निदेशस्थायिनस्तस्य ऋद्ध्यंते सर्वयादवाः। भीष्म उवाच। सप्तर्षयः कुबेरश्च यक्षो मणिधरस्तथा
All the Yadavas flourish under his command; Bhishma said: The seven sages, Kubera, and also the Yaksha Manidhara,
सात्यकिर्नारदश्चैव शिवो धन्वंतरिस्तथा। आदिदेवस्तथाविष्णुरेभिस्तु सह दैवतैः
Satyaki, Narada, Shiva, Dhanvantari, the primeval god, and Vishnu—together with these divine beings,
किमर्थं सहसंभूताः सुरसम्भूतयः क्षितौ। भविष्याः कति वा चास्य प्रादुर्भावा महात्मनः
For what purpose did those born of the gods suddenly appear on earth? And how many future manifestations will there be of this great soul?
सर्वक्षेत्रेषु सर्वेषु किमर्थमिह जायते। यदर्थमिह संभूतो विष्णुर्वृष्ण्यंधके कुले
In all places and all fields, for what reason is he born here? For what purpose did Vishnu appear in the Vrishni and Andhaka clans?
पुनःपुनर्मनुष्येषु तन्मे त्वं ब्रूहि पृच्छतः। पुलस्त्य उवाच। शृणु भूप प्रवक्ष्यामि रहस्यातिरहस्यकम्। यथा दिव्यतनुर्विष्णुर्मानुषेष्विह जायते
Again and again among humans—tell me this as I ask you. Pulastya said: Hear, O king, I will tell you the most secret of secrets: how Vishnu, of divine form, is born here among men.
युगांते तु परावृत्ते काले प्रशिथिले प्रभुः। देवासुरमनुष्येषु जायते हरिरीश्वरः
At the end of an age, when time has turned and grown feeble, the Lord, Hari, is born among gods, demons, and humans.
हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यस्त्रैलोक्यस्य प्रशासिता। बलिनाधिष्ठिते चैव पुनर्लोकत्रये क्रमात्
Hiraṇyakaśipu, the demon, was the ruler of the three worlds; and again, Bali governed them in succession.
सख्यमासीत्परमकं देवानामसुरैः सह। युगाख्या दश संपूर्णा आसीदव्याकुलं जगत्
There was the highest friendship between the gods and the demons; ten ages passed, and the world was undisturbed.
निदेशस्थायिनश्चापि तयोर्देवासुरा स्वयं। बद्धो बलिर्विमर्दोयं सुसंवृत्तः सुदारुणः
The gods and demons themselves remained obedient to their commands; Bali was bound, and this fierce conflict was thoroughly enacted.
देवानामसुराणां च घोरः क्षयकरो महान्। कर्तुं धर्मव्यवस्थां च जायते मानुषेष्विह
A great and terrible destruction arose among the gods and demons; and to establish the order of dharma, it occurs among humans here.
भृगोः शापनिमित्तं तु देवासुरकृते तदा। भीष्म उवाच। कथं देवासुरकृते हरिर्देहमवाप्तवान्
Due to Bhṛgu’s curse, at that time, for the sake of the gods and demons— Bhīṣma said: How did Hari obtain a body for the gods and demons?
दैवासुरं यथावृत्तं तन्मे कथय सुव्रत। पुलस्त्य उवाच। तेषां जयनिमित्तं वै संग्रामा स्युः सुदारुणाः
Tell me, O virtuous one, how the divine and demonic events unfolded. Pulastya said: For their victory, fierce battles occurred.
अवतारा दशद्वौ च शुद्धा मन्वंतरे स्मृताः। नामधेयं समासेन शृणु तेषां विवक्षितम्
There are ten pure incarnations remembered in the Manvantaras; hear briefly the names of those I intend to describe.
प्रथमो नारसिंहस्तु द्वितीयश्चापि वामनः। तृतीयस्तु वराहश्च चतुर्थोऽमृतमंथनः
The first is Narasiṃha, the second is Vāmana; the third is Varāha, and the fourth is the churning of nectar.
संग्रामः पंचमश्चैव सुघोरस्तारकामयः। षष्ठो ह्याडीबकाख्यश्च सप्तमस्त्रैपुरस्तथा
The fifth is the fierce battle for Tāraka; the sixth is called Āḍībaka, and the seventh is the conflict of Tripura.
