बाण उवाच शृणु मातः प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु तात महेश्वर । शृणु भ्रातर्गणपते शृणु भ्रातश्च कार्तिक
Bāṇa said: Listen, Mother, I will speak; listen, Father Maheśvara; listen, brother Gaṇapati; listen, brother Kārtikeya.
शुभशुभं प्राक्तनेन प्राणिनां कर्मिणां तथा । कृतकर्मातिरिक्तं च कार्य केषां च वर्तते
The good and bad that befall living beings arise from their past actions; apart from what has already been done, what remains to be done exists for some.
नाप्राप्तकालो म्रियते विद्धः शरशतैरपि । तृणाग्रेणापि संस्पृष्टः प्राप्तकालो न जीवति
One does not die before the appointed time, even if pierced by hundreds of arrows; but when the time has come, one does not live, even if touched only by a blade of grass.
यस्माच्च यस्य निर्वाणं विधात्रा लिखितं पुरा । तदेव नित्यं सत्यं च निषेकः केन वार्यते
That liberation which has been written by the Creator for each person from the beginning—that alone is always true and eternal; who can prevent what is destined?
संग्रामे कातरो यो हि निष्फलं तस्य जीवनम् । जयी यशस्च लभते मृतः स्वर्गं च गच्छति
In battle, the coward's life is fruitless; the victor gains fame, and the one who dies attains heaven.
प्रविश्य कन्यां गृह्णाति नगरं शिवरक्षितम् । पार्वत्या च गणेशेन युद्धेन बलिना तथा
He enters, seizes the maiden, and the city protected by Śiva, as well as by Pārvatī, Gaṇeśa, and the mighty Kārtikeya, through battle.
को वा गृह्णाति कन्यां च कस्य वा जीवितस्य च । सगर्भा तव कन्येति सभायां रक्षको वदेत्
Who can seize the maiden, or whose is life itself? If your daughter is pregnant, let the protector declare it in the assembly.
इति मे वज्रतुल्यं च श्रुतिकौटं परं वचः । अतोऽनिरुद्वं हत्वा च घातयिष्यामि कन्यकाम् अन्यथा ज्वलदग्नौ च त्यक्ष्यामि च कलेवरम्
Thus, my words are as firm as thunder and difficult to disregard; therefore, after killing Aniruddha, I will slay the maiden, or else I will cast my body into blazing fire.
कोटर्युवाच शृणु वत्स प्रवक्ष्यामि माताऽहं तेऽपि धर्मतः । तुरन्तेनापि पृत्रेण पित्रोर्दुःर्ख पदे पदे
Koṭarī said: Listen, my child, I will tell you—by righteousness, I am also your mother. Even with haste, a father brings suffering to parents at every step.
कन्या परगृहीता साऽप्यन्यस्मै दातुमक्षमा । श्रीकृष्णस्यापि पौत्राय प्रद्युम्नस्य सुताय च
A maiden who has been accepted by another cannot be given to someone else; even to the grandson of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or to the son of Pradyumna.
अनिरुद्धाय महते स्वेच्छया देहि कन्यकाम् । पूतोऽसि भारते वर्षे सप्तभिः पितृभिः सह
Give the maiden willingly to Aniruddha the great, as you wish; you will be purified in the land of Bhārata along with seven generations of ancestors.
यौतुकं देहि सर्वस्वं यशसे महसे भुवि । अन्यथा रणमध्ये च त्वां हनिष्यति माधवः
Give the full dowry for glory and greatness on earth; otherwise, Mādhava will slay you in the midst of battle.
सुदशंनेन चकेण को वा त्वां रक्षितुं क्षमः । कोटरीवचनं श्रुत्वा चुकोप दैत्यपुंगवः
With Sudarśana’s discus, who indeed is able to protect you? Hearing Koṭarī’s words, the chief of the Daityas became enraged.
प्रययौ रथमारुह्य यत्र पौत्रो हरेर्मुने । स्कन्दः सेनापतिर्भूत्वा प्रययौ शंकराज्ञया
He mounted his chariot and went to where the grandson of Hari was, O sage. Skanda, becoming commander of the army, departed by the order of Śaṅkara.
बाणः स्वस्त्ययनं चक्रे गणेशश्च शिवः स्वयम् । बाणं शुभाशिषं चक्रे पार्वती कोटरी तथा
Bāṇa performed auspicious rites, and Gaṇeśa and Śiva themselves blessed him. Pārvatī and Koṭarī likewise gave Bāṇa their good wishes.
