ततो युद्धं समभवद्देवानां दानवैः सह। मुहूर्तं भरतश्रेष्ठ लोकत्रासकरं महत्
Then a great battle took place between the gods and the asuras, O best of Bharatas, terrifying the worlds for a moment.
उद्यतप्रतिविद्धानां स्वङ्गानां वीरबाहुभिः। आसीत्सुतुमुः शब्दः शरीरेष्वभिपात्यताम्
There arose a tumultuous sound from the heroes, their limbs raised and struck, as they fell upon each other's bodies.
शिरोभिः प्रपतद्भिश्चाप्यन्तरिक्षान्महीतलम्। तालैरिव महाराज वृन्ताद्भ्रष्टैरदृश्यत
Heads fell from the sky to the earth, O great king, like palm fruits dropping from their stalks.
ते हेमकवचा भूत्वा कालेयाः परिघायुधाः। त्रिदशानभ्यवर्तन्त दावदग्धा इवाद्रयः
The Kalakeyas, clad in golden armor and wielding iron clubs, advanced against the gods like mountains scorched by wildfire.
तेषां वेगवतां वेगं सहितानां प्रधावताम्। न शेकुस्त्रिदशाः सोढुं ते भग्नाः प्राद्रवन्भयात्
The gods could not withstand the force of those united, swift warriors; broken, they fled in fear.
तान्दृष्ट्वा द्रवतो भीतान्सहस्राक्षः पुरंदरः। वृत्रे विवर्धमाने च कश्मलं महदाविशत्
Seeing his terrified companions fleeing and Vritra growing stronger, Indra, the thousand-eyed, was seized by great despair.
तं शक्तं कश्मलाविष्टं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुः सनातनः। जगाम शरणं शीघ्रं तं तु नारायणं प्रभुम्
Seeing Śakra overcome by despair, the eternal Viṣṇu swiftly sought refuge with that lord Nārāyaṇa.
तं शक्रं कश्मलाविष्टं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुः सनातनः। स्वतेजो व्यदधच्छक्रे बलमस्य विवर्धयन्
Observing Śakra enveloped in gloom, the eternal Viṣṇu infused his own energy into him, thereby increasing his strength.
विष्णुना गोपितं शक्रं दृष्ट्वादेवगणास्ततः। स्वं स्वंतेजः समादध्युस्तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः
When the hosts of gods saw Śakra protected by Viṣṇu, each of them, as well as the pure Brahmarṣis, imparted their own energy.
स समाप्यायितः शक्रो विष्णुना दैवतैः सह। ऋषिभिश्च महाभागैर्बलवान्समपद्यत
Thus, empowered by Viṣṇu together with the gods and the illustrious sages, Śakra became strong.
ज्ञात्वा बलस्थं त्रिदशाधिपं तु ननाद वृत्रो महतो निनादान्। तस् प्रणादेन धरा दिशश्च खं द्यौर्नगाश्चापि चचाल सर्वम्
Realizing the lord of the gods was now powerful, Vṛtra roared with a great sound; at that roar, the earth, the directions, the sky, heaven, and the mountains all trembled.
ततो महेन्द्रः परमाभितप्तः श्रुत्वा रवं घोररूपं महान्तम्। भये निमग्नस्त्वरितो मुमोच वज्रं महत्तस्य वधाय राजन्
Then Mahendra, greatly tormented, hearing that terrible and immense roar, plunged into fear and quickly hurled his great thunderbolt to slay him, O King.
स चक्रवज्राभिहतः पपात महासुरः काञ्चनमाल्यधारी। यथा महाशैलवरः पुरस्ता- त्स मन्दरो विष्णुकराद्विमुक्तः
Struck by the discus and thunderbolt, the great asura adorned with golden garlands fell, just as the great mountain Mandara once fell, released from Viṣṇu’s hands.
तस्मिन्हते दैत्यवरे भयार्तः शक्रः प्रदुद्राव सरः प्रवेष्टुम्। वज्रं न मेने स्वकराद्विमुक्तं वृत्रं भयाच्चापि हतं न मेने
With that foremost of Daityas slain, Śakra, seized by fear, fled to enter a lake; he did not believe the thunderbolt had left his hand, nor that Vṛtra was truly slain out of fear.
सर्वे च देवा मुदिताः प्रहृष्टा महर्षयश्चन्द्रमभिष्टुवन्तः। `वृत्रं हतं संददृशुः पृथिव्यां वज्राहतं शैलमिवावदीर्णम्
All the gods, delighted and rejoicing, and the great sages praising the moon, beheld Vṛtra slain upon the earth, shattered by the thunderbolt like a split mountain.