अष्टमश्चांधकवधो नवमो वृत्रघातनः। ध्वजश्च दशमस्तेषां हालाहलस्ततः परं
The eighth is the slaying of Andhaka, the ninth is the killing of Vṛtra; the tenth is the banner, and after that, Hālāhala.
प्रथितो द्वादशस्तेषां घोरः कोलाहलस्तथा। हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यो नरसिंहेन सूदितः
The twelfth, renowned among them, is the dreadful Kolāhala; Hiraṇyakaśipu, the demon, was slain by Narasiṃha.
वामनेन बलिर्बद्धस्त्रैलोक्याक्रमणे पुरा। हिरण्याक्षो हतो द्वंद्वे प्रतिवादे तु दैवतैः
Bali was bound by Vāmana during his conquest of the three worlds; Hiraṇyākṣa was killed in a duel, in opposition to the gods.
दंष्ट्रया तु वराहेण समुद्रस्थो द्विधा कृतः। प्रह्लादो निर्जितो युद्धे इंद्रेणामृतमंथने
By the tusk of Varāha, the one in the ocean was split in two; Prahlāda was defeated in battle by Indra during the churning of nectar.
विरोचनस्तु प्राह्लादिर्नित्यमिन्द्रवधोद्यतः। इंद्रेणैव च विक्रम्य निहतस्तारकामये
Virocana, son of Prahlāda, was always intent on killing Indra; and he was slain by Indra himself in the battle for Tāraka.
अशक्नुवत्सु देवेषु त्रिपुरं सोढुमासुरम्। मोहयित्वाऽमृते पीते गोरूपेणासुरारिणा
When the gods were unable to endure the demonic Tripura, after deceiving them and drinking the nectar, the enemy of the demons took the form of a cow.
नासन्जीवयितुं शक्या भूयो भूयोमृतासुराः। निहता दानवाः सर्वे त्रैलोक्ये त्र्यंबकेण तु
The demons who had drunk the nectar could not be revived again and again; all the Dānavas in the three worlds were slain by Tryambaka.
असुराश्च पिशाचाश्च दानवाश्चांधके वधे। हता देवमनुष्यैस्ते पितृभिश्चैव सर्वशः
The demons, spirits, and Dānavas were killed in the slaying of Andhaka, by the gods, humans, and also by all the ancestors.
संपृक्तो दानवैर्वृत्रो घोरे कोलाहले हतः। तदा विष्णुसहायेन महेंद्रेण निपातितः
Vṛtra, allied with the Dānavas, was slain in the dreadful Kolāhala; then, with the help of Viṣṇu, he was struck down by Mahendra.
हतस्ततो महेंद्रेण मायाछन्नस्तु योगवित्। वज्रेण क्षणमाविश्य विप्रचित्तिः सहानुगः
Then, concealed by illusion and skilled in yoga, Vipracitti with his followers was slain by Mahendra, who struck with the thunderbolt for a moment.
दैत्याश्च दानवाश्चैव संयुताः कृत्स्नशस्तु ते। एते दैवाऽसुरावृत्ताः संग्रामाद्वा दशैव तु
The Daityas and Danavas, united together, were all destroyed; these are the accounts of the battles between the gods and the asuras, numbering ten in total.
देवासुरक्षयकराः प्रजानां च हिताय वै। हिरण्यकशिपू राजा वर्षाणामर्बुदं बभौ
Bringing destruction to gods and asuras, and for the welfare of beings, King Hiranyakashipu shone for a hundred million years.
द्विसप्ततिं तथान्यानि नियुतान्यधिकानि तु। अशीति च सहस्राणि त्रैलोक्यैश्वर्यवानभूत्
Seventy-two other hundred million years, and eighty thousand more, he possessed sovereignty over the three worlds.
पर्यायेण तु राजाभूद्बलिर्वर्षार्बुदं पुनः। षष्ठिं चैव सहस्राणि नियुतानि च विंशतिं
In turn, King Bali again ruled for a hundred million years, and sixty thousand plus twenty million.
बलिराज्याधिकारे तु यावत्कालश्च कीर्तितः। तावत्कालं तु प्रह्लादो निर्वृतो ह्यसुरैः सह
For the duration of Bali's reign, as has been described, Prahlada enjoyed happiness together with the asuras.