पार्वत्युवाच। कस्मिन्कार्यसमारंभे समायातः पुरंदरः । स्वर्गलोकादिमं लोकमेतदाख्यातुमर्हसि
Pārvatī said: In the undertaking of which action did Purandara come here from the world of heaven? You ought to tell me this.
वार्त्रघ्नी च नदी केन निरुक्तेन निगद्यते । पुरंदरपुरं देव ब्रह्मघोषनिनादितम् । संभावयति योऽजस्रं मम तत्संगमं वद
By what name is Vārtraghnī, the river, spoken of? O god, in Purandara's city, resounding with the proclamation of Brahma, whoever constantly honors it—tell me of that union with it.
महादेव उवाच। अस्मिंश्चैव तु भूर्लोके प्रश्नोऽयं समभूत्पुरा । युधिष्ठिरेति विख्यातो राजा वै धार्मिको महान्
Mahādeva said: In this very earthly world, this question once arose long ago. There was a king, renowned as Yudhiṣṭhira, great and righteous.
पृष्टवान्स तु भीष्माय धर्मिणे ज्ञानरूपिणे । तेनोक्तं यत्तु तद्देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि तवाग्रतः
He asked Bhīṣma, who was righteous and embodied wisdom. What Bhīṣma spoke to him, O goddess, I will now declare before you.
दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च । वृत्रवासवयोर्युद्धमभवल्लोमहर्षणम्
For ten thousand years and ten hundred years, there was a hair-raising battle between Vṛtra and Vāsava.
ततः पराजितः शक्रः कृत्वा वृत्रेण संविधम् । अद्रोहे स रणं त्यक्त्वा जगाम शरणं मम
Then, defeated, Śakra made an agreement with Vṛtra. Without treachery, he abandoned the battle and came to seek refuge in me.
वार्त्रघ्न्या संगमे पुण्ये तोषयामास शंकरम् । अथांतरिक्षेऽहं देवि दर्शनं दत्तवांस्तदा
At the sacred confluence with Vārtraghnyā, he pleased Śaṃkara. Then, O goddess, I appeared in the sky and granted him a vision.
ममगात्रात्तु यद्भस्म पतितं काश्यपी तटे । भस्मगात्रेति तत्पुण्यं लिंगं देवि विनिर्मितम्
From my body, the ashes that fell on the bank of the Kāśyapī—O goddess, a sacred liṅga called Bhasmagātra was established there.
भूतेश्वरं भस्मगात्रं ब्रह्मणा संप्रतिष्ठितम् । तस्य वै दर्शनादेव ब्रह्महत्या लयं व्रजेत्
Bhūteśvara, Bhasmagātra, was installed by Brahmā. By merely seeing it, one attains release from the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः श्राद्धं कृत्वा युगादिषु । तदहं सुप्रसन्नोऽभूदिन्द्राय सुमहात्मने
One is freed from all sins by performing śrāddha at the beginning of the ages. Then I became very pleased with Indra, the great-souled.
यद्यत्त्वं वांछसे देव तत्सर्वं हि ददामि ते । अनेन वज्रयोगेन शीघ्रं वृत्रं हनिष्यसि
Whatever you desire, O god, I grant it all to you. With this union with the thunderbolt, you will swiftly slay Vṛtra.
शक्र उवाच। भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादेन दितिजं च दुरासदम् । वज्रेण निहनिष्यामि पश्यतस्ते सुरोत्तम
Śakra said: O Lord, by your grace, I will slay the difficult-to-approach son of Diti with the thunderbolt, as you watch, O best of gods.
एवमुक्त्वा तदा इंद्रो गतवांश्चासुरं प्रति । तदा दुंदुभयो नेदुर्देवसैन्ये विशेषतः
Having spoken thus, Indra then went toward the demon. At that time, kettledrums resounded, especially in the army of the gods.
मृदंग डिंडिमाश्चैव भेरी तूर्याण्यनेकशः । असुराणां च सर्वेषां वृत्तिलोभो महानभूत
Mṛdaṅgas and ḍiṃḍimas, bherīs and many other instruments played. Among all the demons, a great greed for gain arose.
बलवान्मघवा चैव क्षणेन समजायत् । तमाविष्टं ततो ज्ञात्वा ऋषयः पन्नगास्तथा
Mighty Maghavān was instantly born. Seeing him possessed, the sages and serpents also recognized it.
