मुञ्च स्वर्गं सहस्राक्ष यथेष्टं गच्छ मा चिरम् । सेवां वा कुरु देवेश महिषस्य महात्मनः
O thousand-eyed one, relinquish heaven and go wherever you wish without delay, or serve the great-souled Mahiṣa, lord of the gods.
स त्वां संरक्षयेन्नूनं राजा शरणमागतम् । तस्मात्त्वं शरणं याहि महिषस्य शचीपते
He will surely protect you, O king, if you come to him for refuge; therefore, O lord of Śacī, seek shelter with Mahiṣa.
नोचेद्वज्रं गहाणाशु युद्धाय बलसूदन । पूर्वैर्जितोऽसि चास्माकं जानामि तव पौरुषम्
Otherwise, quickly take up your thunderbolt for battle, O destroyer of hosts; you have been defeated by us before, I know your strength.
अहल्याजार विज्ञातं बलं ते सुरसङ्घप । युध्यस्व व्रज वा कामं यत्र ते रमते मनः
O leader of the gods, your strength is known from the affair with Ahalyā; fight, or go wherever your mind delights.
व्यास उवाच तच्छुत्वा वचनं तस्य शक्रः क्रोधसमन्वितः । उवाच तं नृपश्रेष्ठ स्मितपूर्वं वचस्तदा
Vyāsa said: Hearing those words, Indra, filled with anger, spoke to him, O best of kings, first with a smile.
न जानेऽहं सुमन्दात्मन् यतस्त्वं मददर्पितः । चिकित्सां संकरिष्यामि रोगस्यास्य प्रभोस्तव
I do not know, O you of very dull mind, why you are so proud because of me; I will arrange treatment for this disease of your master.
अतः परं करिष्यामि मूलस्यास्य निमूलनम् । गच्छ दूत तथा ब्रूहि तस्याग्रे मम भाषितम्
After this, I will uproot the very root of this matter; go, messenger, and say these words of mine before him.
शिष्टैर्दूता न हन्तव्यास्तस्मात्त्वां विसृजाम्यहम् । युद्धेच्छा चेत्समागच्छ त्वरितो महिषीसुत
Messengers sent by the virtuous are not to be killed; therefore, I release you. If your master's desire is for battle, let him come quickly, O son of Mahiṣa.
हयारे त्वद्बलं ज्ञातं तृणादस्त्वं जडाकृतिः । शृङ्गयोस्ते करिष्यामि सुदृढं च शरासनम्
I have seen your strength, O one with the form of a dullard, as insignificant as grass; with your horns I will make a strong bow.
दर्पः शृङ्गबलात्तेऽस्ति विदितं कारणं मया । विषाणे ते परिच्छिद्य संहरिष्यामि तद् बलम्
Your pride comes from the strength of your horns, and I know the reason; by cutting off your horns, I will take away that strength.
यद् बलेनातिपूर्णस्त्वं जातोऽसि बलदर्पितः । कुशलस्त्वं तदाघाते न युद्धे महिषाधम
It is by that strength that you have become excessively arrogant; you are skilled only in causing harm, not in battle, O lowest of buffaloes.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तोऽसौ सुरेन्द्रेण स दूतस्त्वरितो गतः । जगाम महिषं मत्तं प्रणम्य प्रत्युवाच ह
Vyāsa said: Thus addressed by the lord of the gods, that messenger quickly departed, approached the intoxicated Mahiṣa, bowed, and spoke to him.
दूत उवाच राजन्देवाधिपः कामं न त्वां विगणयत्यसौ । मन्यते स्वबलं पूर्णं देवसैन्यसमावृतः
The messenger said: O King, the lord of the gods does not consider you at all; surrounded by the army of the gods, he thinks his own strength complete.
यदुक्तं तेन मूर्खेण कथमन्यद् ब्रवीम्यहम् । प्रियं सत्यं च वक्तव्यं भृत्येन पुरतः प्रभोः
What that fool has said, how can I speak otherwise? A servant must speak what is pleasing and true before his master.
प्रियं सत्यं च वक्तव्यं प्रभोरग्रे शुभेच्छुना । इति नीतिर्महाराज जागर्ति शुभकारिणी
One who desires the good must speak what is pleasing and true before the master; such is the righteous policy, O great king, which brings about good.
