न्यायान्यायौ च भूतानां पश्यन्ती साक्षिरूपिणी । न मे कदापि भोगेच्छा न लोभो न च वैरिता
I witness both justice and injustice among beings; I never have desire for enjoyment, nor greed, nor enmity.
धर्मार्थं विचराम्यत्र संसारे साधुरक्षणम् । व्रतमेतत्तु नियतं पालयामि निजं सदा
For the sake of righteousness I move here in this world, to protect the virtuous; this is my constant and established vow, which I always uphold.
साधूनां रक्षणं कार्यं हन्तव्या येऽप्यसाधवः । वेदसंरक्षणं कार्यमवतारैरनेकशः
The protection of the virtuous must be done, and those who are wicked must be slain; the preservation of the Vedas must be accomplished through many incarnations.
युगे युगे तानेवाहमवतारान्बिभर्मि च । महिषस्तु दुराचारो देवान्वै हन्तुमुद्यतः
Age after age, I take on those very incarnations; and Mahiṣa, being of evil conduct, has set out to destroy the gods.
ज्ञात्वाहं तद्वधार्थं भोः प्राप्तास्मि राक्षसाधुना । तं हनिष्ये दुराचारं सुरशत्रुं महाबलम्
Knowing this, I have come here for his destruction, O righteous Rākṣasa; I shall slay that evil-doer, the mighty enemy of the gods.
गच्छ वा तिष्ठ कामं त्वं सत्यमेतदुदाहृतम् । ब्रूहि वा तं दुरात्मानं राजानं महिषीसुतम्
Go as you wish, or stay; this is truly spoken. Or tell that wicked king, the son of Mahiṣa.
किमन्यान् प्रेषयस्यत्र स्वयं युद्धं कुरुष्व ह । सन्धिञ्चेत्कर्तुमिच्छास्ति राज्ञस्तव मया सह
Why do you send others here? Fight yourself! If your king desires peace with me, let him make an alliance.
सर्वे गच्छन्तु पातालं वैरं त्यक्त्वा यथासुखम् । देवद्रव्यं तु यत्किञ्चिद्धृतं जित्वा रणे सुरान् । तद्दत्त्वा यान्तु पातालं प्रह्लादो यत्र तिष्ठति
Let all go to Pātāla, abandoning enmity, as they please; whatever divine wealth was seized in battle from the gods, let them return it and go to Pātāla, where Prahlāda resides.
व्यास उवाच तच्छुत्वा वचनं देव्या असिलोमा पुरःस्थितः । बिडालाख्यं महावीरं पप्रच्छ प्रीतिपूर्वकम्
Vyāsa said: Hearing those words of the Goddess, Asilomā, standing before her, affectionately questioned the great hero named Biḍāla.
असिलोमोवाच श्रुतं तेऽद्य बिडालाख्य भवान्या कथितं च यत् । एवं गते किं कर्तव्यो विग्रहः सन्धिरेव वा
Asilomā said: O Biḍāla, you have heard today what Bhavānī has said; in this situation, what should be done—war or peace?
बिडालाख्य उवाच न सन्धिकामोऽस्ति नृपोऽभिमानी युद्धे च मृत्युं नियतं हि जानन् । दृष्ट्वा हतान् प्रेरयते तथास्मा- न्दैव हि कोऽतिक्रमितुं समर्थः
Biḍāla said: The king is not inclined toward peace, he is proud; knowing that death in battle is certain, he still sends us forth after seeing others slain. Indeed, who is able to overcome fate?
(दुःसाध्य एवास्त्विह सेवकानां धर्मः सदा मानविवर्जितानाम् । आज्ञापराणां वशवर्तिकानां पाञ्चालिकानामिव सूत्रभेदात् ॥) गत्वा कथं तस्य पुरस्त्वया च मयापि वक्तव्यमिदं कठोरम् । गच्छन्तु पातालमितश्च सर्वे दत्त्वाथ रत्नानि धनं सुराणाम्
(The duty of servants is always difficult here, especially for those lacking human feeling, who are bound to obey commands, just as puppets move when their strings are pulled.) Going, how can you or I speak these harsh words before him? Let all go to Pātāla from here, giving back the jewels and wealth of the gods.
(प्रियं हि वक्तव्यमसत्यमेव न च प्रियं स्याद्धितकृत्तु भाषितम् । सत्यं प्रियं नो भवतीह कामं मौनं ततो बुद्धिमतां प्रतिष्ठितम्
Indeed, what is pleasing is spoken even if untrue, and what is beneficial is not spoken if unpleasant; truth is not always pleasing here, therefore the wise are established in silence.
