देवाः प्रदुद्रुवुः सर्वेऽप्यन्ये नन्दीश्वरादयः । एक एव कार्तिकेयस्तस्थौ समरमूर्धनि
All the other gods, including Nandishvara and the rest, fled; only Kartikeya stood firm at the forefront of battle.
पर्वतानां च सर्पाणां शिलानां शाखिनां तथा । नृपश्चकार वृष्टिं च दुर्वारां च भयङ्करीम्
The king rained down mountains, serpents, rocks, and trees—a dreadful, irresistible storm.
नृपस्य शरवृष्ट्या च प्रहितः शिवनन्दनः । नीहारेण च सान्द्रेण प्रहितो भास्करो यथा
Struck by the king’s shower of arrows, the son of Shiva was enveloped, just as the sun is covered by dense mist.
धनुश्चिच्छेद स्कन्दस्य दुर्वहं च भयङ्करः । बभञ्ज च रथं दिव्यं चिच्छेद रथपीठकान्
That formidable and terrifying king cut Skanda’s bow, broke his divine chariot, and shattered its fittings.
मयूरं जर्जरीभूतं दिव्यास्त्रेण चकार सः । शक्तिं चिक्षेप सूर्याभां तस्य वक्षस्य घातिनीम्
With a divine weapon, he made the peacock mount battered and broken; he hurled a spear, shining like the sun, to strike Skanda’s chest.
क्षणं मूर्च्छां च सम्प्राप बभूव चेतनः पुनः । गृहीत्वा तद्धनुर्दिव्यं यद्दत्तं विष्णुना पुरा
For a moment, Skanda lost consciousness, then regained his senses; taking up that divine bow which Vishnu had once given him.
रत्नेन्द्रसारनिर्माणयानमारुह्य कार्तिकः । शस्त्रास्त्रं च गृहीत्वा च चकार रणमुल्बणम्
Kārtikeya mounted a chariot fashioned from the finest jewels and metals, and, taking up his weapons and missiles, engaged in a fierce battle.
सर्पांश्च पर्वतांश्चैव वृक्षांश्च प्रस्तरांस्तथा । सर्वांश्चिच्छेद कोपेन दिव्यास्त्रेण शिवात्मजः
In his wrath, the son of Shiva, using a divine weapon, cut down serpents, mountains, trees, and rocks alike.
वह्निं निर्वापयामास पार्जन्येन प्रतापवान् । रथं धनुश्च चिच्छेद शङ्खचूडस्य लीलया
With his blazing power, he extinguished fire with rain, and effortlessly broke Śaṅkhacūḍa’s chariot and bow.
सन्नाहं सारथिं चैव किरीटं मुकुटोज्ज्वलम् । चिक्षेप शक्तिं शुक्लाभां दानवेन्द्रस्य वक्षसि
He struck down the armor, charioteer, and the radiant crown of the lord of the Daityas, hurling a white-shining spear at his chest.
मूर्च्छां सम्प्राप्य राजा च चेतनश्च बभूव ह । आरुरोह यानमन्यद्धनुर्जग्राह सत्वरः
The king, losing consciousness, then regained his senses, quickly mounted another chariot, and seized a bow.
चकार शरजालं च मायया मायिनां वरः । गुहं चच्छाद समरे शरजालेन नारद
The master of illusion created a dense shower of arrows by his magic, and, O Nārada, covered Guha on the battlefield with that net of arrows.
जग्राह शक्तिमव्यग्रां शतसूर्यसमप्रभाम् । प्रलयाग्निशिखारूपां विष्णोश्च तेजसाऽऽवृताम्
He seized an unwavering spear, radiant as a hundred suns, shaped like the flame of the fire of dissolution, and enveloped in the brilliance of Viṣṇu.
चिक्षेप तां च कोपेन महावेगेन कार्तिके । पपात शक्तिस्तद्गात्रे वह्निराशिरिवोज्ज्वला
With great fury and tremendous force, he hurled it at Kārtikeya; the spear struck his body, blazing like a mass of fire.
मूर्च्छां सम्प्राप शक्त्या च कार्तिकेयो महाबलः । काली गृहीत्वा तं क्रोडे निनाय शिवसनिधौ
Struck by the spear, the mighty Kārtikeya fell unconscious; Kālī took him into her lap and carried him to Shiva’s presence.
