न हि धुन्धुर्महातेजास्तेजसाऽल्पेन शक्यते। निर्दग्धुं पृथिवीपाल स हि वर्षशतैरपि
For Dhundhu, of great energy, cannot be consumed by little energy, O protector of the earth, not even in a hundred years.
धुन्धुर्नाम महाराज तयोः पुत्रो महाद्युतिः। स तपोऽतप्यत महन्महावीर्यपराक्रमः
Dhundhu by name, O great king, was the son of those two, possessed of great brilliance; he performed severe austerities, being of immense strength and valor.
अतिष्ठदेकपादेन कृशो धमनिसंततः। तस्मै ब्रह्मा ददौ प्रीतो वरं वव्रे स च प्रभुम्
He stood on one foot, emaciated, with veins showing; to him, Brahmā, being pleased, granted a boon, and he chose the lord.
देवदानवयक्षाणां सर्पगन्धर्वरक्षसाम्। अवध्योऽहं भवेयं वै वर एष वृतो मया
Let me be invulnerable to the gods, Dānavas, Yakṣas, serpents, Gandharvas, and Rākṣasas—this is the boon I have chosen.
एवं भवतु गच्छेति तमुवाच पितामहः। स एवमुक्तस्तत्पादौ मूर्ध्ना स्पृष्ट्वा जगाम ह
So be it, go forth—thus spoke the Grandsire to him. Thus addressed, he touched his feet with his head and departed.
सतु धुन्धुर्वरं लब्ध्वा महवीर्यपराक्रमः। अनुस्मरन्पितृवधं द्रुतं विष्णुमुपागमत्
Having obtained the boon from Dhundhu, that mighty and valiant one, remembering his father's death, swiftly approached Vishnu.
सतु देवान्सगन्धर्वाञ्जित्वा धुन्धुरमर्षणः। बबाध सर्वानसकृद्विष्णुं देवांश्च वै भृशम्
That Dhundhu, filled with wrath, after defeating the gods and Gandharvas, repeatedly harassed Vishnu and the gods greatly.
समुद्रवालुकापूर्णे उज्जानक इति स्मृते। आगम्य च स दुष्टात्मा तं देशं भरतर्षभ। बाधतेस्म परं शक्त्या तमुदङ्काश्रमं विभो
In the place known as Ujjānaka, filled with ocean sand, O best of Bharatas, that wicked-souled one came to that region and began to torment with supreme power the hermitage of Udanka.
अन्तर्भूमिगतस्तत्र वालुकान्तर्हितस्तथा। मधुकैटभयोः पुत्रो धुन्धुर्भीमपराक्रमः
There, hidden beneath the earth and concealed within the sand, was Dhundhu, the son of Madhu and Kaitabha, of terrible might.
शेते लोकविनाशाय तपोबलमुपाश्रितः। उदङ्कस्याश्रमाभ्याशे निःश्वसन्पावकार्चिषः
He lay there, relying on the power of his austerities, breathing flames, near Udanka's hermitage, intent on the destruction of the worlds.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु राजा सबलवाहनः। कुवलाश्वो नरपतिरन्वितो बलशालिनाम्
At that very time, the king Kuvalāśva, accompanied by his army and vehicles, a ruler among men, set out with his powerful forces.
सहस्रैरेकविंशत्या पुत्राणामरिमर्दनः। प्रायादुदङ्कसहितो धुन्धोस्तस्य वधाय वै
With twenty-one thousand sons, the subduer of foes, together with Udanka, set forth to slay that Dhundhu.
तमाविशत्ततो विष्णुर्भगवांस्तेजसा प्रभुः। उदङ्कस् नियोगेन लोकानां हितकाम्यया
Then the blessed Vishnu, lord of radiance, entered him by the command of Udanka, desiring the welfare of the worlds.
तस्मिन्प्रयाते दुर्धर्षे दिवि शब्दो महानभूत्। एष श्रीमान्नृपसुतो धुन्धुमारो भविष्यति
As he departed, O unassailable one, a great sound arose in the heavens: 'This glorious prince will become the slayer of Dhundhu.'
दिव्यैश्च पुष्पैस्तं देवाः समन्तात्पर्यवाकिरन्। देवदुन्दुभयश्चापि नेदुः स्वयमनीरिताः
And the gods showered him all around with divine flowers, and celestial drums resounded of their own accord.
