अजेयं सर्वथा सर्वदेवैश्च दानवैस्तथा । यदि वृत्रं न हन्म्यद्य वञ्चयित्वा महाबलम्
'By all means, he is unconquerable by all the gods and likewise by the demons; if I do not kill Vṛtra today, deceiving this mighty one—'
न श्रेयो मम नूनं स्यात्सर्वथा रिपुरक्षणात् । अपां फेनं तदापश्यत्समुद्रे पर्वतोपमम्
'Surely, there will be no good for me at all if I allow the enemy to survive.' Then he saw the foam of the waters, as large as a mountain, in the ocean.
नायं शुष्को न चार्द्रोऽयं न च शस्त्रमिदं तथा । अपां फेनं तदा शक्रो जग्राह किल लीलया
'This is neither dry nor wet, nor is it a weapon.' Then Śakra, playfully, took up that foam of the waters.
परां शक्तिं च सस्मार भक्त्या परमया युतः । स्मृतमात्रा तदा देवी स्वांशं फेने न्यधापयत्
With utmost devotion, he remembered the supreme power; as soon as he was remembered, the Goddess placed her own portion into the foam.
वज्रं तदावृतं तत्र चकार हरिसंयुतम् । फेनावृतं पविं तत्र शक्रश्चिक्षेप तं प्रति
There, he made that thunderbolt enveloped with the power of Hari; Śakra hurled that foam-covered weapon at him.
सहसा निपपाताशु वज्राहत इवाचलः । वासवस्तु प्रहृष्टात्मा बभूव निहते तदा
Struck by the thunderbolt, he suddenly fell down like a mountain; and Vāsava, with his enemy slain, became filled with joy.
ऋषयश्च महेन्द्रं तमस्तुवन्विविधैः स्तवैः । हतशत्रुः प्रहृष्टात्मा वासवः सह दैवतैः
The seers praised that Mahendra with various hymns; Vāsava, his enemy slain, rejoiced together with the gods.
देवीं सम्पूजयामास यत्प्रसादाद्धतो रिपुः । प्रसादयामास तदा स्तोत्रैर्नानाविधैरपि
He worshipped the Goddess, by whose grace the enemy was slain; then he sought to please her with many kinds of hymns.
देवोद्याने पराशक्तेः प्रासादमकरोद्धरिः । पद्मरागमयीं मूर्तिं स्थापयामास वासवः
In the divine garden, Hari built a temple for the Supreme Power; Vāsava installed an image made of padmarāga stone.
त्रिकालं महतीं पूजां चक्रुः सर्वेऽपि निर्जराः । तदाप्रभृति देवानां श्रीदेवी कुलदैवतम्
From then on, all the immortals performed great worship three times a day; from that time, the Blessed Goddess became the family deity of the gods.
विष्णुं त्रिभुवनश्रेष्ठं पूजयामास वासवः । ततो हते महावीर्ये वृत्रे देवभयङ्करे
Vāsava worshipped Viṣṇu, the best of the three worlds; after the mighty and fearsome Vṛtra was slain—
प्रववौ च शिवो वायुर्जहृषुर्देवतास्तथा । हते तस्मिन्सगन्धर्वा यक्षराक्षसकिन्नराः
Śiva's wind began to blow, and the gods rejoiced; when he was slain, the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Kinnaras also rejoiced.
इत्थं वृत्रः पराशक्तिप्रवेशयुतफेनतः । तया कृतविमोहाच्च शक्रेण सहसा हतः
Thus, Vṛtra, by the foam infused with the entry of the Supreme Power, and bewildered by her, was suddenly slain by Śakra.
ततो वृत्रनिहन्त्रीति देवी लोकेषु गीयते । शक्रेण निहतत्वाच्च शक्रेण हत उच्यते
Therefore, the Goddess is sung in the worlds as the Slayer of Vṛtra; and because he was slain by Śakra, he is said to have been killed by Śakra.
इन्द्रस्य पद्मनालप्रवेशानन्तरं नहुषस्य देवेन्द्रपदेऽभिषेकवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच अथ तं पतितं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुर्विष्णुपुरीं ययौ । मनसा शङ्कमानस्तु तस्य हत्याकृतं भयम्
Vyāsa said: Then, seeing him fallen, Viṣṇu went to Viṣṇu's city, inwardly anxious, fearing the sin of killing.
