सूत उवाच। जनमेजयेन राज्ञाऽसौ पृष्टः सत्यवतीसुतः । उवाच संहितां दिव्यां व्यासः सर्वार्थतत्त्ववित्
Sūta said: Questioned by King Janamejaya, the son of Satyavatī—Vyāsa, knower of all truths—spoke this divine collection.
चरितं चंडिकायास्तु शुम्भदैत्यवधाश्रितम् । कथयामास भगवान्कृष्णः कारुणिको मुनिः
The compassionate sage Kṛṣṇa, the Blessed One, narrated the deeds of Caṇḍikā, centering on the slaying of the demon Śumbha.
त्रिशिरसस्तपोभङ्गाय देवराजेन्द्रद्वारा नानोपायचिन्तनवर्णनम् ऋषय ऊचुः सूत सूत महाभाग मिष्टं ते वचनामृतम् । न तृप्ताः स्मो वयं पीत्वा द्वैपायनकृतं शुभम्
The sages said: O Sūta, O most fortunate one, your nectar-like words are delightful; we are not satisfied, even after drinking in the auspicious tale composed by Dvaipāyana.
पुनस्त्वां प्रष्टुमिच्छामः कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । वेदेऽपि कथितां रम्यां प्रसिद्धां पापनाशिनीम्
Again, we wish to ask you for an auspicious Purāṇic tale, charming, renowned, and destroyer of sin, as told in the Vedas.
वृत्रासुर इति ख्यातो वीर्यवांस्त्वष्टुरात्मजः । स कथं निहतः संख्ये वासवेन महात्मना
Vṛtrāsura, famed as the son of Tvaṣṭṛ and full of might—how was he slain in battle by the great-souled Vāsava?
त्वष्टा वै सुरपक्षीयस्तत्पुत्रो बलवत्तरः । शक्रेण घातितः कस्माद्ब्रह्मयोनिर्महाबलः
Tvaṣṭṛ was on the side of the gods, and his son was even mightier; why was that powerful, Brahma-born one killed by Śakra?
देवाः सत्त्वगुणोत्पना मानुषा राजसाः स्मृताः । तिर्यञ्चस्तामसाः प्रोक्ताः पुराणागमवादिभिः
The gods are said to be born of the quality of sattva, humans of rajas, and animals of tamas, according to the teachers of the Purāṇas and Āgamas.
विरोधोऽत्र महान् भाति नूनं शतमखेन ह । छलेन बलवान् वृत्रः शक्रेण विनिपातितः
Here, a great contradiction is evident: indeed, Vṛtra, though powerful, was slain by Indra, the hundred-sacrificed, through deceit.
विष्णुः प्रेरयिता तत्र स तु सत्त्वधरः परः । प्रविष्टः पविमध्ये स छद्मना भगवान् प्रभुः
There, Viṣṇu, the supreme bearer of sattva, acted as the instigator; that Lord entered the midst of the weapon by disguise.
सन्धिं विधाय स ह्येवं मन्त्रितोऽसौ महाबलः । हरिभ्यां सत्यमुत्सृज्य जलफेनेन शातितः
Having made a pact and thus persuaded, that mighty one, abandoning truth together with Hari, was slain by foam from water.
कृतमिन्द्रेण हरिणा किमेतत्सूत साहसम् । महान्तोऽपि च मोहेन वञ्चिताः पापबुद्धयः
What is this daring act done by Indra and Hari, O Sūta? Even the great, through delusion and wicked intent, are deceived.
अन्यायवर्तिनोऽत्यर्थं भवन्ति सुरसत्तमाः । सदाचारेण युक्तेन देवाः शिष्टत्वमागताः
The foremost of the gods often act unjustly; yet, through proper conduct, the gods have attained the status of the virtuous.
एवं विशिष्टधर्मेण शिष्टत्वं कीदृशं पुनः । हत्वा वृत्रं तु विश्वस्तं शक्रेण छद्मना पुनः
Thus, with such distinguished conduct, what kind of virtue is this? For Indra, by deceit, killed Vṛtra who trusted him.
प्राप्तं पापफलं नो वा ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम् । किं च त्वया पुरा प्रोक्तं वृत्रासुरवधः कृतः
Was the fruit of sin, arising from brahminicide, obtained or not? And you previously said that the killing of Vṛtrāsura was done.
श्रीदेव्या इति तच्चापि चित्तं मोहयतीह नः । सूत उवाच शृण्वन्तु मुनयो वृत्तं वृत्रासुरवधाश्रयम्
That too, by the goddess—this thought bewilders us here. Sūta said: Let the sages listen to the account concerning the slaying of Vṛtrāsura.
यथेन्द्रेण च सम्प्राप्तं दुःखं हत्यासमुद्भवम् । एवमेव पुरा पृष्टो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः
Just as the suffering that befell Indra arose from the act of killing, so too, in ancient times, Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, was asked.
पारीक्षितेन राज्ञापि स यदाह च तद्ब्रुवे । जनमेजय उवाच कथं वृत्रासुरः पूर्वं हतो मघवता मुने
What he said to King Parīkṣit, that I shall now tell.
