Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2063
Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c8.2063
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Many years went by. Kaśyapa begot of his wife Danu three great sons named Śumbha, Niśumbha and Namuci. All were fierce demons. Namuci attacked Indra but they soon came to a compromise. But Indra hid in the foam of the ocean which entered the ears, nose and mouth of Namuci while he was playing in the ocean. Indra used his Vajrāyudha from inside and killed him. Śumbha and Niśumbha were angry and they entered svarga and defeating everyone, carried all the riches from there to the earth. They met Raktabīja and he said “Oh Lords, I am Raktabīja, minister of Mahiṣāsura. Kātyāyanī Devī killed virtuous Mahiṣāsura. His two ministers Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa are hiding inside the ocean afraid of Kātyāyanī devī.” While he was speaking thus Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa also came there. When they all exchanged ideas Śumbha called one of his men and said “Bho: Sugrīvāsura, go and tell Kātyāyanī to be my wife.” Sugrīva went to Kātyāyanī and returned disappointed and said “Lords Śumbha and Niśumbha, I told Devī your message and she only laughed. She said that Śumbha and Niśumbha might be mighty lords but only those who defeated her could marry her.” Enraged at this arrogance of Kātyāyanī, Śumbha sent Dhūmrākṣa to drag Kātyāyanī down to him. Dhūmrākṣa with six Akṣauhiṇīs of soldiers went to the seat of Kātyāyanī and challenged her to a fight. Devī stepped down from her seat and stood before Dhūmrākṣa and the latter leaped forward to catch hold of her.
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But Dhūmrākṣa was burnt to death by the huṃkāra fire of the goddess. Not only that, the huṃkāra sound reached the ears of Śumbha. Śumbha felt small by this prowess of the Devī but his rage increased. Śumbha then sent Caṇḍa, Muṇḍa and the great demon Ruru also with an army of a hundred crores of demons to face Devī Kauśikī. When the enemies reached Vindhya the bhūtas of Devī made loud and shrill noises. The lion of Kātyāyanī roared and she leaped into the midst of the army sword in hand. Lakhs and lakhs of asuras fell dead by the sword of the goddess. Devī once opened her mouth and lakhs of asuras entered it and then she shut her mouth keeping in her stomach the asuras till they all died. Devī beat the demon Ruru to death. Devī plucked her matted hair and struck it on the ground and from there arose the fierce form of Cāmuṇḍī. Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa fled but Cāmuṇḍī followed them to Pātāla and catching hold of them chopped off their heads and presented them to Kātyāyanī. Then Devī, Cāmuṇḍī and the bhūtas together tore to pieces all the remaining asuras and stored them all in their stomachs. Hearing this Śumbha’s rage knew no bounds and he started with an army of thirty crores of men. The army swept on like an ocean and finding it moving forward Cāmuṇḍī roared. Kātyāyanī made a sound like a lion’s roar. Brahmāṇī holding high the dagger jumped down to fight. Māheśvarī with snakes and the spike, with the three eyes open got down in fits of anger.
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Kaumārī with the javelin hanging round her waist and bright eyes entered the field. Vaiṣṇavī swinging her sword and whirling the mace with many weapons rushed to the field. Vārāhī breaking open the earth with its tusk and bearing a large wooden pestle came to fight. Indrāṇī with diamond on her sides came to fight. Nārasimhī brushing the manes on her breast, shaking the stars and whirling the planets and making a fierce appearance came to the field. (Cāmuṇḍī, Brahmāṇī, Māheśvarī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī and Nārasimhī are the different forms of Kātyāyanī. They are called Saptamātṛs (seven mothers). These saptamātṛs were born when Kātyāyanī in her wrath beat the earth with her matted hair. Cāmuṇḍī roared. The world became dark. Hearing the roar Śiva descended to the field. The Asuras surrounded the Devī again. But they all fell dead with blood flowing in a stream. The dead bodies of the asuras became heaped and in despair Śumbha and Niśumbha wept. Seeing that, Raktabīja got angry and rushed at Devī. The Saptamātṛs shouted and Cāmuṇḍī opened her mouth. The lower jaw of Cāmuṇḍī touched Pātāla when she opened her mouth from the sky. Raktabīja, wounded and bleeding by a dagger stroke of Cāmuṇḍī, fell into the mouth of Cāmuṇḍī and disappeared. Then Niśumbha interfered and the fight became one between Niśumbha and Devī. The fat and sturdy hands of Niśumbha and the mace he was carrying fell by an arrow sent by Devī. Then Devī struck him with her spike and Niśumbha was killed.
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Both Śumbha and Niśumbha who came to wreak vengeance on her were thus killed. (See under Laṅkālakṣmī to know how Pārvatī became Laṅkālakṣmī).