सावलेपं ससंरम्भं सगर्वं सपराक्रमम् साविष्कारमनाकारं तारको भावमाविशत्
Tāraka was filled with arrogance, wrath, pride, and valor; his feelings openly displayed, his demeanor fierce.
स जैत्रं रथमास्थाय सहस्रेण गरुत्मताम् संरम्भाद्दानवेन्द्रस्तु सुरै रणमुखे गतः
He mounted his victorious chariot, accompanied by a thousand Garuda-bannered warriors, and, driven by rage, the demon lord entered the battlefield against the gods.
सर्वायुधपरिष्कारः सर्वास्त्रपरिरक्षितः त्रैलोक्यऋद्धिसम्पन्नः सुविस्तृतमहाननः
Fully equipped with all weapons, protected by every missile, possessing the wealth of the three worlds, his vast mouth wide open.
रणायाभ्यपतत्तूर्णं सैन्येन महता वृतः जम्भास्त्रक्षतसर्वाङ्गं त्यक्त्वैरावतदन्तिनम्
He rushed swiftly to battle, surrounded by a great army, his body wounded by Jambha's weapon, abandoning his elephant Airavata.
सज्जं मातलिना गुप्तं रथमिन्द्रस्य तेजसा तप्तहेमपरिष्कारं महारत्नसमन्वितम्
Indra's chariot, guarded by Matali, was ready, adorned with glowing gold and set with great jewels.
चतुर्योजनविस्तीर्णं सिद्धसंघपरिष्कृतम् गन्धर्वकिंनरोद्गीतम् अप्सरोनृत्यसंकुलम्
Four yojanas wide, decorated by groups of siddhas, sung by Gandharvas and Kinnaras, crowded with dancing apsaras and men.
सर्वायुधम् असंबाधं विचित्ररचनोज्ज्वलम् तं रथं देवराजस्य परिवार्य समन्ततः
Armed with all weapons, spacious and brilliantly crafted, that chariot of the king of gods was surrounded on all sides.
दंशिता लोकपालास्तु तस्थुः सगरुडध्वजाः ततश्चचाल वसुधा ततो रूक्षो मरुद्ववौ
The guardians of the worlds stood ready, bearing Garuda banners; then the earth trembled, and a harsh wind blew.
ततो ऽम्बुधय उद्भूतास् ततो नष्टा रविप्रभा ततस्तमः समुद्भूतं नातो ऽदृश्यन्त तारकाः
Then the oceans surged, the sun's light vanished, darkness arose, and the stars were no longer visible.
ततो जज्वलुरस्त्राणि ततो ऽकम्पत वाहिनी एकतस्तारको दैत्यः सुरसंघस्तु चैकतः
Then the weapons blazed, the armies shook; on one side was Tāraka the demon, and on the other, the host of gods.
लोकावसादमेकत्र जगत्पालनमेकतः चराचराणि भूतानि सुरासुरविभेदतः
The decline of the worlds was on one side, the preservation of the universe on the other; all beings, moving and unmoving, were divided into gods and demons.
तद्द्विधाप्येकतां यातं ददृशुः प्रेक्षका इव यद्वस्तु किंचिल् लोकेषु त्रिषु सत्तास्वरूपकम् तत् तत्रादृश्यद् अखिलं खिलीभूतविभूतिकम्
Even that duality became unity, as if spectators beheld it; whatever entity exists in the three worlds as the essential nature of existence, all that appeared there, manifesting as the totality of powers.
अस्त्राणि तेजांसि धनानि धैर्यं सेनाबलं वीर्यपराक्रमौ च सत्त्वौजसां तन्निकरं बभूव सुरासुराणां तपसो बलेन
Weapons, energies, treasures, courage, the strength of armies, valor and prowess, and the assemblage of all vital powers—these belonged to the gods and demons by the force of their austerity.
अथाभिमुखम् आयान्तं नवभिर्नतपर्वभिः बाणैरनलकल्पाग्रैर् बिभिदुस्तारकं हृदि
Then, as Tāraka advanced, they struck him in the heart with nine arrows whose tips blazed like fire, bent at the joints.
स तानचिन्त्य दैत्येन्द्रः सुरबाणान्गतान्हृदि नवभिर्नवभिर्बाणैः सुरान्विव्याध दानवः
That lord of the Daityas, unperturbed, struck the gods with nine arrows each, aiming at their hearts, with the very arrows that had entered his own.
जगद्धरणसम्भूतैः शल्यैरिव पुरःसरैः ततो ऽच्छिन्नं शरव्रातं संग्रामे मुमुचुः सुराः
With darts born of the world's support leading the way, the gods then released an unbroken shower of arrows in battle.
