitya king fell to the ground, and at once rose again.
उत्पत्य च प्रगृह्योच्चैर्देवीं गगनमास्थितः ।
तत्रापि सा निराधारा युयुधे तेन चण्डिका ॥२२॥
Meaning: Leaping up and seizing the Goddess, he rose high into the sky; there too, with no support beneath her, Chandika fought with him.
नियुद्धं खे तदा दैत्यश्चण्डिका च परस्परम् ।
चक्रतुः प्रथमं सिद्धमुनिविस्मयकारकम् ॥२३॥
Meaning: Then the daitya and Chandika fought each other in the sky, a combat never seen before, that amazed the siddhas and sages.
ततो नियुद्धं सुचिरं कृत्वा तेनाम्बिका सह ।
उत्पाट्य भ्रामयामास चिक्षेप धरणीतले ॥२४॥
Meaning: After a long combat with him, Ambika lifted him up, whirled him round and flung him to the ground.
स क्षिप्तो धरणीं प्राप्य मुष्टिमुद्यम्य वेगवान् ।
अभ्यधावत दुष्टात्मा चण्डिकानिधनेच्छया ॥२५॥
Meaning: Thrown down, that evil one reached the ground, raised his fist and rushed swiftly at her again, wishing to kill Chandika.
तमायान्तं ततो देवी सर्वदैत्यजनेश्वरम् ।
जगत्यां पातयामास भित्त्वा शूलेन वक्षसि ॥२६॥
Meaning: As he came, the Goddess pierced him in the chest with her trident, and that lord of all the daitya folk fell to the earth.
स गतासुः पपातोर्व्यां देवी शूलाग्रविक्षतः ।
चालयन् सकलां पृथ्वीं साब्धिद्वीपां सपर्वताम् ॥२७॥
Meaning: Pierced by the point of the Goddess's trident, he fell lifeless to the ground, shaking the whole earth with its oceans, islands and mountains.
ततः प्रसन्नमखिलं हते तस्मिन् दुरात्मनि ।
जगत्स्वास्थ्यमतीवाप निर्मलं चाभवन्नभः ॥२८॥
Meaning: When that evil one was slain, the whole world became glad and regained its health, and the sky grew clear.
उत्पातमेघाः सोल्का ये प्रागासंस्ते शमं ययुः ।
सरितो मार्गवाहिन्यस्तथासंस्तत्र पातिते ॥२९॥
Meaning: The portent-clouds and meteors that had appeared before were stilled; and when he fell, the rivers flowed again in their courses.
ततो देवगणाः सर्वे हर्षनिर्भरमानसाः ।
बभूवुर्निहते तस्मिन् गन्धर्वा ललितं जगुः ॥३०॥
Meaning: Then, when he was slain, all the hosts of gods were filled with joy, and the gandharvas sang sweetly.
अवादयंस्तथैवान्ये ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः ।
ववुः पुण्यास्तथा वाताः सुप्रभोऽभूद्दिवाकरः ॥३१॥
Meaning: Others played instruments and the troops of apsaras danced; holy winds blew and the sun shone bright.
जज्वलुश्चाग्नयः शान्ताः शान्ता दिग्जनितस्वनाः ॥३२॥
Meaning: The sacred fires burned calmly, and the strange sounds that had arisen in the quarters fell silent.
॥ स्वस्ति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे
देवीमाहात्म्ये शुम्भवधो नाम दशमोऽध्यायः ॥ १०॥
Meaning: Thus ends the tenth chapter, named Shumbha Vadha, of the Devi Mahatmya in the Markandeya Purana, in the Savarnika manvantara.
Significance and benefits of reading Chapter 10
Tradition assigns a fruit to each chapter, and the tenth is read for finding what is lost and for the final removal of an enemy or obstacle, the war of the whole Uttara Charitra ending here. It is also the chapter read on Vijayadashami by those who follow the Shumbha-Nishumbha episode rather than the Mahishasura episode as the victory of the day.
Verses 5 to 8 are quoted in every Shakta commentary: the Goddess who sent out the Matrikas now takes them back, and declares that there was never anyone but her. The tradition reads this as the teaching that the many powers one sees in the world are one power, and that the Devi worshipped in many forms is one Devi. The closing verses, with the sky clearing and the rivers returning to their beds, are the Saptashati's picture of a world set right.
How to read Chapter 10 (vidhi)
In a complete Saptashati path the chapters are read in order after the three angas, Devi Kavach, Argala Stotram and Keelak Stotram, and the Ratri Suktam. Many traditions also do the Navarna mantra japa with nyasa before and after. If you are reading this chapter on its own, begin with its dhyana as given above, read the verses without hurry, and close with the Kshamapana or the Siddha Kunjika Stotram.
Sit facing east or north on a clean asana, light a ghee lamp, keep water in a kalash, and read from a printed or clearly displayed text rather than from memory. Do not break a chapter in the middle; if you must stop, finish the chapter first. A samput mantra can be added before and after each verse for a specific purpose, but a plain reading with attention is the foundation.
Astrological relevance
In the Jyotish tradition the Devi Mahatmya is read as a remedy of the widest kind: the Prathama Charitra is associated with Mahakali and with the pacification of Rahu, Ketu and Shani, the Madhyama Charitra with Mahalakshmi and the Sun and Jupiter, and the Uttara Charitra with Mahasaraswati and Mercury and Venus. Chapter 10 belongs to the Uttara Charitra, so it is read with the rest of that episode when those grahas are difficult in a chart, and during their dashas. Nothing here replaces reading your own chart; it is the devotional side of the same picture. Start with a free kundli or talk to an astrologer to see which dasha is running.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in Durga Saptashati Chapter 10?
Shumbha taunts the Goddess for fighting with the strength of others. She withdraws all the Shaktis into herself, saying "I alone exist in this world", and fights him alone, on the ground and in the sky, until she pierces his chest with her trident. With his death the world returns to order. The chapter has 32 verses.
What does "ekaivaham jagatyatra dvitiya ka mamapara" mean?
It is verse 5: "I alone exist in this world; who else is there besides me? See, O wicked one, these are my own powers entering back into me." As she speaks, Brahmani, Kali and every other Goddess dissolve into her body, and only Ambika remains.
How is Shumbha killed?
After a long single combat in which his bow, spear, sword, shield, chariot and hammer are all destroyed and the two fight even in the sky, the Goddess throws him to the earth; as he rushes at her again with his fist raised, she pierces his chest with her trident (verses 26 and 27), and he falls dead, shaking the earth.
Why does the Goddess take the Matrikas back into herself?
To answer Shumbha's taunt and to show that the Matrikas were never separate beings but her own powers (vibhuti). The tradition reads this as the central teaching of the Saptashati: the many forms of the Goddess are one.
What is Chapter 10 read for?
Tradition reads it for finding a lost person or thing and for the final removal of an enemy or obstacle. It is read within the Uttara Charitra and the full paath, and by some on Vijayadashami as the chapter of the decisive victory.
