An asura. Two of the sons of कश्यप प्रजापति by his wife. दिति became notorious fellows called शुम्भ and निशुम्भ . They were born and brought up in पाताल . But as young men thay came to the earth and began rigorous tapas taking neither food nor drink. After ten thousand years ब्रह्मा appeared and asked them to choose their boons. They requested for eternity, deathlessness. But, ब्रह्मा refused to grant that boon. Then they thought of another boon, which would in effect be as goodas the first one; they wanted death to come, but to come in a manner impossible to happen. So, they requested ब्रह्मा as follows: "We shall not meet with death at the hands of males among Devas, human beings as also by birds, animals etc. In short we should be killed only by women; we fear them not."

ब्रह्मा granted them such a boon and they returned to पाताल . They lost their head over the boon and appointed शुक्र as their preceptor. शुक्र was so pleased at this that he made शुम्भ sit on a golden throne and crowned him King of दैत्यस् . Following this, lesser Kings began coming to salute the great King and pay tributes. Great daityas like the चण्डमुण्डस् , धूम्रलोचन , रक्तबीज etc., became attendants of शुम्भ and निशुम्भ .

After having established the power of the दैत्यस् thus शुम्भ -- निशुम्भ s gradually turned their attention towards extending the boundaries of their kingdom. The whole earth they subjugated. Then निशुम्भ with a large army marched to देवलोक to conquer इन्द्र . A देवासुर war started. In the fight all the दिक्पालकस् were on one side and निशुम्भ alone on the other side; the latter side was slightly defeated. Smitten by इन्द्र 's वज्रायुध निशुम्भ fainted; his army also was broken.

As soon as news about the defeat of his brother was reported to him, शुम्भ , with the remaining दानवस् hurried to देवलोक . In the battle that ensued the देवस् were routed. शुम्भ assumed Indra-hood by force and the standard (flag) of the दैत्यस् was hoisted on the flag-staff of सुधर्मा , the palace of इन्द्र . शुम्भ captured कामधेनु , ऐरावत , उच्चैश्श्रवस् etc. The नन्दन garden and the shades of the कल्पक tree were turned into resting places of the दैत्यस् . Fragrant flowers of the कल्प tree adorned the hairs of दैत्य women. शुम्भ drove away कुबेर and took over अलकापुरी also from him. As यम ran away from the kingdom, कालपुरी also came under शुम्भ . All the दिक्पालकस् took refuge in forests and caves. Thousand years rolled by thus. By then the देवस् worshipped महादेवी , who appeared before them. कौशिकी देवी , born from the body of महादेवी stood before the देवस् . As कौशिकी was dark in colour she came to be known as कालिका also. महादेवी , along with कालिका started for the capital of शुम्भ-निशुम्भस् . At the capital they ascended a mountain and sat on two rocks. महादेवी sang such a melodious song that birds and animals lost themselves in its sweetness and stood motionless.

The चण्डमुण्डस् , who were at the time passing that way were also attracted by the music. Having understood what it all meant they hurried upto शुम्भासुर and gave him a description of the supreme beauty of महादेवी and कालिका . The description kindled great interest in शुम्भ and निशुम्भ about the देवीस् and they deputed their minister सुग्रीव to bring the देवीस् over to them. Having heard सुग्रीव 's mission महादेवी told him as follows:--"We do not have any objection to becoming the wives of your masters But, in the matter of my marriage there is a special problem. While playing with my friends as a child I had accidentally taken a vow. I was at that age a bit proud about my capabilities and strength, and the vow I took was that I would marry only someone who was stronger than I am. My friends called me a 'fool' and ridiculed me about the vow. That only hardened my stubbornness and I stand by my vow even now. Therefore, please tell शुम्भ first to defeat me in fighting."

When सुग्रीव carried this information to शुम्भ , and निशुम्भ , they felt amused that a woman challenged them to fight. But, they had no alternative but to fight. So they deputed the mighty दैत्य धूम्राक्ष with an army to fight देवी , and there ensued a fierce fighting between देवी and कालिका on one side and the big दैत्य army on the other side. The whole army and finally धूम्राक्ष too was killed.

देवी then retired from the battlefield to a place nearby and blew the conch. शुम्भ-निशुम्भस् heard the sound from it, and the next moment a messenger came and told them about the fate of the army and of धूम्राक्ष . They then sent a much greater army under चण्डमुण्डस् against देवी . But कालिका devoured them all. रक्तबीज , who next encountered देवी with a great force, also became food for कालिका . Then शुम्भ-निशुम्भस् entered the battlefield and they too were killed. Devas thus victorious regained स्वर्ग . (Devī Bhāgavata, 5th Skandha) .

The महाभारत mentions another निशुम्भ , a dependant of नरकासुर . श्री कृष्ण killed this असुर who towered upto the path of the देवस् ( देवयान ) from the earth. [mh-2-38-1 ] Mahābhārata • Sabhā parva .