सहायं विष्णुमासाद्य छद्मना सात्त्विकेन ह । कथं च देव्या निहतो दैत्योऽसौ केन हेतुना
Janamejaya said: How was Vṛtrāsura formerly slain by Maghavan, O sage, after obtaining Viṣṇu as an ally and by means of sattvic deception? And how was that demon killed by the goddess, and for what reason?
कथमेकवधो द्वाभ्यां कृतः स्यान्मुनिपुङ्गव । तदेतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि परं कौतूहलं हि मे
How could a single killing be accomplished by two, O best of sages? I wish to hear this; my curiosity is indeed great.
महतां चरितं शृण्वन् को विरज्येत मानवः । कथयाम्बावैभवं त्वं वृत्रासुरवधाश्रितम्
Who among men, hearing the deeds of the great, would turn away? Tell, then, the glory of the Mother, as it relates to the slaying of Vṛtrāsura.
व्यास उवाच धन्योऽसि राजंस्तव बुद्धिरीदृशी जाता पुराणश्रवणेऽतिसादरा । पीत्वामृतं देववरास्तु सर्वथा पाने वितृष्णाः प्रभवन्ति वै पुनः
Vyāsa said: Fortunate are you, O king, whose mind is so inclined, showing such reverence for hearing the ancient tales. Just as the best of gods, having drunk nectar, again become free from thirst in every way,
दिने दिने तेऽधिकभक्तिभावः कथासु राजन् महनीयकीर्तेः । श्रोता यदैकप्रवणः शृणोति वक्ता तदा प्रीतमना ब्रवीति
So, day by day, your devotion grows in the stories of the glorious, O king. When a listener is wholly attentive, the speaker then tells with a joyful heart.
युद्धं पुरा वासववृत्रयोर्यद् वेदे प्रसिद्धं च तथा पुराणे । दुःखं सुरेन्द्रेण तथैव लब्धं हत्वा रिपुं त्वाष्ट्रमपापमेव
The battle of Vāsava and Vṛtra, as is well known in the Veda and likewise in the Purāṇa, and the suffering obtained by the lord of the gods after slaying the sinless son of Tvaṣṭṛ—
चित्रं किमत्र नृपते हरिवज्रभृद्भ्यां यच्छद्मना विनिहतस्त्रिशिरोऽथ वृत्रः । मायाबलेन मुनयोऽपि विमोहितास्ते चक्रुश्च निन्द्यमनिशं किल पापभीताः
What wonder is there in this, O king, that Triśiras and Vṛtra were slain by deceit by Hari and the wielder of the thunderbolt? Even sages were bewildered by their power of illusion, and, out of fear of sin, constantly condemned them.
विष्णुः सदैव कपटेन जघान दैत्यान् सत्त्वात्ममूर्तिरपि मोहमवाप्य कामम् । कोऽन्योऽस्ति तां भगवतीं मनसापि जेतुं शक्तः समस्तजनमोहकरीं भवानीम्
Though Vishnu is the embodiment of sattva, he has always slain the demons through cunning, having fallen into delusion and desire; who else is capable, even in thought, of conquering that Bhagavati Bhavani, who brings delusion to all beings?
मत्स्यादियोनिषु सहस्रयुगेषु सद्यः साक्षाद्भवत्यपि यया विनियोजितोऽत्र । नारायणो नरसखो भगवाननन्तः कार्यं करोति विहिताविहितं कदाचित्
By her, Narayana himself, the eternal Lord and friend of man, is instantly assigned to various births such as fish and others, for thousands of ages, and sometimes performs both prescribed and forbidden acts.
देहं धनं गृहमिदं स्वजना मदीयं पुत्राः कलत्रमिति मोहमुपेत्य सर्वः । पुण्यं करोत्यथ च पापचयं करोति मायागुणैरतिबलैर्विकलीकृतो यत्
Everyone, overcome by delusion, thinks: 'This body, this wealth, this house, these relatives, my sons and wife are mine,' and thus, influenced by the powerful qualities of Maya, performs both virtuous and sinful deeds.
न जातु मोहं क्षपितुं नरः क्षमः कश्चिद्भवेद्भूप परावरार्थवित् । विमोहितस्तैस्त्रिभिरेव मूलतो वशीकृतात्मा जगतीतले भृशम्
O King, no one, even one who knows the highest and lowest truths, is ever able to dispel delusion; thoroughly bewildered by those three (gunas), a person becomes completely subject to them on earth.
अथ तौ मायया विष्णुवासवौ मोहितौ भृशम् । जघ्नतुश्छद्मना वृत्रं स्वार्थसाधनतत्परौ
Then, both Vishnu and Indra, greatly deluded by Maya, killed Vritra through deceit, intent on securing their own interests.
तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तमवनीपते । कारणं पूर्ववैरस्य वृत्रवासवयोर्मिथः
O Lord of the earth, I shall now recount the story, the cause of the former enmity between Vritra and Indra.