शिवस्तं चापि ज्ञानेन जीवयामास लीलया । ददौ बलमनन्तं च समुत्तस्थौ प्रतापवान्
By his knowledge, Shiva revived him effortlessly, granted him boundless strength, and the valiant one rose up again.
काली जगाम समरं रक्षितुं कार्तिकस्य या । वीरास्तामनुजग्मुश्च ते च नन्दीश्वरादयः
Kālī went to the battlefield to protect Kārtikeya, and the heroic attendants of Nandīśvara and others followed her.
सर्वे देवाश्च गन्धर्वा यक्षराक्षसकिन्नराः । वाद्यभाण्डाश्च बहुशः शतशो मधुवाहकाः
All the gods, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Kinnaras, and countless musicians with their instruments, as well as hundreds of honey-drinkers, assembled.
सा च गत्वाथ संग्रामं सिंहनादं चकार च । देव्याश्च सिंहनादेन प्रापुर्मूर्च्छां च दानवाः
She entered the battle and let out a lion’s roar; at the sound of the goddess’s roar, the Daityas fell into a swoon.
अट्टाट्टहासमशिवं चकार च पुनः पुनः । दृष्ट्वा पपौ च माध्वीकं ननर्त रणमूर्धनि
Again and again she uttered a dreadful, terrifying laugh; seeing this, she drank mead and danced atop the battlefield.
उग्रदंष्ट्रा चोग्रदण्डा कोटवी च पपौ मधु । योगिनीडाकिनीनां च गणाः सुरगणादयः
With fierce fangs and a terrible staff, Koṭavī too drank wine, as did the hosts of Yoginīs, Ḍākinīs, and the groups of gods.
दृष्ट्वा कालीं शङ्खचूडः शीघ्रमाजौ समाययौ । दानवाश्च भयं प्रापू राजा तेभ्योऽभयं ददौ
Seeing Kālī, Śaṅkhacūḍa swiftly entered the battle; the Daityas were seized by fear, but the king granted them assurance.
काली चिक्षेप वह्निं च प्रलयाग्निशिखोपमम् । राजा निर्वापयामास पार्जन्येन च लीलया
Kālī hurled fire, like the flame of the fire of dissolution, but the king effortlessly extinguished it with rain.
चिक्षेप वारुणं सा च तीव्रं च महदद्भुतम् । गान्धर्वेण च चिच्छेद दानवेन्द्रश्च लीलया
She then unleashed a powerful and wondrous Varuṇa missile, but the lord of the Daityas easily cut it down with a Gāndharva weapon.
माहेश्वरं प्रचिक्षेप काली वह्निशिखोपमम् । राजा जघान तं शीघ्रं वैष्णवेन च लीलया
Kālī, blazing like a tongue of fire, hurled the Maheśvara missile; the king swiftly struck it down with the Vaiṣṇava weapon, effortlessly.
नारायणास्त्रं सा देवी चिक्षेप मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । राजा ननाम तद् दृष्ट्वा चावरुह्य रथादसौ
Then the Goddess, with proper incantations, launched the Nārāyaṇa missile; seeing this, the king bowed and descended from his chariot.
ऊर्ध्वं जगाम तच्चास्त्रं प्रलयाग्निशिखोपमम् । पपात शङ्खचूडश्च भक्त्या तं दण्डवद्भुवि
That missile, resembling the flame of the fire of dissolution, rose upward; Śaṅkhacūḍa, out of devotion, prostrated himself flat on the ground.
ब्रह्मास्त्रं सा च चिक्षेप यत्नतो मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । ब्रह्मास्त्रेण महाराजो निर्वापं च चकार सः
The Goddess then carefully invoked the Brahmāstra with mantras; the great king extinguished it with his own Brahmāstra.
तदा चिक्षेप दिव्यास्त्रं सा देवी मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । राजा दिव्यास्त्रजालेन तन्निर्वाणं चकार च
At that time, the Goddess launched a divine weapon with mantras; the king, by means of a net of divine missiles, neutralized it.
तदा चिक्षेप शक्तिं च यत्नतो योजनायताम् । राजा दिव्यास्त्रजालेन शतखण्डां चकार ह
Then she hurled a spear, a hundred yojanas long, with great effort; the king shattered it into a hundred pieces with his net of divine missiles.