मृतं महिषमासाद्य वने गोमायवो यथा कपालिनं परित्यज्य गतश्चासुरपुंगवः
Like jackals gathering around a dead buffalo in the forest, the chief of the demons abandoned Kapālī and departed.
वेगेन कुपितो दैत्यो नव रुद्रानुपाद्रवत् ममर्द चरणाघातैर् दन्तैश्चापि करेण च
Angered, the demon rushed at the nine Rudras with speed, trampling them with his feet, tusks, and trunk.
स तैस्तुमुलयुद्धेन श्रममासादितो यदा तदा कपाली जग्राह करं तस्यामरद्विषः
When he was exhausted by their fierce battle, Kapālī seized the hand of the enemy of the immortals.
भ्रामयामास वेगेन ह्य् अतीव च गजासुरम् दृष्ट्वा श्रमातुरं दैत्यं किंचित्स्फुरितजीवितम्
He whirled the elephant-demon violently; seeing the demon weary, barely alive, his life flickering.
निरुत्साहं रणे तस्मिन् गतयुद्धोत्सवोद्यमम् ततः पतत एवास्य चर्म चोत्कृत्य भैरवम्
In that battle, the demon lost all spirit, abandoning the effort for victory; then, as he fell, Kapālī tore off his hide, making it a terrifying garment.
स्रवत्सर्वाङ्गरक्तौघं चकाराम्बरमात्मनः दृष्ट्वा विनिहतं दैत्यं दानवेन्द्रा महाबलाः
With streams of blood flowing from every limb, Kapālī made a cloak for himself; seeing the demon slain, the mighty leaders of the demons—
वित्रेसुर्दुद्रुवुर्जग्मुर् निपेतुश्च सहस्रशः दृष्ट्वा कपालिनो रूपं गजचर्माम्बरावृतम्
Were terrified, fled, departed, and fell by the thousands, seeing Kapālī's form draped in the elephant-hide cloak.
दिक्षु भूमौ तमेवोग्रं रुद्रं दैत्या व्यलोकयन् एवं विलुलिते तस्मिन् दानवेन्द्रे महाबले
The demons beheld that fierce Rudra on the earth and in all directions; thus, as the mighty demon king was laid low—
द्विपाधिरूढो दैत्येन्द्रो हतदुन्दुभिना ततः कल्पान्ताम्बुधराभेण दुर्धरेणापि दानवः
The demon king, mounted on an elephant, with his drum destroyed, appeared like a storm-cloud at the end of an age, formidable even to the powerful.
निमिरभ्यपतत्तूर्णं सुरसैन्यानि लोडयन्
He swiftly charged, shaking the armies of the gods.
यां यां निमिगजो याति दिशं तां तां सवाहना संत्यज्य दुद्रुवुर्देवा भयार्तास्त्यक्तहेतयः गन्धेन सुरमातङ्गा दुद्रुवुस्तस्य हस्तिनः
Wherever the elephant of Nimi went, the gods abandoned their vehicles and fled, terrified, forsaking their purpose; the celestial elephants fled from the scent of his elephant.
पलायितेषु सैन्येषु सुराणां पाकशासनः तस्थौ दिक्पालकैः सार्धम् अष्टभिः केशवेन च
As the armies of the gods fled, Indra stood firm with the eight guardians of the directions and with Keśava.
सम्प्राप्तो निमिमातङ्गो यावच्छक्रगजं प्रति तावच्छक्रगजो यातो मुक्त्वा नादं स भैरवम्
As Nimi's elephant approached Indra's elephant, at that very moment Indra's elephant moved forward, letting out a terrible roar.
ध्रियमाणो ऽपि यत्नेन स रणे नैव तिष्ठति पलायिते गजे तस्मिन्न् आरूढः पाकशासनः
Though restrained with effort, he did not stand firm in battle; when his elephant fled, Pākaśāsana mounted it.
विपरीतमुखो ऽयुध्यद् दानवेन्द्रबलं प्रति शतक्रतुस्तु वज्रेण निमिं वक्षस्यताडयत्
Facing the wrong way, he fought against the army of the lord of the Daityas; then Śatakratu struck Nimi on the chest with his thunderbolt.
