Candishataka (Caṇḍīśataka)

"Brow, do not break your playful charm! Lower lip, what is this trembling? Face, cast away this flushing redness!
Hand, this is no living creature at all: why grasp the trident in your eagerness for battle?"
As if thus restoring her limbs, the banners of her rising wrath, back to their natural state,
may the Goddess's foot, placed upon his head as it stole the life-breaths of the enemy of the gods, crush your sins! (1)

May the Goddess's foot (aṅghri = caraṇa) steal (mudhyāt = haret) your (yuṣmākam) sin (aṃhas = pāpam). Doing what? Destroying the life-breaths of the enemy of the gods (marud-asuhṛd-asūn = deva-vairi-prāṇān). What kind of foot? Placed upon his head—that is, upon the head of the enemy of the gods, Mahiṣāsura himself. By what kind of Goddess? As if bringing her own limbs back to their natural, original state (prakṛtim = pūrvāvasthām), her limbs being the banners of rising anger (udyat-kopa-ketūn = āvirbhavat-krodha-cihnān). How so? "O Brow, do not break your playful grace (vibhrama = vilāsa), do not crush it! O lower lip (adhara = oṣṭha), what is this trembling (vidhuratā), what is this agitation? O face (āsya = mukha), cast away (asya = kṣipa, from the root as 'to cast') its redness (rāgam = lauhityam)! O hand (pāṇe = hasta), this Mahiṣa is no sentient, living creature at all! Why do you grasp the trident out of eagerness for battle (kalaha-śraddhayā = saṅgrāma-vāñchayā)?" Or else: "This man is merely a creature (prāṇī) who can be overcome simply by the blow of the sole of our foot; so why do you all uselessly assume such distorted states out of untimely rage? Be at ease!" The figure of speech is utprekṣā (poetic fancy).

When his loud bellow, which drowned the ocean, was overcome by the tinkling of her anklet,
and the blood flowing even from the wound made by his clinging horn was mistaken for her own lac dye,
her foot, placed upon the buffalo's shoulder as he rubbed against it, thinking it the Vindhya mountain, stole his life-breaths,
unwittingly, as it were: may that Śivā grant you auspicious blessing! (2)

May that blessed Śivā grant you (vaḥ) auspicious blessing (śivam = kalyāṇam). Who is she? She whose foot stole the life-breaths of Mahiṣa, as if unwittingly. What kind of foot? Placed (āvṛtaḥ = nyastaḥ) upon the shoulder—that is, of Mahiṣa—with the thought of the Vindhya mountain, thinking, "This is our dwelling, Mount Vindhya." And on what kind of shoulder? On his shoulder as he rubbed against it, thinking it the Vindhya mountain, rubbing it to relieve an itch. Because the Goddess's foot was dark, the delusion arose in Mahiṣa's shoulder too that it was Mount Vindhya, and so he rubbed against it. And how [did this happen unwittingly]? Because when his great bellow (huṃkāra)—surpassing the roar of the ocean—was drowned out by the tinkling of her anklet; indeed, the sound of the anklet arose just from rubbing his shoulder. He could have been recognized as a buffalo by his bellow, but the bellow was eclipsed by the tinkling of the anklet. Moreover, even when blood flowed from the wound made by his clinging horn, it was mistaken for her own lac dye, being confused with her red foot-dye. Thus, the delusion arose from these three mentioned causes.

Never produced by the river Jāhnavī washing it, cast forward by Hara devoted to appeasing her,
and surely not by her anklet, whose brilliance dims the moon, nor by the moonlight of her claws,
her foot attained that splendor: victorious is Āryā, who with her foot alone
crushes Mahiṣa like fresh lac dye and casts him away, useless once his life-sap has been drained! (3)

