व्यास उवाच- एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु दैत्येंद्रो हिरण्याक्षो महाबलः। सरोषश्चातिताम्राक्षो ह्यसुरानादिदेश ह
Vyāsa said: Hearing this, the mighty lord of the demons, Hiraṇyākṣa, his eyes blazing with anger, addressed the Asuras.
स्वयं गच्छामि युद्धाय देवानां विजिघांसया। नागच्छंति न युद्ध्यंते तेन मार्गाद्विशन्त्वितः
"I myself will go to battle, eager to conquer the gods; since they do not come, nor fight, let them be brought by this path."
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं शेषा दैत्यगणाधिपाः। युद्धाय प्रययुः सर्वे शूलपाशातिपंडिताः
Hearing these words, the other chiefs of the demon hosts, all skilled with spears and nooses, set out for battle.
अधिकं पूर्वसैन्याश्च तथा शतगुणैरपि। निरंतरं तथाकाशं प्रययुर्युद्धकांक्षिणः
The armies, greater than before and even a hundredfold stronger, advanced without pause into the sky, eager for war.
ततो रुद्रास्स साध्याश्च विश्वे च वसवस्तथा। स्कंदश्च गणपश्चैव विष्णुजिष्णुपुरोगमाः
Then the Rudras, Sādhyas, Viśvedevas, Vasus, Skanda, Gaṇapati, and the leaders led by Viṣṇu and Jishnu also went forth.
सर्वे योद्धुं गतास्ते च हृष्टा रणसमुत्सुकाः। एतस्मिन्नंतरे युद्धं देवदानवयोरपि
All of them, delighted and eager for battle, went to fight; meanwhile, the war between gods and demons began.
न भूतं न श्रुतं पूर्वं सर्वलोकभयंकरम्। शस्त्रास्त्रैबर्हुधा युक्तं शिशिरेणेव काननम्
Never before seen or heard, it was a battle terrifying to all the worlds, filled with countless weapons and missiles, like a forest struck by winter.
धरां स्वर्गौक आकाशं संरुध्य युद्धमाबभौ। अन्योन्यं जघ्नुराकाशे तथान्योन्यं महीतले
The battle spread, filling earth, heaven, and sky; they struck each other in the air and likewise on the ground.
शक्तिभिर्मुसलैर्भल्लैर्बहुभिः शरवृष्टिभिः। दारुणैः खड्गपातैश्च तथा चक्रपरःश्वधैः
With spears, maces, arrows, and showers of darts, with fierce sword-blows, and with discus and battle-axes,
अन्यायुधैश्च विविधैर्निर्जघ्नुस्ते परस्परम्। अभवन्घोररूपाणि धराकाशे व्ययानि च
And with many other diverse weapons, they struck one another; dreadful forms perished on earth and in the sky.
शस्त्रैः शरैरसृक्पातैः कंकवायसजंबुकैः। यथा मुसलधाराभिर्घना वर्षंति लोहितम्
With weapons, arrows, streams of blood, vultures, crows, and jackals, as if clouds rained down torrents of blood.
तथैव क्षतजैः स्रस्तैः स्वाङ्गाच्च देवदानवाः। केचित्पतंति मुह्यंति स्खलंति च हसंति च
So too, with blood flowing from their own bodies, gods and demons—some fell, some were bewildered, some stumbled, and some laughed.
मुंचंति चार्तनादांश्च सिंहनादं मुहुर्मुहुः। केषांचिद्बाहवश्छिन्नाश्छिन्नपादास्तथापरे
They uttered cries of pain and lion-roars again and again; some had their arms cut off, others their feet severed.
छिन्नपार्श्वोदराः केचिन्निपेतुः शतशो भुवि। कोटिकोटिसहस्राणि गजवाज्यसुराणि च
Some, with sides and bellies slashed, fell by the hundreds to the ground; tens of millions of elephants, horses, and demons also perished.
अपतन्धरणीपृष्ठे रक्तौघे बहुधा भुवि। ततस्तु धरणीपृष्ठे त्वभवल्लोहितार्णवः
On the surface of the earth, a torrent of blood flowed in many streams; then, upon the ground, there appeared a sea of blood.
