ततः संपीड्यमानास्ते क्रोधाविष्टा महासुराः। अपीडयन्मां सहिताः शक्तिशूलासिवृष्टिभिः
Then those mighty asuras, overwhelmed and seized by wrath, together assailed me with showers of spears, lances, and swords.
ततोऽहमस्त्रं प्रायुञ्जं गान्धर्वं नाम भारत। दयितं देवराजस् माधवं नाम भारत
Then, O Bhārata, I employed the weapon called Gāndharva, beloved of the king of the gods, O descendant of Bharata.
ततः खङ्गांस्त्रिशूलांश्च तोमरांशच् सहस्रशः। अस्त्रवीर्येण शतधा तैर्मुक्तानहमच्छिदम्
Then, by the power of that weapon, I shattered into hundreds the swords, tridents, and spears released by them in thousands.
छित्त्वा प्रहरणान्येषां ततस्तानपि सर्वशः। प्रत्यविध्यमहं रोषाद्दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः
Having cut down their weapons, I then, in anger, pierced all of them with ten arrows each.
गाण्डीवाद्धि तदा सङ्ख्ये यथा भ्रमरपङ्क्तयः। निष्पतन्ति महाबाणास्तन्मातलिरपूजयत्
From the Gāṇḍīva in that battle, great arrows flew forth like swarms of bees, and Mātali honored them.
तेषामपि तु बाणास्ते बहुत्वाच्छलभा इव। अवाकिरन्मां बलवत्तानहं व्यधमं शरैः
But their arrows, being so many, covered me powerfully like locusts, and I struck them down with my own shafts.
वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु निवातकवचाः पुनः। शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात्पर्यवारयन्
Again, those Nivātakavacas, though being struck down, surrounded me on all sides with great showers of arrows.
शरवेगान्निहत्याहमस्त्रैरस्त्रविघातिभिः। ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शीघ्रैस्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः
With blazing, supreme, and swift arrows that countered their missiles, I struck down thousands of them, destroying their arrow attacks.
तेषां छिन्नानि गात्राणि विसृजन्तिस्म शोणितम्। प्रावृषीवाभिवृष्टानि शृङ्गाण्यथ धराभृताम्
Their bodies, cut apart, poured forth blood, just as the mountain peaks are drenched during the rains.
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। मद्वाणैर्वध्यमानास्ते समुद्विग्राः स्म दानवाः
Struck by my arrows, which were swift, straight, and sharp as Indra’s thunderbolt, the Dānavas became agitated.
शतधा भिन्नदेहास्ते क्षीणप्रहरणौजसः। ततो निवातकवचा मामयुध्यन्त मायया
Their bodies split in a hundred places, their weapons and strength exhausted, the Nivātakavacas then fought me with illusions.
ततोऽश्मवर्षं सुमहत्प्रादुरासीत्समन्ततः। नगमात्रैः शिलाखण्डैस्तन्मां दृढमपीडयत्
Then a great shower of stones appeared all around, and with mountain-sized fragments, they pressed me hard.
तदहं वज्रसंकाशैः शरैरिनद्रास्त्रचोदितैः। अचूर्णयं वेगवद्भिः शतधैकैकमाहवे
Then, with arrows as hard as thunderbolts, charged with Indra's weapons, I shattered each stone, swiftly, into a hundred pieces in that battle.
चूर्ण्यमानेऽश्मवर्षे तु यावकः समजायत। तत्राश्मचूर्णा न्यपतन्पावकप्रकरा इव
As the rain of stones was crushed, a powder like flour arose; there, the fragments of stone fell down like sparks of fire.
ततोऽश्मवर्षे विहते जलवर्षं महत्तरम्। धाराभिरक्षमात्राभिः प्रादुरासीनममान्तिके
Then, when the stone-rain was destroyed, a greater rain of water appeared, with streams as thick as the trunks of elephants, falling nearby.
