तत्राऽऽययौ गणेशश्च कार्तिकेयश्च वीर्यवान् । बाणश्च वीरभद्रश्च स्वयं नन्दी सुनन्दकः
There arrived Ganesha, Kartikeya the mighty, Bana, Virabhadra, and Nandi himself, along with Sunandaka.
महाकालो महामन्त्री ह्यथाष्टौं भैरवास्तथा । सिद्धेन्द्राश्चापि योगीन्द्रा रुद्राश्चैकादशैव ते
Mahakala, the great minister, and then the eight Bhairavas, as well as the Siddha lords, the Yogis, and the eleven Rudras.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र मणिभद्रः समाययौ । सिहद्वारे स्वयं द्वारी तभीश्वरमुवाच सः
Meanwhile, there Manibhadra arrived; he himself was the doorkeeper at the lion-gate, and he spoke to the Lord of the hosts.
मणिभद्र उवाच असंख्यानि च सैन्यानि यादवानां महेश्वर । बलदेवश्च प्रद्युम्नः साम्बश्च सात्यकिस्तथा
Manibhadra said: 'Countless armies of the Yadavas are here, O Maheshvara, along with Baladeva, Pradyumna, Samba, and Satyaki.'
राजा महोग्रसेनश्च भीमश्च स्वयमर्जुनः । अक्रूनश्चोद्यवश्चैव जयन्तः शक्रनन्दनः
'King Mahograsena, Bhima, Arjuna himself, Akrura, Uddhava, and Jayanta, the son of Shakra, are also present.'
रत्नेनद्रसारनिर्माणरथेन्द्रे सुमनोहरे । विधेर्विधाता भगवाञ्छ्रीकृष्णः परमेश्वरः
'On a most beautiful chariot, crafted from the essence of precious gems, is the blessed Lord Krishna, the supreme Lord, the creator of destiny.'
सप्तभिः पार्षदैगोंपैः सेवितः श्वेतयामरैः । कन्दर्पकोटिलीलाभो वनमालाविभूषितः
'Attended by seven chief companions, served by white Yamara horses, possessing the beauty of ten million Cupids, adorned with a garland of forest flowers.'
दधार चक्रमतुलं कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभम् । गदां कौमोदकीं शूलमव्यर्थं संनिधाय च
'He bore the incomparable discus, shining like ten million suns, the Kaumodaki mace, and kept the unfailing spear at hand.'
रथमध्ये महाशङ्खं विश्वसंहारकारणम् । महारथानां लक्षैश्च रथानां च त्रिकोटिभिः
'In the middle of the chariot was the great conch, cause of the destruction of the universe, and with hundreds of thousands of great chariots and thirty million chariots.'
त्रिकोटिभिर्गजेन्द्राणां मल्लानां च त्रिकोटिमिः । शतकोटिभिरश्वानां चर्मिणां तच्चतुर्गुणैः
'With thirty million lordly elephants, and thirty million wrestlers, with a hundred million horses, and four times as many charioteers.'
खड्गिनां तत्सप्तगुणैर्द्विगुणैस्तद्धनुष्मताम् । एभिः सार्ध च त्वरितमाययौ शोणितं पुरम्
With warriors bearing swords, whose strength was sevenfold, and with archers whose power was double that, he swiftly proceeded together with them to the city of Shonita.
परितो वेष्टयामास लङ्कां दाशरथिर्यथा । सहस्रतालमानां च ज्वलदग्निशिखोज्ज्वलाम्
He surrounded Lanka on all sides, just as the son of Dasharatha had done, with blazing flames as tall as a thousand palm trees.
ऊर्ध्वे च परिखायुक्तां दुर्लङ्ध्यामसुरैः सुरैः । स्वर्गगङ्गाम्बुराशीनां समूहैर्वृष्टिभिस्तथा
Above, there was a moat, difficult for gods and demons to cross, and clouds poured down torrents as from the celestial Ganga and the ocean.
पक्षीन्द्रो गरुडः साक्षान्निर्वाणं च चकार सः । मणीन्द्रसारनिर्माणं प्राकाराभ्रंलिहं पुरम्
The king of birds, Garuda himself, brought liberation there; the city walls, made of the finest jewels, rose up to touch the clouds.
बभञ्ज लक्षं मल्लानां बलदेवश्च लाङ्गलैः । उद्यानानां त्रिलक्षं च चकारोत्पाटनं प्रभो
Baladeva shattered a hundred thousand wrestlers with his plough, and, O Lord, uprooted three hundred thousand gardens.
प्रविवेश महाद्वारं द्वारपालान्निपत्य च । एवं श्रुत्वा महादेवश्चोवाच सुरसंसदि
He entered through the great gate, having struck down the gatekeepers; hearing of this, Mahadeva spoke in the assembly of the gods.
