ब्रह्मवध्या च गोवध्या बालवध्या प्रजाभयाः गदा भूत्वा शक्तयश्च तदा देवरथे ऽभ्ययुः
Brahmavadhyā, Govadhyā, Bālavadhyā, and Prajābhayā, having become maces and spears, then approached the chariot of the gods.
युगं कृतयुगं चात्र चातुर्होत्रप्रयोजकाः चतुर्वर्णाः सलीलाश्च बभूवुः स्वर्णकुण्डलाः
The age here was Kṛtayuga; the officiants of the fourfold sacrifice, the four castes, and the waters, all adorned with golden earrings, came into being.
तद्युगं युगसंकाशं रथशीर्षे प्रतिष्ठितम् धृतराष्ट्रेण नागेन बद्धं बलवता महत्
That age, resembling a yuga, was established at the head of the chariot, bound firmly by the mighty Nāga Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
ऋग्वेदः सामवेदश्च यजुर्वेदस्तथा परः वेदाश् चत्वार एवैते चत्वारस्तुरगाभवन्
The Ṛgveda, the Sāmaveda, the Yajurveda, and the Atharvaveda—these four became the four horses.
अन्नदानपुरोगाणि यानि दानानि कानिचित् तान्यासन्वाजिनां तेषां भूषणानि सहस्रशः
Those gifts, led by the gift of food, whatever gifts there were, became the ornaments of the horses, in their thousands.
पद्मद्वयं तक्षकश्च कर्कोटकधनंजयौ नागा बभूवुरेवैते हयानां वालबन्धनाः
Two lotuses, Takṣaka, Karkoṭaka, and Dhanaṃjaya—these Nāgas became the tail-binders of the horses.
ओंकारप्रभवास्ता वा मन्त्रयज्ञक्रतुक्रियाः उपद्रवाः प्रतीकाराः पशुबन्धेष्टयस्तथा
Those rites of mantra, sacrifice, and ritual, originating from Oṃkāra, along with calamities, remedies, animal sacrifices, and offerings, were present.
यज्ञोपवाहान्येतानि तस्मिंल्लोकरथे शुभे मणिमुक्ताप्रवालैस्तु भूषितानि सहस्रशः
These sacrificial upavāhas on that splendid world-chariot were adorned by thousands of jewels, pearls, and corals.
प्रतोद ओंकार एवासीत् तदग्रं च वषट्कृतम् सिनीवाली कुहू राका तथा चानुमतिः शुभा योक्त्राण्यासंस्तुरंगाणाम् अपसर्पणविग्रहाः
The goad was Oṃkāra itself, and at its tip was the Vaṣaṭ call; Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā, and the auspicious Anumati were the yokes of the horses, their forms being for turning aside.
कृष्णान्यथ च पीतानि श्वेतमाञ्जिष्ठकानि च अवदाताः पताकास्तु बभूवुः पवनेरिताः
Black, yellow, white, and madder-red—these pure banners, stirred by the wind, appeared.
ऋतुभिश्च कृतः षड्भिर् धनुः संवत्सरो ऽभवत् अजरा ज्याभवच्चापि साम्बिका धनुषो दृढा
The bow was made of the six seasons; the year became the bowstring; Ajārā was the string, and Sāmbikā was the sturdy part of the bow.
कालो हि भगवान्रुद्रस् तं च संवत्सरं विदुः तस्मादुमा कालरात्रिर् धनुषो ज्याजराभवत्
Time, indeed, is the blessed Rudra; that year is known as him. Therefore, Umā Kālarātrī became the bowstring's Ajārā.
सगर्भं त्रिपुरं येन दग्धवान्स त्रिलोचनः स इषुर्विष्णुसोमाग्नित्रिदैवतमयो ऽभवत्
He who burned the pregnant Tripura, the three-eyed one—that arrow was composed of Viṣṇu, Soma, Agni, and the three deities.
आननं ह्यग्निरभवच् छल्यं सोमस्तमोनुदः तेजसः समवायो ऽथ चेषोस्तेजो रथाङ्गधृक्
The mouth indeed became Agni, the tip Soma, the dispeller of darkness; the union of energy was the arrow, and brilliance held the chariot wheel.
तस्मिंश्च वीर्यवृद्ध्यर्थं वासुकिर्नागपार्थिवः तेजःसंवसनार्थं वै मुमोचातिविषो विषम्
There, for the purpose of increasing strength, Vasuki, king of the serpents, released his exceedingly potent poison to envelop the energy.
