📖 Markandeya Purana — Durga Saptashati
Verse 1
ॐ ऐं देव्यास्तु महिषासुरसैन्यनाशे वर्ण्यते ।
उत्पत्तिं च तदा देव्याः शृणु राजन् सुरद्विषाम् ॥
Om Aim devyastu mahishasurasainyanashe varnyate |
Utpattim cha tada devyah shrinutу rajan suradvishAm ||
महिषासुरसैन्यनाशे
in the context of destroying Mahishasura's army
उत्पत्तिम्
the arising, the manifestation
सुरद्विषाम्
of the enemies of the devas
According to the Markandeya Purana, the sage narrates: O king, now hear how the Devi manifested — and how Mahishasura's vast army was defeated.
Verse 2
देवासुरमभूद् युद्धं पूर्णमेव शताब्दिकम् ।
महिषासुरनाथेन देवसेना पराजिता ॥
Devasuramabhud yuddham purnameva shatabdikam |
Mahishasuranathena devasena parajita ||
देवासुरम् युद्धम्
the war between the devas and asuras
शताब्दिकम्
lasting a hundred years
महिषासुरनाथेन
under the leadership of Mahishasura
देवसेना पराजिता
the army of the devas was defeated
The war between the devas and asuras went on for a full hundred years. Led by Mahishasura, the demon armies defeated the devas completely — driving them from the heavens.
Verse 3
ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैः अम्बिका चण्डिका तदा ।
काली कराली च महाभयंकरा ॥
Tatah kopam chakarochchaih Ambika Chandika tada |
Kali karali cha mahabhayankara ||
कोपम् चकार
was roused to fierce anger
अम्बिका चण्डिका
Mother Ambika, Chandika
महाभयंकरा
supremely formidable
The Devi — Ambika, Chandika, Kali — arose from the combined radiance of all the devas. Her form was supremely formidable, blazing with the light of every deity.
Verse 4
तस्याः तेजो समुद्भूतं देवानाम् परमाद्भुतम् ।
एकीभूतं समजज्वाल तदा ताराभिसंनिभम् ॥
Tasyah tejo samudbhutam devanam paramAdbhutam |
Ekibhutam samajjvala tada tarabhi sannibham ||
तेजः समुद्भूतम्
radiance that arose
देवानाम्
from all the devas
ताराभिसंनिभम्
brilliant as a constellation of stars
The radiance of all the devas merged into one, blazing like a thousand stars converging. From that single mass of light, the Devi took form.
Verse 5
शिवस्य च त्रिशूलाद् वज्रमिन्द्रस्य चाभवत् ।
देवेभ्यश्चायुधानि च समाजग्मुस्तदा बहून् ॥
Shivasya cha trishulad vajramindrasya chabhavat |
Devebhyashchayudhani cha samajagustatada bahun ||
शिवस्य त्रिशूलात्
from Shiva's trident
वज्रम् इन्द्रस्य
Indra's thunderbolt
देवेभ्यः आयुधानि
the weapons of all the devas
Shiva offered his trident. Indra offered his thunderbolt. Each deva gave his own weapon to the Devi. She received them all — and stood armed with the combined power of every deity.
Verse 6
सा च सिंहवरारूढा चण्डिका व्याप्य गोचरम् ।
उवाच महासिंहनादं तेनाशेषा दिशो ध्वनिः ॥
Sa cha simhavararudha Chandika vyapya gocharam |
Uvacha mahasimhanadam tenaasheshA disho dhvanih ||
सिंहवरारूढा
mounted upon a noble lion
महासिंहनादम्
let out a tremendous lion's roar
अशेषाः दिशः
all directions
Mounted on her lion, Devi Chandika appeared. Her lion's roar filled all directions — the earth shook, the heavens rang. Even Mahishasura's vast army trembled.
Verse 7
देव्या विनिहतास्ते ऽपि तदा सैन्यं महासुरम् ।
रथैर्गजैश्च तुरगैः पैदलैश्चावृतं महत् ॥
Devya vinihataste api tada sainyan mahasuram |
Rathaigajaischa turagaih paidalaishavritan mahat ||
देव्या विनिहताः
defeated by the Devi
महासुरम् सैन्यम्
the vast demon army
रथैः गजैः तुरगैः
with chariots, elephants, and horses
Mahishasura's army was enormous — chariots, war elephants, cavalry, foot soldiers. Yet the Devi routed them all. Where every deva had failed, she alone prevailed.
Verse 8
ततः सा चण्डिका देवी शूलमुद्यम्य दारुणम् ।
महिषासुरसैन्येभ्यो वरमाह शुचिस्मिता ॥
Tatah sa Chandika devi shulam udyamya darunam |
Mahishasurasainyebhyo varamaha shuchismita ||
चण्डिका देवी
Devi Chandika
शूलम् उद्यम्य
raising her spear
दारुणम्
fierce, formidable
शुचिस्मिता
with a pure and radiant smile
Devi Chandika raised her spear. Her smile was serene even as her strength was boundless — she swept aside the demon commanders one by one.
References
According to the Markandeya Purana, the second chapter tells how Mahishasura's army was defeated. All the devas offered their radiance and their weapons to the Devi. She appeared mounted on a lion and, with a single lion's roar, shook Mahishasura's vast army.
This chapter reveals that the Devi's power is the collective power of all the devas — not one deity's strength, but the united force of all creation.
Durga Saptashati · 2 / 13