Victorious—excelling—is the Goddess Āryā. In what way? Crushing Mahiṣa with her foot alone, like fresh lac dye, and casting him aside. The restriction "with her foot alone" excludes the involvement of anything else. Again, in what way? Bearing, holding that splendor—that is, upon her foot. Which splendor? That which was not produced by Jāhnavī, the Gaṅgā, washing it, when directed by Mahādeva intent on appeasing her; surely not produced by her anklet; nor produced by the moonlight, the radiance, of her claws. "Whose brilliance dims the moon" is an epithet qualifying the Gaṅgā, the anklet, and the moonlight. What kind of buffalo? Drained of his life-sap (asurasādāna-niṣkāryam): his breath of life (asu) was the very juice (rasa); drained of that by its taking (ādāna), he was rendered useless (niṣkāryam = niṣprayojanam). Just as someone presses lac dye with the foot, takes its juice, and casts away the drained portion, so the Goddess took his life-breaths, which were his essence, and cast the buffalo away: this is the sense. "That splendor": namely, the redness that appears upon taking the sap of lac dye. Yet lac dye gives an artificial splendor, whereas this is natural.

"Are these tongues of Death darting forth in violent greed to swallow the three worlds all at once?
Or streams of Viṣṇupadī reddened by the radiance of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet?
Or the three twilights arrived in person through the praises of the Enemy of Smara?"
Victorious are the streams of blood issuing from Mahiṣa when struck by the Goddess's trident, conjectured thus by the gods! (4)

Victorious are the three streams of blood issuing from Mahiṣa struck by the Goddess's trident—that is, welling up from the body of Mahiṣa pierced by the Goddess's trident. What kind of streams? Conjectured, fancied by the gods in this manner. How so? Did the tongues of Death dart forth from the cavity of his mouth in excessive greed to devour the three worlds simultaneously? Or are they the courses—the streams—of Viṣṇupadī, the Gaṅgā, reddened, turned crimson by the beauty of the lotus feet of Viṣṇu (kṛṣṇāṅghri)? Or have the three twilights arrived in person through the praises—the prayers—of Śiva, the Enemy of Smara? For the twilights too are red in color.

When she dealt a blow in pride, the tip of the horn of the buffalo, the enemy of the gods,
which alone remained of his body crushed at once beneath the weight of her foot,
was caught at the boundary of her anklet's clasp: at the battle's end, Kumāra pulled it free,
eagerly thinking it his mother's fallen earring of a playful blue lotus bud—may he take away your impurities! (5)

In this stanza, if the construed sentence is made: "May Kumāra steal away your sins," then, because Kumāra is not the principal topic, there would be an construed connection of an extraneous matter. Therefore, one should supply [words] and explain thus: "May that Mother steal away your sins—" of which Mother Kumāra, at the cessation of the conflict, upon the conclusion of the battle with Mahiṣa, takes up the tip, the point, of the horn, regarding it as the fallen play-lotus bud used as an ear-ornament. With the belief: "This is not the tip of Mahiṣa's horn, but rather this very ear-ornament fallen from my mother's ear in the form of a blue lotus bud"—this is the sense. [What kind of horn-tip?] When a blow was delivered out of pride, instantly crushed to powder by the weight of her foot, by the heaviness of her foot—remaining from that body; and furthermore, clinging, caught fast at the boundary of her anklet's knot. Remaining from the body of whom? Of Mahiṣa, the enemy of the gods—of him who had the form of a buffalo, an enemy of the gods. The horns of a buffalo are generally hard, which is the reason for the remaining of the horn's tip.

Constantly the very nature of benefiting the universe, devoid of change, may that Śivā be for your peace,
at the edge of whose foot the enemy of the lord of the gods, though deeply wicked of intent,
found a place in heaven, as he charged again and again, playing with the tip of his horn
the circle of her anklet with its tinkling gems, like a vīṇā struck with a plectrum! (6)

May that Śivā be for your peace, for your happiness. Of what sort? Her very nature is benefiting the universe: having the disposition of doing good to all, or having the character of benefiting the world. Constantly: continuously. Again, of what sort? Devoid of change: free from alteration. At the edge of whose foot, at the border of whose foot, the enemy of the lord of the gods, the foe of Indra, Mahiṣa, found a place, a dwelling, in heaven. Through the excellence of merit produced by contact with her foot, he became an inhabitant of heaven—this is the sense. What kind of [enemy]? Even though deeply wicked of intent: even though of an exceedingly base disposition. Doing what? Facing her again and again, repeatedly, and playing with the point, the tip, of his horn the circle of her anklet with its tinkling gems, like playing a vīṇā struck with a plectrum, with a playing stick.
—For whoever plays the vīṇā at the feet of the Goddess attains heaven when dead.

