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.
अनेकरूपवर्णाढ्या उपलभ्या वदस्व ह । किं त्वया न श्रुतं लोके अवध्याः सर्वयोषितः
You, possessed of many forms and colors, tell me truly: have you not heard in the world that all women are not to be slain?
किं तु तुभ्यं गुणा ह्येते दहनस्त्र्यर्दनं प्रति । न कारुण्यं दया वापि दाक्षिण्यं वा स्त्रियोपरि
Are these your virtues, O fire, in the destruction of women? There is no compassion, no mercy, no gentleness towards women.
दयां कुर्वंति म्लेच्छापि दहनं प्रेक्ष्य योषितः । म्लेच्छानामपि कष्टोसि दुर्निवार्यो ह्यचेतनः
Even foreigners show pity when they see women burned; but you, fire, are harsh even to foreigners, difficult to restrain, and without sense.
एते चैव गुणास्तुभ्यं दहनोत्सादनं प्रति । आसामपि दुराचार स्त्रीणां किं विनिपातसे
These, indeed, are your qualities in the destruction of women; but even if these women are of bad conduct, why do you cast them down?
दुष्ट निर्घृण निर्लज्ज हुताश मंदभाग्यक । निराशस्त्वं दुराचार बालान्दहसि निर्दय
You are wicked, cruel, shameless, O Fire, bringer of misfortune; hopeless, evil-doer, you mercilessly burn children.
एवं प्रलपमानास्ता जल्पमाना बहुस्वरम् । अन्याः क्रोशंति संक्रुद्धा बालशोकेन मोहिताः
Thus, as they lamented and cried out in many voices, others wailed in anger, bewildered by grief for their children.
दहते निर्दयो वह्निः संक्रुद्धः सर्वशत्रुवत् । पुष्करिण्यां जले ज्वाला कूपेष्वपि तथैव च
The merciless fire, enraged and like an enemy to all, burns even in the water of the lotus pond and likewise in wells.
अस्मान्संदह्य म्लेच्छ त्वं कां गतिं प्रापयिष्यसि । एवं प्रलपतां तासां वह्निर्वचनमब्रवीत्
Having burned us, O outcaste, what fate will you attain? As they spoke thus, the fire addressed them.
वैश्वानर उवाच-। स्ववशो नैव युष्माकं विनाशं तु करोम्यहम् । अहमादेशकर्ता वै नाहं कर्त्तास्म्यनुग्रहम्
Vaiśvānara said: I do not destroy you by my own will; I am only the agent of command, not the giver of grace.
अत्र क्रोधसमाविष्टो विचरामि यदृच्छया । ततो बाणो महातेजास्त्रिपुरं वीक्ष्य दीपितम्
Here, overcome by anger, I move about as I please; then Bāṇa, of great brilliance, saw Tripura set ablaze.