वैश्वरूपं प्रधानस्य परिणाहो ऽस्य यः स्मृतः तेषां शक्यं न संख्यातुं याथातथ्येन केनचित् गतागतं मनुष्येण ज्योतिषां मांसचक्षुषा
This is said to be the universal form of the primordial substance, its extent; none can truly count their coming and going, nor can a human with fleshly eyes perceive the movements of the luminaries.
कथं जगाम भगवान् पुरारित्वं महेश्वरः ददाह च कथं देवस् तन्नो विस्तरतो वद
How did the blessed Lord Maheśvara become the destroyer of cities, and how did the god burn them? Tell us this in detail.
पृच्छामस्त्वां वयं सर्वे बहुमानात्पुनः पुनः त्रिपुरं तद्यथा दुर्गं मयमायाविनिर्मितम् देवेनैकेषुणा दग्धं तथा नो वद मानद
We all ask you again and again with great respect: how was Tripura, the formidable city built by Maya the magician, burned by the god with a single arrow? Tell us this, O giver of honor.
शृणुध्वं त्रिपुरं देवो यथा दारितवान् भवः मयो नाम महामायो मायानां जनको ऽसुरः
Hear how the god destroyed Tripura: Maya, the great magician, an asura and father of illusions, was its creator.
निर्जितः स तु संग्रामे तताप परमं तपः तपस्यन्तं तु तं विप्रा दैत्यावन्यावनुग्रहात्
Defeated in that battle, he performed intense austerity; and as he was engaged in penance, O Brahmins, the Daityas, out of compassion for him,
तस्यैव कृत्यमुद्दिश्य तेपतुः परमं तपः विद्युन्माली च बलवांस् तारकाख्यश्च वीर्यवान्
undertook severe austerity themselves, for his sake. Among them were Vidyunmali, mighty in strength, and Taraka, powerful in valor.
मयतेजःसमाक्रान्तौ तेपतुर्मयपार्श्वगौ लोका इव यथा मूर्तास् त्रयस् त्रय इवाग्नयः
Endowed with the energy of Maya, and remaining at Maya’s side, the two performed austerity, appearing like three embodied worlds, or like three fires.
लोकत्रयं तापयन्तस् ते तेपुर्दानवास्तपः हेमन्ते जलशय्यासु ग्रीष्मे पञ्चतपे तथा
The Danavas, burning the three worlds, performed austerity—lying on water in winter, and enduring the fivefold heat in summer.
वर्षासु च तथाकाशे क्षपयन्तस्तनूः प्रियाः सेवानाः फलमूलानि पुष्पाणि च जलानि च
During the rains, and likewise in the open sky, they wore away their bodies, subsisting on fruits, roots, flowers, and water, dear to those who serve.
अन्यदाचरिताहाराः पङ्केनाचितवल्कलाः मग्नाः शैवालपङ्केषु विमलाविमलेषु च
At other times, they lived on whatever food they could find, clad in bark smeared with mud, immersed in clear and muddy ponds alike.
निर्मांसाश्च ततो जाताः कृशा धमनिसंतताः तेषां तपःप्रभावेन प्रभावविधुतं यथा
Thus, they became fleshless, thin, with veins prominent; by the power of their austerity, their radiance was as if swept away.
निष्प्रभं तु जगत्सर्वं मन्दमेवाभिभाषितम् दह्यमानेषु लोकेषु तैस्त्रिभिर्दानवाग्निभिः
All the worlds became dim, and speech was feeble, as the worlds were scorched by the three fires of those Danavas.
तेषामग्रे जगद्बन्धुः प्रादुर्भूतः पितामहः ततः साहसकर्तारः प्राहुस्ते सहसागतम्
Then, before them, the grandsire of the world, Pitamaha, appeared; and those heroes, seeing him arrive suddenly, spoke to him.
स्वकं पितामहं दैत्यास् तं वै तुष्टुवुरेव च अथ तान्दानवान्ब्रह्मा तपसा तपनप्रभान्
The Daityas praised their own grandsire, Pitamaha; and then Brahma, seeing the Danavas radiant with the heat of their austerity,
उवाच हर्षपूर्णाक्षो हर्षपूर्णमुखस्तदा वरदो ऽहं हि वो वत्सास् तपस्तोषित आगतः
spoke with eyes and face full of joy: 'I am come, O children, pleased by your austerity, to grant you a boon.'
