दिव्यस्त्रीभिः सुसम्पूर्णं गन्धर्वैः सिद्धचारणैः रुद्रालयैः प्रतिगृहं साग्निहोत्रैर् द्विजोत्तमाः
Filled with celestial women, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas, and in every house, the foremost twice-born performed sacred fires in shrines of Rudra.
वापीकूपतडागैश् च दीर्घिकाभिस्तु सर्वतः मत्तमातङ्गयूथैश् च तुरङ्गैश् च सुशोभनैः
Surrounded on all sides by wells, ponds, reservoirs, and long pools, as well as herds of intoxicated elephants and splendid horses.
रथैश् च विविधाकारैर् विचित्रैर्विश्वतोमुखैः सभाप्रपादिभिश् चैव क्रीडास्थानैः पृथक् पृथक्
With chariots of various forms, wondrous and facing all directions, and with assembly halls, gateways, and separate places for sport.
वेदाध्ययनशालाभिर् विविधाभिः समन्ततः अधृष्यं मनसाप्यन्यैर् मयस्यैव च मायया
Encircled everywhere by diverse schools for Vedic study, unassailable even in thought by others, through the power of Maya alone of Maya.
पतिव्रताभिः सर्वत्र सेवितं मुनिपुङ्गवाः कृत्वापि सुमहत् पापम् अपापैः शङ्करार्चनात्
Everywhere attended by devoted wives, O best of sages; even after committing great sin, they became sinless through the worship of Śaṅkara.
दैत्येश्वरैर्महाभागैः सदारैः ससुतैर्द्विजाः श्रौतस्मार्तार्थधर्मज्ञैस् तद्धर्मनिरतैः सदा
By the great and fortunate lords of the Daityas, with their wives and sons, always engaged in the duties of the Vedas and Smṛtis, steadfast in those dharmas.
महादेवेतरं त्यक्त्वा देवं तस्यार्चने स्थितैः व्यूढोरस्कैर् वृषस्कन्धैः सर्वायुधधरैः सदा
Having abandoned all gods except the Great God, they stood in his worship—broad-chested, bull-shouldered, always bearing every weapon.
सर्वदा क्षुधितैश्चैव दावाग्निसदृशेक्षणैः प्रशान्तैः कुपितैश्चैव कुब्जैर् वामनकैस् तथा
Always with the hungry, with eyes like blazing fire, calm or enraged, and also with the hunchbacked and the dwarfish.
नीलोत्पलदलप्रख्यैर् नीलकुञ्चितमूर्धजैः नीलाद्रिमेरुसंकाशैर् नीरदोपमनिःस्वनैः मयेन रक्षितैः सर्वैः शिक्षितैर्युद्धलालसैः
With hair dark as blue lotus petals, curled and deep blue, resembling the blue mountain and Meru, with voices like thunderclouds, all guarded by Maya’s warriors, trained and eager for battle.
अथ समररतैः सदा समन्ताच् छिवपदपूजनया सुलब्धवीर्यैः रविमरुदमरेन्द्रसंनिकाशैः सुरमथनैः सुदृढैः सुसेवितं तत्
Then, always surrounded by those devoted to battle, whose strength was easily gained by worship of Śiva’s feet, resembling the sun, wind, and Indra, firm and heroic, that city was well protected.
सेन्द्रा देवा द्विजश्रेष्ठा द्रुमा दावाग्निना यथा पुरत्रयाग्निना दग्धा ह्य् अभवन् दैत्यवैभवात्
But then, O best of twice-born, the gods with Indra, and the trees, were burned up by the fire of Tripura, just as by a forest fire, perishing through the might of the Daityas.
अथैवं ते तदा दग्धा देवा देवेश्वरं हरिम् अभिवन्द्य तदा प्राहुस् तमप्रतिमवर्चसम्
Then, when they were thus destroyed, the gods approached Hari, Lord of the gods, and praised him, for his splendor was without equal.
सो ऽपि नारायणः श्रीमान् चिन्तयामास चेतसा किं कार्यं देवकार्येषु भगवानिति स प्रभुः
That glorious Nārāyaṇa then pondered in his mind, 'What should be done for the sake of the gods?'—so thought the Lord.
तदा सस्मार वै यज्ञं यज्ञमूर्तिर्जनार्दनः यज्वा यज्ञभुगीशानो यज्वनां फलदः प्रभुः
Then Janārdana, the embodiment of sacrifice, remembered the sacrifice; the Lord, enjoyer of sacrifice, giver of fruits to sacrificers, and master of all sacrifices.
ततो यज्ञः स्मृतस्तेन देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये देवं ते पुरुषं चैव प्रणेमुस्तुष्टुवुस्तदा
Then, remembering the sacrifice for the accomplishment of the gods’ purpose, they bowed and praised that divine Person.