सर्वांश्च दैत्यांस्त्वरिताः समेत्य जघ्नुः सुरा वृत्रवधाभितप्तान्। ते वध्यमानास्त्रिदशैः समेतैः समुद्रमेवाविविशुर्भयार्ताः
Then all the gods, quickly assembling, struck down the Daityas, burning with grief over Vṛtra’s death; those being slain by the assembled gods, terrified, entered the ocean.
प्रविश्य चैवोदधिमप्रमेयं झषाकुलं नक्रसमाकुलं च। तदा स्म मन्त्रं सहिताः प्रचक्रु- स्त्रैलोक्यनाशार्थमभिप्रयत्नात्
Entering the immeasurable ocean, teeming with fish and crocodiles, they then, united, performed a ritual with the intent to destroy the three worlds.
तत्रस्म केचिन्मतिनिश्चयज्ञा- स्तांस्तानुपयानुपवर्णयन्ति। तेषां तु तत्रक्रमकालयोगा- द्धोरा मतिश्चिन्तयतां बभूव
There, some among them, firm in resolve and wisdom, described various means and methods; among them, due to the sequence of time and circumstance, a dreadful thought arose as they deliberated.
ये सन्ति विद्यातपसोपपन्ना- स्तेषां विनाशः प्रथमं तु कार्यः। लोका हि सर्वे तपसा ध्रियन्ते तस्मात्त्वरध्वं तपसः क्षयाय
Those endowed with knowledge and ascetic power must first be destroyed; for all the worlds are sustained by asceticism—therefore, act quickly to bring about the decline of asceticism.
येसन्ति केचिच्च वसुंधरायां तपस्विनो धर्मविदश् तज्ज्ञाः। तेषां वधः क्रियतां क्षिप्रमेव तेषु प्रनष्टेषु जगत्प्रनष्टम्
And those ascetics who dwell upon the earth, knowers of dharma and experts in austerity—their destruction must be accomplished at once; when they are gone, the world is lost.
एवं हि सर्वे गतबुद्धिभावा जगद्विनाशे परमप्रहृष्टाः। दुर्गं समाश्रित्य महोर्मिमन्तं रत्नाकरं वरुणस्यालयं स्म
Thus, all of them, their minds set on destruction, rejoiced greatly at the thought of annihilating the world; taking refuge in the ocean, abode of Varuṇa, with its great waves and inaccessible depths.
समुद्रं ते समाश्रित्य वरुणं निधमम्भसः। कालेयाः संप्रवर्तन्त त्रैलोक्यस्य विनाशने
Taking refuge in the ocean, the Kāleyas, hidden in the waters of Varuṇa, set forth to destroy the three worlds.
ते रात्रौ समभिक्रुद्धा भक्षयन्ति सदा मुनीन्। आश्रमेषु च ये सन्ति पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च
At night, enraged, they constantly devour the sages, both those in hermitages and in sacred places.
वसिष्ठस्याश्रमे विप्रा भक्षितास्तैर्दुरात्मभिः। अशीतिः शतमष्टौ च नव चान्ये तपस्विनः
In the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, O brāhmaṇas, those evil-hearted ones devoured eighty-eight and nine other ascetics.
च्यवनस्याश्रमं गत्वा पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम्। फलमूलाशनानां हि मुनीनां भक्षितं शतम्
Having gone to the hermitage of Cyavana, sacred and attended by twice-born sages, a hundred ascetics who lived on fruits and roots were devoured.
एवं रात्रौ स्म कुर्वन्ति विविशुश्चार्णवं दिवा। `कालेयास्ते दुरात्मानो भक्षयन्तस्तपोधनान्
Thus, at night they acted, and during the day they entered the ocean; those wicked Kāleyas, consuming ascetics rich in austerity.
भरद्वाजाश्रमे चैव नियता ब्र्हमचारिणः। वाय्वाहाराम्बुभक्षाश्च विंशतिः संनिषूदिताः
And at the hermitage of Bharadvāja also, twenty steadfast celibates, subsisting on air and water, were slain.
एवं क्रमेण सर्वांस्तानाश्रमान्दानवास्तदा। निशायां परिबाधन्ते समुद्राम्बुबलाश्रयात्। कालोपसृष्टाः कालेया घ्नन्तो द्विजगणान्बहून्
In this way, the Dānavas then attacked all those hermitages in turn at night, relying on the strength of the ocean's waters, the Kāleyas, sent forth by Time, slaying many groups of twice-born sages.
न चैनानन्वबुध्यन्त मनुजा मनुजोत्तम। एवं प्रवृत्तान्दैत्यांस्तांस्तापसेषु तपस्विषु
And men, O best of men, did not perceive those Daityas thus engaged against the ascetics practicing austerities.
क्षयाय जगतः क्रूराः पर्यटन्ति स्म मेदिनीम्
Cruel beings, they roamed the earth for the destruction of the world.