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.
दहते निर्दयो वह्निः संक्रुद्धः सर्वशत्रुवत् । पुष्करिण्यां जले ज्वाला कूपेष्वपि तथैव च
The merciless fire, enraged like an enemy of all, burned even in the water of lotus ponds and likewise in wells.
अस्मान्संदह्य म्लेच्छ त्वं कां गतिं प्रापयिष्यसि । एवं प्रलपतां तासां वह्निर्वचनमब्रवीत्
Having burned us, O foreign one, what fate will you bring upon us? As they lamented thus, the fire spoke these words:
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, possessed by anger, I move as I please; then Bāṇa, of great brilliance, seeing Tripura ablaze—
आसनस्थोऽब्रवीदेवमहं देवैर्विनाशितः । अल्पसारैर्दुराचारैरीश्वरस्य निवेदितः
Seated in his posture, he spoke: 'I have been destroyed by the gods—men of little worth and evil conduct—delivered up to the Lord.'
अपरीक्ष्य ह्यहं दग्धः शंकरेण महात्मना । नान्यः शत्रुस्तु मां हंतुं वर्ज्जयित्वा महेश्वरम्
Indeed, without examination, I was burned by the great-souled Śaṅkara; no other enemy could slay me except Maheśvara.
उत्थितः शिरसा कृत्वा लिगं त्रिभुवनेश्वरम् । निर्गतः स पुरद्वारात्परित्यज्य सुहृत्स्वयम्
Rising up, having placed the liṅga of the Lord of the three worlds upon his head, he departed from the city gate, abandoning his friends of his own accord.
रत्नानि सुविचित्राणि स्त्रियो नानाविधास्तथा । गृहीत्वा शिरसा लिंगं न्यस्तं नगरमंडले
Taking with him splendid jewels and women of various kinds, he placed the liṅga upon his head and set it down in the center of the city.
स्तुवते देवदेवेशं त्रैलोक्याधिपतिं शिवम् । हर त्वयाहं निर्दग्धो यदि वध्योसि शंकर
He praised the Lord of gods, Śiva, ruler of the three worlds: 'O Hara, if I have been burned by you, then you are to be slain, O Śaṅkara.'
त्वत्प्रसादान्महादेव मा मे लिंगं विनश्यतु । अर्चितं हि महादेव भक्त्या परमया सदा
By your grace, O great god, may my liṅga not be destroyed; for it has always been worshipped by me, O great god, with supreme devotion.
त्वया यद्यपि वध्योहं मा मे लिंगं विनश्यतु । प्राप्यमेतन्महादेव त्वत्पादग्रहणं मम
Even if I am to be slain by you, let not my liṅga be destroyed; let me attain, O great god, the grasping of your feet.
जन्मजन्म महादेव त्वत्पादनिरतो ह्यहम् । तोटकच्छंदसा देवं स्तुत्वा तु परमेश्वरम्
Birth after birth, O great god, I am ever devoted to your feet; having praised the supreme Lord in the Toṭaka meter—
ॐशिवशंकरसर्वकराय नमो भवभीममहेशशिवाय नमः । कुसुमायुध देहविनाशकर त्रिपुरांतकरांधक चूर्णकर
Om! Salutation to Śiva, Śaṅkara, the doer of all; salutation to Bhava, Bhīma, Maheśa, Śiva; destroyer of the body of Kāmadeva, slayer of Tripura, crusher of Andhaka.
प्रमदाप्रियकामविभक्त नमो हि नमः सुरसिद्धगणैर्नमितः । हयवानरसिंहगजेंद्रमुखैरति ह्रस्वसुदीर्घमुखैश्च गणैः
Salutations to you, beloved of women, divided in love; indeed, salutation to you, who is bowed to by hosts of gods and siddhas, by troops with faces of horses, monkeys, lions, elephants, and Indra, and by those with very short or very long faces.
उपलब्धुमशक्यतरैरसुरैर्व्यथितो न शरीरशतैर्बहुभिः । प्रणतो भगवन्बहुभक्तिमता चलचंद्र कलाधर देव नमः
Unattainable by the asuras, even with hundreds of bodies, not troubled by many bodies; I bow to you, Lord, bearer of the crescent moon, O god, salutations.
सहपुत्रकलत्रकलापधनैः सततं जय देहि अनुस्मरणम् । व्यथितोस्मि शरीरशतैर्बहुभिर्गमिताद्य महानरकस्य गतिः
Together with sons, wives, attendants, and wealth, always grant me victory and remembrance; I am afflicted by many bodies, and today I have reached the path to great hell.
न निवर्तति यन्ममपापगतिः शुचिकर्म्मविशुद्धमपि त्यजति । अनुकंपति दिग्भ्रमति भ्रमति भ्रम एष कुबुद्धि निवारयति
My sinful course does not turn back, even pure and virtuous deeds are abandoned; compassion wanders, the mind wanders, this delusion is restrained by bad intellect.
यः पठेत्तोटकं दिव्यं प्रयतः शुचिमानसः । बाणस्यैव यथारुद्रस्तस्यैव वरदो भवेत्
Whoever recites this divine Toṭaka hymn with pure mind and devotion, for him, as for Bāṇa, Rudra himself will be the bestower of boons.
इमं स्तवं महादिव्यं श्रुत्वा देवो महेश्वरः । प्रसन्नस्तु तदा तस्य स्वयं देवो महेश्वरः
Hearing this great and divine hymn, the god Maheśvara, being pleased, then himself, O Pāṇḍava, granted a boon to him.
ईश्वर उवाच-। न भेतव्यं त्वया वत्स सौवर्णे तिष्ठ दानव । पुत्रपौत्रसपत्नीनां भार्याभृत्यजनैः सह
Īśvara said: 'You need not fear, my child; remain in Sauvarṇa, O Dānava, together with your sons, grandsons, wives, and attendants.'