वरं वृणुष्व भद्रे त्वमुवाच शंकरश्च ताम् । उवाच शिवं व्यग्रा भर्तुर्दुःखेन दुःखिता
Shankara said to her, 'Choose a boon, O blessed one.' Distressed by her husband's suffering, she earnestly addressed Shiva.
पतिं देहि पञ्चधा सा वरं वव्रे त्रिलोचनम् । सर्वसंपत्प्रदस्तुष्टस्तस्यै शर्वो वरं ददौ
She requested the three-eyed god, 'Grant me five husbands.' Satisfied, Sharva, the bestower of all prosperity, granted her the boon.
महादेव उवाच साध्वि त्वं पञ्चधा ब्रूहि पतिं देहीति व्याकुला । पञ्चेन्द्राश्च हरेरंशा भविष्यन्ति प्रियास्तव
Mahadeva said: 'O virtuous one, you anxiously asked, “Grant me a husband five times.” Five Indras, portions of Hari, will become your beloveds.'
ते च सर्वे च पञ्चेन्द्राश्चाधुना पञ्च पाण्डवाः । सा च च्छाया द्रौपदी च यज्ञकुण्डसमुद्भवा
Those five Indras have now become the five Pandavas; and Chaya is Draupadi, born from the sacrificial fire.
कृतयुगे वेदवती त्रेतायां जनकात्मजा । द्वापरे द्रौपदी छाया तेन कृष्णा त्रिहायणी
In the Krita age she was Vedavati, in Treta the daughter of Janaka; in Dvapara she is Draupadi, thus called Krishna of three years.
वैष्णपी कृष्णभक्ता च तेन कृष्णा प्रकीर्तिता । स्वर्गलक्ष्मीर्महेन्द्राणां सा च पश्चाद्भविष्यति
A devotee of Krishna, devoted to Vishnu, she is therefore called Krishna; later she will become the fortune of heaven, queen of the great Indras.
राजा ददौ फाल्गुनाय कन्यायाश्च स्वयंवरे । पप्रच्छ मातरं वीरो वस्तु प्राप्तं मयाऽधुना
The king gave his daughter to Phalguna at the svayamvara; the hero then asked his mother, 'I have now obtained the prize.'
तमुवाच स्वयं माता गृहाण भ्रातृभिः सह । शंभोर्वरेण पूर्व च परत्र मातुराज्ञया
His mother herself said to him, 'Take her together with your brothers, by Shiva's former boon and by your mother's command.'
द्रौपद्याः स्वामिनस्तेन हेतुना पञ्च पाण्डवाः । चतुर्दशानामिन्द्राणां पञ्चेन्द्राः पञ्च पाण्डवाः
For this reason, Draupadi's lords are the five Pandavas; the five Pandavas are the five Indras among the fourteen Indras.
शंकरेणाभिसंशप्ता सा मात्रा भर्त्सितेन च । भर्ताते भस्मसाद्भूतो हरकोपानलेन च
Cursed by Shankara and reproached by her mother, her husband was reduced to ashes by the fire of Hara's wrath.
हे रति त्वं मया शप्ता दैत्यग्रस्ता भवाधुना । विजित्यदेवान्सेन्द्राश्च शम्बरस्त्वा हरिष्यति
He said, 'O Rati, I have cursed you: now you will be seized by a demon; Shambara, having defeated the gods and Indras, will take you.'
पुनरुवतं वरं प्रादात्सतीत्वां ते न यास्यति । छायां दत्त्वा तिष्ठ गेहे यावज्जीवति ते पतिः
Then again he granted her a boon: 'You will not lose your chastity; leaving behind your shadow, remain in the house as long as your husband lives.'
इति ते कथितं सर्वमितिहासं पुरातनम् । देवानां गुप्तचरितं श्रृणु दैत्येन्द्र सांप्रतम्
Thus I have told you the entire ancient history; now, O lord of the Daityas, hear the secret deeds of the gods.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र सुभद्रश्च महाबलः । कुम्भाण्डभ्राता बलवान्बाणसेनापतीश्वरः
Meanwhile, there arrived Subhadra, mighty and strong, brother of Kumbhanda, powerful commander of Banasena's army.
निर्भत्सर्य बाणं समरे शस्त्रपाणिर्महारथः । श्रीकृष्णपौत्रं शूलं च चिक्षेप प्रलयाग्निवत्
That great chariot-warrior, weapon in hand, rebuked Bana in battle; he hurled his spear, blazing like the fire of dissolution, at Krishna's grandson.