Spurned by the tip of her big toe, struck by the point of her claw, his strength driven out by her heel,
approaching near her instep without being reckoned any more than the point of a kuśa grass needle,
his mouth driven into his navel by the blow of her foot, his shape deformed—
may that Goddess be for your prosperity, by whom the sovereign of the Daityas was brought to destruction upon the battlefield! (7)

May that Goddess be for your prosperity, by whom the sovereign of the Daityas, Mahiṣa, was brought to, made to reach, destruction upon the battlefield. Of what sort? Spurned, rejected by the tip of her big toe. Again: struck, beaten by the point of her claw, by the tip of the claw of her big toe. Again: whose strength, whose vigor, was driven out by her heel, by the part below the ankle—meaning, crushed by the lower rear part of her foot. Again: approaching near her instep, in the middle of her foot, without being reckoned any more than the needle-point of a blade of kuśa grass—regarded as utterly insignificant. Having done what? Having driven his face into his navel by the blow of her foot, so that the form entered into was distorted. First, by the kick of her foot, his mouth was forced into his own navel; thereafter, he was slain. Or: having forced the wheel/face of Mahiṣa into his navel by the blow of her foot, in which there was distortion, alteration, of the form that had entered.

Having swallowed the horses of the Sun, as if out of longing for tender grass; unable to endure the heat of Fire;
scratching his itch against Sthāṇu; standing close to Death, as if in fury against a rival buffalo;
approaching Varuṇa as if to plunge [into water], desiring the dark one like mud—
reaching her foot, as if a lake, Mahiṣa found rest; may that Durgā be for your prosperity! (8)

May that Durgā be for your prosperity, reaching whose foot as if a lake, a pool of water, Mahiṣa found rest, became at ease, and took his abode in heaven. Of what sort? Having swallowed the horses of the Sun (haritahareḥ), as if out of longing for green tender sprouts, out of greed for young grass. The horses of the Sun are tawny-green (harid-varṇa); therefore, they were gulped down by Mahiṣa with the thought that they were green, soft grass. Again: unable to endure the heat of Fire, unenduring the fiery majesty of Agni. Because Agni took the side of the gods, he could not tolerate his arrogance. Scratching his itch against Sthāṇu, Mahādeva: having fought with Śiva, removing the itching of his rut. For a buffalo removes its itching against a post (sthāṇu). Again: standing close to Death, going near Yama, as if in fury against another buffalo, out of anger at a rival buffalo. Again: approaching Varuṇa, the lord of waters, to plunge in, for immersion in water, desiring the dark one (kṛṣṇa), Viṣṇu, like mud (paṅka), because of his dark color. Thus, though wandering about in many places such as that of the Sun and the rest, he did not find rest; but at the base of Caṇḍī's foot, that Mahiṣa attained rest.
An ordinary buffalo too is greedy for green grass, cannot bear the heat of fire, scratches its itch against a post, becomes enraged upon seeing a second buffalo, goes to a body of water desiring to wallow in dark mud, and, reaching a pool, finds rest.

While the Creator helplessly slipped into the stupor of meditation to calm the terror of the three worlds,
and Indra and the other gods—the Lord of Wealth, the Guardian of the Waters, Death, and Fire—were in flight,
those five other Guardians of the Worlds in the guise of Caṇḍī's foot-claws,
who protected the three worlds by crushing the violently enraged Mahiṣa with their mere touch, may they protect you! (9)