न नूनं तत्र गन्तव्यं हितं वा वक्तुमादरात् । प्रष्टुं वापि गते राजा कोपयुक्तो भविष्यति
Surely, one should not go there to speak what is beneficial with respect, nor even to ask; if one goes, the king will become angry.
इति सञ्चिन्त्य कर्तव्यं युद्धं प्राणस्य संशये । स्वामिकार्यं परं मत्वा मरणं तृणवत्तथा
Thinking thus, one must engage in battle even at the risk of life, considering the master's command as supreme and regarding death as insignificant as grass.
व्यास उवाच इति सञ्चिन्त्य तौ वीरौ संस्थितौ युद्धतत्परौ । धनुर्बाणधरौ तत्र सन्नद्धौ रथसङ्गतौ
Vyāsa said: Thus resolved, those two heroes stood ready for battle, armed with bows and arrows, fully equipped, mounted on their chariots.
प्रथमं तु बिडालाख्यः सप्तबाणान्मुमोच ह । असिलोमा स्थितो दूरे प्रेक्षकः परमास्त्रवित्
First, the one named Biḍāla released seven arrows; Asilomā, standing at a distance, watched, being an expert in supreme weapons.
चिच्छेद तांस्तथाप्राप्तानम्बिका स्वशरैः शरान् । बिडालाख्यं त्रिभिर्बाणैर्जघान च शिलाशितैः
Ambikā cut down those arrows as they approached with her own shafts, and struck Biḍāla with three sharp, stone-tipped arrows.
प्राप्य बाणव्यथां दैत्यः पपात समराङ्गणे । मूर्च्छितोऽथ ममाराशु दानवो दैवयोगतः
Wounded by the arrows, the demon fell upon the battlefield; losing consciousness, the Dānava quickly died by the will of fate.
बिडालाख्यं हतं दृष्ट्वा रणे शक्तिशरोत्करैः । असिलोमा धनुष्पाणिः संस्थितो युद्धतत्परः
Seeing Biḍāla slain in battle by a shower of spear-like arrows, Asilomā, bow in hand, stood ready for combat.
ऊर्ध्वं सव्यं करं कृत्वा तामुवाच मितं वचः । देवि जानामि मरणं दानवानां दुरात्मनाम्
Raising his left hand, he spoke measured words to her: 'O Goddess, I know the death of these wicked Dānavas is certain.'
तथापि युद्धं कर्तव्यं पराधीनेन वै मया । महिषो मन्दबुद्धिश्च न जानाति प्रियाप्रिये
Still, I must fight, being under another's command; Mahiṣa, dull-witted, does not know what is pleasing or unpleasing.
तदग्रे नैव वक्तव्यं हितं चैवाप्रियं मया । मर्तव्यं वीरधर्मेण शुभं वाप्यशुभं भवेत्
Therefore, in his presence, I must not speak what is beneficial or unpleasant; I must die upholding the warrior's duty, whether the outcome is good or bad.
दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिपौरुषमनर्थकम् । पतन्ति दानवास्तूर्णं तव बाणहता भुवि
I consider fate to be supreme; human effort is fruitless. The Dānavas fall swiftly to the earth, struck by your arrows.
इत्युक्त्वा शरवृष्टिं स चकार दानवोत्तमः । देवी चिच्छेद तान्बाणैरप्राप्तांस्तु निजान्तिके
Having spoken thus, that foremost of Dānavas unleashed a rain of arrows; the Goddess cut them down with her own arrows before they reached her.
अन्यैर्विव्याध तं तूर्णमसिलोमानमाशुगैः । वीक्षितामरसङ्घैश्च कोपपूर्णानना तदा
With other swift arrows, she quickly pierced Asilomā; her face, filled with wrath, was watched by the assembly of immortals.
शुशुभे दानवः कामं बाणैर्विद्धतनुः किल । स्रवद्रुधिरधारः स प्रफुल्लः किंशुको यथा
The demon, though his body was pierced with arrows and streams of blood flowed, shone forth like a blossoming kimśuka tree.
असिलोमा गदां गुर्वीं लौहीमुद्यम्य वेगतः । दुद्राव चण्डिकां कोपात्सिंहं मूर्ध्नि जघान ह
Asilomā, seizing a heavy iron mace with force, rushed at Caṇḍikā in anger and struck the lion on the head.
सिंहोऽपि नखराघातैस्तं ददार भुजान्तरे । अगणय्य गदाघातं कृतं तेन बलीयसा
The lion, with a blow of its claws, tore him between the arms, disregarding the powerful strike of the mace.
उत्पत्य तरसा दैत्यो गदापाणिः सुदारुणः । सिंहमूर्ध्नि समारुह्य जघान गदयाम्बिकाम्
Leaping up with force, the fierce demon, mace in hand, mounted the lion's head and struck Ambikā with the mace.