Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा स वीरो गणकुञ्जरः आरुरोह रथं दिव्यमनुगृह्य पितामहम्

Hearing those words, that heroic leader of the hosts ascended the celestial chariot, having received it from the Grandfather.

तथा रथवरे तस्मिन्स्थिते ब्रह्मणि सारथौ भद्रस्य ववृधे लक्ष्मी रुद्रस्येव पुरद्विषः

As Brahma stood as charioteer upon that excellent chariot, auspicious fortune increased, as it had for Rudra, the enemy of cities.

ततः शंखवरं दीप्तं पूर्णचंद्रसमप्रभम् प्रदध्मौ वदने कृत्वा भानुकंपो महाबलः

Then the mighty Bhānukaṃpa, full of strength, blew a splendid conch, radiant as the full moon, placing it to his mouth.

तस्य शंखस्य तं नादं भिन्नसारससन्निभम् श्रुत्वा भयेन देवानां जज्वाल जठरानलः

Hearing the sound of that conch, resembling the breaking of musical strings, the fire in the bellies of the gods blazed forth in fear.

यक्षविद्याधराहीन्द्रैः सिद्धैर्युद्धदिदृक्षुभिः क्षणेन निबडीभूताः साकाशविवरा दिशाः

In an instant, the directions became crowded with Yakshas, Vidyadharas, serpent kings, and Siddhas, all eager to witness the battle.

ततः शार्ङ्गेण चापाङ्कात्स नारायणनीरदः महता बाणवर्षेण तुतोद गणगोवृषम्

Then Narayana, dark as a rain cloud, from the bow Sharnga, pierced the bull of the hosts with a great shower of arrows.

तं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुमायांतं शतधा बाणवर्षिणम् स चाददे धनुर्जैत्रं भद्रो बाणसहस्रमुक्

Seeing Vishnu, manifesting his power and raining arrows in hundreds, Bhadra seized the victorious bow and a thousand arrows.

समादाय च तद्दिव्यं धनुस्समरभैरवम् शनैर्विस्फारयामास मेरुं धनुरिवेश्वरः

Taking up that divine, dreadful bow, he slowly drew it, like the Lord drawing Mount Meru as a bow.

तस्य विस्फार्यमाणस्य धनुषो ऽभून्महास्वनः तेन स्वनेन महता पृथिवीं समकंपयत्

As he drew the bow, a great sound arose, and with that mighty sound, he shook the earth.

ततः शरवरं घोरं दीप्तमाशीविषोपमम् जग्राह गणपः श्रीमान्स्वयमुग्रपराक्रमः

Then the illustrious leader of the hosts, fierce in valor, took up a dreadful arrow, blazing like a venomous serpent.

बाणोद्धारे भुजो ह्यस्य तूणीवदनसंगतः प्रत्यदृश्यत वल्मीकं विवेक्षुरिव पन्नगः

As he drew the arrow, his arm, joined to the quiver and mouth, appeared like a serpent emerging from its anthill.

समुद्धृतः करे तस्य तत्क्षणं रुरुचे शरेः महाभुजंगसंदष्टो यथा बालभुजङ्गमः

The arrow, raised in his hand at that moment, shone like a young serpent bitten by a great snake.

शरेण घनतीव्रेण भद्रो रुद्रपराक्रमः विव्याध कुपितो गाढं ललाटे विष्णुमव्ययम्

With a dense and powerful arrow, Bhadra, mighty in Rudra's valor, angrily pierced the imperishable Vishnu in the forehead.

ललाटे ऽभिहितो विष्णुः पूर्वमेवावमानितः चुकोप गणपेंद्राय मृगेंद्रायेव गोवृषः

Struck on the forehead, Vishnu, previously insulted, grew angry at the lord of the hosts, as a bull would at a lion.

ततस्त्वशनिकल्पेन क्रूरास्येन महेषुणा विव्याध गणराजस्य भुजे भुजगसन्निभे

Then, with a cruel face and a great arrow like lightning, he pierced the arm of the king of the hosts, resembling a serpent.

