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.
ग्रसमाना इवाकाशं मुष्णन्त इव मेदिनीम् मुखेभ्यः ससृजुः श्वासान् उच्छ्वसन्त इवोरगाः
As if devouring the sky, as if plundering the earth, the serpents exhaled breaths from their mouths, breathing out forcefully.
स्वयम्भुवा चोद्यमानाश् चोदितेन कपर्दिना व्रजन्ति ते ऽश्वा जवनाः क्षयकाल इवानिलाः
Driven by the Self-born and by Kapardin, those swift horses advanced like the winds at the time of destruction.
ध्वजोच्छ्रयविनिर्माणे ध्वजयष्टिमनुत्तमाम् आक्रम्य नन्दी वृषभस् तस्थौ तस्मिञ्छिवेच्छया
Upon the construction of the lofty banner, Nandi the bull took his place upon that excellent banner-staff, by the will of Shiva.
भार्गवाङ्गिरसौ देवौ दण्डहस्तौ रविप्रभौ रथचक्रे तु रक्षेते रुद्रस्य प्रियकाङ्क्षिणौ
The divine Bhargava and Angiras, radiant as the sun and bearing staffs, guarded the chariot wheels, desiring the favor of Rudra.
शेषश्च भगवान्नागो ऽनन्तो ऽनन्तकरो ऽरिणाम् शरहस्तो रथं पाति शयनं ब्रह्मणस्तदा
The blessed serpent Shesha, endless and destroyer of enemies, holding a dart, protected the chariot and the couch of Brahma at that time.
यमस्तूर्णं समास्थाय महिषं चातिदारुणम् द्रविणाधिपतिर्व्यालं सुराणामधिपो द्विपम्
Yama swiftly mounted his fierce buffalo; the lord of wealth his serpent; and the lord of the gods his elephant.
मयूरं शतचन्द्रं च कूजन्तं किंनरं यथा गुह आस्थाय वरदो युगोपमरथं पितुः
Guha, bestower of boons, mounted a peacock shining like a hundred moons and singing like a kinnara, and took his place on his father’s chariot, equal to the yoke.
नन्दीश्वरश्च भगवाञ् छूलमादाय दीप्तिमान् पृष्ठतश्चापि पार्श्वाभ्यां लोकस्य क्षयकृद्यथा
The blessed Nandishvara, radiant and bearing a trident, stood behind and at the sides, like the destroyer of the worlds.
प्रमथाश्चाग्निवर्णाभाः साग्निज्वाला इवाचलाः अनुजग्मू रथं शार्वं नक्रा इव महार्णवम्
The Pramathas, glowing with the color of fire and unmoving like blazing flames, followed Sharva’s chariot like crocodiles in the great ocean.
भृगुर्भरद्वाजवसिष्ठगौतमाः क्रतुः पुलस्त्यः पुलहस्तपोधनाः मरीचिरत्रिर्भगवानथाङ्गिराः पराशरागस्त्यमुखा महर्षयः
Bhrigu, Bharadvaja, Vasishta, Gautama, Kratu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Tapodhana, Marichi, Atri, the blessed Angiras, Parashara, Agastya, and other great sages were present.