अर्धयन्द्रेण तच्छूलं चिच्छेद कामपुत्रकः । शक्तिं चिक्षेप भद्रश्च शतसूर्यसमप्रभाम्
Kamaputraka cut that spear in half with his half-moon arrow; Bhadra hurled a spear, shining like a hundred suns.
वैष्णवास्त्रेण चिच्छेद तां शक्तिं कामपुत्रकः । नारायणास्त्रं चिक्षेप सुभद्रो रणमूर्धनि
With a Vaiṣṇava weapon, the son of Kāma cut down that missile; Subhadra released the Nārāyaṇa missile at the height of battle.
प्रणम्य शेते निर्भीतो मदनस्य सुतो बली । ऊर्ध्वमस्त्रं च बभ्राम शतसूर्यसमप्रभम्
Having bowed, the powerful son of Madana lay down without fear and wielded an upward-pointing weapon, shining like a hundred suns.
प्रलीनमस्त्रमाकाशे विश्वसंहारकारणम् । अस्त्रे गते सोऽनिरुद्धो गृहीत्वा च महानसिम्
That weapon, which could bring about the destruction of the universe, dissolved in the sky; when the weapon vanished, Aniruddha seized a great sword.
प्रबभञ्जभद्ररथं जघानाश्वांश्च सारथिम् । जघान तं सुभद्रं च लीलया रणमूर्धनि
He shattered Subhadra’s chariot, slew his horses and charioteer, and effortlessly struck down Subhadra himself in the midst of battle.
हते सुभद्रे बाणश्च महाबलपराक्रमः । वाणानां शतकं चापि चक्षेप रणमूर्धनि
When Subhadra was slain, Bāṇa, of immense strength and valor, released a hundred arrows at the center of the battlefield.
कामात्मजोऽग्निबाणेन बाणोधं प्रददाह सः । बाणश्चिक्षेप ब्रह्मास्त्रं सृष्टिसंहारकारणम्
The son of Kāma burned Bāṇa’s body with a fire-arrow; Bāṇa then launched the Brahmāstra, the weapon of creation and destruction.
दृष्ट्वा कामात्मजः शीघ्रं सबीजं मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । ब्रह्मस्त्रेणैव सहसा संजहारावलीलया
Seeing this, the son of Kāma quickly, with seed-mantras and proper rites, neutralized the Brahmāstra at once, as if in play.
बाणः पाशुपतं क्षेप्तुं समारेभे च कोपतः । निषिद्धश्च गणेशेन स्कन्देन शंभुना तथा
Bāṇa, enraged, prepared to release the Pāśupata weapon, but was restrained by Gaṇeśa, Skanda, and also by Śambhu.
तद्दृष्ट्वा सोऽनिरुद्धस्तं धनुर्बाणौघ संयुतम् । मुमोच जृम्भणे युद्धे शीघ्रं तं च महारथम्
Witnessing this, Aniruddha, with a bow strung and arrows ready, swiftly released the Jṛmbhaṇa weapon at that great chariot in battle.
जडो बभूव बाणश्च निश्चेष्टो रणमूर्धनि । पुनश्चिक्षेप निद्रास्यं निद्रितं तं चकार सः
Bāṇa became stupefied and motionless on the battlefield; again, Aniruddha released the Nidrāstra, causing him to fall into deep sleep.
बाणं तं निद्रितं दृष्ट्वा गृहीत्वा खड्गमुत्तमम् । बाणं हन्तुं समुद्यन्तं वारयामास कार्तिकः
Seeing Bāṇa thus asleep, Aniruddha took up an excellent sword and, as he prepared to slay Bāṇa, Kārtikeya intervened.
स्कन्दश्च शतबाणौश्च वारयामास लीलया । अनिरुद्धं महाभागं बलवान्तं धनुर्धरम्
Skanda and the hundred-arrowed one also playfully restrained Aniruddha, the illustrious, mighty archer.
अनिरुद्धश्च सहसा तथा शक्त्या दुरत्यया । बभञ्ज कार्तिकरथं रत्नेन्द्रसारनिर्मितम्
Then Aniruddha, with an irresistible spear, suddenly broke Kārtikeya’s chariot, which was fashioned from the finest jewels.
गदया कार्तिकः क्रुद्धोऽप्यनिरुद्धरयं मुदा । बभञ्ज लीलया तत्र क्षणेन रणमूर्धनि
Though enraged, Kārtikeya joyfully shattered Aniruddha’s chariot with his mace, effortlessly and in a moment, in the midst of battle.