रथेन साश्वसूतेन दिव्येन परितिष्ठति । धनुषा दिव्यबाणैस्तु सभायां हि भयंकरः
He stands in the assembly, fearsome, with a divine chariot, charioteer, and horses, armed with a bow and divine arrows.
कस्य केन तु कार्येण प्रेषितः केन वैभवान् । अनया रंभया तेऽद्य अन्यया शिवकन्यया
By whom, for what purpose, and by whose power have you been sent? Today you are with this Rambhā, and with this daughter of Śiva.
किमुक्तं तत्स्फुटं सर्वं कथयस्व ममाग्रतः । हुंडस्य देवमर्दस्य न बिभेति भवान्कथम्
Tell me clearly everything that was said, right here before me. How is it that you do not fear Huṃḍa, the slayer of gods?
एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि । सत्वरं गच्छ मा तिष्ठ दुःसहो दानवाधिपः
Tell me all this, if you wish to live. Go quickly, do not stay; the lord of the Dānavas is intolerant.
नहुष उवाच- योऽसावायुर्बली राजा सप्तद्वीपाधिपः प्रभुः । तस्य मां तनयं विद्धि सर्वदैत्यविनाशनम्
Nahuṣa said: That mighty king, lord of the seven continents, is my father—know me as his son, the destroyer of all Daityas.
नहुषं नाम विख्यातं देवब्राह्मणपूजकम् । हुंडेनापहृतं बाल्ये स्वामिना तव दानव
I am known as Nahuṣa, worshipper of gods and Brāhmaṇas, who was abducted in childhood by Huṃḍa, your master, O Dānava.
सेयं कन्या शिवस्यापि दैत्येनापहृता पुरा । घोरं तपश्चरत्येषा हुंडस्यापि वधाय च
This maiden, daughter of Śiva, was also once abducted by the Daitya. She now performs severe austerities for the destruction of Huṃḍa.
योहमादौ हृतो बालस्त्वया यः सूतिकागृहात् । दास्या अपि करे दत्तः सूदस्यापि दुरात्मना
I, who was first taken as a child by you from the birthing house, was given into the hand of a maidservant, and then to a wicked cook.
वधार्थं श्रूयतां पाप सोहमद्य समागतः । अस्यापि हुंडदैत्यस्य दुष्टस्य पापकर्मणः
Hear now, I have come today for the purpose of slaying this wicked Huṃḍa demon, evil in deed.
अन्यांश्च दानवान्घोरान्नयिष्ये यमसादनम् । मामेवं विद्धि पापिष्ठ एवं कथय दानवम्
I shall lead other fierce demons also to the abode of Yama; know me thus, O most sinful one, and speak so to the demon.
एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं नहुषस्य महात्मनः । गत्वा हुंडं स दुष्टात्मा आचचक्षेऽस्य भाषितम्
Having heard all this from the great-souled Nahuṣa, that wicked-hearted one went to Huṃḍa and reported his words.
निशम्य तन्मुखात्तूर्णं चुक्रोध दितिजेश्वरः । कस्मात्सूदेन पापेन तया दास्या न घातितः
Hearing this swiftly from his mouth, the lord of the Daityas grew angry: 'Why has that wicked cook not slain him with the maidservant?'
सोयं वृद्धिं समायातो मया व्याधिरुपेक्षितः । अथैनं घातयिष्यामि अनया शिवकन्यया
'He has now come to strength, whom I neglected as a disease; now I shall kill him with this daughter of Śiva.'
आयोः पुत्रं खलं युद्धे बाणैरेभिः शिलाशितैः । एवं सचिंतयित्वा तु सारथिं वाक्यमब्रवीत्
'I shall slay the villainous son of Ayu in battle with these arrows tipped with stone.' Thus thinking, he spoke to his charioteer.
स्यंदनं योजयस्व त्वं तुरगैः साधुभिः शिवैः । सेनाध्यक्षं समाहूय इत्युवाच समातुरः
'Harness the chariot with fine, auspicious horses; summon the commander of the army,' he said, agitated.
