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.
गिरिकूटनिभास्तत्र प्रासादारत्नभूषिताः । पतंत्यनलनिर्दग्धा निस्तोया जलदा इव
There, palaces adorned with jewels, resembling mountain peaks, fall down, burned by fire, like waterless clouds.
सह स्त्रीबालवृद्धेषु गोषु पक्षिषु वाजिषु । निर्दयो दहते वह्निर्हरकोपेन प्रेरितः
The fire, impelled by Śiva's wrath, mercilessly burns women, children, the old, cows, birds, and horses together.
सपत्नीकाश्चैव सुप्ताः संसुप्ता बहवो जनाः । पुत्रमालिंग्यते गाढं दह्यंते त्रिपुरारिणा
Many people, sleeping with their wives, are burned as they tightly embrace their sons, by the enemy of Tripura.
अथ तस्मिन्पुरे दीप्ते स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसोपमाः । अग्निज्वालाहतास्तत्र पतंति धरणीतले
Then, in that blazing city, women, equal to celestial nymphs, struck by tongues of fire, fall to the earth.
काचिद्बाला विशालाक्षी मुक्तावलि विभूषिता । धूमेनाकुलिता सा तु प्रतिबुद्धा शिखार्द्दिता
A certain young girl, wide-eyed and adorned with a pearl necklace, awakened and enveloped in smoke, is scorched by the flames.
सुतं संचिंत्यमाना सा पतिता धरणीतले । काचित्सुवर्णवर्णाभा नीलरत्नैर्विभूषिता
Thinking of her son, she falls to the ground; another, shining like gold and adorned with blue gems,
धूमेनाकुलिता सा तु पतिता धरणीतले । अन्या गृहीतहस्ता तु सखी दहति बालकैः
Enveloped in smoke, she too falls to the earth; another, holding her friend's hand, is burned along with her children.
अनेन दिव्यरूपान्यादृष्टा मदविमोहिता । शिरसा प्रांजलिं कृत्वा विज्ञापयति पावकम्
Among them, one of divine beauty, bewildered by passion, with joined palms and bowed head, appeals to the fire.
यदि त्वमिच्छसे वैरं पुरुषेष्वपकारिषु । स्त्रियः किमपराध्यंते गृहपंजरकोकिलाः
If you seek enmity with men who have done wrong, why do you harm women, the cuckoos confined in the cages of their homes?
पापनिर्दय निर्ल्लज्ज कस्ते कोपः स्त्रियोपरि । न दाक्षिण्यं न ते लज्जा न सत्यं शौचवर्जितः
O ruthless, merciless, shameless one—why is your anger directed at women? You have no kindness, no shame, no truth, devoid of purity.