अष्टौ च भैरवाश्चैव रुद्राश्चैकादशैव ते । सर्वे युद्धाय हन्तारो बभूवुः शस्त्रपाणयः
There were eight Bhairavas and eleven Rudras; all, weapons in hand, became ready to fight and to slay.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे दूतोऽप्यनिरुद्धमुवाच ह । पार्वत्या प्रेरितश्चैव बाणपत्न्या च सत्वरम्
Meanwhile, a messenger also spoke to Aniruddha, sent quickly by Pārvatī and by Bāṇa’s wife.
दूत उवाच अनिरुद्धोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं पार्वतीवचनं शृणु । भव सांनाहिको वत्स कुरु युद्धं बहिर्भव
The messenger said: Arise, Aniruddha, may all be well—hear the words of Pārvatī. Arm yourself, child, and go forth to battle.
भीतोषा रुदती त्रस्ता सस्मार पार्वतीं सतीम् । रक्ष रक्ष महामाये मत्प्रणेश्वरमीप्सितम्
Terrified, Uṣā wept in fear and remembered the virtuous Pārvatī: ‘Protect, protect, O great goddess, the lord of my heart whom I desire!’
अभेयेऽप्यभयं देहि संग्रामे घोरदारुणे । त्वमेव जगतां माता स्नेहस्ते सर्वतः समः
Grant safety even in the midst of danger, in the fierce and dreadful battle. You alone are the mother of the worlds; your affection is equal for all.
अथानिरुद्धः संनाही शस्त्रपाणिर्बभूव ह । ऊषादत्तं रथं प्राप्य चकाराऽऽरोहणं मुदा
Then Aniruddha, armed and ready, took up weapons. Receiving the chariot given by Uṣā, he joyfully mounted it.
बहिः संभूय शिबिराद्ददर्श बाणमीश्वरः । सांनाहिकं शस्त्रपाणिं रक्तास्यलोचनं परम्
Coming out from the camp, the lord saw Bāṇa—armed for battle, holding weapons, with blood-red mouth and eyes, most formidable.
दृष्ट्वाऽनिरुद्धं बाणश्च तमुवाच रुषाऽन्वितः । घोरसंग्राममध्ये च विषोक्तिं प्रज्वलन्निव
Seeing Aniruddha, Bāṇa, filled with anger, spoke to him—blazing with fury in the midst of the terrible battle.
बाण उवाच अये वीर महादुष्ट नीतिशास्त्रविवर्जित । चन्द्र वंशकुलाङ्गार पुण्यक्षेत्रेऽयशस्कर
Bāṇa said: O wicked hero, devoid of the science of ethics! You are a disgrace to the lunar dynasty, bringing infamy to this land of virtue.
पिता ते शम्बरं हत्वा जग्राह तस्य कामिनीम् । ततो जातो भवनेव निरोधं स्वकुलक्षमम्
Your father, having slain Śambara, took his beloved woman; thus you were born in the house, but such conduct is unworthy of your lineage.
पितामहो वासुदेवो मथुरायां च क्षत्रियः । गोकुले वैश्यपुत्रश्च नाम्ना च नन्दनन्दनः
Your grandfather Vāsudeva was a Kṣatriya in Mathurā; in Gokula, he was a Vaiśya’s son, known as Nandanandana.
वृन्दावने च गोपस्य नन्दस्य पशुरक्षकः । साक्षाज्जारश्च गोपीनां दुष्टः परमलम्पटः
In Vṛndāvana, he was the cowherd Nanda's protector of cattle; he was also, in truth, the adulterer of the cowherd women, wicked and exceedingly lustful.
जघान पूतनां सद्यो नारीघाती ह्यधार्मिकः । आगत्य मथुरां कुब्जां जघान मैथुनेन च
He immediately killed Pūtanā, a slayer of women and unrighteous; upon arriving in Mathurā, he subdued Kubjā through intercourse.
दुर्बलं नरकं हत्वा स्त्रीसमूहं मनोहरम् । जग्राह योनिलुब्धश्च स्वपुत्रमतिनिष्ठुरः
After killing the weak Naraka, he seized the enchanting group of women, being greedy for their wombs, and was exceedingly harsh to his own son.
भीष्मकं मानवं जित्वा तत्पुत्रं चापि दुर्बलम् । जग्राह कन्यकां तस्य देवयोग्यां च रुक्मिणीम्
Having defeated Bhīṣmaka, a mortal, and his weak son, he took that man's daughter, Rukmiṇī, who was fit for the gods.