सुरां पीत्वा द्विजं हत्वा द्विजानां निष्कृतिः स्मृता
Drinking liquor or killing a brahmin—these are considered atonable for brahmins.
बलादपि हरिष्यामि तस्मात्साम्ना प्रदीयताम्
Even by force I will take her; therefore, give her willingly.
अस्त्रमस्त्रमिति प्रोच्य समुत्तस्थौ सभातलात्
Saying, 'Weapon for weapon!' he rose up from the assembly floor.
ततस्ते सेवकास्तस्य नृपतेश्चित्तवेदिनः
Then the king’s attendants, who knew his mind,
तस्यैवं वध्यमानस्य जमदग्नेर्महात्मनः
As the great-souled Jamadagni was thus being attacked,
साऽपि नानाविधैस्तीक्ष्णैः खण्डिता वरवर्णिनी ६.६६.
That splendid cow too was struck with various sharp weapons.
एवं हत्वा स विप्रेन्द्रं जमदग्निं महीपतिः
Thus, the king killed the foremost brahmin, Jamadagni.
अथ सा काल्यमाना च धेनुः कोपसमन्विता
Then, as she was being beaten, the cow, filled with anger—
तस्याः संरम्भमाणाया वक्त्रमार्गेण निर्गताः
From her, enraged, they emerged through her mouth.
नानाशस्त्रधराः सर्वे यमदूता इवापराः
All were armed with various weapons, like other messengers of Yama.
साऽब्रवीद्धन्यतामेतद्धैहयाधिपतेर्बलम् विनाशयितुमारब्धं शितैः शस्त्रैर्निरर्गलम्
She said, 'This is the fortune: the strength of the lord of the Haihayas has begun to be destroyed, unhindered, by sharp weapons.'
१ न कश्चित्पुरुषस्तेषां सम्मुखोऽप्यभवद्रणे
Not a single man among them faced the battle directly.
अथ भग्नं बलं दृष्ट्वा वध्यमानं समंततः
Then, seeing the army broken and being slain everywhere,
तेजोहानिः परा तेऽद्य जाता ब्रह्मवधाद्विभो
Today, O mighty one, the highest loss of brilliance has occurred because of the killing of a Brahmin.
यावन्नागच्छते तस्य रामोनाम सुतो बली
Until his powerful son named Rāma arrives,
नैषा शक्या बलान्नेतुं कामधेनुर्महोदया ६.६६.
This great wish-fulfilling cow cannot be taken away by force.
ततः स पार्थिवो भीतस्तेषां वाक्याद्विशेषतः
Then the king, frightened especially by their words,
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठे नागरखण्डे हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये जमदग्निवधवर्णनंनाम षट्षष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Skanda Purāṇa, in the sixth Nāgara section of the eighty-one-thousand-verse collection, in the greatness of the Haṭakeśvara field, this is the sixty-sixth chapter called 'The Description of the Killing of Jamadagni.'
फलानि कन्दमूलानि गृहीत्वाऽऽश्रमसम्मुखः
Taking fruits, tubers, and roots, he approached the hermitage.
स दृष्ट्वा स्वाश्रमं ध्वस्तं पुलिन्दैर्बहुशो वृतम्
He saw his own hermitage destroyed, surrounded by many Pulindas.
पप्रच्छ किमिदं सर्वं व्याकुलत्वमुपागतम्
He asked, 'What is all this? How has this distress arisen?'
केनैषा मामिका धेनुः प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृता
By whom has my cow been battered with blows?
क्व स मेऽद्य पिता वृद्धो माता च सुतवत्सला
Where is my aged father today, and my mother, fond of her son?
अथ तस्य समाचख्युर्वृत्तांतं सर्वतापसाः
Then all the ascetics told him the whole story.
ततस्ते भ्रातरः सर्वे वज्रपातोपमं वचः
Then all the brothers spoke words like the fall of thunderbolts.
मातरं क्षतसर्वाङ्गीं प्राणशेषां व्यथान्विताम्
They saw their mother, wounded in all her limbs, barely alive, afflicted with pain.
रुदित्वाथ चिरं कालं विप्रलप्य मुहुर्मुहुः
Then, after weeping for a long time and lamenting again and again,
अथ दाहावसाने ते कृत्वा गर्तां यथोचिताम् ६.६७.
when the cremation was completed, they made a proper pit as was fitting.
अथान्यैस्तापसैः प्रोक्तो रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः
Then Rama, the foremost among wielders of weapons, was addressed by the other ascetics.
अथासौ बहुधा प्रो क्तस्तापसैर्जमदग्निजः
Then Jamadagni’s son was repeatedly addressed in many ways by the ascetics.