विपरीतास्ततो नद्यः सद्यस्तत्र विसुस्रुवुः। तृणकाष्ठपरास्तत्र शक्तयो दारुसंचयाः
Then, the rivers there suddenly flowed in reverse; among them were heaps of grass and wood, and piles of weapons and logs.
मुद्गरा मुसलाः शूला मकराद्या भवंति च। जयंतिका ध्वजा मीनाः कमठाश्चर्मकायकाः
There appeared maces, pestles, spears, and creatures like makaras; there were banners, standards, fish, tortoises, and shields made of hide.
शरादिभिर्महोष्ट्रैश्च निरुद्धाः प्रचुरैस्तथा। केशचामरशैवालाः संपूर्णास्तास्ततःस्ततः
The rivers were blocked by many arrows and great camels; they were filled everywhere with hair, yak-tails, and waterweeds.
पतद्भिश्च तथान्यैश्च विविधैः क्षतजार्णवः। तदा वसुंधरा सर्वा सशैलवनकानना
With various other things falling in, the ocean of blood was formed; at that time, the whole earth, with its mountains, forests, and groves—
रुधिरौघा महाघोरा सर्वलोकभयंकरा। स्कंदस्य शक्तिपातेन गता दैत्या यमक्षयम्
—was covered by terrible floods of blood, terrifying to all the worlds; by the fall of Skanda's spear, the demons went to Yama's abode.
पर्शुना परमेणैव अग्निनाग्निशिखैः शरैः। वरुणस्य च पाशेन बद्धा मग्ना यमक्षये
Struck down by the supreme axe, by fire, by flaming arrows, and bound by Varuna's noose, they were cast down to Yama's realm.
येषां पुत्रैश्च पौत्रैश्च पुरोगैः सचिवैस्तथा। निपातिताश्च दैतेयाः शरशक्त्यृष्टिवृष्टिभिः
The demons were struck down by the sons, grandsons, leaders, and ministers of the gods, by showers of arrows, spears, and lances.
ग्रहैश्च श्वसनैरेव यक्षगंधर्वकिन्नरैः। महत्या गदया चैव कुबेरेण च धीमता
By planets, by winds, by Yakshas, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras, and by the great mace of wise Kubera, they were also struck down.
घनानां निकरैर्वज्रैस्तुषारैर्विधुनेरितैः। पन्नगानां विषैर्घोरैर्दैत्याः पेतुर्धरातले
By masses of clouds, by thunderbolts, by hailstones hurled by the moon, and by the fierce poisons of serpents, the demons fell to the earth.
अन्यैश्च विविधैर्देवैः कोटिकोटिसहस्रशः। पातिताः प्रययुस्सर्वे धरण्यां तु गतासवः
And by many other gods, in countless millions, they were struck down; all of them fell lifeless upon the earth.
देहांस्त्यक्त्वा दिवं यांति केचिच्च यममंदिरम्। केचिद्गच्छंति पातालं पुण्यापुण्यप्रयोगतः
Some, abandoning their bodies, went to heaven; some went to Yama's abode; others went to the underworld, according to their merit or demerit.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे वेदाञ्जजल्पुः परमर्षयः। स्वस्त्यस्तु ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च गोभ्यः स्त्रीभ्यस्तपस्विषु
Meanwhile, the great sages recited the Vedas, saying, 'May there be well-being for the Brahmins, for the cows, for women, and for ascetics.'
प्रयुध्यमानेष्वन्येषु सांप्रतं सर्वजंतुषु। विबुधैरर्दिता दैत्याः शेषाः पर्वतमाश्रिताः
While others continued to fight among all beings, the remaining demons, afflicted by the gods, took refuge on a mountain.
प्रजग्मुश्च दिशः सर्वाः कातरा रणभीरवः। दैत्यव्यूहे प्रभग्ने च बलो नाम महाबलः
Terrified and dreading the battle, they fled in all directions; and when the demon formation was broken, a mighty one named Bala—
अर्दयामास देवांश्च संयम्याग्निसमैः शरैः। तस्य बाणार्दिता देवा बहवो बलदर्पिताः
—began to harass the gods, restraining them with arrows like fire; many gods, proud of their strength, were struck down by his shafts.