सज्जतां मम सैन्यं त्वं शूरान्नागान्प्रकल्पय । सारोहैस्तुरगान्योधान्पताकाच्छत्रचामरैः
'Prepare my army; arrange brave elephants; equip horses with riders, warriors with banners, parasols, and fans.'
चतुरंगबलं मेऽद्य योजयस्व हि सत्वरम् । एवमाकर्ण्य तत्तस्य हुंडस्यापि ततो लघुः
'Quickly assemble my fourfold army today.' Hearing this, Huṃḍa's men promptly acted.
सेनाध्यक्षो महाप्राज्ञः सर्वं चक्रे यथाविधि । चतुरंगेन तेनासौ बलेन महता वृतः
The wise commander of the army did everything as prescribed; with that great fourfold force he was surrounded.
जगाम नहुषं वीरं चापबाणधरं रणे । इंद्रस्य स्यंदने युक्तं सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम्
He went to the heroic Nahuṣa, bearer of bow and arrows in battle, mounted on Indra's chariot, foremost among all wielders of weapons.
उद्यंतं समरे वीरं दुरापं देवदानवैः । पश्यंति गगने देवा विमानस्था महौजसः
Seeing the hero rising in battle, inaccessible to gods and demons, the mighty gods watched from their celestial vehicles in the sky.
तेजोज्वालासमाकीर्णं द्वितीयमिव भास्करम् । सूत उवाच- अथ ते दानवाः सर्वे ववृषुस्तं शरोत्तमैः
Surrounded by a blaze of energy, like a second sun; the charioteer said: Then all the demons showered him with excellent arrows.
खड्गैः पाशैर्महाशूलैः शक्तिभिस्तु परश्वधैः । युयुधुः संयुगे तेन नहुषेण महात्मना
With swords, nooses, great spears, javelins, and axes, they fought in battle with the great-souled Nahuṣa.
संरब्धा गर्जमानास्ते यथा मेघा गिरौ तथा । तद्विक्रमं समालोक्य आयुपुत्रः प्रतापवान्
Excited and roaring like clouds on a mountain, seeing that valor, the powerful son of Ayu—
इंद्रायुधसमं चापं विस्फार्य स गुणस्वरम् । वज्रस्फोटसमः शब्दश्चापस्यापि महात्मनः
He drew his bow, equal to Indra's weapon, with a resounding twang; the sound of his bow was like the thunderbolt's crash.
नहुषेण कृतो विप्रा दानवानां भयप्रदः । महता तेन घोषेण दानवाः प्रचकंपिरे
By Nahuṣa, O Brahmins, a terrifying sound was made, causing fear among the demons; by that great noise, the demons trembled.
कश्मलाविष्टहृदया भग्नसत्वा महाहवे
Their hearts seized by distress, their courage broken in the great battle.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे नहुषाख्याने चतुर्दशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and fourteenth chapter in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, in the story of Vena, the greatness of the Guru Tīrtha, the account of Cyavana, and the tale of Nahuṣa.
कुंजल उवाच- ततस्त्वसौ संयति राजमानः समुद्यतश्चापधरो महात्मा । यथैव कालः कुपितः सलोकान्संहर्तुमैच्छत्तु तथा सुदानवान्
Kuṃjala said: Then that great-souled king, armed with a raised bow, advanced in battle, shining with royal splendor, just as Time, enraged, desires to destroy all worlds, so did he wish to annihilate the Dānavas.
महास्त्रजालै रवितेजतुल्यैः सुदीप्तिमद्भिर्निजघान दानवान् । वायुर्यथोन्मूलयतीह पादपांस्तथैव राजा निजघान दानवान्
With a net of mighty weapons, blazing with radiance equal to the sun, he struck down the Dānavas with intense brilliance; just as the wind uproots trees here, so did the king destroy the Dānavas.
वायुर्यथा मेघचयं च दिव्यं संचालयेत्स्वेन बलेन तेजसा । तथा स राजा असुरान्मदोत्कटाननाशयद्बाणवरैः सुतीक्ष्णैः
Just as the wind, by its own strength and energy, disperses a mass of divine clouds, so did the king, with sharp arrows, annihilate the arrogant Asuras.