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.
जयार्थमेते विज्ञेया असुराणां महौजसः। त्रैलोक्यमिदमव्यग्रं महेंद्रेणानुपाल्यते
These mighty asuras are to be understood as striving for victory; meanwhile, Mahendra governs the three worlds without disturbance.
असम्पन्नमिदं सर्वं यावद्वर्षायुतं पुनः। पर्यायेणैव सम्प्राप्ते त्रैलोक्यं पाकशासने
All this remains incomplete until another ten thousand years pass, when, in turn, the three worlds come under the rule of Paka (Indra).
ततोऽसुरान्परित्यज्य यज्ञो देवानगच्छत। यज्ञे देवानथ गते दितिजाः काव्यमब्रुवन्
Then, abandoning the asuras, the sacrifice went to the gods; when the sacrifice reached the gods, the children of Diti spoke to Kavi.
दैत्या ऊचुः-। हृतं मघवता राज्यं त्यक्त्वा यज्ञः सुरान्गतः। स्थातुं न शुक्नुमो ह्यत्र प्रविशामो रसातलम्२०० 1.13.
The Daityas said: 'Our kingdom has been taken by Maghavan, and the sacrifice has gone to the gods; we are unable to remain here, let us enter the netherworld.'
एवमुक्तोब्रवीदेतान्विषण्णान्सांत्वयन्गिरा। मा भैष्ट धारयिष्यामि तेजसा स्वेन वोऽसुराः
Thus addressed, Kavi comforted the dejected ones with words: 'Do not fear, O asuras, I will sustain you with my own power.'
मंत्राश्चौषधयश्चैव धरायां यत्तु वर्तते। मयि तिष्ठति तत्सर्वं पादमात्रं सुरेषु वै
All the mantras, herbs, and whatever exists upon the earth, reside in me; only a fraction remains with the gods.
तत्सर्वं च प्रदास्यामि युष्मदर्थे धृतं मया। ततो देवास्तुतान्दृष्ट्वा धृतान्काव्येन धीमता
All that I have held for your sake, I will give to you; then, seeing the asuras protected by the wise Kavi, the gods praised him.
अमंत्रयंत देवा वै संविग्नास्तज्जिघृक्षया। काव्यो ह्येष इदं सर्वं व्यावर्तयति नो बलात्
The gods, anxious and desiring to recover it, consulted together: 'This Kavi is diverting all of this from us by force.'
साधु गच्छामहे तूर्णं यावन्न च्यावयेत वै। प्रसह्य जित्वा शिष्टांस्तु पातालं प्रापयामहे
'Let us go swiftly, before he displaces us; having conquered the remaining ones by force, let us send them to the netherworld.'
ततो देवास्तु संरब्धा दानवानुपसृत्य ह। ततस्ते वध्यमानास्तैः काव्यमेवाभिदुद्रुवुः
Then the gods, enraged, approached the Danavas; as they were being slain by the gods, they rushed to Kavi for protection.