न तेऽत्र दूषणं किञ्चिद्भवितव्ये शचीपते । सुखं वा यदि वा दुःखं विहितं च भविष्यति
There is no fault in you here, O lord of Shachi; whether happiness or sorrow comes, it will be as ordained.
न मया तत्परिज्ञातं भावि दुःखं सुखं तथा । यद्भार्याहरणे प्राप्तं पुरा वासव वेत्सि हि
I did not know beforehand the happiness or sorrow that would come, just as you know what befell when your wife was taken, O Vasava.
शशिना मे हृता भार्या मित्रेणामित्रकर्शन । स्वाश्रमस्थेन सम्प्राप्तं दुःखं सर्वसुखापहम्
My wife was taken by the moon, O tormentor of enemies, while he was in his own hermitage; sorrow came to me, taking away all happiness.
बुद्धिमान्सर्वलोकेषु विदितोऽहं सुराधिप । क्व मे गता तदा वुद्धिर्यदा भार्या हृता बलात्
I am known as wise in all worlds, O lord of the gods; but where did my wisdom go when my wife was forcibly taken?
तस्मादुपायः कर्तव्यो बुद्धिमद्भिः सदा नरैः । कार्यसिद्धिः सदा नूनं दैवाधीना सुराधिप
Therefore, wise men should always devise a means; yet the accomplishment of any task is always dependent on fate, O lord of the gods.
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं सत्यं गुरोः सार्थं शचीपतिः । ब्रह्माणं शरणं गत्वा नत्वा वचनमब्रवीत्
Vyasa said: Hearing the true and meaningful words of the guru, the lord of Shachi, having bowed, went to Brahma for refuge and spoke.
पितामह सुराध्यक्ष दैत्यो महिषसंज्ञकः । ग्रहीतुकामः स्वर्गं मे बलोद्योगं करोत्यलम्
O grandsire, lord of the gods, the demon named Mahisha desires to seize my heaven and is making great efforts.
अन्ये च दानवाः सर्वे तत्सैन्यं समुपस्थिताः । योद्धुकामा महावीर्याः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः
And all the other Danavas have assembled with his army; all are eager to fight, mighty, and skilled in battle.
तेनाहं भीतभीतोऽस्मि त्वत्सकाशमिहागतः । सर्वज्ञोऽसि महाप्राज्ञ साहाय्यं कर्तुमर्हसि
Therefore, I am terrified and have come to you; you are all-knowing and greatly wise, you ought to grant your assistance.
ब्रह्मोवाच गच्छामः सर्व एवाद्य कैलासं त्वरिता वयम् । शङ्करं पुरतः कृत्वा विष्णुं च बलिनां वरम्
Brahma said: Let us all go today, swiftly, to Kailasa, placing Shiva in front and Vishnu, the best among the strong.
ततो युद्धं प्रकर्तव्यं सर्वैः सुरगणैः सह । मिलित्वा मन्त्रमाधाय देशं कालं विचिन्त्य च
Then, all the hosts of gods must wage war together, having assembled, established counsel, and considered place and time.
बलाबलमविज्ञाय विवेकमपहाय च । साहसं तु प्रकुर्वाणो नरः पतनमृच्छति
Without knowing one's own strength and weakness, and abandoning discernment, a man who acts rashly meets with ruin.
व्यास उवाच तन्निशम्य सहस्राक्षः कैलासं निर्जगाम ह । ब्रह्माणं पुरतः कृत्वा लोकपालसमन्वितः
Vyāsa said: Hearing this, the thousand-eyed one set out for Kailāsa, taking Brahmā before him, accompanied by the guardians of the worlds.
तुष्टाव शङ्करं गत्वा वेदमन्त्रैर्महेश्वरम् । प्रसन्नं पुरतः कृत्वा ययौ विष्णुपुरं प्रति
Having gone, he praised Maheśvara Śaṅkara with Vedic hymns; making him pleased and standing before him, he proceeded towards Viṣṇu's city.
स्तुत्वा तं देवदेवेशं कार्यं प्रोवाच चात्मनः । महिषात्तद्भयं चोग्रं वरदानमदोद्धतात्
Having praised that Lord of gods, he spoke of his own purpose: the terrible fear from Mahiṣa, who was intoxicated by the boon he had received.