May the five other Guardians of the Worlds, under the guise of the claws of Caṇḍī's foot, protect you. Of what sort? Those who, merely by their touch, crushing, reducing to powder the exceedingly enraged Mahiṣa, protected, preserved the three worlds. But where had Brahmā and the others gone, that the claws of Caṇḍī's foot crushed Mahiṣa and became the Guardians of the Worlds? In response to this, he says: when the Creator, Brahmā, overwhelmed, distraught, entered into the drowsiness of meditation, a swoon in the form of deep reflection, in order to quiet the terror of the triple world, to remove the affliction of the triple world. For whoever is seized by drowsiness certainly becomes helpless; the cause of his anxiety was the thought, "How will the protection of the world be achieved?" And furthermore: while Indra and the other gods—Indra foremost among them—the Lord of Wealth, the Guardian of the Waters, Death, and Fire—Kubera, Varuṇa, Yama, and Agni—were fleeing, retreating from battle. Because the five gods headed by Indra fled, the claws of the Goddess's foot became the Guardians of the Worlds.

Exceedingly white through the radiant light of her moon-claws, fattened by the crush of snow,
equal to the strength of the lord of mountains, may that foot of Pārvatī protect you, like her father’s;
which, because of firmness, drank the life of the Asura upon the onset of its fall suited to a playfulness cast aside,
and was not only the left [foot] of the Goddess, but also adverse to the foe of the celestial realm disguised in the body of a buffalo. || 10

Exceedingly white, intensely brilliant through the radiant light, the luster of the moon-claws, may that foot of Pārvatī protect you. Of what sort of moon-claws? Fattened by the crush of snow: snow is white, and by the pressure against it, the whiteness increases in richness; and the Lady generally traverses the snow-covered mountain. Like whose foot? Like her father’s: like the foot, the foot-hill, of the Himālaya. The word “foot” is to be repeated twice. Or else: a foot like her own father's foot; for a daughter resembling her father is fortunate—this is a statement of praise. Of what kind is the foot? Equal to the strength of the lord of mountains: meaning, exceedingly weighty. What was it? The foot which was not merely the Goddess's left, but was also adverse, hostile or contrary, to the enemy of the celestial realm, the foe of the gods disguised in the body of a buffalo. Why? Because of firmness, an abundance of vigor, upon the onset, the beginning, of its fall—a landing suited to playfulness that was cast aside; or else, by that proper fall, suddenly the life-breaths, the vital airs, were drunk, swallowed by it—meaning, those of Mahiṣa. Where firmness, valor, and the like, which are the determinants of the heroic sentiment, are present, there playfulness, which conveys the erotic sentiment, does not occur. Therefore, it is said that playfulness was cast aside. Hence the slaying of the enemy was appropriate. Hence too, upon its sudden impact, without deliberate thought, his life was drunk.

"That deceitful lion of old tore open the chest of the enemy of the gods with ten claws of his hands;
we, however, born from a young woman’s foot, bring the enemy to ruin being only five!"
With such pride born within them, as if Hari were mocked by the moonstone-claws through their light composed of rays
when the enemy was slain at her foot, may that Kālī be for your prosperity! || 11

May that Kālī be for your prosperity. Which Kālī? At whose foot, when the enemy was slain, Hari seemed to be mocked by the moonstone-claws, by the moonlight-claws, through their light composed of rays. In what way? As follows: "Of old, that deceitful lion, the Man-Lion, tore open the chest, the breast, of the enemy of the gods, Hiraṇyakaśipu, with ten finger-claws. We, however, born from the foot of a young woman, bring the enemy to ruin being only five!"—by these having such pride born within them, having become proud. Hari's claws are born of hands; we are born of a young woman's foot. Those were ten; we are five. By them merely the chest was torn open; by us, however, the enemy was brought to ruin: such is the cause of their pride.

