भूकम्पश्चाभवत्तत्र शताङ्गो भूगतो ऽभवत् दृष्ट्वा क्षोभमगाद्रुद्रः स्वयम्भूश्च पितामहः
There, the earth quaked; Śatāṅga fell to the ground. Seeing this disturbance, Rudra and the self-born grandsire were agitated.
ताभ्यां देववरिष्ठाभ्याम् अन्वितः स रथोत्तमः अनायतनम् आसाद्य सीदते गुणवानिव
Accompanied by those two foremost gods, that excellent chariot, reaching a place without support, began to sink, as if a virtuous man faltered.
धातुक्षये देह इव ग्रीष्मे चाल्पमिवोदकम् शैथिल्यं याति स रथः स्नेहो विप्रकृतो यथा
Just as a body, when its vital elements are depleted, becomes slack, or as water diminishes in the heat of summer, so too does that chariot lose its vigor, its lubrication disturbed.
रथादुत्पत्यात्मभूर् वै सीदन्तं तु रथोत्तमम् उज्जहार महाप्राणो रथं त्रैलोक्यरूपिणम्
Then, the great vital force, springing forth from the chariot, lifted up the exhausted, excellent chariot—whose form encompassed the three worlds.
तदा शराद्विनिष्पत्य पीतवासा जनार्दनः वृषरूपं महत्कृत्वा रथं जग्राह दुर्धरम्
At that moment, Janardana, clad in yellow garments, leapt from the chariot, assumed a mighty form as a bull, and seized the formidable chariot.
स विषाणाभ्यां त्रैलोक्यं रथमेव महारथः प्रगृह्योद्वहते सज्जं कुलं कुलवहो यथा
That great chariot, grasped by its horns, carried the three worlds, just as a bull carrying its herd.
तारकाख्यो ऽपि दैत्येन्द्रो गिरीन्द्र इव पक्षवान् अभ्यद्रवत्तदा देवं ब्रह्माणं हतवांश्च सः
Then, the demon king named Taraka, possessing wings like a mountain lord, rushed toward the god Brahma and struck him down.
स तारकाख्याभिहतः प्रतोदं न्यस्य कूबरे विजज्वाल मुहुर्ब्रह्मा श्वासं वक्त्रात् समुद्गिरन्
Struck by Taraka, Brahma placed the goad on the yoke and blazed forth repeatedly, exhaling his breath from his mouth.
तत्र दैत्यैर्महानादो दानवैरपि भैरवः तारकाख्यस्य पूजार्थं कृतो जलधरोपमः
There, a great and terrifying roar arose from the demons and danavas, made for the worship of Taraka, resembling the sound of thunderclouds.
रथचरणकरो ऽथ महामृधे वृषभवपुर्वृषभेन्द्रपूजितः दितितनयबलं विमर्द्य सर्वं त्रिपुरपुरं प्रविवेश केशवः
Then, the chariot's wheel, honored by the foremost bulls and bull-kings in the great battle, crushed all the forces of the sons of Diti, and Keśava entered the city of Tripura.
सजलजलदराजितां समस्तां कुमुदवरोत्पलफुल्लपङ्कजाढ्याम् सुरगुरुरपिबत्पयो ऽमृतं तद् रविरिव संचितशार्वरं तमो ऽन्धम्
The preceptor of the gods drank the nectar, as the sun consumes the amassed darkness of night, from the entire lotus-filled lake adorned with water-laden clouds, white lotuses, and blooming blue lilies.
वापीं पीत्वासुरेन्द्राणां पीतवासा जनार्दनः नर्दमानो महाबाहुः प्रविवेश शरं ततः
Having drunk from the reservoir of the demon kings, Janardana, clad in yellow, with mighty arms, roaring, then entered the arrow.
ततो ऽसुरा भीमगणेश्वरैर्हताः प्रहारसंवर्धितशोणितापगाः पराङ्मुखा भीममुखैः कृता रणे यथा नयाभ्युद्यततत्परैर्नरैः
Then the demons, struck down by the fierce lords of the hosts, their rivers reddened by blows, turned their faces away, made fearful by the terrifying faces, just as men are driven back in battle by those skilled in strategy.
स तारकाख्यस् तडिन्मालिरेव च मयेन सार्धं प्रमथैरभिद्रुताः पुरं परावृत्य नु ते शरार्दिता यथा शरीरं पवनोदये गताः
Taraka, adorned with a garland of lightning, together with Maya and the Pramathas, attacked the city, but, pierced by arrows, they retreated, as bodies depart when the wind arises.
