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112
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL 5, 1872.
and his followers emitted, and filled the whole cumstance that the goddess jumped on Mahiworld. It then assumed the shape of a three- sha and pierced him with the trident, and eyed female, Chandika-Devi, The gods, select- similar incidents; but he does not describe the ed her to do battle with Mahisha and provided her combat with Mahish a at full length. He with arms for the combat. S'iva drew a new contents himself with taking out some of its trident forth from his own favourite weapon, most prominent features, and with placing beVishnu produced a new Chakra from his Chakra, fore the mind of his hearers, again and again, Varuņa gave a conch-shell, Agni a spear, the final tableau, where the victorious Devi V&yu a bow and arrows, and Indra a thunder- appears standing on the body of her vanquished bolt forged out of his own Vajra. The Hima- enemy. This picture gives him repeated oplay a presented a lion to be the Vâhana of the portunities of exalting the miraculous power of new deity. When Devi had thus been honour- Chandikâ's feet, and of recommending to his heared with presents by all the gods, she uttered a ers the adoration of those limbs. A translation of a great cry which shook the universe. The gods few verses will, however, give a better idea of the answered it with a shout of victory. Alarmed character and contents of the poem than the by the noise the Asuras sallied forth from most minute analysis. I subjoin, therefore, Heaven and prepared at once to do battle with some of the first Slokas as well as the contheir newly created foe. After a furious fightcluding one.the army of the demons was routed with great
Text. slaughter by Chandik â. Next the goddess
Má bhânkshîr vibhramam bhrúradhara vidhuhad to undergo a series of single combats with Chikshura, the general of the Asura host
ratâ keyam asyasya râgam and other leaders. When they had all been
pâne prânyeva nayatu kalayasi kalahasraddha
yâ kim trisulam slain, Mahisha himself came forward. He
ityudyatkopaketûn praksitim avayavan praassumed his buffalo-shape, attacked the Pramathas, who accompanied Chandika and
payantyeva devya
nyasto vo mûrdhni mushyanmarudasuhridarouted them. Emboldened by this success, the
sûn samharann anghrir anihah Asura attempted to kill Devi's Vahana, the lion. The goddess met his onslaught by
Humkâre nyakkritodanvati nudati jite sinjientangling him in her Pas'a, or snare. He
tair nûpurasya then turned himself into a lion. But Devi cut
slishyachchhringakstatâtpraksharadasriji*nioff his head, upon which he assumed human shape.
jálaktakabhrântibháji Pierced by the arrows of the goddess, the demon
skandhe vindhyâdribuddhyâ nikashati mahiassailed her in the shape of an elephant.
şhasyâhitosûnahârshid Punished again by the loss of his trunk, he
ajuânâdeva yasyâ charaṇa iti bivani sa biva returned to his buffalo form and tried to bury
vaḥ karotu Chandik á under the mountains which he up- Jahnavyâ yâ na jatanunayapariharakshiptaya rooted with his horns. The mountains were kshâlayantya rent to pieces by the arrows of the goddess. nûnam no nûpurena glapitaśasirucha jyotBut, before attacking him more actively, she snaya vâ nakhânâm rested and refreshed herself by repeated draughts táti sobhâm adadhânâ jayati nijam iválaktaof nectar. Thus fortified, she jumped on the kam pidayitva monster, drove her trident into his neck and pådenaiva kshipantî mahişham asurasa danafinally cut off his head. The remainder of the nishkâryam âryâ ]
(3) Daitya army fled, the gods re-obtained posses- Mrityos talyan trilokim grasitumatirasân sion of Svarga, and sang the praises of Chan- nishkțițâh kini nu jihvaḥ dikî, humbly acknowledging her power and kim vâ krishnanghripadmadyutibhiraruņitâ supremacy.
vishņupadyâh padavyaḥ It would seem that Bâņa, when writing his prâptaḥ samidhyaḥ smarâreh svayam uta Chandikás'ataka, had this legend, or some very nutibhistisra ityûhyamána similar story before him. He mentions the devair devîtrisâlâhatamahishajuşho raktaflight and helplessness of the gods, the cir- dhârâ jayanti
(1)
(2)
* The MS reads, a'lishyachhsingakshitepi, but I am unable to extract any sense out of this reading.