पार्वती भद्रकाली च स्कन्दं गणपतिं तथा । अष्टौ च भैरवांश्चैव रुद्राश्च वीरभद्रकम् महाकालं नन्दिनं च सर्वान्सेनापतीन्नव
Parvati, Bhadrakali, Skanda, Ganapati, the eight Bhairavas, the Rudras, Virabhadra, Mahakala, Nandi, and all the commanders of the army—
महादेव उवाच गोलोकनाथो भगवांश्चक्रपाणिः समागतः । विश्वौघं भङ्क्तुमीशो यः क्षणेन नगरं च किम्
Mahadeva said: The Lord of Goloka, the blessed wielder of the discus, has arrived; he who can destroy the entire host of the universe and the city in a moment—what then?
सर्वोपायैश्च सर्वे ते बाणं रक्षन्तु यत्नतः । बाणो गच्छतु संग्रामं स्मृत्वा लम्बोदरं परम्
By every means, let all of you carefully protect Bana; let Bana go to battle, remembering the supreme Lambodara.
बाणस्य दक्षिणो स्कन्दः पुरतश्च गणेश्वरः । वामे च भैरवा रुद्राः स्वयं नन्दी सहारथः
On Bana's right stands Skanda, before him is the Lord of Ganas; on his left are the Bhairavas and Rudras, and Nandi himself is with his chariot.
महाकालो वीरभद्रो ये चान्यो सैनिकास्तथा । ऊर्ध्वे दुर्गा भद्रकाली ह्यग्रण्डा च कोटरी
Mahakala, Virabhadra, and the other soldiers as well; above, Durga, Bhadrakali, Agraṇḍā, and Koṭarī.
बाणं रक्ष महाभागे दुर्गे दुर्गतिनाशिनि । कृष्णस्य भवती शक्तिस्तेन नारायणी स्मृता
O greatly fortunate Durga, destroyer of misfortune, protect Bana; you are the power of Krishna, therefore you are called Narayani.
विष्णुमाये जगन्मातः सर्वमङ्गलमङ्गले । अव्यर्थाच्चक्रसारच्च रक्ष बाणं सुदर्शनात्
O Vishnumaya, Mother of the world, most auspicious among the auspicious, with the unerring Sudarshana discus, protect Bana from all harm.
बाणः प्रियो मे सर्वेम्यो गणेशात्कार्तिकादपि । बाणमूर्ध्नि करं धेहि पादाब्जरजसा सह
Bana is dearer to me than all, even more than Ganesha and Kartikeya; place your hand on Bana's head, together with the dust of your lotus feet.
शिवस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा दुर्गा दुर्गतिनाशिनी । प्रहस्योवाच मधुरं याथार्थ्यं समयोचितम्
Hearing Shiva's words, Durga, destroyer of misfortune, smiled and spoke sweetly, appropriately, and truthfully.
पार्वत्युवाच मणिरत्नादिकं यद्यन्मुक्तामाणिक्यहीरकम् । सर्वस्वं कन्यकामूषां रत्नभूषणभूषिताम्
Parvati said: Whatever jewels, pearls, rubies, or diamonds there are, all wealth, maidens, and those adorned with jeweled ornaments—
रत्नभूषणभूषाढ्यमनिरुद्धं परं वरम् । पुरस्कृत्य देहि बाण कृष्णाय परमात्मने
Aniruddha, adorned with jeweled ornaments and possessing supreme qualities, should be presented first; give him to Krishna, the Supreme Self, O Bana.
राज्यं कुरुष्व निर्विघ्नं किं युद्धमात्मना सह । यस्मिन्गते गताः प्राणाः क जीवश्चैन्द्रियैः सह । शक्तिश्चाहं मनो ब्रह्मा स्वयं ज्ञानात्मकं शिवः
Rule your kingdom without obstacles; what is the use of fighting with him? When life departs, who remains with the senses? I am Shakti, the mind is Brahma, and Shiva himself is of the nature of knowledge.
सद्यः पतति देहश्च शिवं त्यक्त्वा शवो भवेत् । को वा तिष्ठति संग्रामे चक्रस्य तेजसा शिव
At once, the body falls, and abandoning Shiva, one becomes a corpse; who indeed can stand in battle before the brilliance of your discus, O Shiva?
नाऽऽत्माऽऽकाशो बाणविद्धो युद्धं किं स्वात्मना सह । परमात्मा च सर्वेषां भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहः
The self or the sky is not pierced by arrows; what is the point of fighting with one's own self? And the Supreme Self of all takes form out of compassion for devotees.