शीतश्च वायुः प्रववौ प्रयाणे तस्य धीमतः। विपांसुलां महीं कुर्वन्ववर्ष च सुरेश्वरः। `प्रदक्षिणाश्चाप्यभवन्वन्यास्तं समृगद्विजाः
A cool wind blew at the departure of that wise one, making the earth dustless, and the lord of gods rained down. Wild beasts and birds performed circumambulation around him.
अन्तरिक्षे विमानानि देवतानां युधिष्ठिर। तत्रैव समदृश्यन्त धुन्धुर्यत्र महासुरः
In the sky, O Yudhishthira, the flying chariots of the gods were seen right there, where Dhundhu, the great asura, was.
कुवलाश्वस्य धुन्योश्च युद्धकौतूहलान्विताः। देवगन्धर्वसहिताः समवैक्षन्महर्षयः
The great sages, together with the gods and Gandharvas, watched with curiosity for the battle between Kuvalāśva and Dhundhu.
नारायणेन कौरव्य तेजसाऽऽप्यायितस्तदा। स गतो नृपतिः क्षिप्रं पुत्रैस्तैः सर्वतो दिशम्
Then, O Kaurava, filled with the energy of Nārāyaṇa, the king swiftly went in all directions with those sons.
अर्णवं स्वानयामास कुवलाश्वो महीपतिः। `हितार्तं सर्वलोकानामुदङ्कस्य वशे स्थितः
King Kuvalāśva, for the sake of the welfare of all beings and under Udanka's guidance, led his own forces to the ocean.
कुवलाश्वस् पुत्रैश्च तस्मिन्वै वालुकार्णवे। सप्तभिर्दिवसैः स्वात्वा दृष्टो धुन्धुर्महाबलः
There, in that sandy ocean, Kuvalāśva and his sons, after digging for seven days, saw the mighty Dhundhu.
आसीद्धोरं वपुस्तस्य वालुकान्तर्हितं महत्। दीप्यमानं यथा सूर्यस्तेजसा भरतर्षभ
His terrible form, vast and hidden in the sand, appeared, blazing with radiance like the sun, O best of Bharatas.
ततो धुन्धुर्महाराज दिशमावृत्य पश्चिमाम्। सुप्तोऽभूद्राजशार्दूल कालानलसमद्युतिः
Then, O great king, Dhundhu turned toward the western direction and lay down, his radiance equal to the fire of destruction.
कुवलाश्वस्य पुत्रैस्तु सर्वतः परिवारितः। अभिद्रुतः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्गदाभिर्मुसलैरपि
Surrounded on all sides by the sons of Kuvalāśva, he was assailed with sharp arrows, maces, and even clubs.
प्टसैः परिधैः प्रासैः खङ्गैश् विमलैः शितैः। सवध्यमानः संक्रुद्धः समुत्तस्थौ महाबलः
Struck with darts, firebrands, spears, and swords—pure and keen—the mighty one, enraged, rose up while being attacked.
क्रुद्धश्चाभक्षयत्तेषां शस्त्राणि विविधानि च। आस्याद्वमन्पावकं स संवर्तकसमं तदा
Angry, he devoured their various weapons, and from his mouth he vomited fire, equal to the fire of dissolution.
तान्सर्वान्नृपतेः पुत्रानदहत्स्वेन तेजसा। मुखजेनाग्निना क्रुद्धो लोकानुद्वर्तयन्निव
Enraged, he burned all the king’s sons with his own energy, with fire issuing from his mouth, as if overturning the worlds.
क्षणेन राजशार्दूल पुरेव कपिलः प्रभुः। सगरस्यात्मजान्क्रुद्धस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
In a moment, O tiger among kings, just as Kapila once did in the city, he angrily burned Sagara’s sons—such was the marvel.
तेषु क्रोधाग्निदग्धेषु तदा भरतसत्तम। तं प्रबुद्धं महात्मानं कुम्भकर्णमिवापरम्। आससाद महातेजाः कुवलाश्वो महीपतिः
When those sons were burned by the fire of wrath, O best of Bharatas, the mighty Kuvalāśva, like another Kumbhakarṇa awakened, approached him.
तस्य वारिमहाराज सुस्राव बहु देहतः। तत्तदापीयतेतेजो राज्ञा वारिमयं नृप
From his body, O great king, much water flowed forth, and the king, whose energy was absorbed by that water, drank it up.