"On this victorious [foot] smeared with blood, the beauty of lac dye does not shine, O Vijayā;
massaging it with the fingertips is also a joke, since it crushed an enemy equal in strength to the lord of mountains;
now, because of this slaughter, everyone bows down merely out of terror!"
Laughing thus in secret, may the foot of Ambikā, kissed by Tryambaka when the enemy was destroyed, protect you! || 12

Laughing thus in secret, in solitude, seeing no other form of courtesy, kissed by Tryambaka, may the foot of Ambikā, which destroyed the enemy, which killed the foe, protect you! Saying what? "O Vijayā, friend of Pārvatī!" Or: "When victory is won, upon this victorious, triumphant foot of yours, smeared with blood, wet with the blood of Mahiṣa, the beauty of lac dye does not shine. Moreover, massaging with the fingertips this foot of yours, by which an enemy possessing a weight equal to the lord of mountains was destroyed, is also a joke. And furthermore, now, through this slaughter, the slaying of Mahiṣa, all people bow down merely out of terror!" The dyeing of the foot with the juice of red lac, massage with the fingertips, and bowing down—these three are customary. But since none of these three was suitable here, Mahādeva performed only the kissing of it.

There was no knitting of the creeper of her eyebrow; out of matched power, she paid no heed to his effort;
her lotus foot was not [stamped] out of rage; the great dart within the immortals was drawn out;
her anklet did not become noisy; the world proclaimed victory—by her who stole the life of the enemy of the gods
upon the battlefield with the edge of her heel, may that Pārvatī protect you! || 13

May that Pārvatī protect you, by whom, while taking away the life of the enemy of the gods, Mahiṣa, on the battlefield with a portion of her heel, with a part of the rear section of the sole of her foot, not only was the creeper of her eyebrow knitted, but also, because of the matched power, with indifference, bone—the bones, that is, of Mahiṣa—was broken and crushed. When someone's strength is matched, there is indifference in defeating him. Knitted creeper of the eyebrow: curvature of the brows out of wrath. Moreover, not only was the lotus-foot raised in anger, but the great dart lodged inside the immortals, the gods, was also removed; for the gods considered Mahiṣa a dart within their hearts. Furthermore, not only did the anklet become eloquent, noisy, but the world also became resonant, proclaiming, recounting victory.

“The army of the Dānavas turns back alone, their rows of diverse weapons falling away;
the enemy having been swiftly sent to his long sleep, you are hardly called ‘mahiṣī’ (queen / buffalo-cow) today!
Indeed, you possess a prowess not to be expected in a woman; you must not be summoned by me thus!”—
when Hara laughed in this way, taking his delight, may the bashful Kātyāyanī destroy your foes! || 14

When Hara, taking his delight, engaged in sport, laughed thus, may the bashful, shy Kātyāyanī destroy your foes, your enemies. “Thus”—what is this? “Today you are not called *mahiṣī* by me.” For what reason? “You possess a prowess not to be expected in a woman.” Such prowess is not conceivable among women. “The enemy, the adversary Mahiṣa, having been swiftly, instantly brought to the long sleep, to death—by you, that is—the army, the host of the Dānavas, from which rows of diverse weapons are falling away, now turns back alone, destitute of its lord, flees, departs as it came.” *Mahiṣī* means an anointed queen and a female buffalo. How could she who slaughters Mahiṣa be called by the word *mahiṣī*? A buffalo-cow has less strength than a buffalo-bull, whereas you have power ten-million-fold greater than Mahiṣa. “Hardly”: for the most part. “You must not be summoned by me thus.” Summoning, calling, is appropriate only for a wife who is of womanly character; but your deeds are those of a man—thus the mockery.

“Has fear arisen in you, O Hari? Yet fear must surely arise for lions/horses from a buffalo;
today the moon has two blemishes; the Lord of Waters, seeing the moon, loses his composure;
O Vāyu, another should be shaken by you; lead your draught-animal away from the buffalo, O Yama!”—
when Jayā thus laughed at the gods who fled when the enemy was crushed, may that goddess be for your prosperity! || 15

May that goddess be for your prosperity. Which goddess? Through whom, when the enemy named Mahiṣa was crushed, pulverized, Jayā, her female door-keeper, laughed at the gods, Indra and the others, who had fled, run away out of fear of Mahiṣa. “Thus”—how? “O Hari—Indra, or else Viṣṇu—has fear arisen in you? Or rather, this is fitting, since fear must surely arise from a buffalo for *hari*s.” Here the word *hari* signifies a horse [or lion]. “Moreover, today two blemishes have appeared on the moon: one is inborn, and the second is in the form of reproach for fleeing in the battle with Mahiṣa. The Lord of Waters, Varuṇa, seeing the moon fled, loses his composure, becomes cowardly. This is fitting: the ocean, the lord of waters, seeing the moon, loses its composure, rushes toward the shoreline. O Vāyu, another should be made to tremble by you; but you yourself are trembling—this is the meaning. Furthermore: O Yama, lead away, remove your own mount, your vehicle, from the buffalo; for a buffalo becomes enraged upon seeing another buffalo—this is the sense.”

