Markandeyapurana 82.55

82.55

avādayanta paṭahān gaṇāḥ śaṅkhāṃstathāpare /
mṛdaṅgāṃśca tathaivānye tasmin yuddhamahotsave //

And then the goddess Caṇḍikā clove, as it were in merest play, those weapons and arms by raining forth her own weapons and arms. The goddess betrayed no exertion in her countenance, while the gods and ṛṣis were praising her. The queenly goddess hurled her weapons and arms at the Asuras’ bodies. The lion also that bore the goddess, enraged and with ruffled mane, stalked among the armies of Asuras, like fire through the forests. And the deep breaths, which Ambikā fighting in the battle breathed forth, came into real being at once as troops by hundreds and thousands. These fought with axes, with javelins, and swords and halberds, destroying the Asura bands, being invigorated by the goddess’ energy. And of these bands some raised a din with large drums, and others with conchs, and others besides with drums, in that great battle-festival. Then the goddess with her trident, her club, with showers of spears, and with her sword and other weapons slaughtered the great Asuras in hundreds, and laid others low who were bewitched with the ringing of her bell; and binding other Asuras with her noose dragged them on the ground. And others again, cloven in twain by sharp slashes of her sword and crushed[9] by blows with her mace, lie on the ground; and some grievously battered by her club vomited forth blood. Some were felled to the ground, pierced in the breast by her trident. Some being closely massed together were cut in pieces[10] by the torrent of her arrows in the battle-field. Following the manner of an army,[11] the afīlicters of the thirty gods gave up the ghost; some with their arms cut off, and others with severed necks; their heads fell from others, others were torn asunder in the middle; and other great Asuras fell to the earth with legs clean cut off; some were cloven by the goddess into two parts, with a single arm and eye and foot to each part; and others fell and rose again, although with head cut off. Headless corpses, still grasping the finest weapons, fought with the goddess; and others danced there in the battle, keeping time to the strains of the musical instruments. Corpses, with heads severed, still held swords and spears and lances[12] in their hands; and other great Asuras were shouting to the goddess, “Stand! stand!”[13] With the prostrate chariots, elephants and horses and Asuras the earth became impassable where that great battle took place. And large rivers formed of torrents of blood straightway flowed along there amidst the armies of Asuras, and among the elephants, Asuras and horses.