Durga fighting the rakshashas Shunga and Nishunga

Shumbha (शुम्भ) and Nishumbha (निशुम्भ) are two

asuras Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Deva (Hinduism), Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhism, ...

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

, featured in the ''

Devi Mahatmya The ''Devi Mahatmya'' or ''Devi Mahatmyam'' () is a Hindu philosophical text describing the Goddess, known as Mahadevi, Adi Parashakti or Durga, as the supreme divine parabrahma, ultimate reality and creator of the universe. It is part of th ...

''. In their legend, they were slain by the goddess

Kaushiki Kaushiki (,) is a Hindu goddess, a deity who emerged from the sheath of Parvati. She was created before Parvati's conflict with the asura brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha, and was also the reason the Matrikas come into existence. Legends Puranas T ...

Legend

The story of Shumbha and Nishumbha begins in the fifth chapter of the ''Devi Mahatmya''.

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

retells how two

asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

brothers sought to conquer the three worlds by subjecting themselves to severe penance and purification rituals so that no man or asura could destroy them. Shumbha and Nishumbha traveled to

Pushkara Pushkara () is a character in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, known primarily for his role in the episode of ''Nala and Damayanti''. He is the younger brother of King Nala of Nishadha and serves as a pivotal antagonist during a key ep ...

, a sacred site, and remained there in prayer for ten thousand years. The creator deity

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

saw the brothers' penance, and was pleased, granting them the boon they requested.

Chanda and Munda In Hinduism, in the Devi Mahatmya, Chanda and Munda are asuras (demons) in the service of demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. One day, they set their eyes upon Parvati and were overwhelmed by her beauty. They carried reports of this goddess to Shumbh ...

, two lesser asuras in the service of Shumbha, encountered the goddess

, and were overwhelmed by her beauty. They carried reports of this goddess to Shumbha, who sought to possess Durga. Shumbha sent the asura Sugriva to court Parvati, but she rejected his advances. It was then decided by the asura brothers that if Parvati would not come willingly, they would have to abduct her. First, the asura Dhumralochana and his army of sixty-thousand asuras were sent to abduct Parvati. Various goddesses assumed the forms from

and slew the entire army. Next, Chanda and Munda were deployed, who were also destroyed by the goddess.

Raktabīja Raktabīja (, ) is an asura in Hinduism. According to the Puranas, he fought with Shumbha and Nishumbha against the goddesses Kali and Chandi, both forms of Durga. Raktabīja secured from Shiva a boon according to which if one drop of blood fr ...

was sent next, and was slain by the goddess

Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...

Death

After these encounters, Shumbha and Nishumbha had no choice but to meet

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

in direct combat. Although Brahma's boon had granted the brothers protection against men and demons, no such protection existed against goddesses. Nishumbha was the first to fall, after assaulting Parvati's lion. Upon seeing the death of his brother, Shumbha went after

in a rage, but was ultimately cleaved in two by the Goddess'

trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...

. With Shumbha and Nishumbha gone, the Three Worlds returned to their ordinary state of being, rid of a great evil.

In popular culture

Some, such as John Stratton Hawley and Donna Marie Wulff, see Shumbha and Nishumbha as symbols of arrogance and pride which is ultimately overcome by

's humility and wisdom. In Shashi Tharoor's

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

novel ''

The Great Indian Novel ''The Great Indian Novel'' is a satirical novel by Shashi Tharoor, first published by Viking Press in 1989. It is a fictional work that takes the story of the ''Mahabharata'', the Indian epic, and recasts and resets it in the context of the I ...

'', the story of Shumbha and Nishumbha is used both as a warning against the dangers of seduction, and as a metaphor for the collapse of the relationship among the five

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

.Tharoor, Shashi. ''The Great Indian Novel.'' Viking Press: 1989. There is also a Kannada Movie by the name of Shumba Nishumba and tell the story of Asuras and

References

External links

English translation of the Devi Mahatmyam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shumbha And Nishumbha Danavas

Legend

Death

In popular culture

See also

References

External links