तदाकर्ण्य भयं तस्य विष्णुर्देवानुवाच ह । करिष्यामो वयं युद्धं हनिष्यामस्तु दुर्जयम्
Hearing of that fear, Viṣṇu spoke to the gods: 'We shall fight; we will slay that unconquerable one.'
व्यास उवाच इति ते निश्चयं कृत्वा ब्रह्मविष्णुहरीश्वराः । स्वानि स्वानि समारुह्य वाहनानि ययुः सुराः
Vyāsa said: Thus, having made this decision, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Hara, the Lord, mounted their respective vehicles and the gods set out.
ब्रह्मा हंससमारूढो विष्णर्गरुडवाहनः । शङ्करो वृषभारूढो वृत्रहा गजसंस्थितः
Brahmā mounted the swan, Viṣṇu rode Garuḍa, Śaṅkara was on the bull, and the slayer of Vṛtra was seated on the elephant.
मयूरवाहनः स्कन्दो यमो महिषवाहनः । कृत्वा सैन्यसमायोगं यावत्ते निर्ययुः सुराः
Skanda rode the peacock, Yama was on the buffalo; assembling their armies, the gods set out.
तावद्दैत्यबलं प्राप्तं दृप्तं महिषपालितम् । तत्राभूत्तुमुलं युद्धं देवदानवसैन्ययोः
Meanwhile, the army of the daityas, proud and led by Mahiṣa, arrived; there arose a tumultuous battle between the armies of the gods and the dānavas.
बाणैः खड्गैस्तथा प्रासैर्मुसलैश्च परश्वधैः । गदाभिः पट्टिशैः शूलैश्चक्रैश्च शक्तितोमरैः
With arrows, swords, spears, maces, axes, clubs, pattiśas, tridents, discs, śaktis, and tomaras,
मुद्गरैर्भिन्दिपालैश्च हलैश्चैवातिदारुणैः । अन्यैश्च विविधैरस्त्रैर्निजघ्नुस्ते परस्परम्
With mudgaras, bhindipālas, and terrible ploughs, and with various other weapons, they struck each other.
सेनानीश्चिक्षुरस्तस्य गजारूढो महाबलः । मघवन्तं पञ्चभिस्तैः सायकैः समताडयत्
The commander Cikṣura, of great might, mounted on an elephant, struck Maghavan with five swift arrows.
तुराषाडपि तांश्छित्त्वा बाणैर्बाणांस्त्वरान्वितः । हृदये चार्धचन्द्रेण ताडयामास तं कृती
But Turāṣāḍa, swiftly cutting those arrows with his own, struck him in the heart with a crescent-tipped shaft.
बाणाहतस्तु सेनानीः प्राप मूर्च्छां गजोपरि । करिणं वज्रघातेन स जघान करे ततः
Struck by the arrow, the commander lost consciousness atop the elephant; then Indra struck the elephant with his thunderbolt.
तद्वज्राभिहतो नागो भग्नः सैन्यं जगाम ह । दृष्ट्वा तं दैत्यराट् कुद्धो बिडालाख्यमथाब्रवीत्
Struck by that thunderbolt, the elephant, broken, fled to the army; seeing this, the enraged lord of the daityas spoke to one named Biḍāla.
गच्छ वीर महाबाहो जहीन्द्रं मदगर्वितम् । वरुणादीन्परान्देवान्हत्वाऽऽगच्छ ममान्तिकम्
'Go, hero of mighty arms, slay Indra, proud with arrogance; having slain Varuṇa and the other gods, return to me.'
व्यास उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य बिडालाख्यो महाबलः । आरुह्य वारणं मत्तं जगाम त्रिदशाधिपम्
Vyāsa said: Hearing his words, Biḍāla, of great strength, mounted a maddened elephant and went towards the lord of the gods.
वासवस्तं समायान्तं दृष्ट्वा क्रोधसमन्वितः । जघान विशिखैस्तीक्षौराशीविषसमप्रभैः
Seeing him approaching, Vāsava, filled with anger, struck him with sharp arrows, shining like venomous serpents.
स तु छित्त्वा शरांस्तूर्णं स्वशरैश्चापनिःसृतैः । पञ्चाशद्भिर्जघानाशु वासवञ्च शिलीमुखैः
But he, swiftly cutting those arrows with his own, struck Vāsava quickly with fifty stone-tipped shafts.