तारकाख्यपुरे तस्मिन् सुराः शूराः समन्ततः सशस्त्रा निपतन्ति स्म सपक्षा इव भूधराः
In that city called Taraka, the heroic gods, armed on all sides, fell like winged mountains.
योधयन्ति त्रिभागेण त्रिपुरे तु गणेश्वराः विद्युन्माली मयश्चैव मग्नौ च द्रुमवद्रणे
In Tripura, the chiefs of the hosts fought in three divisions; Vidyunmali and Maya, too, were submerged like trees in battle.
विद्युन्माली स दैत्येन्द्रो गिरीन्द्रसदृशद्युतिः आदाय परिघं घोरं ताडयामास नन्दिनम्
That lord of the Daityas, Vidyunmālī, radiant as a mountain, seized a terrible iron club and struck Nandin.
स नन्दी दानवेन्द्रेण परिघेण दृढाहतः भ्रमते मधुना व्यक्तः पुरा नारायणो यथा
Struck firmly by the club of the lord of the Dānavas, Nandin staggered, just as Nārāyaṇa once did under the influence of Madhu.
नन्दीश्वरे गते तत्र गणपाः ख्यातविक्रमाः दुद्रुवुर्जातसंरम्भा विद्युन्मालिनमासुरम्
When Nandīśvara departed from there, the renowned and valiant Gaṇas, filled with wrath, rushed at the Asura Vidyunmālin.
घण्टाकर्णः शङ्कुकर्णो महाकालश्च पार्षदाः ततश्च सायकैः सर्वान् गणपान्गणपाकृतीन्
Then the attendants Ghaṇṭākarṇa, Śaṅkukarṇa, and Mahākāla showered all the Gaṇas and their leaders with arrows.
भूयो भूयः स विव्याध गणेश्वरमहत्तमान् भित्त्वा भित्त्वा रुरावोच्चैर् नभस्यम्बुधरो यथा
Again and again he pierced the greatest of the Gaṇeśvaras, and as he struck them, they roared loudly like thunderclouds in the sky.
तस्यारम्भितशब्देन नन्दी दिनकरप्रभः संज्ञां प्राप्य ततः सो ऽपि विद्युन्मालिनमाद्रवत्
By the sound of the battle begun there, Nandin, shining like the sun, regained consciousness and charged at Vidyunmālī.
रुद्रदत्तं तदा दीप्तं दीप्तानलसमप्रभम् वज्रं वज्रनिभाङ्गस्य दानवस्य ससर्ज ह
Then, Nandin hurled the blazing thunderbolt, given by Rudra and shining like burning fire, at the Daitya whose limbs were like adamant.
तं नन्दिभुजनिर्मुक्तं मुक्ताफलविभूषितम् पपात वक्षसि तदा वज्रं दैत्यस्य भीषणम्
That dreadful thunderbolt, released from Nandin's arm and adorned with pearls, struck the Daitya's chest.
स वज्रनिहतो दैत्यो वज्रसंहननोपमः पपात वज्राभिहतः शक्रेणाद्रिरिवाहतः
Struck by the thunderbolt, the Daitya—whose body was as hard as a thunderbolt—fell, just as a mountain struck by Indra's bolt.
दैत्येश्वरं विनिहतं नन्दिना कुलनन्दिना चुक्रुशुर्दानवाः प्रेक्ष्य दुद्रुवुश्च गणाधिपाः
Seeing their lord of the Daityas slain by Nandin, the delight of his lineage, the Dānavas wailed, and the leaders of the Gaṇas fled.
दुःखामर्षितरोषास्ते विद्युन्मालिनि पातिते द्रुमशैलमहावृष्टिं पयोदाः ससृजुर्यथा
Distressed, enraged, and furious at Vidyunmālī's fall, the clouds poured down a great storm of trees and mountains, as if in grief.
ते पीड्यमाना गुरुभिर् गिरिभिश्च गणेश्वराः कर्तव्यं न विदुः किंचिद् वन्द्यमाधार्मिका इव
Oppressed by the heavy mountains, the Gaṇeśvaras did not know what to do, like the unrighteous when praised.
ततो ऽसुरवरः श्रीमांस् तारकाख्यः प्रतापवान् सतरूणां गिरीणां वै तुल्यरूपधरो बभौ
Then the illustrious and mighty Asura named Tāraka, appearing with the forms of many mountains, shone forth.
भिन्नोत्तमाङ्गा गणपा भिन्नपादाङ्किताननाः विरेजुर्भुजगा मन्त्रैर् वार्यमाणा यथा तथा
The Gaṇas, with broken heads and faces marked by shattered feet, looked like serpents restrained by spells.
मयेन मायावीर्येण वध्यमाना गणेश्वराः भ्रमन्ति बहुशब्दालाः पञ्जरे शकुना इव
Assailed by Maya's magical power, the Gaṇeśvaras wandered about, making much noise, like birds in a cage.
