Candishataka 24

24

chalamayasya mahipasyotpeṣa utpeṣaṇaṃ tena yo roṣānuṣaṅgaḥ krodhasaṃbandhasta-
smātpātālakukṣi nīto hṛtabhuvanabhayo bhadrakālyāḥ sa pādo vo vāñchitāni
deyāt . yaḥ pāda indukāntopalaracitamahānūpurābhogalakṣmīścandrakāntamaṇi--
ghaṭitanūpuraśobhamāno yaḥ pādaḥ prādakṣiṇyavāñchayā valayīkṛtaśarīreṇa śeṣeṇa
muhūrtaṃ vandhamāna iva bhāti . devīpādasya kṣaṇaṃ pātāle sthitasya candrakāntanū--
pure śeṣakāyotprekṣaṇam ..
śūlaṃ tūlaṃ nu gāḍhaṃ prahara hara hṛṣīkeśa keśo'pi vakra-
ścakreṇākāri kiṃ me paviravati nahi tvāṣṭraśatro dyurāṣṭram .
pāśāḥ keśābjanālānyanala na labhase bhātumityāttadarpaṃ
jalpandevāndivaukoripuravadhi yayā sāstu śāntyai śivā vaḥ 23
āttadarpa gṛhītamadaṃ yathā syāttathā iti devāñjalpandivaukoripurdevaśatru-
rmahiṣo yayā avadhi hataḥ sā śivā vaḥ śāntyai astu . itīti kim . hai
hara, śūlaṃ arthāttava tūlaṃ nu karpāsatulyaṃ kimu, atastvaṃ gāḍhaṃ prahara . he hṛṣī-
keśa, tava cakreṇa kiṃ mama keśo'pi vakrīkṛtaḥ . api tu na . he tvāṣṭraśatro
indra, tava pavirvajraṃ dhurāṣṭraṃ svargadeśaṃ nāvati na rakṣati . he keśa jaleśa varuṇa,
tava pāśā alānālāni kamalanālavadatimṛdavaḥ . he anala, bhātuṃ na labhase.
'matprabhayā hatastvamityarthaḥ..
śārṅginbāṇaṃ vimuñca bhramasi balirasau saṃyataḥ kena bāṇo
gotrāre hranmyahaṃ te ripumamararipustveṣa gotrasya śatruḥ .
daityā vyāpādyatāṃ drāgaja iva mahiṣo hanyate manmahe'dye-
tyutprāsyomā purastādanu danujatanuṃ mṛdgatī trāyatāṃ vaḥ .. 24 ..

May that foot of Bhadrakālī, which, driven into the depths of Pātāla on account of the continuous fury born of crushing the deceitful buffalo, removed the fear of the worlds, grant you your desires—that foot which, possessing the beauty of the expansive great anklet fashioned of moonstones, shining with the anklet wrought of moonstones, appears for a moment as if being worshipped by Śeṣa who has coiled his body in the desire to circumambulate it. The body of Śeṣa is imagined in the moonstone anklet on the goddess's foot remaining for a moment in Pātāla.

"Is your spear tufted cotton? Strike hard, Hara! Hṛṣīkeśa, was even a hair of mine
made crooked by your discus? Enemy of Tvaṣṭṛ's Son, does not your thunderbolt protect the realm of heaven?
Varuṇa, your nooses are lotus-stalks! Fire, you cannot even shine!"—may that Śivā
who slew the enemy of the gods as he prated thus with arrogance assumed, be for your peace. 23

May that Śivā be for your peace, by whom the enemy of the gods, the foe of the gods, Mahiṣa, was slain while prating thus to the gods in such a way that arrogance was assumed, haughtiness was taken up. "Thus"—how? "O Hara, is your spear, meaning yours, like tufted cotton, like cotton wool? Therefore strike hard! O Hṛṣīkeśa, was even a hair of mine curled by your discus? Certainly not! O Indra, Enemy of Tvaṣṭṛ's Son, your thunderbolt does not protect, does not guard, the realm of heaven, the land of Svarga. O Varuṇa, lord of waters, your nooses are lotus-stalks, exceedingly soft like the stalks of lotuses. O Fire, you do not manage to shine: the meaning is, you are overwhelmed by my splendor."

"Śārṅgin, release your arrow! [Or: Bāṇa!] You are confused: that was Bali who was bound by someone!
Enemy of the Mountains, I shall slay your enemy! But this enemy of the immortals is an enemy of your own family!
Daityas, let him quickly be put to death! In my festival, like a goat, the buffalo is slain today!"
—may Umā protect you, who first mocked thus and then crushed the Dānava's body. 24