त्रिकूटे वटमूले च तत्र चन्द्रसरोवरे । सुचारुशतपत्राणां पत्रे चन्दनचर्चिते
At Trikūṭa, beneath a banyan tree, there at the Moon Lake, on the leaves of beautiful lotuses anointed with sandalwood,
सुचारुचम्पकोद्याने चम्पकानिलपूजिते । क्षीरोदकाञ्चनीभूमौ क्रौञ्चकाञ्चनपर्वते
In a lovely garden of campaka trees, honored by the breeze scented with campaka, on the golden ground washed by the milk ocean, on the golden mountain of Krauncha,
रत्नशैले मणिमये मणिमन्दिरसुन्दरे । माणिक्यमुक्तासारेण हीरहारेण शोभिते
On a jeweled mountain, resplendent with gems, in a beautiful jeweled palace, adorned with strings of rubies and pearls, and with a necklace of diamonds,
सुचारुवस्त्रचित्राढ्ये श्वेतचामारदर्पणैः । भूषिते रत्नदीपैश्च देवक्रीडे प्रियस्थले
Rich with splendid, variegated garments, with white yak-tail fans and mirrors, adorned with jeweled lamps, in the divine playground, in the beloved place,
वारुणीं मदिरां पीत्वा वरुणानीसमन्वितः । बरुणो रमते यत्र तत्र रेमे तया सह
Having drunk Vāruṇī wine, accompanied by Varuṇānīs, Varuṇa delights there, and there he enjoyed together with her.
पावने पवनोद्याने परिजातानिलेन च । सुगन्धिमोहिते रत्नमालातीरे च निर्मले
In the pure, breezy garden, enchanted by the fragrant wind from the parijāta trees, and on the spotless jeweled shore,
ऋक्षशैले कल्पवृक्षवने वह्निप्रियाश्रमे । पपौ च कामधेनूनां क्षीरं क्षीरोदधेस्तटे
On Ṛkṣa mountain, in the forest of wish-fulfilling trees, at the hermitage dear to Agni, he drank the milk of the wish-fulfilling cows on the shore of the milk ocean.
वह्निशुद्धांशुकयुगं वह्निस्तस्मै ददौ मुदा । वरुणो रत्नमालां च नत्नच्छत्रं समीरणः
Agni joyfully gave him a pair of garments purified by fire; Varuṇa gave a jeweled garland, and Samīraṇa gave a jeweled umbrella.
तत्र दृष्ट्वाऽसुरगुरं बलिगेहात्समागतम् । प्रणम्य सर्वमुक्त्वा च चन्द्रस्तं शरणं ययौ
There, seeing the guru of the asuras who had come from Bali's house, Chandra, after bowing and telling him everything, sought his refuge.
शुक्रस्तं बोधयामास वचनं नीतियुक्तितः । निरपेक्षो सुनिश्रेष्ठो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः
Shukra instructed him with words full of wisdom, impartial, supremely excellent, and accomplished in the Vedas and their branches.
शुक्र उवाच शृणु वत्स प्रवक्ष्यामि गुरवे देहि तारकाम् । शंभोश्च सुरुपुत्राय पौत्राय ब्रह्मणश्च वै
Shukra said: Listen, my child, I will tell you—give Tārā to your guru, to the son of Shiva, to the grandson of Brahmā.
पूजिताय सुरार्णा च देया तस्मै निशापते । प्रियाय तत्प्रिर्यां दत्तवा शीघ्रं त्वं शरणं व्रज
To him, the lord of the night, who is beloved and worshipped by the gods, give her whom you love; quickly seek refuge in him.
गुरुपत्नीं मातृतुल्यां त्यज सद्वचनाद्विधो । कुरु पापक्षयं पापनिवृत्तिस्तु महाफला
Abandon the wife of your guru, who is like a mother, as instructed by good words; destroy your sin, for turning away from sin bears great fruit.
सतीनां गुरुपत्नीर्नां ग्रहणे च बलेन च । ब्रह्महत्यासहस्रार्णां पातकं लभते जनः
Whoever seizes the wife of a guru, especially by force, incurs the sin equal to a thousand brahmin-murders.
कुम्भीपाके च पच्यन्ते यावद्वै ब्रह्मणः शतम् । साम्यं नारायणस्थाने तृणपर्वतयोः सुर
They are cooked in Kumbhīpāka hell for as many ages as there are hundreds of Brahmā's lifetimes; there is no equality with the place of Nārāyaṇa, as between a blade of grass and a mountain, O god.