केवलं चेत्प्रियं ब्रूयान्न ते कार्यं भविष्यति । परुषं च न वक्तव्यं कदाचिच्छुभमिच्छता ॥ २६ यथा रिपुमुखाद्वाचः प्रसरन्ति विषोपमाः । तथा भृत्यमुखान्नाथ निःसरन्ति कथं गिरः
If one speaks only what is pleasing, your purpose will not be accomplished; nor should one ever speak harshly, if one desires good. Just as words like poison come from the mouths of enemies, so, O lord, how should words come from the mouths of servants?
यादृशानीह वाक्यानि तेनोक्तानि महीपते । तादृशानि न मे जिह्वा वक्तुमर्हति कर्हिचित्
O king, the kind of words that were spoken by him, such words my tongue should never utter.
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य हेतुगर्भं तृणाशनः । भृशं कोपपरीतात्मा बभूव महिषासुरः
Vyāsa said: Hearing those words, full of reason, the grass-eater Mahiṣāsura became extremely enraged.
समाहूयाब्रवीद्दैत्यान्क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः । लाङ्गूलं पृष्ठदेशे च कृत्वा मूत्रं परित्यजन्
Summoning the demons, his eyes red with anger, he spoke, urinating with his tail raised at his back.
भो भो दैत्याः सुरेन्द्रोऽसौ युद्धकामोऽस्ति सर्वथा । बलोद्योगं कुरुध्वं वै जेतव्योऽसौ सुराधमः
"Ho, ho, demons! That Indra desires battle by all means; prepare for war, for that vile lord of the gods must be conquered."
मदग्रे को भवेच्छूरः कोटिशश्चेत्तथाविधाः । न बिभेम्येकतः कामं हनिष्याम्यद्य सर्वथा
"Who among you could be a hero before me, even if there were crores of such? I do not fear, even if alone; today, by all means, I will kill him."
शरः शान्तेष्वसौ नूनं तपस्विषु बलाधिकः । बलकर्ता हि कुहको लम्पटः परदारहृत्
"He is certainly stronger than the peaceful ascetics only in their absence; he is a deceiver, a rogue, and a stealer of others' wives."
अप्सरोबलसम्मत्तस्तपोविघ्नकरः खलः । छिद्रप्रहरणः पापो नित्यं विश्वासघातकः
He is a wicked one, infatuated with the beauty of celestial nymphs, an obstacle to ascetic practice, sinful, one who strikes at vulnerabilities, and ever a betrayer of trust.
नमुचिर्निहतो येन कृत्वा सन्धिं दुरात्मना । शपथान्विविधानादौ कृत्वा भीतेन छद्मना
By whom Namuci was slain, after deceitfully making a pact with many oaths at the beginning, out of fear and with trickery—
विष्णुस्तु कपटाचार्यः कुहकः शपथाकरः । नानारूपधरः कामं बलकृद्दम्भपण्डितः
Vishnu is a teacher of deceit, a conjurer, maker of oaths, assuming many forms at will, strong, and an expert in hypocrisy.
कृत्वा कोलाकृतिं येन हिरण्याक्षो निपातितः । हिरण्यकशिपुर्येन नृसिंहेन च घातितः
By whom, taking the form of a boar, Hiranyaksha was struck down, and by whom Hiranyakashipu was killed as Narasimha—
नाहं तद्वशगो नूनं भवेयं दनुनन्दनाः । विश्वासं नैव गच्छामि देवानां कुत्र कर्हिचित्
O children of Danu, I would certainly never come under his power; I never place trust in the gods, not at any time or place.
किं करिष्यति मे विष्णुरिन्द्रो वा बलवत्तरः । रुद्रो वापि न मे शक्तः प्रतिकर्तुं रणाङ्गणे
What could Vishnu, or even Indra, do to me, no matter how powerful? Not even Rudra is able to oppose me on the battlefield.
त्रिविष्टपं ग्रहीष्यामि जित्वेन्द्रं वरुणं यमम् । धनदं पावकं चैव चन्द्रसूर्यौ विजित्य च
I will seize the realm of heaven, conquering Indra, Varuna, Yama, Kubera, Agni, and also the Moon and Sun.
यज्ञभागभुजः सर्वे भविष्यामोऽद्य सोमपाः । जित्वा देवसमूहञ्च विहरिष्यामि दानवैः
Today, we will become the recipients of the sacrificial share, drinkers of Soma; having conquered the hosts of gods, I will revel with the Danavas.