When the path of the gods was suddenly reddened by the rushing river of blood
squirting from the buffalo transfixed upon the trident, with the earth nearby inundated,
having the delusion that twilight had arrived, dancing, and then realizing with a laugh:
“I am honoring the festival of victory!”—and having spoken, embracing whom the Destroyer of the Cities danced again: may that Pārvatī protect you! || 16

May that Pārvatī protect you, embracing whom the Destroyer of the Cities, Śiva, danced again, began to dance. Doing what? Dancing. Of what sort? Suddenly, at that instant, when the path of the gods, the celestial path, the sky, was reddened, made crimson, by the streaming torrent, the river of blood, spurting, gushing from [the buffalo] pierced by the trident, transfixed upon the spear, in such a way that the earth in the vicinity was flooded, he had the delusion that twilight had arrived, an erroneous perception that the twilight hour had arisen. Śiva dances at twilight—this is the meaning. And then, realizing, discerning: “The sky is merely reddened by the river of blood gushing from the buffalo transfixed on my wife's trident; this is not the time of twilight”—realizing this, then with laughter, with joy, declaring: “I am celebrating the festival of victory, the victory celebration!” *Upāntaplutamahī* is an adverbial compound. Because the rule for compound-ending affixes is non-obligatory, the suffix *ka* is omitted.

Watched by the gods headed by the ruler of the sky-dwellers, their minds alarmed by the thought of the growing Vindhya mountain,
who blocked the earth with a radiance dark as a sword,
and who, crushed beneath her foot, clinging to the edge of her anklet,
attained the likeness of a glittering chip of sapphire—may that Umā be for your prosperity! || 17

May that Umā be for your prosperity. Which goddess? Beneath whose foot the enemy of the gods, named Mahiṣa, when crushed, clinging to the edge of her anklet, attained resemblance to a sparkling piece of sapphire-stone. Near an anklet there must surely be a chip of sapphire. Of what sort? Seen blocking the earth, covering the world, by the gods, the dwellers of heaven headed by Indra, the lord of the denizens of heaven. By whom of what sort? Whose states of mind were alarmed by the growing Vindhya mountain: frightened, thinking, “Is this the Vindhya mountain itself growing once again?” Dark with the luster of a sword: possessing a dark-blue radiance like a scimitar.

Sent by Pārvatī, harsh as a sky-man of the Lord of the Dead,
may that arrow protect you from the irresistible adversary of the dwellers of heaven who possessed the body of a buffalo—
which, having pierced the target and dispelled the world's fear, cleaved the earth and entered
the netherworld, throwing the serpents into turmoil through fear of a falling Tārkṣya caused by the wind from the line of its feathers! || 18

May that arrow, dispatched by Pārvatī against the enemy whose body had been turned into that of a buffalo, protect you—an arrow harsh as the henchmen of the Lord of the Dead, Yama; [an enemy] irresistible to the gods, the dwellers of heaven; which arrow, having pierced the target, Mahiṣa, and dispelled the terror of the world—by slaying Mahiṣa taking away the fear of the world—split the earth and entered Pātāla; an arrow by which the serpents were agitated out of fear of the falling Tārkṣya, Garuḍa, produced by the wind of its fletching. Formerly, when Garuḍa entered Pātāla, the hooded serpents were frightened by the wind of his wings; so too by Pārvatī's arrow: this is the meaning.