गदया दन्तिनश्चास्य गण्डदेशे ऽहनद्दृढम् तत्प्रहारमचिन्त्यैव निमिर्निर्भयपौरुषः
With his mace, he struck the elephant hard on the cheek; Nimi, fearless and courageous, did not regard that blow.
ऐरावणं कटीदेशे मुद्गरेणाभ्यताडयत् स हतो मुद्गरेणाथ शक्रकुञ्जर आहवे
He struck Airāvata on the hip with his club; then, struck down by the club, Indra's elephant fell in the battle.
जगाम पश्चाच्चरणैर् धरणीं भूधराकृतिः लाघवात्क्षिप्रमुत्थाय ततो ऽमरमहागजः
That mountain-like elephant, with his feet, touched the earth behind him; swiftly rising again due to his agility, the great elephant of the gods—
रणादपससर्पाशु भीषितो निमिहस्तिना ततो वायुर्ववौ रूक्षो बहुशर्करपांसुलः
Terrified by Nimi's elephant, he quickly withdrew from the battle; then a harsh wind blew, full of dust and gravel.
संमुखो निमिमातङ्गो जवनाचलकम्पनः स्रुतरक्तो बभौ शैलो घनधातुह्रदो यथा
Nimi's elephant, facing his foe, shook the swift-moving mountains; blood streaming, he shone like a mountain with a lake of molten ore.
धनेशो ऽपि गदां गुर्वीं तस्य दानवहस्तिनः चिक्षेप वेगाद्दैत्येन्द्रो निपपातास्य मूर्धनि
The lord of wealth hurled his heavy mace at the Daitya king's elephant with force; the king of the Daityas fell upon his head.
गजो गदानिपातेन स तेन परिमूर्छितः दन्तैर्भित्त्वा धरां वेगात् पपाताचलसंनिभः
The elephant, struck by the mace, was utterly stunned; with his tusks he pierced the earth in his fall, collapsing like a mountain.
पतिते तु गजे तस्मिन् सिंहनादो महानभूत् सर्वतः सुरसैन्यानां गजबृंहितबृंहितैः
When that elephant fell, a great lion-roar arose everywhere from the ranks of the gods, with the trumpeting of elephants echoing all around.
ह्रेषारवेण चाश्वानां गुणास्फोटैश्च धन्विनाम् गजं तं निहतं दृष्ट्वा निमिं चापि पराङ्मुखम्
With the neighing of horses and the twanging of bowstrings, seeing that elephant slain and Nimi turning away—
श्रुत्वा च सिंहनादं च सुराणामतिकोपनः जम्भो जज्वाल कोपेन पीताज्य इव पावकः
Hearing that lion-roar of the gods, Jambha, greatly enraged, blazed with anger like fire fed with clarified butter.
स सुरान्कोपरक्ताक्षो धनुष्यारोप्य सायकम् तिष्ठतेत्यब्रवीत्तावत् सारथिं चाप्यचोदयत्
His eyes reddened with wrath against the gods, he set an arrow to his bow and cried, 'Stand firm!' and urged on his charioteer.
वेगेन चलतस्तस्य तद्रथस्याभवद्द्युतिः यथादित्यसहस्रस्याभुदितस्योदयाचले
As his chariot sped swiftly, its radiance was like that of a thousand suns rising on the eastern mountain.
पताकिना रथेनाजौ किङ्किणीजालमालिना शशिशुभ्रातपत्रेण स तेन स्यन्दनेन तु
In battle, with a chariot bearing banners, adorned with a network of bells, and a canopy white as the moon, he advanced in that car.
घट्टयन्सुरसैन्यानां हृदयं समदृश्यत तम् आयान्तम् अभिप्रेक्ष्य धनुष्याहितसायकः
Striking terror into the hearts of the gods' army, he was seen approaching, with an arrow fitted to his bow.
शतक्रतुरदीनात्मा दृढमाधत्त कार्मुकम् बाणं च तैलधौताग्रम् अर्धचन्द्रमजिह्मगम्
Śatakratu, undaunted, firmly grasped his bow and took an arrow with an oiled, sharp tip, half-moon shaped and straight.