दुःखानि हि महात्मानः प्राप्नुवन्ति युधिष्ठिर। देवैरपि हि दुःखानि प्राप्तानि जगतीपते
Even great souls, O Yudhishthira, experience suffering; even the gods, O lord of the earth, have suffered.
इन्द्रेण श्रूयते राजन्सभार्येण महात्मना । अनुभूतं महद्दुःखं देवराजेन भारत
It is heard, O king, that Indra, the great-souled, together with his wife, endured great suffering, O Bharata.
कथमिन्द्रेण राजेन्द्र सभार्येण महात्मना । दुःखं प्राप्तं परं घोरमेतदिच्छामि वेदितुम्
How did Indra, O king, the great-souled, together with his wife, suffer such terrible distress? I wish to know this.
शृणु राजन्पुरावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम्। सभार्येण यथा प्राप्तं दुःखमिन्द्रेण भारत
Hear, O king, the ancient story of old; how Indra, together with his wife, suffered, O Bharata.
त्वष्टा प्रजापतिर्ह्यासीद्देवश्रेष्ठो महातपाः । स पुत्रं वै त्रिशिरसमिन्द्रद्रोहात्किलासृजत्
Tvaṣṭṛ, the lord of creatures, was a foremost god of great austerity; he begot a son, Triśiras, because of enmity with Indra.
ऐन्द्रं स प्रार्थयत्स्थानं विश्वरूपो महाद्युतिः । तैस्त्रिभिर्वदनैर्घोरैः सूर्येन्दुज्वलनोपमैः
That radiant Viśvarūpa sought the position of Indra, and had three terrifying faces, shining like the sun, moon, and fire.
वेदानेकेन सोऽधीते सुरामेकेन चापिबत्। एकेन च दिशः सर्वाः पिबन्निव निरीक्षते
With one face he recited the Vedas, with another he drank soma, and with the third he gazed upon all the directions as if consuming them.
स तपस्वी मुदुर्दान्तो धर्मे तपसि चोद्यतः । तपस्तस्य महत्तीव्रं सुदुश्चरमरिन्दम
He was an ascetic, gentle and self-controlled, devoted to righteousness and austerity; his penance was immense, intense, and extremely difficult to perform, O subduer of foes.
तस्य दृष्ट्वा तपोवीर्यं सत्यं चामिततेजसः । विषादमगमच्छक्र इन्द्रोऽयं मा भवेदिति
Seeing the power of his austerity and the truthfulness of that one of immeasurable energy, Indra became anxious, thinking, 'May he not become Indra.'
कथं सज्जेच्च भोगेषु न च तप्येन्महत्तपः । विवर्धमानस्त्रिशिराः सर्वं हि भुवनं ग्रसेत्
How might he become attached to pleasures and not practice such great austerity? If Triśiras continues to grow, he might consume the entire world.
इति संचिन्त्य बहुधा बुद्धिमान्भरतर्षभ । आज्ञापयत्सोऽप्सरसस्त्वष्टृपुत्रप्रलोभने
Thinking in many ways, that wise one, O bull among the Bharatas, commanded the Apsarases to seduce the son of Tvaṣṭṛ.
यथा स सज्जेत्रिशिराः कामभोगेषु वै भृशम् । क्षिप्रं कुरुत गच्छध्वं प्रलोभयत माचिरम्
Make sure that Triśiras becomes deeply attached to sensual pleasures; go quickly and seduce him without delay.
शृङ्गारवेषाः सुश्रोण्यो हारैर्युक्ता मनोहरैः । हावभावसमायुक्ताः सर्वाः सौन्दर्यशोभिताः
Adorn yourselves in alluring attire, with beautiful hips, decked in enchanting necklaces, displaying gestures and expressions, all resplendent in beauty.
प्रलोभयत भद्रं वः शमयध्वं भयं मम। अस्वस्थं ह्यात्मनात्मानं लक्षयामि वराङ्गनाः
Go and seduce him, may you fare well; dispel my fear. O noble ladies, I perceive my own self is unsettled within.
तथा यत्नं करिष्यामः शक्र तस्य प्रलोभने। यथा नावाप्स्यसि भयं तस्माद्बलनिषूदन
We will make every effort, O Śakra, to seduce him, so that you will not have to fear him, O destroyer of force.
निर्दहन्निव चक्षुर्भ्यां योऽसावास्ते तपोनिधिः। तं प्रलोयितुं देव गच्छामः सहिता वयम्
He who sits there, a treasure of austerity, with eyes as if burning everything—together, we will go to entice that god.