Placing in her necklace the thunderbolt fallen from Hari's hand, and the discus upon her neck-cord;
binding her hair with the ocean-fetters, brandishing the mace of the Lord of Wealth, having laughed at the gods who had previously hidden;
eager to chase them away, shaming them as they gathered at the slaying of Mahiṣa,
reproved by the modest daughter of Himālaya: may Jayā be there to destroy your error! || 19

May Jayā, the door-keeper of the goddess, be there to destroy your error, for the destruction of wicked thoughts. Of what sort? Reproved by the modest, bashful daughter of Himālaya, Pārvatī. Why? Shaming, embarrassing the gods who had gathered together once the slaying of Mahiṣa had occurred, having previously hidden, fled. Shaming them by doing what? Placing in her necklace the thunderbolt fallen from Hari's hand, dropped from Indra's hand out of fear of Mahiṣa; and likewise placing the discus fallen from Hari's hand, dropped from Viṣṇu's hand, upon her neck-cord; binding her hair with the ocean-fetters, the nooses of Varuṇa; brandishing the mace of the Lord of Wealth. Laughing at them by wearing the weapons they had abandoned: this is the meaning. Of what sort? Eager to chase them away: eager, longing to chase away, to banish—meaning, the gods.

“Water in a sword merely refreshes a buffalo; an arrow is winged / takes sides;
by the spear, the Lord alone enjoys the fame; and even for one deserving death, punishment must be swift.”
As if thinking this, having set aside weapons, with her very heel, whose former pinkness was deepened by the blow,
she sent the enemy of the gods to his death: may Pārvatī protect you! || 20

May Pārvatī, who with her very heel, with the back of her foot alone, sent the enemy of the gods, Mahiṣa, to his death, bereft of life, protect you. With what sort of heel? Whose former pinkness was deepened, intensified, by the blow, by the impact. The natural redness upon the foot of the goddess was increased by the striking of Mahiṣa: this is the meaning. Why? "Water [lustre] rests in a sword; on the contrary, it refreshes a buffalo, it does not slay him. An arrow is winged [takes his side]: it is inclined to fall by its feathers, and also it is an ally, a partisan of the buffalo. By the spear, the Lord, Śiva, enjoys the fame: Śiva alone is the spear-bearer, no one else; if a spear is hurled at Mahiṣa, then he too would become a spear-bearer. For one deserving death, punishment must be swift, should be done quickly: 'a rising enemy must not be overlooked'—thinking thus, as it were, having set aside weapons, she slew Mahiṣa with her heel alone.

“Having done such a shame-producing deed, Śakra, do not abandon your life through fasting!
O Lord of Wealth, destroy the disease in Sthāṇu's throat: this is the very use of being whole!
O Discus-Bearer, the son of Diti has become wheelless!” As she addressed the gods who had abandoned their weapons,
Bhavānī, who had slain the enemy, was brought to shame by Vijayā: may she triumph! || 21

Bhavānī, who had slain the enemy, being brought to shame by Vijayā, the companion of the goddess, triumphs. By whom of what sort? Addressing the gods who had abandoned their weapons. "Thus"—how? "O Śakra, having done such a shame-producing deed as fleeing from battle, do not abandon, do not give up your life through fasting, through abstaining from food. Or rather, *aśani* is thunderbolt, and without it is *anaśani*: in that vocative, O you who have abandoned your thunderbolt! Fleeing from battle causes shame; for he who performs a shame-producing deed gives up his life by fasting: this is the meaning. O Lord of Wealth, Kubera, destroy the disease, the affliction, in Sthāṇu's throat, since you are whole, free of disease, and also bereft of your mace (*gada*). You have become of an uninjured nature; therefore remove the throat-disease of your friend Śiva: this is the meaning. O Discus-Bearer, Viṣṇu, the son of Diti, Mahiṣa, has become wheelless, deprived of his army (*cakra*). Just as you, though being the Discus-Bearer, have abandoned your discus, so Mahiṣa too is wheelless: this is the meaning.

May that foot of Bhadrakālī grant your desires, which,
plunged into the hollow of Pātāla by the force of wrath at crushing the treacherous buffalo, took away the fear of the world;
whose splendor of a great anklet wrought of moonstones was for a moment worshipped
by Śeṣa, as it were, his body coiled in desire to circumambulate it! || 22