उवाच तानृषीन्सर्वान्प्रणम्य शिरसाऽसुरः । सर्वे यूयं महाभागा गन्धर्वाश्चैव सर्वशः
The Asura, bowing his head, spoke to all the sages: 'You are all greatly fortunate, as are all the Gandharvas.'
यद्ब्रूथ तच्छ्रुतं सर्वं ममापि श्रृणुतानघाः। सन्धिः कथं वै भविता मम शक्रस्य चोभयोः । तेजसोर्हि द्वयोर्देवाः सख्यं वै भविता कथम्
'I have heard all that you have said; now, O sinless ones, listen to me as well. How will peace be established between me and Śakra? For how can there be friendship between us two, O gods, when our energies are opposed?'
सकृत्सतां सङ्गतमीप्सितव्यं ततः परं भविता भव्यमेव। नातिक्रामेत्सत्पुरुषेण सङ्गतं तस्मात्सतां संगतमीप्सितव्यम्
The association of the virtuous is always to be desired; thereafter, what is destined will surely come to pass. One should not violate the company of the good; therefore, the association of the virtuous is to be sought.
दृढं सतां सङ्गतं चापि नित्यं ब्रूयाच्चार्थं ह्यर्थकृच्छ्रेषु धीराः । महार्थवत्सत्पुरुषेण सङ्गतं तस्मात्सन्तं न जिघांसेत धीरः
The association of the virtuous is always firm; the wise should speak purposefully in times of difficulty. The company of the good is of great value; therefore, the wise should not wish harm upon the virtuous.
इन्द्रः सतां संमतश्च निवासश्च महात्मनाम्। सत्यवादी ह्यनिन्द्यश्च धर्मवित्सूक्ष्मनिश्चयः
Indra is esteemed among the virtuous and is the refuge of great souls; he speaks the truth, is blameless, knows righteousness, and is precise in subtle matters.
तेन ते सह शक्रेण सन्धिर्भवतु नित्यदा। एवं विश्वासमागच्छ मा ते भूद्बुद्धिरन्यथा
Therefore, let there always be peace between you and Shakra; come to trust in this way, and do not let your mind turn otherwise.
महर्षिवचनं श्रुत्वा तानुवाच महाद्युतिः। अवश्यं भगवन्तो मे माननीयास्तपस्विनः
Hearing the words of the great sage, the radiant one replied to them: 'Certainly, the venerable ascetics are always to be honored by me.'
ब्रवीमि यदहं देवास्तत्सर्वं क्रियते यदि। ततः सर्वं करिष्यामि यदूचुर्मां दिवौकसः
Whatever I, as a god, declare—if all that is done—then I will do everything the dwellers of heaven have spoken to me.
न शुष्केण न चाद्रेण नाश्मना न च दारुणा । न शस्त्रेण न चास्त्रेण न दिवा न तथा निशि
Not by something dry, nor by something wet, nor by stone, nor by wood, nor by weapon, nor by missile, neither by day nor by night—
वध्यो भवेयं विप्रेन्द्राः शक्रस्य सह दैवतैः । एवं मे रोचते सन्धिः शक्रेण सह नित्यदा
—may I be slain, O best of Brahmins, by Shakra together with the gods; thus, I am pleased with an everlasting peace with Shakra.
बाढमित्येव ऋषयस्तमूचुर्भरतर्षभ। एवं वृत्ते तु सन्धाने वृत्रः प्रमुदितोऽभवत्
The sages replied, 'So be it,' O bull among the Bharatas; with the agreement thus established, Vritra became delighted.
ततः सन्धिं मिथः कृत्वा ऋषयो दीप्ततेजसः। शक्रस्य सह वृत्रेण पुनर्जग्मुर्यथागतम्
Then, having made the pact with each other, the sages of blazing energy departed as they had come, after reconciling Shakra and Vritra.
युक्तः सदाऽभवच्चापि शक्रो हर्षसमन्वितः। वृत्रस्य वधसंयुक्तानुपायानन्वचिन्तयत्
Shakra was always alert and filled with joy, yet he pondered means connected to the slaying of Vritra.
अभिसन्धिर्महेन्द्रस्य सन्धिकर्मणि यः कृतः। ऋषिभिस्त्वीरितं यच्च महेन्द्रस्तदनुस्मरन्
The intention that Mahendra formed in making the pact, and what the sages had declared—Mahendra kept recalling that.
छिद्रान्वेषी समुद्विग्नः सदा वसति देवराट्। स कदाचिन्समुद्रान्ते समपश्यन्महासुरम्
Ever searching for a loophole, anxious, the king of the gods dwelled; once, at the edge of the ocean, he saw the great asura.