नभस प्रच्युता धारास्तिग्मवीर्याः सहस्रशः। आवृण्वन्सर्वतो व्योम दिशश्चोपदिशस्तथा
Streams, fierce and countless, fell from the sky, covering all the heavens and every direction.
धाराणां च निपातेन वायोर्विष्फूर्जितेन च। गर्जितेन च मेघानां न प्राज्ञायत किंचन
Because of the downpour of streams, the roaring of the wind, and the thunder of the clouds, nothing could be seen or known.
धारा दिवि च संबद्धा वसुधायां च सर्वशः। व्यामोहयन्त मां तत्रनिपतन्त्योऽनिशं भुवि
The streams, joined in the sky and everywhere on the earth, bewildered me as they fell ceaselessly to the ground.
तत्रोपदिष्टमिन्द्रेण दिव्यमस्त्रं विशोषणम्। दीप्तं प्राहिणवं घोरमशुप्यत्तेन तज्जलम्
Then, as instructed by Indra, I released a divine, blazing, and terrible weapon of drying, and with it I dried up that water.
हतेऽश्मवर्षे च मया जलवर्षे च शोषिते। मुमुचुर्दानवा मायामग्निं वायुं च भारत
When I had destroyed the rain of stones and dried up the rain of water, the Dānavas unleashed their illusion: fire and wind, O Bhārata.
ततोऽहमग्निं व्यधमं सलिलास्त्रेण सर्वशः। शैलेन च महास्त्रेण वायोरवेगमधारयम्
Then I extinguished the fire completely with the water-weapon, and with a great mountain-weapon I restrained the force of the wind.
तस्यां प्रतिहतायां ते दानवा युद्धदुर्मदाः। प्राकुर्वन्विविधां मायां यौगपद्येन भारत
When that too was repelled, those Dānavas, mad for battle, created many illusions at once, O Bhārata.
ततो वर्षं प्रादुरभूत्सुमहद्रोमहर्षणम्। अस्त्राणां घोररूपाणामग्नेर्वायोस्तथाऽश्मनाम्
Then there appeared a tremendous and terrifying rain of weapons—of fire, wind, and stones.
सा तु मायामयी वृष्टिः पीडयामास मां युधि। अथ घोरं तमस्तीव्रं प्रादुरासीत्समन्ततः
That magical rain tormented me in battle; then, a dreadful and intense darkness arose all around.
तमसा संवृतेलोके घोरेण परुषेण च। हरयो विमुखाश्चासन्प्रास्खलच्चापि मातलिः
With the world covered by that terrible, harsh darkness, the horses lost their way, and even Mātali stumbled.
हस्ताद्धिरण्मयश्चास्य प्रतोदः प्रापतद्भुवि। असकृच्चाह मां भीतः किं करिष्याव इत्यपि
His golden goad fell from his hand to the ground, and, frightened, he repeatedly asked me, 'What shall we do now?'
मां च भीराविशत्तीव्रा तस्मिन्विगतचेतसि। स च मां विगतज्ञानः संत्रस्तमिदमब्रवीत्
Then, as I lost consciousness, a fierce fear seized me; and Mātali, his senses gone and trembling, said this to me.
सुराणामसुराणां च संग्रामः सुमहानभूत्। अमृतार्थं पुरा पार्त स च दृष्टो मयाऽनघ
A great battle once took place between the gods and the asuras for the sake of ambrosia, O Pārtha, and I witnessed it, O sinless one.
शम्बरस्य वधे घोरः संग्रामः सुमहानभूत्। सारथ्यं देवराजस्य तत्रापि कृतवानहम्
At the slaying of Śambara, a terrible and great battle occurred; there too I served as charioteer for the king of the gods.
तथैव वृत्रस्य वधे संगृहीता हया मया। वैरोचनेर्मया युद्धं दृष्टं चापि सुदारुणम्
Likewise, at the slaying of Vṛtra, I held the reins of the horses; and I witnessed the dreadful battle with Vairochana as well.