कस्त्वं वत्स हरेः स्थाने कर्मभोगोऽस्ति ब्रह्मणः । नारायणाश्रीताः सर्वे जीविनस्त्रिविधा भवे
Who are you, child, in the place of Hari? The results of actions belong to Brahmā; all living beings who take refuge in Nārāyaṇa become of three kinds.
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदनाo भगवन्नन्दसंo ताराहरणेऽशीतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the eightieth chapter, entitled 'The Abduction of Tārā,' in the great Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, in the section on the birth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the conversation between Nārada and the blessed Nanda.
अथैकाशीतितमोऽध्यायः श्रीकृष्ण उवाय एतस्मिन्नन्तरे शुक्रः सुरश्रेणीं ददर्श सः । आकाशमार्गादायान्तीं रणशस्त्रास्त्रधारिणीम्
Now, the eighty-first chapter. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Meanwhile, Shukra saw the host of gods, coming by the path of the sky, bearing weapons and missiles for battle.
पताकानां त्रिकोटिश्च शतकोटिर्महारथाः । शतकोटिर्गजेन्द्राणां रथानां तच्चतुर्गुणम्
There were thirty million banners, one hundred billion great chariots, one hundred billion lordly elephants, and four times that number of chariots.
अश्वानां तत्छतगुणं समूहं च सुदारुणम् । पदातीनां समूहं च तुरङ्गेभ्यश्च षड्गुणम्
The number of horses was a hundred times that, forming a most formidable host; and the infantry numbered six times the horses.
दुंदूभीवाद्यभाण्डानां पञ्चलक्षं तथैव च । पटहानां त्रिलक्षं च डिण्डिमानां द्विलक्षकम्
There were also five hundred thousand kettledrums and musical instruments, three hundred thousand war drums, and two hundred thousand ḍiṇḍima drums.
ऐरावते महेन्द्रं च श्वेताश्वे धर्ममेव च । कुबेरं वरुणं वह्निं रथस्थं पवनं तथा
There were Mahendra on Airavata, Dharma on a white horse, Kubera, Varuṇa, Agni, Pavan on his chariot,
महिषस्थं यमं चैव स्यन्दनस्थं दिवाकरम् । ईशानं च वृषेन्द्रस्थमनन्तं नागवाहम्
Yama on a buffalo, the Sun riding his chariot, Īśāna on the bull, and Ananta, the serpent-borne.
आदित्यांश्च वसून्रुद्रान्सिद्धगन्धर्वाकिन्नरान् । जीवन्मुक्तमुनीनां च समीहं सूर्यवर्चसम्
There were the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and the assembly of living-liberated sages, radiant as the sun.
तान्दृष्ट्वा निर्भयः शुक्रः समाश्वास्य निशाकरम् । सुराणां द्विगुणं सैन्यमाजुहाव व्रजेश्वर
Seeing them, Śukra became fearless, comforted the moon, and summoned an army for the gods, twice as great, O lord of Vraja.
रत्नमालानदीतीरे हुताशनप्रियाश्रमे । तत्र तस्थौ दैत्यसैन्यं पुण्यक्षीरोदधेस्तटे
On the bank of the Ratnamālā river, at the hermitage dear to Agni, there stood the army of the Daityas, on the sacred shore of the Kṣīroda ocean.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे शुक्रः समीपे सरसस्तटे । पुण्याश्रमेऽक्षयवटे सुरसैन्यात्समागतम्
Meanwhile, Śukra, near the lake's edge, at the holy hermitage under the imperishable banyan, saw the army of the gods assembled.
ददर्श वृषभस्थं च शंकरं सर्वंशंकरम् । त्रिशूलपट्टीशधरं व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरं वरम्
He beheld Śaṅkara, the source of all auspiciousness, seated on a bull, bearing the trident and spear, clad in a tiger skin, the supreme one.
तेजःस्वरूपं परमं भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहम् । सर्दसंपत्प्रदातारं सर्वज्ञं सर्वकारणम्
He saw the supreme form of radiance, the embodiment of grace to devotees, the bestower of all prosperity, the all-knowing, the cause of all.
सर्वेश्वरं सर्वपूज्यं सर्वहूपं सनातनम् । शरणागतदीनार्तं परित्राणपरायणम्
He saw the Lord of all, worshipped by all, the eternal one of every form, the refuge of the distressed and the savior of the afflicted.