स्तुवंति शक्रमीशानं स्तुत्या जयजयेति च । गच्छतस्तस्य शक्रस्य युद्धकामस्य सन्निधौ । ऋषिभिः स्तूयमानस्य रूपमासीत्सुदुर्भरम्
They praised Śakra, the Lord, with hymns and cries of victory. As Śakra went, eager for battle, surrounded by the sages' praises, his form became exceedingly difficult to bear.
महादेव उवाच। वृत्रस्यसहसा देवि तदा संग्राममूर्द्धनि । अभवन्यानि लिंगानि शरीरे तानि मे शृणु
Mahādeva said: O goddess, at the summit of the battle with Vṛtra, various liṅgas appeared on my body. Listen to them.
ज्वलतास्योभवद्धोरो वैवर्ण्यमभवत्परम् । गात्रकंपश्च सुमहान्श्वासः सोष्मा व्यजायत्
A fierce, blazing mouth appeared; an extreme pallor arose; great trembling of the limbs, and a heated breath manifested.
रोमहर्षश्च तीव्रोऽभूच्छ्वासश्चैव महानभूत् । निष्पपात महाघोरा उल्काः पार्श्वं प्रपेदिरे
There was horripilation and intense trembling, and a great exhalation arose; terrifying meteors fell and struck the side.
गृध्रा वटाः श्येन कंका वचो मुंचन्सुदारुणाः । वृत्रस्योपरि ते सर्वे चक्रवत्परिबभ्रमुः
Vultures, bats, hawks, and herons uttered dreadful cries; all of them circled above Vṛtra like a wheel.
ततः स गजमास्थाय इंद्रस्तत्र समागतः । वज्रोद्यतकरस्तत्र शक्रस्तं दैत्यमासदत्
Then Indra arrived there, mounted on his elephant; with his hand raised holding the thunderbolt, Śakra approached that demon.
अमानुषमथो नादं स मुमोच सुरेश्वरः । वृत्रासुरस्य यततः शक्रो वज्रमपातयत्
Then the Lord of the gods released an inhuman roar; as Vṛtrāsura was striving, Śakra hurled the thunderbolt.
स वज्रः सुमहातेजाः कालाग्निसदृशो महान् । समुद्रस्य तटे वृत्रं शक्रो दैत्यमपातयत्
That thunderbolt, of immense brilliance and like the fire of destruction, was hurled by Śakra at Vṛtra the demon on the shore of the ocean.
ततो नादः समभवत्पुनरेव समंततः । वृत्रं विनिहतं दृष्ट्वा सर्वदेवभयंकरम्
Then a great sound arose again on all sides, seeing Vṛtra slain, terrifying to all the gods.
पुष्पवृष्टिस्तु महती इंद्र मूर्ध्नि पपात ह । वृत्रं हत्वा स भगवान्दानवेशं भयंकरम्
A great shower of flowers fell upon Indra's head; having slain Vṛtra, the blessed one, destroyer of the fearsome lord of the Dānavas—
स्तूयमानोऽमरैः सार्द्धं देवदानीं तमाविशत् । अथ वृत्रशरीरात्तु निर्गतं तेज उत्तमम्
—being praised together with the immortals, he entered the divine city; then from Vṛtra's body emerged supreme energy.
ब्रह्महत्यामहाघोरा रौद्र लोकभयंकरी । करालवदना सा च विकृता कृष्णपिंगला
The terrible Brahmanicide, fierce and terrifying to the worlds, with a monstrous face, deformed, dark and tawny—
कपालमालिनी चैव सुकृशा नगनंदिनि । रुधिराक्ता च पापिष्ठा मीनगंधातिभीषणा
—adorned with a garland of skulls, emaciated, O daughter of the mountain, stained with blood, most sinful, and dreadful with a fishy stench—
सानिष्क्रम्य महादेवि तादृग्रूपा भयावहा । इंद्रमन्वेषयामास तदा वै सुरसत्तमे
That great goddess, emerging in such a fearsome form, began to seek out Indra, the best of the gods.
निर्धावती ततः सा तु दृष्ट्वा शक्रं महौजसम् । कंठे जग्राह देवेंद्रं सुलग्ना साभवत्तदा
Then, seeing mighty Śakra, she rushed forward and seized the lord of the gods by the throat, holding him fast.