महिषासुरोत्पत्तिः राजोवाच योगेश्वर्याः प्रभावोऽयं कथितश्चातिविस्तरात् । ब्रूहि तच्चरितं स्वामिञ्छ्रोतुं कौतूहलं मम
The birth of Mahiṣāsura.
महादेवीप्रभावं वै श्रोतुं को नाभिवाञ्छति । यो जानाति जगत्सर्वं तदुत्पन्नं चराचरम्
Who would not wish to hear of the greatness of the Mahādevī, who knows that all the world, both moving and unmoving, has arisen from her?
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि विस्तरेण महामते । श्रद्दधानाय शान्ताय न ब्रूयात्स तु मन्दधीः
Vyāsa said: Listen, O king, I will speak in detail, O wise one; one should not speak to the dull-minded, but only to the faithful and peaceful.
पुरा युद्धमभूद् घोरं देवदानवसेनयोः । पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपाल महिषाख्ये महीपतौ
Once, a fierce battle took place between the armies of the gods and the demons, O protector of the earth, on earth, under the king named Mahiṣa.
महिषो नाम राजेन्द्र चकार तप उत्तमम् । गत्वा हेमगिरौ चोग्रं देवविस्मयकारकम्
A king named Mahiṣa performed supreme austerity, going to the golden mountain, severe and astonishing even to the gods.
वर्षाणामयुतं पूर्णं चिन्तयन्हृदि देवताम् । तस्य तुष्टो महाराज ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
For a full ten thousand years, he meditated upon the deity in his heart; Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, became pleased with him, O king.
तत्रागत्याब्रवीद्वाक्यं हंसारूढश्चतुर्मुखः । वरं वरय धर्मात्मन्ददामि तव वाच्छितम्
There, arriving mounted on a swan, the four-faced one spoke: Choose a boon, O righteous one; I will grant you whatever you desire.
महिष उवाच अमरत्वं देवदेव वाञ्छामि द्रुहिण प्रभो । यथा मृत्यु भयं न स्यात्तथा कुरु पितामह
Mahiṣa said: O god of gods, O Lord Druhiṇa, I desire immortality; grant it, O grandfather, so that there may be no fear of death.
ब्रह्मोवाच उत्पन्नस्य ध्रुवं मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च । सर्वथा मरणोत्पत्ती सर्वेषां प्राणिनां किल
Brahmā said: For one born, death is certain; for one dead, birth is certain; the arising of death and birth is inevitable for all living beings.
नाशः कालेन सर्वेषां प्राणिनां दैत्यपुङ्गव । महामहीधराणां च समुद्राणां च सर्वथा
Destruction comes by time to all living beings, O chief of demons, and likewise to great mountains and oceans.
एकं स्थानं परित्यज्य मरणस्य महीपते । प्रब्रूहि तं वरं साधो यस्ते मनसि वर्तते
O king, except for one condition of death, tell me that boon which you desire in your heart.
महिष उवाच न देवान्मानुषाद्दैत्यान्मरणं मे पितामह । पुरुषान्न च मे मृत्युर्योषा मां का हनिष्यति
Mahiṣa said: O Grandfather, let my death not come from gods, humans, or demons; nor from men—how could a woman possibly kill me?
तस्मान्मे मरणं नूनं कामिन्याः कुरु पद्मज । अबला हन्त मां हन्तुं कथं शक्ता भविष्यति
Therefore, O Padmaja, let my death indeed be at the hands of a woman; how could a weak woman ever be able to slay me?
ब्रह्मोवाच यदा कदापि दैत्येन्द्र नार्यास्ते मरणं धुवम् । न नरेभ्यो महाभाग मृतिस्ते महिषासुर
Brahmā said: O lord of the Daityas, at some time your death will certainly come from a woman; O mighty Mahiṣāsura, your end will not be at the hands of men.
व्यास उवाच एवं दत्त्वा वरं तस्मै ययौ ब्रह्मा निजालयम् । सोऽपि दैत्यवरः प्राप निजं स्थानं मुदान्वितः
Vyāsa said: Having granted him this boon, Brahmā returned to his own abode, and that foremost of Daityas joyfully went to his own place.