सन्ध्याकाल उपावृत्ते मुहूर्ते चातिदारुणे। ततः संचिन्त्य भगवान्वरदानं महात्मनः
When twilight had come, at that most dreadful moment, the blessed one remembered the boon granted to the great-souled one.
सन्ध्येयं वर्तते रौद्रा न रात्रिर्दिवसं न च। वृत्रश्चावश्यवध्योऽयं मम सर्वहरो रिपुः
Now twilight prevails, fierce—neither night nor day; and Vritra, the all-consuming foe, must certainly be slain by me.
यदि वृत्रं न हन्म्यद्य वञ्चयित्वा महासुरम्। महाबलं महाकायं न मे श्रेयो भविष्यति
If I do not slay Vritra today, deceiving the great asura of immense strength and body, no good will come to me.
एवं संचिन्तयन्नेव शक्रो विष्णुमनुस्मरन्। अथ फेनं तदाऽपश्यत् समुद्रे पर्वतोपमप्
Thus reflecting, Shakra, remembering Vishnu, then saw a mass of foam in the ocean, resembling a mountain.
नायं युष्को न चाद्रोऽयं न च शस्त्रमिदं तथा। एनं क्षेप्स्यामि वृत्रस्य क्षणादेव नशिष्यति
This is not dry, nor is it wet, nor is it stone, nor is it a weapon; with this I shall strike Vritra, and in an instant he will perish.
सवज्रमथ फेनं तं क्षिप्रं वृत्रे निसृष्टवान्। प्रविश्य फेनं तं विष्णुरथ वृत्रं व्यनाशयत्
Then, with his thunderbolt, he swiftly hurled that foam at Vritra; Vishnu entered that foam and destroyed Vritra.
निहते तु ततो वृत्रे दिशो वितिमिराऽभवन्। प्रववौ च शिवो वायुः प्रजाश्च जहृषुस्तथा
When Vritra was slain, the quarters became free of darkness; the auspicious wind blew, and the people rejoiced likewise.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वा यक्षरक्षोमहोरगाः । ऋषयश्च महेन्द्रं तमस्तुवन्विविधैः स्तवैः
Then the gods, together with the Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, great serpents, and sages, praised that Mahendra with various hymns.
नमस्कृतः सर्वभूतैः सर्वभूतान्यसान्त्वयत्। हत्वा शत्रुं प्रहृष्टात्मा वासवः सह दैवतैः
Having been saluted by all beings, he comforted all creatures; after slaying his enemy, Vasava, joyful in spirit, rejoiced with the gods.
विष्णुं त्रिभुवनश्रेष्ठं पूजयामास धर्मवित्। ततो हते महावीर्ये वृत्रे देवभयङ्करे
The righteous one worshipped Vishnu, the best of the three worlds; then, when the mighty and terrifying Vritra, who frightened the gods, was slain—
अनृतेनाभिभूतोऽभूच्छक्रः परमदुर्मनाः । त्रैशीर्षयाऽभिभूतश्च स पूर्वं ब्रह्महत्यया
The wielder of the discus was overcome by falsehood and became deeply troubled; previously, he had been afflicted by the three-headed one and by the sin of Brahmin-slaying.
महादेवस्य भूतैश्च स पुनर्ब्रह्महा इति। आक्रुष्टो निर्भयैर्भूयो व्रीडितो बलवृत्रहा
Again, the beings of Mahadeva called him a Brahmin-slayer; thus, the slayer of Vritra was shamed and reproached by the fearless ones.
सोऽन्तमाश्रित्य लोकानां नष्टसंज्ञो विचेतनः। न प्राज्ञायत देवेन्द्रस्त्वभिभूतः स्वकर्मभिः
He, having reached the end of the worlds, lost awareness and consciousness; Indra, overpowered by his own actions, was no longer recognized.
प्रतिच्छन्नोऽवसच्चाप्सु चेष्टमान इवोरगः । ततः प्रनष्टे देवेन्द्रे ब्रह्महत्या भयार्दिते
Concealed, he dwelled in the waters, moving like a serpent; then, when Indra had vanished, stricken by fear of Brahmin-slaying—
भूमिः प्रध्वस्तसंकाशा निर्वृक्षा शुष्ककानना । विच्छिन्नस्रोतसो नद्यः सरांस्यनुदकानि च
The earth lost its luster, became treeless, and its forests dried up; the rivers lost their streams, and the lakes were without water.