भगवानपि तं दृष्ट्वा यज्ञं प्राह सनातनम् सनातनस्तदा सेन्द्रान् देवान् आलोक्य चाच्युतः
And the Blessed Lord, seeing that eternal sacrifice, spoke; then the eternal Acyuta, beholding the gods with Indra, addressed them.
अनेनोपसदा देवा यजध्वं परमेश्वरम् पुरत्रयविनाशाय जगत्त्रयविभूतये
With this approach, O gods, worship the Supreme Lord, for the destruction of the three cities and the manifestation of power over the three worlds.
अथ तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य धीमतः सिंहनादं महत्कृत्वा यज्ञेशं तुष्टुवुः सुराः
Then, having heard the words of the wise Lord of gods, the gods let out a great roar and praised the Lord of sacrifice.
ततः संचिन्त्य भगवान् स्वयमेव जनार्दनः पुनः प्राह स सर्वांस्तांस् त्रिदशांस्त्रिदशेश्वरः
Thereafter, the blessed Janardana, having reflected, again addressed all those gods, he who is the Lord of the immortals.
हत्वा दग्ध्वा च भूतानि भुक्त्वा चान्यायतो ऽपि वा यजेद्यदि महादेवम् अपापो नात्र संशयः
Even if one kills, burns, or consumes beings unjustly, if he worships Mahadeva, he becomes free from sin—of this there is no doubt.
अपापा नैव हन्तव्याः पापा एव न संशयः हन्तव्याः सर्वयत्नेन कथं वध्याः सुरोत्तमाः
The sinless must never be slain; only the sinful, without doubt, should be killed with all effort—how could the best of gods be fit for killing?
असुरा दुर्मदाः पापा अपि देवैर्महाबलैः तस्मान्न वध्या रुद्रस्य प्रभावात् परमेष्ठिनः
The Asuras, though arrogant and sinful, are not to be slain by the mighty gods; therefore, due to the power of Rudra, the Supreme Lord, they must not be killed.
को ऽहं ब्रह्माथवा देवा दैत्या देवारिसूदनाः मुनयश् च महात्मानः प्रसादेन विना प्रभोः
Who am I, or Brahma, or the gods, or the Daityas, or the slayers of the enemies of the gods, or even the great sages—without the grace of the Lord?
यः सप्तविंशको नित्यः परात्परतरः प्रभुः विश्वामरेश्वरो वन्द्यो विश्वाधारो महेश्वरः
He who is the twenty-seventh, eternal, the supreme among the supreme, Lord of the universe and the immortals, worthy of worship, the supporter of all, the great Lord—
स एव सर्वदेवेशः सर्वेषामपि शङ्करः लीलया देवदैत्येन्द्रविभागमकरोद्धरः
He alone, the Lord of all gods, the beneficent one of all, by his play divided the gods and the lords of the Daityas.
तस्यांशम् एकं सम्पूज्य देवा देवत्वम् आगताः ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मत्वम् आपन्नो ह्य् अहं विष्णुत्वमेव च
By worshipping even a portion of him, the gods attained divinity, Brahma attained the state of Brahma, and I, indeed, attained the state of Vishnu.
तम् अपूज्य जगत्यस्मिन् कः पुमान् सिद्धिमिच्छति तस्मात्तेनैव हन्तव्या लिङ्गार्चनविधेर् बलात्
Who in this world, without worshipping him, could desire success? Therefore, by the power of the rite of worshipping the Linga, they must be slain by him alone.
धर्मनिष्ठाश् च ते सर्वे श्रौतस्मार्तविधौ स्थिताः तथापि यजमानेन रौद्रेणोपसदा प्रभुम् रुद्रमिष्ट्वा यथान्यायं जेष्यामो दैत्यसत्तमान्
All of them are established in righteousness, in both Vedic and Smriti rites; yet, by the fierce approach of the sacrificer, having duly worshipped Rudra, we shall conquer the foremost of the Daityas.
सतारकाक्षेण मयेन गुप्तं स्वस्थं च गुप्तं स्फटिकाभमेकम् को नाम हन्तुं त्रिपुरं समर्थो मुक्त्वा त्रिनेत्रं भगवन्तमेकम्
Tripura, protected by the virtuous-eyed Maya, and secure, shining like crystal—who indeed is capable of destroying it, except for the one Lord with three eyes?
एवमुक्त्वा हरिश्चेष्ट्वा यज्ञेनोपसदा प्रभुम् उपविष्टो ददर्शाथ भूतसंघान्सहस्रशः
Having spoken thus, Hari, having performed the approach with sacrifice, sat down and beheld thousands of hosts of beings.