राजोवाच महिषः कस्य पुत्रोऽसौ कथं जातो महाबली । कथं च माहिषं रूपं प्राप्तं तेन महात्मना
The king said: Whose son was Mahiṣa, how was that mighty one born, and how did he obtain the form of a buffalo?
व्यास उवाच दनोः पुत्रौ महाराज विख्यातौ क्षितिमण्डले । रम्भश्चैव करम्भश्च द्वावास्तां दानवोत्तमौ
Vyāsa said: O great king, two sons of Danu, famous in the world, were Rambha and Karambha, both foremost among Dānavas.
तावपुत्रौ महाराज पुत्रार्थं तेपतुस्तपः । बहून्वर्षगणान्कामं पुण्ये पञ्चनदे जले
Those two, desiring a son, performed severe austerities for many years as they wished, in the holy waters of the Five Rivers.
करम्भस्तु जले मग्नश्चकार परमं तपः । वृक्षं रसालवटं प्राप्य रम्भोऽग्निमसेवत
Karambha, immersed in the water, engaged in intense penance; Rambha, having reached a rasa fig tree, worshipped fire.
पञ्चाग्निसाधनासक्तः स रम्भस्तु यदाभवत् । ज्ञात्वा शचीपतिर्दुःखमुद्ययौ दानवौ प्रति
When Rambha became absorbed in the practice of the five fires, the lord of Śacī, knowing their suffering, went to the two Dānavas.
गत्वा पञ्चनदे तत्र ग्राहरूपं चकार ह । वासवस्तु करम्भं तं तदा जग्राह पादयोः
Having gone to the Five Rivers, Indra took the form of a crocodile there, and seized Karambha by the feet.
निजघान च तं दुष्टं करम्भं वृत्रसूदनः । भ्रातरं निहतं श्रुत्वा रम्भः कोपं परं गतः
Vṛtrasūdana killed that wicked Karambha; hearing that his brother was slain, Rambha became exceedingly enraged.
स्वशीर्षं पावके होतुमैच्छच्छित्त्वा करेण ह । केशपाशे गहीत्वाशु वामेन क्रोधसंयुतः
Intending to offer his own head into the fire, he swiftly grasped his hair with his left hand, filled with anger.
दक्षिणेन करेणोग्रं गृहीत्वा खड्गमुत्तमम् । छिनत्ति शीर्षं तत्तावद्वह्निना प्रतिबोधितः
With his right hand, he took up a fierce, excellent sword and was about to cut off his head, when he was stopped by the fire.
उक्तश्च दैत्य मूर्खोऽसि स्वशीर्षं छेत्तुमिच्छसि । आत्महत्यातिदुःसाध्या कथं त्वं कर्तुमुद्यतः
The fire said: 'O Daitya, you are foolish, wishing to cut off your own head. Self-destruction is extremely difficult—how are you prepared to do this?'
वरं वरय भद्रं ते यस्ते मनसि वर्तते । मा म्रियस्व मृतेनाद्य किं ते कार्यं भविष्यति
'Choose a boon, good fortune to you, whatever is in your mind. Do not die by death today—what purpose would that serve you?'
व्यास उवाच तच्छुत्वा वचनं रम्भः पावकस्य सुभाषितम् । ततोऽब्रवीद्वचो रम्भस्त्यक्त्वा केशकलापकम्
Vyāsa said: Hearing these well-spoken words of the fire, Rambha let go of his hair and spoke these words.
यदि तुष्टोऽसि देवेश देहि मे वाञ्छितं वरम् । त्रैलोक्यविजयी पुत्रः स्यान्नः परबलार्दनः
'If you are pleased, O lord of the gods, grant me the boon I desire: may a son be born to us who will conquer the three worlds and destroy our enemies.'
अजेयः सर्वथा स स्याद्देवदानवमानवैः । कामरूपी महावीर्यः सर्वलोकाभिवन्दितः
He shall be utterly invincible by gods, demons, and humans; able to assume any form at will, of great might, and honored by all the worlds.
पावकस्तं तथेत्याह भविष्यति तवेप्सितम् । पुत्रस्तव महाभाग मरणाद्विरमाधुना
Agni replied, 'So be it; what you desire shall come to pass. O most fortunate one, your son will be as you wish—now refrain from death.'