साधु साध्वित्यवोचंस्ते तत्र दैत्याः सविस्मयाः सो ऽगच्छत्पारियात्रस्य गिरेः कन्दरमुत्तमम्
The Daityas, amazed, exclaimed, 'Well said! Well said!' and he went to the finest cave of the Pāriyātra mountain.
सर्वर्तुकुसुमाकीर्णं नानौषधिविदीपितम् नानाधातुरसस्रावचित्रं नानागुहागृहम्
It was adorned with flowers of all seasons, illuminated by various herbs, filled with streams of many minerals, and dotted with diverse caves and dwellings.
गहनैः सर्वतो गूढं चित्रकल्पद्रुमाश्रयम् अनेकाकारबहुलं पृथक्पक्षिकुलाकुलम्
Hidden on all sides by dense thickets, sheltered by wondrous wish-fulfilling trees, teeming with countless forms and flocks of birds of every kind.
नानाप्रस्रवणोपेतं नानाविधजलाशयम् प्राप्य तत्कन्दरं दैत्यश् चचार विपुलं तपः
Endowed with many springs and reservoirs of various waters, he reached that cave and undertook great austerity.
निराहारः पञ्चतपाः पत्त्रभुग्वारिभोजनः शतं शतं समानां तु तपांस्येतानि सो ऽकरोत्
He fasted, practiced the fivefold austerity, subsisted on leaves and water; for hundreds upon hundreds of years, he performed these ascetic practices.
ततः स्वदेहादुत्कृत्य कर्षं कर्षं दिने दिने मांसस्याग्नौ जुहावासौ ततो निर्मांसतां गतः
Then, day by day, he cut flesh from his own body and offered it into the fire; thus, he became devoid of flesh.
तस्मिन्निर्मांसतां याते तपोराशित्वमागते जज्वलुः सर्वभूतानि तेजसा तस्य सर्वतः
When he had become fleshless and amassed ascetic power, all beings everywhere blazed with the radiance of his energy.
उद्विग्नाश्च सुराः सर्वे तपसा तस्य भीषिताः एतस्मिन्नन्तरे ब्रह्मा परमं तोषमागतः
All the gods were troubled, frightened by his austerity; meanwhile, Brahmā attained supreme satisfaction.
तारकस्य वरं दातुं जगाम त्रिदशालयात् प्राप्य तं शैलराजानं स गिरेः कन्दरस्थितम् उवाच तारकं देवो गिरा मधुरया युतः
To grant Tāraka a boon, he came from the abode of the gods; finding him in the cave of the mountain king, the god addressed Tāraka with sweet words.
पुत्रालं तपसा ते ऽस्तु नास्त्यसाध्यं तवाधुना वरं वृणीष्व रुचिरं यत्ते मनसि वर्तते
Enough, child, with your austerity; nothing is unattainable for you now. Choose a splendid boon, whatever dwells in your mind.
इत्युक्तस्तारको दैत्यः प्रणम्यात्मभुवं विभुम् उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा प्रणतः पृथुविक्रमः
Thus addressed, Tāraka the Daitya, bowing to the self-born Lord, spoke with joined palms, humbly, mighty in valor.
देवभूतमनोवास वेत्सि जन्तुविचेष्टितम् कृतप्रतिकृताकाङ्क्षी जिगीषुः प्रायशो जनः
You know the hearts of gods and the actions of creatures; people, desiring reward or retaliation, generally strive for victory.
वयं च जातिधर्मेण कृतवैराः सहामरैः तैश्च निःशेषिता दैत्याः क्रूरैः संत्यज्य धर्मिताम् तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता भवेयमिति मे मतिः
By birth and duty, we have enmity with the immortals; the Daityas have been destroyed by them, forsaking righteousness. My resolve is to be their deliverer.
अवध्यः सर्वभूतानाम् अस्त्राणां च महौजसाम् स्यामहं परमो ह्येष वरो मम हृदि स्थितः
Let me be invulnerable to all beings and to mighty weapons; this supreme boon is firmly fixed in my heart.
एतन्मे देहि देवेश नान्यो मे रोचते वरः तमुवाच ततो दैत्यं विरिञ्चिः सुरनायकः
Grant me this boon, O Lord of the gods; no other favor pleases me. Then the leader of the gods, Brahmā, spoke thus to the demon.
