ततो दधीचिः परमप्रतीतः सुरोत्तमांस्तानिदमित्युवाच। करोमि यद्वो हितमद्य देवाः स्वं वापि देहं त्वहमुत्सृजामि
Then Dadhīci, greatly pleased, spoke to those foremost gods: 'Today, O gods, I shall do what is for your good, or else I shall relinquish my own body.'
तानेवमुक्त्वा द्विपदां वरिष्ठः प्राणांस्ततोऽसौ सहसोत्ससर्ज। सुरास्तदस्थीनि सवासवास्ते यथोपयोगं जगृहुः स्म तस्य
Having spoken thus to them, the best of men at once gave up his life; the gods, along with Indra, took his bones for their intended purpose.
प्रहृष्टरूपाश्च जयाय देवास्त्वष्टारमासाद्य तमर्थमूचुः। त्वष्टा तु तेषां वचनं निशम्य प्रहृष्टरूपः प्रयतः प्रयत्नात्
The gods, their forms radiant with joy, approached Tvaṣṭṛ for victory and spoke their request; Tvaṣṭṛ, hearing their words, gladly and diligently—
चकार वज्रं भृशमुग्रवीर्यं कृत्वा च शस्त्रं तमुवाच हृष्टः। अनेन शस्त्रप्रवरेण देव भस्मीकुरुष्वाद्य सुरारिमुग्रं
Made a thunderbolt of immense and fierce power, and, delighted, said: 'With this supreme weapon, O god, destroy today the terrible enemy of the gods.'
ततो हतारिः सगणः सुखं त्वं प्रशाधि कृत्स्नं त्रिदिवं दिविष्ठः। त्वष्ट्रा तथोक्तस्तु पुरंदरश्च वज्रं प्रहृष्टः प्रयतो ह्यगृह्णात्
'Then, having slain the foe and his host, rule happily over all of heaven, O Indra.' Thus addressed by Tvaṣṭṛ, Purandara joyfully and with devotion accepted the thunderbolt.
ततः स वज्रेणयुतो दैवतैरभिपूजितः। आससाद ततो वृत्रं स्थितमावृत्य रोदसी
Then, armed with the thunderbolt and honored by the gods, he approached Vṛtra, who stood blocking the heavens and the earth.
कालकेयैर्महाकायैस्समंतादभिरक्षितं। समुद्यत प्रहरणैः सशृंगैरिव पर्वतैः
Guarded on all sides by the mighty-bodied Kālakeyas, who were armed and raised like mountains with horns.
ततो युद्धं समभवद्देवानां सह दानवैः। मुहूर्तं भरतश्रेष्ठ लोकत्रासकरं महत्
Then a great battle arose between the gods and the demons, O best of Bharatas, terrifying the worlds for a moment.
उद्यतैः प्रतिसृष्टानां खड्गानां वीरबाहुभिः। आसीत्सुतुमुलः शब्दः शरीरैरभिपाटितैः
With swords raised and hurled by heroic arms, there arose a tumultuous sound as bodies were struck down.
शिरोभिः प्रपतद्भिश्चाप्यंतरिक्षान्महीतलं। तालैरिव महीपाल वृतं तैरेव दृश्यते
Heads fell from the sky to the earth, O king, and the ground appeared covered with them, like palm trees.
ते हेमकवचा भूत्वा कालेयाः परिघायुधाः। त्रिदशानभ्यवर्तन्त दावदग्धा इव द्रुमाः
The Kālakeyas, clad in golden armor and wielding iron clubs, advanced upon the gods like trees scorched by a forest fire.
तेषां वेगवतां वेगं सहितानां प्रधावताम्। न शेकुः सहिताः सोढुं भग्नास्ते प्राद्रवन्भयात्
The gods could not withstand the force of those united, swift-moving foes; broken, they fled in fear.
तान्दृष्ट्वा द्रवतो भीतान्सहस्राक्षः पुरंदरः। वृत्रं च वर्द्धमानं तु कश्मलं महदाविशत्
Seeing them fleeing in fear, Indra, the thousand-eyed lord, was seized by great distress as Vritra grew in power.
तं शक्रं कश्मलाविष्टं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुः सनातनः। स्वतेजो व्यदधाच्छक्रे बलमस्य विवर्धयन्
Beholding Indra overcome by distress, the eternal Vishnu infused his own energy into him, greatly increasing his strength.
विष्णुनाप्यायितं शक्रं दृष्ट्वादे वगणास्तदा। सर्वे तेजस्समादध्युस्तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः
When the hosts of gods saw Indra invigorated by Vishnu, all of them, along with the pure Brahmarshis, endowed him with their energy as well.
स समाप्यायितः शक्रो विष्णुना दैवतैः सह। ऋषिभिश्च महाभागैर्बलवान्समपद्यत
Thus, empowered by Vishnu, the gods, and the great sages, Indra became mighty.
