अप्रमत्तः सदा दक्षः सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः। ब्रह्मण्यश्चास्त्रविच्चासि शूरश्चासि कुरूद्वह
You are ever vigilant, always skillful, truthful in speech, master of your senses, devoted to the Brahmanas, learned in weapons, and valiant, O joy of the Kurus.
अस्त्राणि समवाप्तानि त्वया दश च पञ्च च। पञ्चभिर्विधिभिः पार्थ विद्यते न त्वया समः
You have acquired fifteen weapons, O Partha, and by five methods; there is no one equal to you in these.
प्रयोगमुपसंहारमावृत्तिं च धनञ्जय। प्रायश्चित्तं च वेत्थ त्वं प्रतीघातं च सर्वशः
You know, O Dhananjaya, the deployment, withdrawal, and repetition of weapons, as well as all expiations and counteractions.
तव गुर्वर्थकालोऽयं समुत्पन्नः परंतप। प्रतिजानीष्व तं कर्तुं ततो वेत्स्याम्यहं परम्
Now the time has come for you to serve your preceptor, O scorcher of foes; declare your intent to do so, and then I will instruct you further.
ततोऽहमब्रवं राजन्देवराजमिदं वचः। विषह्यं यन्मया कर्तुं कृतमेव निबोध तत्
Then I said to the king of the gods these words: 'Whatever I am able to accomplish, consider that already done.'
ततो मामब्रवीद्राजन्प्रहसन्बलवृत्रहा। नाविपह्यं तवाद्यास्ति त्रिषु लोकेषु किंचन
Then, smiling, the slayer of Vritra said to me, 'There is nothing in the three worlds that is beyond your power now.'
निवातकवचा नाम दानवा मम शत्रवः। समुद्रकुक्षिमाश्रित्य दुर्गे प्रतिवसन्त्युत
The Danavas called Nivatakavachas are my enemies; they dwell in a fortress within the ocean's depths.
तिस्रः कोट्यः समाख्यातास्तुल्यरूपबलप्रभाः। तांस्तत्रजहि कौन्तेय गुर्वर्थस्ते भविष्यति
Three crores of them are said to exist, equal in form, strength, and splendor; slay them, O son of Kunti, for this will be your service to your teacher.
ततो मातलिसंयुक्तं मयूरसमरोमभिः। हयैरुपेतं प्रादान्मे रथं दिव्यं महाप्रभम्
Then he gave me a splendid divine chariot, yoked with horses adorned with peacock plumes and accompanied by Matali.
बबन्ध चैव मे मूर्ध्नि किरीटमिदमुत्तमम्। स्वरूपसदृशं चैव प्रादादङ्गविभूषणम्
He placed this excellent crown upon my head, and gave me ornaments befitting my form.
अभेद्यं कवचं चेदं स्पर्सरूपवदुत्तमम्। अजरां ज्यामिमां चापि गाण्डीवे समयोजयत्
He gave me this impenetrable armor, supreme and pleasing to the touch, and fitted this ageless bowstring to Gandiva.
ततः प्रायामहं तेन स्यन्दनेन विराजता। येनाजयद्देवपतिर्बलिं वैरोचनिं पुरा
Then I set out in that resplendent chariot, by which the lord of the gods once conquered Bali, the son of Virocana.
ततो देवाः सर्व एव तेन घोषेण बोधिताः। मन्वाना देवराजं मां समाजग्मुर्विशांपते
Then all the gods, awakened by that sound, thinking I was the king of the gods, came to me, O lord of the people.
दृष्ट्वा च मामपृच्छन्त किं करिष्यसि फल्गुन। तानब्रुवं यथाभूतमिदं कर्ताऽस्मि संयुगे
Seeing me, they asked, 'What will you do, O Phalguna?' I told them truthfully, 'This is what I will do in battle.'
निवातकवचानां तु प्रस्थितं मां तधैपिणम्। निबोधत महाभागा शिवं चाशास्त मेऽनघाः
Know, O blessed ones, that I set out for the Nivatakavachas; may you, free from sin, wish me well.
