नारद उवाच-। अन्यस्मै दीयतां भद्रे क्षीणवृतिश्च यो द्विजः । वयं तु शीलसंपन्ना भक्तिस्तु क्रियते मया
Nārada said: Let it be given to another, O blessed one, to a brāhmaṇa whose means are exhausted. As for us, we are endowed with virtue, and I perform devotion.
एवं तासां मनो हृत्वा सर्वासामुपदिश्य वा । जगाम भरतश्रेष्ठ स्वकीयं स्थानकं पुनः
Thus, having won the minds of them all and having instructed them, he departed, O best of Bharatas, to his own place again.
अत्राकृष्टमनास्तास्तु अन्यत्रगतमानसाः । पुरि छिद्रं समुत्पन्नं बाणस्य तु महात्मनः
But their minds were not drawn there, their thoughts having gone elsewhere; a breach arose in the city of the great-souled Bāṇa.
नारद उवाच- यन्मां पृच्छसि कौंतेय तन्निबोध च तच्छृणु । एतस्मिन्नंतरे रुद्रो नर्मदातटमास्थितः
Nārada said: What you ask me, O son of Kuntī, listen and understand. Meanwhile, Rudra was staying on the bank of the Narmadā.
नाम्ना हरेश्वरं स्थानं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । तस्मिन्स्थाने महादेवश्चिंतयंस्त्रैपुरं वधम्
By name, that place is called Hareśvara, renowned in the three worlds. There, Mahādeva was contemplating the destruction of Tripura.
गां(गा?)डीवं मंदरं कृत्वा गुणं कृत्वा तु वासुकिम् । स्थानं कृत्वा तु वैशाखं विष्णुं कृत्वा शरोत्तमम्
He made the earth his bow, Mandara his bowstring, Vāsuki the cord, Vaiśākha the station, and Viṣṇu the supreme arrow.
अग्रे चाग्निं प्रतिष्ठाप्य मुखे वायुः समर्पितः । हयाश्च चतुरो वेदाः सर्वदेवमयं रथम्
He placed fire at the front, wind at the mouth, and the four Vedas as horses; the chariot was composed of all the gods.
चक्रगौ चाश्विनौ देवावक्षं चक्रधरः स्वयम् । स्वयमिंद्रश्च चापांते बाणे वैश्रवणः स्थितः
The Aśvins became the wheels, the wielder of the discus himself was the axle, Indra stood at the end of the bow, and Vaiśravaṇa at the arrow.
यमस्तु दक्षिणे हस्ते वामे कालस्तु दारुणः । चक्राणामारके न्यस्ता गंधर्वा लोकविश्रुताः
Yama stands at the right hand, Kāla, fierce, at the left; the Gandharvas, renowned in all worlds, are placed at the hub of the wheels.
प्रजापती रथश्रेष्ठे ब्रह्मा चैव तु सारथिः । एवं कृत्वा तु देवेशः सर्वदेवमयं रथम्
Prajāpati is the best of charioteers, and Brahmā himself is the driver; thus, the Lord of the gods fashioned a chariot embodying all the gods.
सोतिष्ठत्स्थाणुभूतो हि सहस्रं परिवत्सरान् । यदा त्रीणि समेतानि अंतरिक्षचराणि च
He stood there, motionless, for a thousand years; when the three aerial cities came together,
त्रिपुराणि त्रिशल्येन तदा तानि बिभेद सः । शरः प्रचोदितस्तत्र रुद्रेण त्रिपुरं प्रति
He then pierced those three cities with the three-pointed arrow; the arrow, directed there by Rudra, struck Tripura.
भ्रष्टतेजा स्त्रियो जाता बलं तेषां व्यशीर्यत । उत्पाताश्च पुरे तस्मिन्प्रादुर्भूता सहस्रशः
Their brilliance was lost, women were born, and their strength was shattered; thousands of omens arose in that city.
त्रिपुरस्य विनाशाय कालरूपोभवत्तदा । अट्टहासं प्रमुंचंति रूपाः काष्ठमयास्तथा
For the destruction of Tripura, he then took the form of Time; laughing terribly, wooden figures also appeared.