इन्द्रोऽपि भयसंत्रस्तो ययाविन्द्रपुरीं ततः । मुनयो भयसंविग्ना ह्यभवन्निहते रिपौ
Indra too, overwhelmed by fear, went to the city of Indra; and the sages, distressed with fear, were troubled at the slaying of the enemy.
किमस्माभिः कृतं पापं यदसौ वञ्चितः किल । मुनिशब्दो वृथा जातः सुरेशस्य च सङ्गमात्
What sin have we committed, that he has been deceived? The title of sage has become meaningless due to association with the lord of the gods.
अस्माकं वचनाद्वृत्रो विश्वासमगमत्किल । विश्वासघातिनः सङ्गाद्वयं विश्वासघातकाः
By our words, Vṛtra indeed placed his trust; through association with betrayers of trust, we too have become betrayers.
धिगियं ममता पापमूलमेवमनर्थकृत् । यदस्माभिश्छलं कृत्वा शपथैर्वञ्चितोऽसुरः
Fie upon this selfishness, the very root of evil, which brings misfortune; for by deceit and false oaths, we have tricked the asura.
मन्त्रकृद्बुद्धिदाता च प्रेरकः पापकारिणाम् । पापभाक्स भवेन्नूनं पक्षकर्ता तथैव च
The one who composes the mantra, gives counsel, or incites evildoers surely shares in their sin, just as one who takes their side.
विष्णुनापि कृतं पापं यत्साहाय्यमवाप्तवान् । वज्रं प्रविश्य येनासौ पातितः सत्त्वमूर्तिना
Even Viṣṇu committed sin by assisting, entering the thunderbolt by which that being of truth was slain by Viṣṇu's own form.
नूनं स्वार्थपरः प्राणी न पापात्त्रासमश्नुते । हरिणा हरिसङ्गेन सर्वथा दुष्कृतं कृतम्
Surely, a creature intent on its own gain does not fear sin; through association with Hari, Indra has certainly committed wrongdoing.
द्वावेव स्तः पदार्थानां द्वावेव निधनं गतौ । प्रथमश्च तुरीयश्च यौ त्रिलोक्यां तु दुर्लभौ
Of all things, only two reach their end: the first and the fourth, both exceedingly rare in the three worlds.
अर्थकामौ प्रशस्तौ द्वौ सर्वेषां सम्मतौ प्रियौ । धर्माधर्मेति वाग्वादो दम्भोऽयं महतामपि
The pursuit of wealth and pleasure—these two are praised, cherished by all; talk of righteousness and unrighteousness is mere pretense, even among the great.
मुनयोऽपि मनस्तापमेवं कृत्वा पुनः पुनः । जग्मुः स्वानाश्रमानेव विमनस्का हतोद्यमाः
Even the sages, tormented in mind by what they had done, again and again returned to their hermitages, dispirited and their resolve broken.
त्वष्टा तु निहतं श्रुत्वा पुत्रमिन्द्रेण भारत । रुरोद दुःखसन्तप्तो निर्वेदमगमत्पुनः
But Tvaṣṭṛ, hearing that his son had been slain by Indra, was overcome with grief and despair, and wept bitterly.
यत्रासौ पतितस्तत्र गत्वा वीक्ष्य तथागतम् । संस्कारं कारयामास विधिवत्पारलौकिकम्
He went to the place where his son had fallen, saw him lying there, and performed the proper funeral rites according to tradition.
स्नात्वास्य सलिलं दत्त्वा कृत्वा चैवौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । शशापेन्द्रं स शोकार्तः पापिष्ठं मित्रघातकम्
After bathing, offering water, and performing the final rites, Tvaṣṭṛ, stricken with sorrow, cursed Indra, the most sinful slayer of a friend.
यथा मे निहतः पुत्रः प्रलोभ्य शपथैर्भृशम् । तथेन्द्रोऽपि महद्दुःखं प्राप्नोतु विधिनिर्मितम्
Just as my son was slain by deceit and false oaths, so too may Indra suffer great sorrow, ordained by fate.
इति शप्त्वा सुरेशानं त्वष्टा तापसमन्वितः । मेरोः शिखरमास्थाय तपस्तेपे सुदुष्करम्
Having thus cursed the lord of the gods, Tvaṣṭṛ, filled with ascetic resolve, ascended the peak of Meru and undertook severe austerities.