ततो वाग्भिः प्रशस्ताभिस्त्रिदशाः पृथिवीपते'। तुष्टुवुर्मां प्रसन्नास्ते यथा देवं पुरंदरम्
Then the gods, pleased, praised me with excellent words, O king of the earth, as they once praised Indra, the lord of the gods.
रथेनानेन मघवा जितवाञ्शम्बरं युधि। नमुचिं बलवृत्रौ च प्रह्लादनरकावपि
With this very chariot, Maghavan conquered Shambara in battle, as well as Namuci, Vala, Vritra, Prahlada, and Naraka.
बहूनि च सहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदान्यपि। रथेनानेन दैत्यानां जितवान्मघवा युधि
And with this chariot, Maghavan defeated in battle many thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of Daityas.
न्वमप्यनेन कौन्तेय निबातकवचान्रणे। विजेता युधि विक्रम्य पुरेव मघवा वशी
Even now, O son of Kunti, with this, I shall conquer the Nivatakavachas in battle, striving as Maghavan did before, the masterful one.
अयंच शङ्खप्रवरो येन जेतासि दानवान्। अनेन विजिता लोका शक्रेणापि महात्मना
And this foremost conch, by which you will defeat the Danavas—by this, the worlds were conquered even by the great-souled Shakra.
प्रदीयमानं देवैस्तं देवदत्तं जलोद्भवम्। प्रत्यगृह्णां जयायैनं स्तूयमानस्तदाऽमरैः
When the gods gave me that Devadatta, born from water, I accepted it for victory, praised at that time by the immortals.
स शङ्खी कवची वाणी प्रगृहीतशरासनः। दानवालयमत्युग्रं प्रयातोस्मि युयुत्सया
Thus, bearing the conch, armor, arrows, and bow, I set out, eager for battle, toward the fierce abode of the Danavas.
ततोऽहं स्तूयमानस्तु तत्रतत्र सुरपिभिः। अपश्यमुदधिं भीममपांपतिमथाव्ययम्
Then, as I was praised here and there by the gods, I beheld the dreadful ocean, the lord of waters, unfathomable.
फेनवत्यः प्रकीर्णाश्च संहताश्च समुच्छिताः। ऊर्मयश्चात्र दृश्यन्ते चलन्तइव पर्वताः
There, waves appeared, scattered and clustered, rising up; mountains seemed to move within them.
नावः सहस्रशस्तत्र रत्नपूर्णाः समन्ततः। `नभसीव विमानानि विचरन्त्यो विरेजिरे
Thousands of ships filled with gems were seen everywhere, shining as they moved about like aerial chariots in the sky.
तिमिङ्गिलाः कच्छपाश् तथा तिमितिभिङ्गिलाः। मकराश्चात्र दृश्यन्ते जले मप्रा इवाद्रयः
There, timingilas, turtles, and timitibhingilas, as well as makaras, were seen in the water, like mountains afloat.
शङ्खानां च महबाणि मग्रान्यप्सु ममन्ततः। दृश्यन्ते स्म यथा रात्रौ तारास्तन्वभ्रमंवृताः
Great conches and pearls were visible in the waters all around, like stars at night surrounded by thin clouds.
तथा सहस्रशस्तत्ररत्नसङ्घाः प्लवन्त्युत। वायुश् घृर्णते भीमस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Likewise, thousands of clusters of gems floated there; the mighty wind churned, and it seemed wondrous.
तमतीत्य महावेगं सर्वाम्भोनिधिमुत्तमम्। अपश्यं दानवाकीर्णं तद्दैत्यपुरमन्तिकात्
Crossing that supreme ocean of great speed, I saw, near the city of the Daityas, a place filled with Danavas.
तत्रैव मातलिस्तृणं निपात्य पृथिवीतले। दानवान्रथघोपेण तन्पुरं समुपाद्रवत्
There, Matali set the chariot down upon the earth, and, with the chariot’s rumble, approached that city of the Danavas.