कृत्वा देवा रथं चापि दिव्यं दिव्यप्रभावतः लोकाधिपतिमभ्येत्य इदं वचनमब्रुवन्
Having fashioned a divine chariot of wondrous brilliance, the gods approached the lord of the worlds and spoke these words.
संस्कृतो ऽयं रथो ऽस्माभिस् तव दानवशत्रुजित् इदमापत्परित्राणं देवान्सेन्द्रपुरोगमान्
This chariot has been prepared by us, victorious over the hosts of demons; let it be for the rescue from calamity of the gods, led by Indra.
तं मेरुशिखराकारं त्रैलोक्यरथमुत्तमम् प्रशस्य देवान्साध्विति रथं पश्यति शंकरः
That supreme chariot, resembling the peak of Meru, the best in the three worlds, was praised by the gods with cries of 'Excellent!' as Shankara gazed upon it.
मुहुर्दृष्ट्वा रथं साधु साध्वित्युक्त्वा मुहुर्मुहुः उवाच सेन्द्रानमरान् अमराधिपतिः स्वयम्
Repeatedly viewing the chariot and exclaiming 'Excellent!' again and again, the lord of immortals himself addressed Indra and the other gods.
यादृशो ऽयं रथः कॢप्तो युष्माभिर्मम सत्तमाः ईदृशो रथसम्पत्त्या यन्ता शीघ्रं विधीयताम्
Such as this chariot has been constructed by you for me, O best among beings, let a swift charioteer be appointed with such a chariot's splendor.
इत्युक्त्वा देवदेवेन देवा विद्धा इवेषुभिः अवापुर्महतीं चिन्तां कथं कार्यमिति ब्रुवन्
Having spoken thus, the lord of gods, the gods became as if struck by arrows, falling into great anxiety, saying, 'How shall this be accomplished?'
महादेवस्य देवो ऽन्यः को नाम सदृशो भवेत् मुक्त्वा चक्रायुधं देवं सो ऽप्यस्येषुं समाश्रितः
Which other god could possibly be equal to Mahadeva? Even after excluding the wielder of the discus, that god too has taken refuge in him.
धुरि युक्ता इवोक्षाणो घटन्त इव पर्वतैः निश्वसन्तः सुराः सर्वे कथमेतदिति ब्रुवन्
Like oxen yoked to a burden, struggling as if with mountains, all the gods sighed, asking, 'How shall this be done?'
देवेष्वाह देवदेवो लोकनाथस्य धूर्गतान् अहं सारथिरित्युक्त्वा जग्राहाश्वांस्ततो ऽग्रजः
Among the gods, the lord of gods spoke to those troubled by the burden of the world's lord, saying, 'I shall be the charioteer,' and then the eldest took up the horses.
ततो देवैः सगन्धर्वैः सिंहनादो महान्कृतः प्रतोदहस्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य ब्रह्माणं सूततां गतम्
Then, with the gods and Gandharvas, a great lion's roar arose, as they saw Brahma, holding the whip, assuming the role of charioteer.
भगवानपि विश्वेशो रथस्थे वै पितामहे सदृशः सूत इत्युक्त्वा चारुरोह रथं हरः
The blessed lord of all, seeing the grandsire upon the chariot, declared him a worthy charioteer and ascended the chariot, Hara.
आरोहति रथं देवे ह्य् अश्वा हरभरातुराः जानुभिः पतिता भूमौ रजोग्रासश्च ग्रासितः
As the god ascended the chariot, the horses, overwhelmed by the weight of Hara, fell to the ground on their knees, and the dust was devoured.
देवो दृष्ट्वाथ वेदांस्तान् अभीरुग्रहयान् भयात् उज्जहार पितॄनार्तान् सुपुत्र इव दुःखितान्
The god, seeing the Vedas, trembling with fear, distressed, rescued the suffering ancestors as a sorrowful son would his parents.
ततः सिंहरवो भूयो बभूव रथभैरवः जयशब्दश्च देवानां संबभूवार्णवोपमः
Then again arose a lion's roar, terrifying from the chariot, and a cry of victory from the gods, resounding like the ocean.
तदोंकारमयं गृह्य प्रतोदं वरदः प्रभुः स्वयम्भूः प्रययौ वाहान् अनुमन्त्र्य यथाजवम्
Taking up a whip made of Om, the boon-giving lord, Self-born, urged on the steeds, instructing them according to their speed.