गदां कौमोदकीं धृत्वा दानवं समुपाद्रवत् । तं जघानातिवेगेन मूर्ध्नि मायाविनं हरिः
Seizing the Kaumodakī mace, he rushed at the Daitya; Hari struck the sorcerer on the head with tremendous force.
स गदाभिहतो भूमौ निपपातातिमूर्च्छितः । तं तथा पतितं वीक्ष्य हयारिरतिकोपनः
Struck by the mace, he fell to the ground in a deep swoon; seeing him fallen thus, the enemy of horses became exceedingly enraged.
आजगाम रमानाथं त्रासयन्नतिगर्जितैः । वासुदेवोऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा समायान्तं क्रुधान्वितम्
He approached the Lord of Lakshmi, terrifying him with loud roars; and Vāsudeva, seeing him advancing in wrath—
चापज्यानिनदं चोग्रं चकार नन्दयन्सुरान् । शरवृष्टिं चकाराशु भगवान्महिषोपरि
Made a fierce twang on his bowstring, delighting the gods, and swiftly showered arrows upon Mahisha.
सोऽपि चिच्छेद बाणौघैस्ताञ्छरान्गगनेरितान् । तयोर्युद्धमभूद्राजन् परस्परभयावहम्
He too cut down with volleys of arrows those missiles hurled into the sky; between the two, O King, there arose a battle that inspired mutual terror.
गदया ताडयामास केशवो मस्तकोपरि । स गदाभिहतो मूर्ध्नि पपातोर्व्यां सुमूर्च्छितः
Keśava struck him on the head with his mace; struck by the mace on the crown, he fell to the ground, deeply unconscious.
हाहाकारो महानासीत्सैन्ये तस्य सुदारुणः । स विहाय व्यथां दैत्यो मुहूर्तादुत्थितः पुनः
A great and dreadful outcry arose in his army; abandoning his pain, the demon rose again after a moment.
गृहीत्वा परिघं शीर्षे जघान मधुसूदनम् । परिघेणाहतस्तेन मूर्च्छामाप जनार्दनः
Seizing an iron club, he struck Madhusūdana on the head; struck by that club, Janārdana fell into a swoon.
मूर्च्छितं तमुवाहाशु जगाम गरुडो रणात् । परावृत्ते जगन्नाथे देवा इन्द्रपुरोगमाः
Garuda swiftly carried away the unconscious one from the battle; when the Lord of the Universe withdrew, the gods, led by Indra,
भयं प्रापुः सुदुःखार्ताश्चुक्रुशुश्च रणाजिरे । क्रन्दमानान्सुरान्वीक्ष्य शङ्करः शूलभृत्तदा
were seized by fear, overwhelmed with deep distress, and cried out on the battlefield; seeing the gods wailing, Śaṅkara, the wielder of the trident, then
महिषं तरसाभ्येत्य प्राहरद्रोषसंयुतः । सोऽपि शक्तिं मुमोचाथ शङ्करस्योरसि स्फुटम्
rushed at Mahisha in anger and struck him; he too hurled a spear, which struck Śaṅkara firmly in the chest.
जगर्ज स च दुष्टात्मा वञ्चयित्वा त्रिशूलकम् । शङ्करोऽपि तदा पीडां न प्रापोरसि ताडितः
That wicked-souled one roared, having deceived the trident-bearer; yet Śaṅkara did not feel pain in his chest when struck.
तं जघान त्रिशूलेन कोपादरुणलोचनः । संलग्नं शङ्करं दृष्ट्वा महिषेण दुरात्मना
With eyes red with anger, he struck him with his trident; seeing Śaṅkara engaged with the evil-minded Mahisha,
आजगाम हरिस्तावत्त्यक्त्वा मूर्च्छां प्रहारजाम् । महिषस्तु तदा वीक्ष्य सम्प्राप्तौ हरिशङ्करौ
Hari then came, abandoning the swoon caused by the blow; Mahisha, seeing Hari and Śaṅkara both arrived,
युद्धकामौ महावीर्यो चक्रशूलधरौ वरौ । कोपयुक्तो बभूवासौ दृष्ट्वा तौ समुपागतौ
those two great heroes, eager for battle, bearing discus and trident; seeing them both approach, he became filled with wrath.
