तेषां बलं च बुद्धिश्च हरक्रोधेन नाशितम् । संवर्तको नाम वायुर्युगांतप्रतिमो महान्
Their strength and intellect are destroyed by Hara’s wrath; a mighty wind called Samvartaka, like the end of an age, arises.
समीरितोनलश्रेष्ठ उत्तमांगेषु बाधते । ज्वलंति पादपास्तत्र पतंति शिखराणि च
Stirred up, O best of fires, it afflicts the highest places; there, trees blaze and mountain peaks fall.
सर्वं तद्व्याकुलीभूतं हाहाकारमचेतनम् । भग्नोद्यानानि सर्वाणि क्षिप्रं तु प्रज्वलंति च
All becomes agitated, filled with cries and unconsciousness; all the gardens are quickly set ablaze.
तेनैव दीपितं सर्वं ज्वलते विशिखैः शिखैः । द्रुमा आरामगंडानि गृहाणि विविधानि च
By that very fire, everything is kindled, burning with pointed flames: trees, garden groves, and various houses.
दशदिक्षु प्रवृत्तोयं समिद्धो हव्यवाहनः । ततः शिलाः प्रमुंचंति दिशो दश विभागशः
In all ten directions, the sacrificial fire blazes forth; then stones are hurled in all ten directions, divided.
शिखासहस्रैरत्युग्रैः प्रज्वलंति हुताशनैः । सर्वं किंशुकसंप्रख्यं ज्वलितंदृश्यते पुरम्
With thousands of fierce tongues, the fire blazes; the entire city appears aflame, like a forest of kimshuka trees.
गृहाद्गृहांतरे नैव गंतुं धूमैश्च शक्यते । हरकोपानलादग्धं क्रंदमानं सुदुःखितम्
It is not possible to go from house to house because of the smoke; burned by Hara’s fire of anger, they cry out in great distress.
प्रदीप्तं सर्वतो दिक्षु दह्यते त्रिपुरं पुरम् । प्रासादशिखराग्राणि विशीर्यंति सहस्रशः
Burning on all sides, Tripura is consumed; the tops of palace spires shatter by the thousands.
नानारत्नविचित्राणि विमानान्यप्यनेकधा । गृहाणि चैव रम्याणि दह्यंते दीप्तिवह्निना
The many wondrous palaces adorned with various jewels, and the beautiful houses, are burned by the blazing fire.
बाधंते द्रुमखंडेषु जनस्थाने तथैव च । देवागारेषु सर्वेषु प्रज्वलंते ज्वलंत्यपि
The fire torments the groves of trees and the places where people dwell; in all the temples, everything blazes and burns.
सीदंति चानलस्पृष्टाः क्रंदंति विविधै स्वरैः । गिरिकूटनिभास्तत्र दृश्यंतेंऽगारराशयः
Touched by the fire, they sink down, crying out in many voices; there, heaps of embers are seen, like mountain peaks.
स्तुवंति देवदेवेशं परित्रायस्व मां प्रभो । अन्योन्यं च परिष्वज्य हुताशनप्रपीडिताः
Afflicted by the consuming fire, they embrace one another and praise the Lord of gods, saying, 'Save me, O Lord!'
दह्यंते दानवास्तत्र शतशोथ सहस्रशः । हंसकारंडवाकीर्णा नलिनी सह पंकजा
There, hundreds and thousands of Dānavas are burned; the lotus-lake, filled with swans and cranes, is also consumed.
दह्यंतेनलदग्धानि पुरोद्यानानि दीर्घिकाः । अम्लानैः पंकजैश्छन्ना विस्तीर्णा योजनैः शतैः
The city’s gardens and long ponds, covered with fresh lotuses and stretching for hundreds of yojanas, are burned by the fire.
गिरिकूटनिभास्तत्र प्रासादारत्नभूषिताः । पतंत्यनलनिर्दग्धा निस्तोया जलदा इव
There, palace towers adorned with jewels, resembling mountain peaks, fall down, scorched by fire, like waterless clouds.
