Manifestation of Sarasvati

The king asked

Illustrious brahmana, on hearing that Dhumraksha, Chanda, Munda and the asura Raktabija had been killed by Devi, what did Shumbha, tormentor of the gods, do? Please tell me now. I want to hear the deeds of the origin of the universe, an account that destroys sins.

The rishi replied

The king's valour was unstoppable. The great asura heard that the supreme daityas were killed. He commanded his unassailable followers who loved to fight and were overjoyed at the very mention of battle: by my order, wishing victory, the powerful ones born in Kalaka's line have assembled, the Kalakeya asuras, the Mouryyas and Dourhridas, and others too; let them advance quickly. Destined for hell, Shumbha and Nishumbha gave this command and mounted their chariots. Those strong ones advanced like a storm of locusts going up a mountain, headed for destruction. Drums of many kinds sounded on the field. Those who loved battle were glad, those who did not fled. Covered in armour, the soldiers came to the field like embodied sins, seized shastras and astras, wished for victory and challenged each other. Some were on elephants, some on horses, other asuras on chariots, and they looked at their own side and the enemy's. With the asura lord they rejoiced at the coming battle. The repeated sounds of shataghnis made the gods tremble. A great darkness covered the sky and the sun's chariot path could not be seen. Crores of foot soldiers advanced for victory, and other asuras on chariots, horses and elephants, crores advancing rejoicing. Intoxicated elephants like dark mountains added the great sound of their trumpeting to the din of battle. Camels like smaller mountains croaked in their throats as they advanced. Horses from high lands neighed, with large ornaments on their necks, knowing how to tread; some set their feet on elephants' heads, others seemed to fly through the sky.

Seeing the enemy army advance Ambika strung her bow and sounded her bell, distressing the enemy. The lion shook its mane and roared. Nishumbha saw Shivaa standing on the snow mountain, in fine ornaments and weapons. Skilled in the feelings of beautiful women, he spoke to her in very sweet words: your body is lovely, and if a malati petal were thrown at you it might hurt; Maheshi, why do you want this terrible war? It is not a fit task for such a body. Having said this the great asura fell silent and Chandika answered: foolish asura, why speak in vain? Fight, or go to the abode of the nagas. The great, powerful warrior grew angry and rained a wonderful shower of arrows that covered the field like water from thick clouds at the monsoon's start. Intoxicated, he fought with sharp arrows, tridents, battle-axes, javelins, clubs, bows, catapults, lances, razor-headed arrows and large swords, and so did his companions. In the battle the foreheads of huge elephants were shattered, and they ran here and there like dark clouds. Here and there the white banners of Shumbha and Nishumbha fluttered like flocks of white cranes. In the battle Kalika shattered the daityas' bodies as if they were fish. The heads of many of the enemy's terrible horses were cut off. The enemy of deer, the lion, ate the remaining asuras. A river of blood began to flow, with heaps of the dead floating in it, soldiers' hair like moss and their upper garments like white froth. Horsemen fought horsemen, elephant-riders advanced on elephant-riders, chariot-warriors fought lords of charioteers, infantry clashed with infantry, in many duels between equals.

Nishumbha thought: a terrible time has come. A poor man can become very rich and, when destiny turns adverse, a very wealthy man poor. A dumb person can grow sharp in intellect and a clever one dumb. A cruel person can be greatly revered. The very strong can be beaten in battle and the weak triumph in the field. For any embodied being victory or defeat depends naturally on Parameshvara's will. No one can live transgressing destiny, not Maheshvara, not the lotus-born, not Rama's husband. It is not praiseworthy for heroes to go to a battlefield and flee, and my heart does not approve. But with my whole army destroyed how can I win? She has doubtless come to accomplish the gods' task and obstruct the daitya army. She is supreme Prakriti in ancient form, Shivaa; she can never be an ordinary woman. For those who love the taste of war it is said not to be praiseworthy and recommended to be killed by a woman. Yet if I withdrew from the battle, how would I show my face before the asura king? Seated on his chariot in the middle of the great battle the great warrior thought so, then urged his charioteer to drive quickly to where young Uma, Maheshvara's beloved, desired by celestial women, was. He said: Maheshi, what do we gain if a host of hired soldiers is slain? If you like, let there be a duel between us, both skilled and armoured and ready for battle. Koushiki looked at Kali and said these two had been seized by an evil planet: destiny urges good and wicked action, and when hardship is near the mind goes the wrong way. Then Nishumbha struck both Chandika and Kalika with thousands of arrows, and Shivaa with her own shower of arrows shattered those the asura loosed into thousands of pieces. Raising his flaming sword and shield, he struck the roaring one on the head. As a woodcutter cuts down a tree with an axe, Ambika used her large sword to cut his sword. With his sword broken he tried to strike Ambika's chest with a sharp arrow, but she cut that down too. He then hurled a trident at her chest, but she struck it with her chest and shattered it. The asura was headed to his death, so the great warrior took up a club again and rushed at Amba, who shattered it with her sharp trident. He seized another club and shattered her trident, and then Ambika struck Nishumbha with sharp stone-whetted arrows like terrible serpents, fit to drink the blood of the gods' haters. Slain by the arrows, the hateful one fell to the ground.

His younger brother, revered for his strength, when Nishumbha fell, was filled with rage, the lord of asuras with eight arms on his chariot. He came to where Mahesha's beloved stood. She blew the conch called Arindama and twanged her bow, a sound unbearable, and the lion shook its mane and roared, and the sky echoed with these three sounds. Jagadambika laughed loudly, terrifying all the gods' enemies. The gods cried "Victory" and told Ambika to hold steady in the battle. The daitya king let loose a large javelin spouting blazing flames, but she destroyed it with a flaming torch. Shivaa shattered Shumbha's arrows and he shattered hers into thousands of pieces. Chandika hurled her trident and the giant asura fell senseless like a mountain whose wings Hari had cut. The sky, the earth and the ocean trembled. The very strong one ignored the pain of the trident, made ten thousand arms and struck Kalika, Maheshvari and the lion with his destructive discus. In play she shattered the discus with the trident and struck the asura. So both of them reached the supreme destination, having met death at Shivaa's lotus hands, which purify the universe. When very valiant Nishumbha and Shumbha, terrible in valour, were killed, all the daityas entered Bali's abode. Kali's lion devoured other enemies of the immortals, and others fled terrified in the ten directions. Rivers flowed in many courses with clear water. The wind blew pleasant to the touch and the sky was bright. The gods and brahmin sages began sacrifices again, and great Indra and all the other heaven-dwellers were delighted. Medha told the king that this account of Uma, the death of the daitya king, is supremely pure and sacred, and one who reads it constantly with devotion enjoys all pleasures hard even for the gods to gain, and through Mahamaya's favour gains Uma's abode in the next world. So the destroyer of the asura Shumbha appeared, king, and she is called Sarasvati, directly manifested as Uma's portion.