निमेषोन्मेषणं चैव कुर्वंति चित्रकर्मणा । स्वप्ने पश्यंति चात्मानं रक्तांबरविभूषितम्
They blinked and opened their eyes, performing wondrous acts; in dreams they saw themselves adorned in red garments.
स्वप्ने पश्यंति ते चैवं विपरीतानि यानि तु । एतान्पश्यति उत्पातांस्तत्र स्थाने तु ये जनाः
In dreams, they saw such contrary things; those people there beheld these omens.
तेषां बलं च बुद्धिश्च हरक्रोधेन नाशितम् । संवर्तको नाम वायुर्युगांतप्रतिमो महान्
Their strength and wisdom were destroyed by Hara's wrath; a great wind named Saṃvartaka, like the end of an age, arose.
समीरितोनलश्रेष्ठ उत्तमांगेषु बाधते । ज्वलंति पादपास्तत्र पतंति शिखराणि च
Stirred up, the best of fires afflicted the highest places; trees blazed there, and mountain peaks fell.
सर्वं तद्व्याकुलीभूतं हाहाकारमचेतनम् । भग्नोद्यानानि सर्वाणि क्षिप्रं तु प्रज्वलंति च
All became agitated, filled with cries and insensibility; all the gardens were quickly set ablaze.
तेनैव दीपितं सर्वं ज्वलते विशिखैः शिखैः । द्रुमा आरामगंडानि गृहाणि विविधानि च
Everything, thus ignited, burned with flames and tongues of fire; trees, garden groves, and various houses.
दशदिक्षु प्रवृत्तोयं समिद्धो हव्यवाहनः । ततः शिलाः प्रमुंचंति दिशो दश विभागशः
In all ten directions, the sacrificial fire blazed forth; then stones were hurled in all ten directions, divided apart.
शिखासहस्रैरत्युग्रैः प्रज्वलंति हुताशनैः । सर्वं किंशुकसंप्रख्यं ज्वलितंदृश्यते पुरम्
With thousands of fierce flames, fires blazed; the city appeared as if covered in blooming kiṃśuka trees.
गृहाद्गृहांतरे नैव गंतुं धूमैश्च शक्यते । हरकोपानलादग्धं क्रंदमानं सुदुःखितम्
It was not possible to go from house to house because of the smoke; burned by the fire of Hara's wrath, the city wailed in deep distress.
प्रदीप्तं सर्वतो दिक्षु दह्यते त्रिपुरं पुरम् । प्रासादशिखराग्राणि विशीर्यंति सहस्रशः
Tripura, the city, blazed on all sides and was consumed; the peaks of its palaces crumbled by the thousands.
नानारत्नविचित्राणि विमानान्यप्यनेकधा । गृहाणि चैव रम्याणि दह्यंते दीप्तिवह्निना
Many splendid aerial mansions adorned with various gems, and lovely houses too, were burned by the blazing fire.
बाधंते द्रुमखंडेषु जनस्थाने तथैव च । देवागारेषु सर्वेषु प्रज्वलंते ज्वलंत्यपि
The fire afflicted the forest groves and the places where people lived; in all the temples, everything blazed and burned.
सीदंति चानलस्पृष्टाः क्रंदंति विविधै स्वरैः । गिरिकूटनिभास्तत्र दृश्यंतेंऽगारराशयः
Struck by fire, they sink down and cry out with various voices; there, heaps of embers, resembling mountain peaks, are seen.
स्तुवंति देवदेवेशं परित्रायस्व मां प्रभो । अन्योन्यं च परिष्वज्य हुताशनप्रपीडिताः
They praise the Lord of gods, saying, 'Rescue me, O Master!' And, tormented by the consuming fire, they embrace one another.
दह्यंते दानवास्तत्र शतशोथ सहस्रशः । हंसकारंडवाकीर्णा नलिनी सह पंकजा
There, hundreds and thousands of Dānavas are burned; the lotus ponds, filled with swans and cranes, are also consumed.
दह्यंतेनलदग्धानि पुरोद्यानानि दीर्घिकाः । अम्लानैः पंकजैश्छन्ना विस्तीर्णा योजनैः शतैः
Gardens, city parks, and long pools, covered with unwithered lotuses and stretching for hundreds of yojanas, are burned, their reeds scorched.