धनुरनुषङ्ग रणक्षणसङ्ग परिस्फुरदङ्ग नटत्कटके
कनकपिशङ्ग पृषत्कनिषङ्ग रसद्भटशृङ्ग हताबटुके ।
कृतचतुरङ्ग बलक्षितिरङ्ग घटद्बहुरङ्ग रटद्बटुके
जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ ८ ॥
धनु (dhanu): bow
रणसङ्ग (raṇa-saṅga): at the time of battle (raṇa = battle, saṅga = union, occasion)
रणक्षणसङ्ग (raṇa-kṣaṇa-saṅga): at the moment of battle (kṣaṇa = moment) परिस्फुरदङ्ग (parisphurad-aṅga): with throbbing limbs (parisphurad = throbbing, aṅga = limb) नटत्कटके (naṭat-kaṭake): with dancing ornaments (naṭat = dancing, kaṭaka = bracelet, ornament) कनकपिशङ्ग (kanaka-piśaṅga): golden-yellow पृषत्कनिषङ्ग (pṛṣat-kaniṣaṅga): spotted quiver (pṛṣat = spotted, kaniṣaṅga = quiver) रसद्भटशृङ्ग (rasad-bhaṭa-śṛṅga): the horns of the slain warriors (rasad = making a sound, bhaṭa = warrior, śṛṅga = horn) हतावटुके (hatāvaṭuke): O you who have slain! (hata = killed, avaṭu = a kind of demon, -ke = vocative suffix) कृतचतुरङ्ग (kṛta-catur-aṅga): having made the fourfold army (catur = four, aṅga = division, part) - This refers to the traditional four divisions of an army: infantry, cavalry, chariots, and elephants. बलक्षितिरङ्ग (bala-kṣiti-raṅga): the battlefield (bala = army, kṣiti = earth, ground, raṅga = stage, arena) घटद्बहुरङ्ग (ghaṭad-bahu-raṅga): with many dramas unfolding (ghaṭad = happening, bahu = many, raṅga = drama, play) रटद्बटुके (raṭad-baṭuke): with shouting soldiers (raṭad = shouting, baṭu = soldier, -ke = vocative suffix) जय जय (jaya jaya): victory, victory हे (he): O! *महिषासुरमर्दिनि (mahiṣāsura-mardini): slayer of Mahishasura (the buffalo demon) (mahishasura = buffalo demon, mardini = slayer) रम्यकपर्दिनि (ramya-kapardini): with beautiful hair (ramya = beautiful, kapardini = having braided hair) शैलसुते (shailasute): daughter of the mountain (shaila = mountain, sute = daughter)
Victory and victory to you, Oh darling daughter of the mountain, Oh Goddess who decks herself with ornaments, On her throbbing limbs in the field of battle, When she gets her bow ready to fight, Oh Goddess , who killed her enemies, In the field of battle with a shining sword, And the shaking of her golden brown spots, Oh Goddess , who made the battle ground of the four fold army, In to a stage of drama with screaming little soldiers, Oh Goddess who has captivating braided hair, Who is the daughter of a mountain. And who is the slayer of Mahishasura.
Cosmic battle: The imagery of the fourfold army and the battlefield as a stage suggests that this is not just a physical battle but a cosmic struggle between good and evil.