तयासुरवरः श्रीमांस् तारकाख्यः प्रतापवान् ददाह च बलं सर्वं शुष्केन्धनमिवानलः
By that illustrious and mighty Asura named Tāraka, the entire army was burned up, like dry fuel by fire.
तारकाख्येन वार्यन्ते शरवर्षैस्तदा गणाः मयेन मायानिहतास् तारकाख्येन चेषुभिः गणेशा विधुरा जाता जीर्णमूला यथा द्रुमाः
At that time, the Gaṇas were repelled by showers of arrows from Tāraka, and struck by Maya's illusions and Tāraka's shafts, the Gaṇeśas became distressed, like trees with decayed roots.
भूयः संपतते चाग्निर् ग्रहान्ग्राहान्भुजंगमान् गिरीन्द्रांश्च हरीन्व्याघ्रान् वृक्षान् सृमरवर्णकान्
Again, the fire rushed forth at planets, crocodiles, serpents, great mountains, monkeys, tigers, trees, and creatures of fierce appearance.
शरभानष्टपादांश्च अपः पवनमेव च मयो मायाबलेनैव पातयत्येव शत्रुषु
By his power of illusion, Maya caused the waters, the wind, and the limbs of Sharabha to fall upon the enemies.
ते तारकाख्येन मयेन मायया संमुह्यमाना विवशा गणेश्वराः नाशक्नुवंस्ते मनसापि चेष्टितुं यथेन्द्रियार्था मुनिनाभिसंयताः
Confused and overpowered by the illusion of Maya, called Taraka, the leaders of the hosts became helpless, unable even in thought to act, as senses restrained by a sage from their objects.
महाजलाग्न्यादिसकुञ्जरोरगैर् हरीन्द्रव्याघ्रर्क्षतरक्षुराक्षसैः विबाध्यमानास्तमसा विमोहिताः समुद्रमध्येष्विव गाधकाङ्क्षिणः
Assailed by great waters, fires, elephants, serpents, lions, tigers, bears, rakshasas, and demons, bewildered by darkness, they were like those seeking depth in the midst of the ocean.
संमर्द्यमानेषु गणेश्वरेषु संनर्दमानेषु सुरेतरेषु ततः सुराणां प्रवराभिरक्षितुं रिपोर्बलं संविविशुः सहायुधाः
As the leaders of the hosts were being crushed and the gods and demons roared, then the foremost of the gods, armed with weapons, entered the enemy's force to protect their own.
यमो गदास्त्रो वरुणश्च भास्करस् तथा कुमारो ऽमरकोटिसंयुतः स्वयं च शक्रः सितनागवाहनः कुलीशपाणिः सुरलोकपुंगवः
Yama with his mace-weapon, Varuna, Bhaskara, Kumara attended by countless immortals, and Indra himself, lord of the gods, riding the white elephant and holding the thunderbolt, entered.
स चोडुनाथः ससुतो दिवाकरः स सान्तकस्त्र्यक्षपतिर् महाद्युतिः एते रिपूणां प्रबलाभिरक्षितं तदा बलं संविविशुर्मदोद्धताः
The lord of the Maruts with his son, the sun with his retinue, and the radiant three-eyed lord—all these, intoxicated with might, entered that force of the enemy, well-guarded.
यथा वनं दर्पितकुञ्जराधिपा यथा नभः साम्बुधरं दिवाकरः यथा च सिंहैर्विजनेषु गोकुलं तथा बलं तत्त्रिदशैर् अभिद्रुतम्
Just as proud lordly elephants rush into a forest, as the sun enters the sky filled with clouds, or as lions attack a herd of cows in a deserted place, so did the gods assault that army.
कृतप्रहारातुरदीनदानवं ततस्त्वभज्यन्त बलं हि पार्षदाः स्वर्ज्योतिषां ज्योतिर् इवोष्मवान् हरिर् यथा तमो घोरतरं नराणाम्
Then the attendants broke the army, whose demons were wounded and distressed by blows, as the radiant sun disperses the darkness of mortals, or as fire destroys dense gloom.
विशान्तयामास यथा सदैव निशाकरः संचितशार्वरं तमः ततो ऽपकृष्टे च तमःप्रभावे अस्त्रप्रभावे च विवर्धमाने
Just as the moon always calms the accumulated darkness of night, so did he pacify; and as the power of darkness diminished, the brilliance of weapons increased.
दिग्लोकपालैर् गणनायकैश्च कृतो महान्सिंहरवो मुहूर्तम् संख्ये विभग्ना विकरा विपादाश् छिन्नोत्तमाङ्गाः शरपूरिताङ्गाः
A great lion's roar was raised for a moment by the guardians of the directions and the leaders of the hosts; in the battle, the monstrous, deformed, and limbless were shattered, their heads severed, their bodies filled with arrows.