न युज्यन्ते विना मृत्युं देहिनो दैत्यसत्तम यतस्ततो ऽपि वरय मृत्युं यस्मान्न शङ्कसे
Without death, embodied beings cannot exist, O best of demons; therefore, choose another boon, except for death, since you do not fear it.
ततः संचिन्त्य दैत्येन्द्रः शिशोर्वै सप्तवासरात् वव्रे महासुरो मृत्युम् अवलेपेन मोहितः
Then, after reflecting, the lord of demons, deluded by pride, asked for death only after seven days from his birth as a child.
ब्रह्मा चास्मै वरं दत्त्वा यत्किंचिन्मनसेप्सितम् जगाम त्रिदिवं देवो दैत्यो ऽपि स्वकमालयम्
Brahmā, having granted him whatever boon he desired in his mind, departed to heaven, and the demon returned to his own abode.
उत्तीर्णं तपसस्तं तु दैत्यं दैत्येश्वरास्तथा परिवव्रुः सहस्राक्षं दिवि देवगणा यथा
When that demon had completed his austerities, the lords of the demons gathered around him, just as the hosts of gods surround Indra in heaven.
तस्मिन्महति राज्यस्थे तारके दैत्यनन्दने ऋतवो मूर्तिमन्तश्च स्वकालगुणबृंहिताः
As Tāraka, the delight of the demons, held great sovereignty, the seasons themselves appeared in form, enhanced by their own qualities.
अभवन्किंकरास्तस्य लोकपालाश्च सर्वशः कान्तिर्द्युतिर्धृतिर्मेधा श्रीरवेक्ष्य च दानवम्
All the guardians of the worlds became his attendants; beauty, splendor, fortitude, intelligence, and prosperity watched over the Dānava.
परिवव्रुर्गुणाकीर्णा निश्छिद्राः सर्व एव हि कालागुरुविलिप्ताङ्गं महामुकुटभूषणम्
They surrounded him, adorned with virtues and without any flaw, his body anointed with fragrant aloe, his head adorned with a great crown.
रुचिराङ्गदनद्धाङ्गं महासिंहासने स्थितम् वीजयन्त्यप्सरःश्रेष्ठा भृशं मुञ्चन्ति नैव ताः
His limbs were decorated with beautiful armlets, seated upon a great lion-throne; the foremost Apsarases fanned him constantly, never ceasing.
चन्द्रार्कौ दीपमार्गेषु व्यजनेषु च मारुतः कृतान्तो ऽग्रेसरस्तस्य बभूवुर्मुनिसत्तमाः
The moon and sun served as lamps along his path, the wind as his fan; Death himself led the way before him, O best of sages.
एवं प्रयाति काले तु वितते तारकासुरः बभाषे सचिवान्दैत्यः प्रभूतवरदर्पितः
Thus, as time passed, Tārakāsura, filled with the pride of many boons, addressed his demon ministers.
राज्येन कारणं किं मे त्व् अनाक्रम्य त्रिविष्टपम् अनिर्याप्य सुरैर्वैरं का शान्तिर्हृदये मम
What is the purpose of my kingdom if I do not conquer the heavens? How can my heart find peace without vanquishing the gods and ending our enmity?
भुञ्जते ऽद्यापि यज्ञांशान् अमरा नाक एव हि विष्णुः श्रियं न जहति तिष्ठते च गतभ्रमः
Even now, the immortals enjoy their shares of sacrifice in heaven; Viṣṇu does not abandon his fortune and remains free from delusion.
स्वस्थाभिः स्वर्गनारीभिः पीड्यन्ते ऽमरवल्लभाः सोत्पला मदिरामोदा दिवि क्रीडायनेषु च
The beloveds of the gods, the women of heaven, oppress them with their beauty, lotus in hand, intoxicated with wine, in their celestial sports and gardens.
लब्ध्वा जन्म न यः कश्चिद् घटयेत्पौरुषं नरः जन्म तस्य वृथा भूतम् अजन्मा तु विशिष्यते
A man who, having obtained birth, does not strive for valor—his birth is in vain; the unborn is even superior to him.
मातापितृभ्यां न करोति कामान् बन्धूनशोकान्न करोति यो वा कीर्तिं हि वा नार्जयते हिमाभां पुमान्स जातो ऽपि मृतो मतं मे
He who does not fulfill the desires of his parents, does not relieve the sorrows of his kin, nor attains fame as pure as the moon—such a man, though born, is as good as dead in my view.