ज्ञात्वा बलस्थं त्रिदशाधिपं तं ननाद वृत्रस्सुमहानि नादम्। तस्य प्रणादेन धरा दिशश्च खं द्यौर्नगाश्चेति चचाल सर्वं
Realizing that the lord of the gods was now strong, Vritra roared with a tremendous sound; at his cry, the earth, directions, sky, heavens, and mountains all trembled.
ततो महेंद्रः परमाभितप्तः श्रुत्वा रवं घोरतरं महांतम्। भयेन मग्नस्त्वरितं मुमोच वज्रं महान्तं खलु तस्य शीर्षे
Then Mahendra, deeply tormented and hearing that terrible, immense roar, was overcome by fear and swiftly hurled his great thunderbolt at Vritra's head.
स शक्रवज्राभिहतः पपात महास्वनः कांचनमाल्यधारी। यथा महाशैलवरः पुरस्तात्स मंदरो विष्णुकरात्प्रमुक्तः
Struck by Indra's thunderbolt, Vritra fell with a mighty crash, adorned with golden garlands, just as the great Mandara mountain once fell from Vishnu's hand.
तस्मिन्हते दैत्यवरे भयार्तः शक्रः प्रदुद्राव सरः प्रवेष्टुं। वज्रं च मेने स्वकरात्प्रमुक्तं वृत्रं भयाच्चैव हतं न पश्यति
With that chief of the Daityas slain, Indra, gripped by fear, fled to enter a lake, thinking he had cast his thunderbolt and, out of fear, did not see Vritra slain.
सर्वे च देवा मुदिताः प्रहृष्टाः सहर्षयश्चैनमथो स्तुवंति। शेषांश्च दैत्यांस्त्वरितं समेत्य जघ्नुः सुरा वृत्रवधाभितप्तान्
All the gods, delighted and rejoicing, then praised him; and the remaining Daityas, distressed by Vritra's death, were swiftly struck down by the gods.
ते वध्यमानास्त्रिदशैस्तदानीं महासुरा वायुसमानवेगाः। समुद्रमेवाविविशुर्भयार्ताः प्रविश्य चैवोदधिमप्रमेयम्
Those great Asuras, being slain by the gods and swift as the wind, entered the ocean in terror, plunging into the immeasurable sea.
झषाकुलं रत्नसमाकुलं च तदा स्म मंत्रं सहिताः प्रचक्रुः। तत्र स्म केचिन्मतिनिश्चयज्ञास्तांस्तानुपायान्परिचिंतयंतः
There, in the ocean teeming with fish and filled with jewels, they performed rituals together; some, firm in their resolve, considered various means.
भयार्दिता देवनिकायतप्तास्त्रैलोक्यनाशाय मतिं प्रचक्रुः। तेषां तु तत्र क्षयकालयोगाद्घोरामतिश्चिंतयतां बभूव१०० 1.19.
Afflicted by fear and scorched by the power of the gods, they resolved upon the destruction of the three worlds; and as the time of their end approached, a dreadful thought arose among them.
ये संति विद्यातपसोपपन्नास्तेषां विनाशः प्रथमं च कार्यः। लोकाश्च सर्वे तपसा ध्रियंते तस्मात्त्वरध्वं तपसः क्षयाय
Those who possess knowledge and ascetic power must first be destroyed, for all worlds are upheld by asceticism; therefore, hasten to bring about the end of asceticism.
ये संति केचिद्धि वसुंधरायां तपस्विनो धर्मविदश्च तज्ज्ञाः। तेषां वधश्चक्रियतां हि क्षिप्रं तेषु प्रणष्टेषु जगद्विनष्टम्
Whatever ascetics and knowers of dharma there are upon the earth, let them be slain quickly; with their destruction, the world itself will perish.
एवं हि सर्वे गतबुद्धिभावा जगद्विनाशे परमप्रहृष्टाः। दुर्गंसमाश्रित्य महोर्मिमंतं रत्नाकरं वारुणमालयं स्म
Thus, all of them, their minds set on the destruction of the world and utterly depraved, took refuge in the fortress-like, wave-tossed ocean, the abode of Varuna, filled with jewels.
समुद्रं ते समासाद्य वारुणं त्वंभसां निधिं। कालेयास्समपद्यंत त्रैलोक्यस्य विनाशने
Having reached the ocean, the watery abode of Varuna, the Kaleyas gathered there to bring about the destruction of the three worlds.
ते रात्रौ समभिक्रुद्धा बभक्षुस्तांस्तदा मुनीन्। आश्रमेषु च ये संति पुण्येष्वायतनेषु च
Then, at night, filled with hostility, they devoured the sages dwelling in hermitages and sacred places.
वसिष्ठस्याश्रमे विप्रा भक्षितास्तैर्दुरात्मभिः। अशीतिः शतमष्टौ च वने चान्ये तपस्विनः
In the hermitage of Vasistha, the brahmins were eaten by those evil-minded ones; eighty-eight hundred other ascetics in the forest as well.