अनन्तरं च कान्तानाम् अश्रुपातमिवानिशम् तदप्राप्तं वियत्येव नाशयामास दानवः
Immediately after, as if it were the ceaseless fall of beloveds' tears, the demon destroyed those arrows in the sky before they could reach him.
शरैर्यथा कुचरितैः प्रख्यातं परमागतम् सुनिर्मलं क्रमायातं कुपुत्रः स्वं महाकुलम्
Just as a wicked son, by his misdeeds, destroys the renowned, pure, and well-established great lineage into which he is born, so too were those arrows.
ततो निवार्य तद्बाणजालं सुरभुजेरितम् बाणैर्व्योम दिशः पृथ्वीं पूरयामास दानवः
Then, blocking that volley of arrows sent by the gods, the demon filled the sky, the directions, and the earth with his own arrows.
चिछेद पुङ्खदेशेषु स्वके स्थाने च लाघवात् बाणजालैः सुतीक्ष्णाग्रैः कङ्कबर्हिणवाजितैः
With showers of arrows, sharp-pointed and fletched with vulture and peacock feathers, he swiftly cut them at the very base and in their places.
कर्णान्तकृष्टैर्विमलैः सुवर्णरजतोज्ज्वलैः शास्त्रार्थैः संशयप्राप्तान् यथार्थान्वै विकल्पितैः
With arrows drawn to the ear, pure and shining with gold and silver, like meanings of treatises resolved after doubt, he skillfully struck.
ततः शतेन बाणानां शक्रं विव्याध दानवः नारायणं च सप्तत्या नवत्या च हुताशनम्
Then the demon struck Śakra with a hundred arrows, Nārāyaṇa with seventy, and Agni with ninety.
दशभिर्मारुतं मूर्ध्नि यमं दशभिरेव च धनदं चैव सप्तत्या वरुणं च तथाष्टभिः
He struck Māruta on the head with ten arrows, Yama also with ten, Kubera with seventy, and Varuṇa with eight.
विंशत्या निरृतिं दैत्यः पुनश्चाष्टाभिरेव च विव्याध पुनरेकैकं दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः
The demon struck Nirṛti with twenty arrows, then again with eight; once more, he struck each one with ten arrows apiece.
तथा च मातलिं दैत्यो विव्याध त्रिभिराशुगैः गरुडं दशभिश्चैव स विव्याध पतत्रिभिः
In the same way, the demon struck Mātali with three swift arrows, and Garuḍa with ten feathered shafts.
पुनश्च दैत्यो देवानां तिलशो नतपर्वभिः चकार वर्मजातानि चिछेद च धनूंषि तु ततो विकवचा देवा विधनुष्काः शरैः कृताः
Again the demon, with arrows bent at the joints, shattered the gods' armor into pieces and cut their bows; thus the gods, deprived of armor and bows, were struck by his arrows.
अथान्यानि चापानि तस्मिन्सरोषा रणे लोकपाला गृहीत्वा समन्तात् शरैरक्षयैर्दानवेन्द्रं ततक्षुस् तदा दानवो ऽमर्षसंरक्तनेत्रः
Then, seizing other bows in anger on the battlefield, the guardians of the worlds surrounded the demon lord and wounded him with inexhaustible arrows; at that moment, the demon's eyes were red with rage.
शरानग्निकल्पान्ववर्षामराणां ततो बाणमादाय कल्पानलाभम् जघानोरसि क्षिप्रमिन्द्रं सुबाहुं महेन्द्रो व्यकम्पद्रथोपस्थ एव
He rained down arrows like fire upon the immortals; then, taking an arrow blazing like the final fire, he swiftly struck mighty Indra in the chest, so that Mahendra trembled on his chariot seat.
विलोक्यान्तरिक्षे सहस्रार्कबिम्बं पुनर्दानवो विष्णुमुद्भूतवीर्यम् शराभ्यां जघानांसमूले सलीलं ततः केशवस्यापतच्छार्ङ्गमग्रे
Seeing the thousand-sunned orb in the sky, the demon struck Vishnu, whose power had arisen, with two arrows at the base of the shoulder; then, the arrow of Keśava fell before the Śārṅga bow.
ततस्तारकः प्रेतनाथं पृषत्कैर् वसुं तस्य सव्ये स्मरन्क्षुद्रभावम् शरैरग्निकल्पैर्जलेशस्य कायं रणे ऽशोषयद्दुर्जयो दैत्यराजः
Then Tāraka, lord of the dead, recalling the lowly nature of Vasu, pierced him on the left with arrows; with fire-like shafts, the unconquerable king of demons dried up the body of Jaleśa in battle.