जगाम सम्मुखस्तावत्संग्रामार्थं महाभुजः । माहिषं वपुरास्थाय धुन्वन्पुच्छं समुत्कटम्
That mighty-armed one advanced to face them for battle, assuming the form of a buffalo, fiercely lashing his tail.
चकार भैरवं नादं त्रासयन्नमरानपि । धुन्वञ्छृङ्गे महाकायो दारुणो जलदो यथा
He made a terrifying roar, frightening even the immortals; shaking his horns, his massive body was dreadful like a storm cloud.
शृङ्गाभ्यां पर्वताज्छृङ्गांश्चिक्षेप भृशमुत्कटान् । दृष्ट्वा तौ तु महावीर्यौ दानवं देवसत्तमौ
With his two horns he hurled great mountain peaks; seeing those two mighty heroes, the best of gods, the demon
चक्रतुर्बाणवृष्टिं च दानवोपरि दारुणाम् । कुर्वाणौ बाणवृष्टिं तौ दृष्ट्वा हरिहरौ हरिः
was assailed by a fierce shower of arrows from them; as Hari and Hara rained arrows, seeing this,
चिक्षेप गिरिशृङ्गं तु पुच्छेनावृत्य दारुणम् । आपतन्तं गिरिं वीक्ष्य भगवान्सात्वतां पतिः
he hurled a terrible mountain peak, covering it with his tail; seeing the mountain rushing forth, the blessed Lord of the Sātvatas
विशिखैः शतधा चक्रे चक्रेणाशु जघान तम् । हरिचक्राहतः संख्ये मूर्च्छामाप स दैत्यराट्
shattered it into a hundred pieces with arrows, and swiftly struck him with the discus; struck by Hari's discus in battle, the king of the demons fell into a swoon.
उत्तस्थौ च क्षणान्नूनं मानुषं वपुरास्थितः । गदापाणिर्महाघोरो दानवः पर्वतोपमः
He rose again in a moment, now assuming a human form; the dreadful demon, mace in hand, stood like a mountain.
मेघनादं ननादोच्चैर्भीषयन्नमरानपि । तच्छ्रुत्वा भगवान्विष्णुः पाञ्चजन्यं समुज्ज्वलम्
Meghanada roared loudly, terrifying even the gods; hearing this, the blessed Vishnu took up his radiant Panchajanya conch.
पूरयामास तरसा शब्दं कर्तुं खरस्वरम् । तेन शब्देन शङ्खस्य भयत्रस्ताश्च दानवाः । बभूवुर्मुदिता देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
With force, he filled it with a harsh sound; by the sound of the conch, the demons became fearful and distressed, while the gods and the ascetic sages rejoiced.
शङ्करशरणगमनवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच असुरान्महिषो दृष्ट्वा विषण्णमनसस्तदा । त्यक्त्वा तन्माहिषं रूपं बभूव मृगराडसौ
Vyasa said: Seeing the demons, Mahisha became despondent; abandoning his buffalo form, he took the shape of a mighty lion.
कृत्वा नादं महाघोरं विस्तार्य च महासटाम् । पपात सुरसेनायां त्रासयन्नखदर्शनैः
Making a terrifying roar and spreading his great mane, he leapt into the army of the gods, frightening them with the display of his claws.
गरुडञ्च नखाघातैः कृत्वा रुधिरविप्लुतम् । जघान च भुजे विष्णुं नखाघातेन केसरी
With blows of his claws, he drenched Garuda in blood; and the lion struck Vishnu on the arm with his claws.
वासुदेवोऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा चक्रमुद्यम्य वेगवान् । हन्तुकामो हरिः काममवापाशु क्रुधान्वितः
Vasudeva, seeing him, swiftly raised his discus, desiring to kill him; Hari, filled with anger, rushed forward.
यावद्धयरिपुं वेगाच्चक्रेणाभिजघान तम् । तावत्सोऽतिबलः शृङ्गी शृङ्गाभ्यां न्यहनद्धरिम्
As he struck the enemy with speed using his discus, that powerful horned one struck Hari with his horns.
वासुदेवो विषाणाभ्यां ताडितोरसि विह्वलः । पलायनपरो वेगाज्जगाम भुवनं निजम्
Vasudeva, struck on the chest by the horns, was bewildered; intent on fleeing, he quickly went to his own realm.