सो ऽपि तस्य भुजे भूयः सूर्यायुतसमप्रभम् विससर्ज शरं वेगाद्वीरभद्रो महाबलः

In turn, Virabhadra, mighty in strength, released an arrow, radiant as ten thousand suns, at his arm with great speed.

स च विष्णुः पुनर्भद्रं भद्रो विष्णुं तथा पुनः स च तं स च तं विप्राश्शरैस्तावनुजघ्नतुः

Then Vishnu struck Bhadra again, and Bhadra struck Vishnu likewise; thus, O Brahmins, they attacked each other with arrows.

तयोः परस्परं वेगाच्छरानाशु विमुंचतोः द्वयोस्समभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम्

As the two swiftly released arrows at each other with force, a tumultuous and hair-raising battle arose between them.

तद्दृष्ट्वा तुमुलं युद्धं तयोरेव परस्परम् हाहाकारो महानासीदाकाशे खेचरेरितः

Seeing that fierce battle between the two, a great outcry of 'Alas!' arose in the sky, uttered by the celestial beings.

ततस्त्वनलतुंडेन शरेणादित्यवर्चसा विव्याध सुदृढं भद्रो विष्णोर्महति वक्षसि

Then Bhadra, with a blazing arrow like the tongue of fire, struck firmly at the great chest of Vishnu.

स तु तीव्रप्रपातेन शरेण दृढमाहतः महतीं रुजमासाद्य निपपात विमोहितः

Struck hard by that arrow falling with intense speed, he was overcome by great pain and fell down, bewildered.

पुनः क्षणादिवोत्थाय लब्धसंज्ञस्तदा हरिः सर्वाण्यपि च दिव्यास्त्राण्यथैनं प्रत्यवासृजत्

But after a moment, regaining consciousness, Hari rose up and then unleashed all the divine weapons against him.

स च विष्णुर्धनुर्मुक्तान्सर्वाञ्छर्वचमूपतिः सहसा वारयामास घोरैः प्रतिशरैः शरान्

And Vishnu, the lord of the army of arrows, at once repelled all those arrows with terrifying counter-arrows.

ततो विष्णुस्स्वनामांकं बाणमव्याहतं क्वचित् ससर्ज क्रोधरक्ता क्षस्तमुद्दिश्य गणेश्वरम् तं बाणं बाणवर्येण भद्रो भद्राह्वयेण तु

Then Vishnu, with anger reddening his eyes, released an unimpeded arrow marked with his own name, aiming it at the lord of the hosts; but Bhadra, with his own excellent arrow called Bhadrāhvaya, countered that arrow.

अप्राप्तमेव भगवाञ्चिच्छेद शतधा पथि अथैकेनेषुणा शार्ङ्गं द्वाभ्यां पक्षौ गरुत्मतः

Even before it reached its target, the Blessed One cut it into a hundred pieces in mid-flight; then, with one arrow, he severed the Śārṅga bow, and with two, the wings of Garuda.

निमेषादेव चिच्छेद तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ततो योगबलाद्विष्णुर्देहाद्देवान्सुदारुणान्

He cut them down in the blink of an eye, and it seemed wondrous; then, by the power of yoga, Vishnu released from his body fierce divine beings.

शंखचक्रगदाहस्तान् विससर्ज सहस्रशः सर्वांस्तान्क्षणमात्रेण त्रैपुरानिव शंकरः

He sent forth thousands of them, bearing conch, discus, and mace in their hands; but in a mere moment, Bhadra burned them all up, just as Śankara did to the Tripura cities.

निर्ददाह महाबाहुर्नेत्रसृष्टेन वह्निना ततः क्रुद्धतरो विष्णुश्चक्रमुद्यम्य सत्वरः

The mighty-armed one burned them with fire emitted from his eye; then Vishnu, even more enraged, quickly raised his discus.

तस्मिन्वीरो समुत्स्रष्टुं तदानीमुद्यतो ऽभवत् तं दृष्ट्वा चक्रमुद्यम्य पुरतः समुपस्थितम्

At that moment, the hero prepared to hurl it; seeing the discus raised and ready before him—