व्रियताम् ईप्सितं यच्च साभिलाषं तदुच्यताम् इत्येवमुच्यमानास्तु प्रतिपन्नं पितामहम्
'Ask for whatever you desire, whatever you wish for—let it be spoken.' Thus addressed, they approached Pitamaha.
विश्वकर्मा मयः प्राह प्रहर्षोत्फुल्ललोचनः देव दैत्याः पुरा देवैः संग्रामे तारकामये
Visvakarma Maya, his eyes wide with delight, spoke: 'O god, formerly the Daityas were defeated by the gods in the battle of Taraka.'
निर्जितास्ताडिताश्चैव हताश्चाप्यायुधैरपि देवैर्वैरानुबन्धाच्च धावन्तो भयवेपिताः
'They were struck, slain even by weapons, and, pursued by enmity, fled trembling in fear from the gods.'
शरणं नैव जानीमः शर्म वा शरणार्थिनः सो ऽहं तपःप्रभावेन तव भक्त्या तथैव च
'We knew neither refuge nor safety, though seeking shelter. By the power of austerity and by devotion to you, I—'
इच्छामि कर्तुं तद्दुर्गं यद्देवैरपि दुस्तरम् तस्मिंश्च त्रिपुरे दुर्गे मत्कृते कृतिनां वर
'wish to build that fortress which even the gods find difficult to overcome. In that triple fortress, O bestower of boons, for my sake—'
भूम्यानां जलजानां च शापानां मुनितेजसाम् देवप्रहरणानां च देवानां च प्रजापतेः
'let it be invulnerable to the earth-born, to those born of water, to the curses of sages, to the weapons of the gods, and to the gods themselves, O Lord of creatures.'
अलङ्घनीयं भवतु त्रिपुरं यदि ते प्रियम् विश्वकर्मा इतीवोक्तः स तदा विश्वकर्मणा
'Let Tripura be unassailable, if it pleases you.' Thus addressed by Visvakarma, he then—
उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं मयं दैत्यगणाधिपम् सर्वामरत्वं नैवास्ति असद्वृत्तस्य दानव
He spoke, laughing, to Maya, the leader of the demon hosts: Immortality is not granted to one of wicked conduct, O Danava.
तस्माद्दुर्गविधानं हि क्षणादपि विधीयताम् पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा तदैवं दानवो मयः
Therefore, let the construction of a fortress be undertaken at once; hearing the words of the grandsire, the demon Maya did so.
प्राञ्जलिः पुनरप्याह ब्रह्माणं पद्मसम्भवम् यस्तदेकेषुणा दुर्गं सकृन्मुक्तेन निर्दहेत्
With joined palms, he again addressed Brahma, born from the lotus: Whoever destroys the fortress with a single arrow, released just once—
समं स संयुगे हन्याद् अवध्यं शेषतो भवेत् एवमस्त्विति चाप्युक्त्वा मयं देवः पितामहः
Let him slay equally in battle; let the remainder be invulnerable. So be it, said the god, the grandsire, to Maya.
स्वप्ने लब्धो यथार्थो वै तत्रैवादर्शनं ययौ गते पितामहे दैत्या गता मयरविप्रभाः
As in a dream, the vision was obtained and vanished there; when the grandsire departed, the demons left with Maya as their leader.
वरदानाद्विरेजुस्ते तपसा च महाबलाः स मयस्तु महाबुद्धिर् दानवो वृषसत्तमः
From the granting of boons, they rejoiced, and with their great ascetic power; but Maya, the great-minded Danava, was the foremost among bulls.
दुर्गं व्यवसितः कर्तुम् इति चाचिन्तयत्तदा कथं नाम भवेद्दुर्गं तन्मया त्रिपुरं कृतम्
He resolved to build a fortress, and pondered then: How might such a fortress be made by me, since Tripura was constructed by me?
वत्स्यते तत्पुरं दिव्यं मत्तो नान्यैर्न संशयः यथाचैकेषुणा तेन तत्पुरं न हि हन्यते
That divine city will be inhabited by me alone, not by others, without doubt; and as it cannot be destroyed by a single arrow, so it shall be.