इन्द्रेण तास्त्वनुज्ञाता जग्मुस्त्रिशिरसोऽन्तिकम्। तत्र ता विविधैर्भावैर्लोभयन्त्यो वराङ्गनाः
Permitted by Indra, they went to Triśiras; there, those noble ladies tried to seduce him with various charms.
नृत्तं संदर्शयामासुस्तथैवाङ्गेषु सौष्ठवम्। नाभ्यगच्छत्प्रहर्षं ताः स पश्यन्सुमहातपाः
They displayed dancing and grace in their limbs, but seeing them, that great ascetic felt no delight.
इन्द्रियाणि वशे कृत्वा पूर्णसागरसन्निभः। तास्तु यत्नं परं कृत्वा पुनः शक्रमुपस्थिताः
Having mastered his senses, like the full ocean, those women, after making every effort, returned again to Śakra.
कृताञ्जलिपुटाः सर्वा देवराजमथाब्रुवन्। न स शक्यः सुदुर्धर्षो धैर्याच्चालयितुं प्रभो
With hands joined in reverence, they addressed the king of the gods: 'He cannot be shaken, O lord, so difficult to disturb due to his steadfastness.'
यत्ते कार्यं महाभाग क्रियतां तदनन्तरम् । संपूज्याप्सरसः शक्रो विसृज्य च महामतिः
Whatever task you have, O greatly fortunate one, let it be done next. Śakra, having honored the Apsarases, dismissed them, his mind intent.
चिन्तयामास तस्यैव वधोपायं युधिष्ठिर। स तूष्णीं चिन्तयन्वीरो देवराजः प्रतापवान्
Then, Yudhiṣṭhira, he began to consider a means to kill him; that heroic and powerful king of the gods pondered in silence.
विनिश्चितमतिर्धीमान्वधे त्रिशिरसोऽभवत्। वज्रमस्य क्षिपाम्यद्य स क्षिप्रं नभविष्यति
With firm resolve and wisdom, he decided upon the slaying of Triśiras: 'Today I will hurl my thunderbolt at him, and he will not survive.'
शत्रुः प्रवृद्धो नोपेक्ष्यो दुर्बलोऽपि बलीयसा। शास्त्रबुद्ध्या विनिश्चित्य कृत्वा बुद्धिं वधे दृढाम्
An enemy who has grown powerful should not be disregarded, even if weak, by one who is strong; having discerned with the intellect of scripture, one should fix the mind firmly on his destruction.
अथ वैश्वानरनिभं घोररूपं भयावहम्। मुमोच वज्रं संक्रुद्धः शक्रस्त्रिशिरसं प्रति
Then, blazing with anger, Śakra released his thunderbolt, resembling fire itself, terrifying and dreadful in form, at Triśiras.
स पपात हतस्तेन वज्रेण दृढमाहतः। पर्वतस्येव शिखरं प्रणुन्नं मेदिनीतले
Struck forcefully by that thunderbolt, he fell dead, like the peak of a mountain toppled to the earth.
तं तु वज्रहतं दृष्ट्वा शयानमचलोपमम्। न शर्म लेभे देवेन्द्रो दीपिततस्तस्य तेजसा
Seeing him, struck down by the thunderbolt and lying like an immovable mountain, Indra found no peace, so intense was the radiance emanating from him.
हतोऽपि दीप्ततेजाः स जीवन्निव हि दृश्यते। घातितस्य शिरांस्याजौ जीवन्तीवाद्भुतानि वै
Though slain, he shone with blazing energy and appeared as if still alive; even the severed heads on the battlefield seemed wondrously alive.
शिरांसि तस्याजायन्त त्रीण्येव शकुनास्त्रयः। तित्तिरिः कलविङ्कश्च तथैव च कपिञ्जलः । विश्वरूपशिरांस्येव जायन्ते तानि भारत
From his body, three heads arose, like three birds: a partridge, a kalaviṅka, and a kapiñjala; just as Viśvarūpa's heads, so these appeared, O Bhārata.
ततोऽतिभीतगात्रस्तु शक्र आस्ते विचारयन्। अथाजगाम परशुं स्कन्धेनादाय वर्धकिः
Then, with limbs trembling in great fear, Śakra sat pondering; at that moment, a carpenter arrived, carrying an axe on his shoulder.