गणेश्वराभ्युद्यतदर्पकाशिनो महेन्द्रनन्दीश्वरषण्मुखा युधि विनेदुरुच्चैर्जहसुश्च दुर्मदा जयेम चन्द्रादिदिगीश्वरैः सह
The lords of the hosts, shining with rising pride—Mahendra, Nandi, and the six-faced one—roared loudly and laughed arrogantly in battle, saying, 'Let us conquer!' together with the moon and the lords of the directions.
प्रमथैः समरे भिन्नास् त्रैपुरास्ते सुरारयः पुरं प्रविविशुर्भीताः प्रमथैर्भग्नगोपुरम्
Broken in battle by the Pramathas, those enemies of the gods entered the city, frightened, as the Pramathas shattered the city gates.
शीर्णदंष्ट्रा यथा नागा भग्नशृङ्गा यथा वृषाः यथा विपक्षाः शकुना नद्यः क्षीणोदका यथा
Like elephants with broken tusks, bulls with shattered horns, birds with damaged wings, or rivers with depleted waters, so were they.
मृतप्रायास्तथा दैत्या दैवतैर्विकृताननाः बभूवुस्ते विमनसः कथं कार्यमिति ब्रुवन्
Thus, the daityas, nearly dead, their faces distorted by the gods, became despondent, saying, 'What should we do?'
अथ तान्म्लानमनसस् तदा तामरसाननः उवाच दैत्यो दैत्यानां परमाधिपतिर्मयः
Then, as their minds wilted, the lotus-faced demon, Maya, supreme leader of the daityas, spoke to them.
कृत्वा युद्धानि घोराणि प्रमथैः सह सामरैः तोषयित्वा तथा युद्धे प्रमथानमरैः सह
Having fought fierce battles with the Pramathas and their allies, and having pleased them in battle, together with the Pramathas and their allies...
यूयं यत्प्रथमं दैत्याः पश्चाच्च बलपीडिताः प्रविष्टा नगरं त्रासात् प्रमथैर्भृशमर्दिताः
You, O Daityas, who first entered the city, and later, overwhelmed by force, entered again out of fear, being greatly harassed by the Pramathas.
अप्रियं क्रियते व्यक्तं देवैर्नास्त्यत्र संशयः यत्र नाम महाभागाः प्रविशन्ति गिरेर्वनम्
It is clear that the gods are acting unfavorably; there is no doubt about this. Where indeed the illustrious ones enter the forest of the mountain.
अहो हि कालस्य बलम् अहो कालो हि दुर्जयः यत्रेदृशस्य दुर्गस्य उपरोधो ऽवमागतः
Ah, the power of Time! Ah, Time is truly unconquerable, when even such a fortress has come under siege.
मये विवदमाने तु नर्दमान इवाम्बुदे बभूवुर्निष्प्रभा दैत्या ग्रहा इन्दूदये यथा
While I was disputing, like a roaring cloud, the Daityas became devoid of brilliance, like planets at the rise of the moon.
वापीपालास्ततो ऽभ्येत्य नभः काल इवाम्बुदाः मयमाहुर्यमप्रख्यं साञ्जलिप्रग्रहाः स्थिताः
Then the guardians of the reservoir approached, like clouds in the sky at the time of destruction, and with joined palms, stood before Maya, declaring him equal to Yama.
या सामृतरसा गूढा वापी वै निर्मिता त्वया समाकुलोत्पलवना समीनाकुलपङ्कजा
That reservoir, concealed and made by you, whose waters contained the essence of immortality, was filled with lotuses and teeming with fish and muddy with water lilies.
पीता सा वृषरूपेण केनचिद्दैत्यनायक वापी सा साम्प्रतं दृष्टा मृतसंज्ञा इवाङ्गना
It was drunk by someone in the form of a bull, O leader of the Daityas; now that reservoir appears as if lifeless, like a woman bereft of consciousness.
वापीपालवचः श्रुत्वा मयो ऽसौ दानवप्रभुः कष्टमित्यसकृत्प्रोच्य दितिजानिदमब्रवीत्
Hearing the words of the reservoir guardians, Maya, the lord of the Danavas, repeatedly exclaimed 'Alas!' and spoke thus to the sons of Diti.
मया मायाबलकृता वापी पीता त्वियं यदि विनष्टाः स्म न संदेहस् त्रिपुरं दानवा गतम्
If the reservoir, created by my power of illusion, has been drunk, then we are destroyed; there is no doubt, O Danavas, Tripura is lost.
निहतान्निहतान्दैत्यान् आजीवयति दैवतैः पीता वा यदि वा वापी पीता वै पीतवाससा
Whether the Daityas are slain by the gods or revived, whether the reservoir is drunk or drunk by one clad in yellow garments—