सह स्त्रीबालवृद्धेषु गोषु पक्षिषु वाजिषु । निर्दयो दहते वह्निर्हरकोपेन प्रेरितः
With women, children, elders, cows, birds, and horses, the fire, driven by Hara’s wrath, burns mercilessly.
सपत्नीकाश्चैव सुप्ताः संसुप्ता बहवो जनाः । पुत्रमालिंग्यते गाढं दह्यंते त्रिपुरारिणा
Many people, together with their wives, were sleeping soundly, embracing their children tightly, and were burned by the destroyer of Tripura.
अथ तस्मिन्पुरे दीप्ते स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसोपमाः । अग्निज्वालाहतास्तत्र पतंति धरणीतले
Then, in that blazing city, women as beautiful as celestial nymphs, struck by tongues of fire, fell to the ground.
काचिद्बाला विशालाक्षी मुक्तावलि विभूषिता । धूमेनाकुलिता सा तु प्रतिबुद्धा शिखार्द्दिता
A certain young girl with large eyes, adorned with a string of pearls, awakened, her form shrouded in smoke, was scorched by the flames.
सुतं संचिंत्यमाना सा पतिता धरणीतले । काचित्सुवर्णवर्णाभा नीलरत्नैर्विभूषिता
Thinking of her son, she fell to the ground; another, shining like gold and adorned with blue gems,
धूमेनाकुलिता सा तु पतिता धरणीतले । अन्या गृहीतहस्ता तु सखी दहति बालकैः
was enveloped in smoke and fell to the earth; yet another, holding her friend's hand, was burned along with children.
अनेन दिव्यरूपान्यादृष्टा मदविमोहिता । शिरसा प्रांजलिं कृत्वा विज्ञापयति पावकम्
Seeing these women of divine beauty, bewildered and maddened, one of them, joining her palms and bowing her head, appealed to the fire.
यदि त्वमिच्छसे वैरं पुरुषेष्वपकारिषु । स्त्रियः किमपराध्यंते गृहपंजरकोकिलाः
If you wish to take vengeance on men who have done wrong, what fault is there in women, who are like caged cuckoos in their homes?
पापनिर्दय निर्ल्लज्ज कस्ते कोपः स्त्रियोपरि । न दाक्षिण्यं न ते लज्जा न सत्यं शौचवर्जितः
O merciless, shameless, evil one, why is your anger directed at women? You have no kindness, no modesty, no truth, and are devoid of purity.
अनेकरूपवर्णाढ्या उपलभ्या वदस्व ह । किं त्वया न श्रुतं लोके अवध्याः सर्वयोषितः
You possess many forms and colors—tell me, 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
What virtue is there for you in burning and tormenting women? There is no compassion, no mercy, no gentleness toward women.
दयां कुर्वंति म्लेच्छापि दहनं प्रेक्ष्य योषितः । म्लेच्छानामपि कष्टोसि दुर्निवार्यो ह्यचेतनः
Even foreigners show pity when they see women being burned; you are cruel even among foreigners, difficult to restrain, and without sense.
एते चैव गुणास्तुभ्यं दहनोत्सादनं प्रति । आसामपि दुराचार स्त्रीणां किं विनिपातसे
These are your qualities in burning and destroying; even if these women have acted badly, why do you cast them down?
दुष्ट निर्घृण निर्लज्ज हुताश मंदभाग्यक । निराशस्त्वं दुराचार बालान्दहसि निर्दय
O wicked, pitiless, shameless fire, of little fortune, you are hopeless and evil in conduct, burning young girls without mercy.
एवं प्रलपमानास्ता जल्पमाना बहुस्वरम् । अन्याः क्रोशंति संक्रुद्धा बालशोकेन मोहिताः
Thus, as they lamented and cried out in many voices, others, overcome with grief for their children, wailed in anger.