Markandeyapurana 84.13

84.13

dṛṣṭvā tu devi kupitaṃ bhrukuṭīkarālam
udyacchaśāṅkasadṛśacchavi yanna sadyaḥ /
prāṇānmumoca mahīṣastadatīva citraṃ
kairjovyate hi kupitāntakadarśanena //

For who can live after beholding the King of Death enraged?
Be gracious, O goddess, as supreme lady, to life!
When enraged thou dost forthwith destroy whole families!
Known at this very moment is this, that here is brought to its end
The Asura Mahiṣa’s most extensive might!
Esteemed are they among the nations, theirs are riches,
Theirs are glories, and their sum of righteousness[14] perishes not,
Happy are they indeed, and they possess devoted children, servants and wives,
On whom thou, well-pleased, dost always bestow prosperity, O lady!
All righteous actions ever indeed, O goddess,
With utmost respect the man of good deeds daily performs,
And gains heaven thereafter by thy favour, O lady.
Dost thou not by him[15] bestow rewards even on the three worlds, O goddess?
Thou, O Durgā, when called to mind, dost remove terror from every creature!
Thou, when called to mind by those in health, dost bestow a mind extremely bright!
What goddess but thou, O dispeller of poverty, pain and fear,
Has ever benevolent thoughts in order to work benefits to all ?
By these slain foes the world attains[16] to happiness; thus let these
Forsooth practise sin so as to descend to hell for long![17]
‘Meeting death in battle let them proceed to heaven’—
Thinking thus, thou dost assuredly destroy the enemies, O goddess!
Having indeed seen them, why dost thou not, O lady, reduce to ashes
All the Asuras, since thou directest thy weapons against the foes?

Hence thou art in truth declared by men to be Svadhā also.
Thou art she, who effects final emancipation, and performs great thought-transcending penances!
Thou studiest[10] with thy organs, which are the essence of strength,[11] well-restrained!
With munis, who seek final emancipation and who have shed all their faults,
Thou art The Knowledge, adorable, sublime in sooth, O goddess!
Sound is thy soul! thou art the repository of the most spotless ṛc and yajus hymns,
And of the sāmans, which have the charming-worded texts of the Ud-gītha!
Thou as goddess art the triple Veda, the adorable, and for the existence and production
Of all the worlds art active; thou art the supreme destroyer of their pains![12]
Thou art Mental Vigour,[13] O goddess! thou hast comprehended the essence of all the Scriptures!
Thou art Durgā; the boat to cross the difficult ocean of existence; devoid of attachments!
Thou art Śrī, who has planted her dominion alone in the heart of Kaiṭabha’s foe!
Thou indeed art Gaurī, who has fixed her dweling in the moon-crested god!
Slightly-smiling, spotless, resembling the full moon’s
Orb, beautiful as the choicest gold, and lovely was thy face!
Yet’t was very marvellous that, being swayed by anger,
The Asura Mahiṣa suddenly smote thy face when he saw it.
But after seeing thy wrathful face, O goddess, terrible with its frowns,
And sheeny in hue like the rising moon, that Mahiṣa
Did not forthwith yield up his life,’t was passing wonderful!