Varaha Purana

आनीयतां द्रुतं सैन्यं हस्त्यश्वरथपत्तिनाम् । येन देवान् सगन्धर्वान् जयामि युधि दुर्ज्जयान् ।। ९२.

Bring swiftly the army of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry, by which I shall conquer the gods and Gandharvas, difficult to defeat in battle.

एवमुक्ते विरूपाक्षस्तदा सेनापतिर्द्रुतम् । आनिनाय महत्सैन्यमनन्तमपराजितम् ।। ९२.

Thus spoken, Virupaksha, the general, quickly brought forth the great army, endless and unconquered.

एकैको दानवस्तत्र वज्रहस्तसमो युधि । एकैकं स्पर्धते देवं जेतुं स्वेन बलेन ह ।। ९२.

Each Danava there was equal in battle to one bearing the thunderbolt; each contended with a god, seeking to conquer by his own strength.

तेषां प्रधानभूतानामर्बुदं नवकोटयः । येषामेकस्यानुयाति तावद् बलमर्थोर्ज्जितम् ।। ९२.

Of those who were foremost, there were ninety million; for each, the strength of followers was amassed accordingly.

तेषां नैकसहस्त्राणि दैत्यानां तु महात्मनाम् । समितिं चक्रुरव्यग्रास्तदा दैत्याः प्रहारिणः । प्रयाणं कारयामासुर्देवसैन्यजिघांसया ।। ९२.

Among them, countless thousands of great-souled daityas, undistracted, formed the battle array; then the daityas, eager for combat, set out to destroy the army of the gods.

विचित्रयाना विविधध्वजाग्रा विचित्रशस्त्रा विविधोग्ररूपाः । दैत्या सुराञ् जेतुमिच्छन्त उच्चैर् ननर्त्तुरात्तायुधभीमहस्ताः ।। ९२.

The Daityas, riding in wondrous chariots adorned with many kinds of banners, wielding diverse and fearsome weapons, and taking on terrifying forms, danced with raised, dreadful arms, eager to conquer the gods.

श्रीवराह उवाच । ततो महिषदैत्यस्तु कामरूपी महाबलः । मत्तहस्तिनामारुह्य यियासुर्मेरुपर्वतम् ।। ९३.

Śrī Varāha said: Then the Daitya Mahisha, master of many forms and great strength, mounted a maddened elephant, desiring to ascend Mount Meru.

तत्रैन्द्रं पुरमासाद्य देवैः सह शतक्रतुम् । अभिदुद्राव दैत्येन्द्रस्ततो देवाः क्रुधान्विताः ।। ९३.

There, reaching the city of Indra, the lord of Daityas, with his companions, charged at Śatakratu and the gods; then the gods, filled with wrath, responded.

आदाय स्वानि शस्त्राणि वाहनानि विशेषतः । अधिष्ठायासुरानाजौ दुद्रुवुर्मुदिता भृशम् ।। ९३.

Taking up their own weapons and especially their mounts, the delighted gods mounted their vehicles and rushed into battle against the Asuras.

तेषां प्रववृते युद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् । घोरं प्रचण्डयोधानामन्योन्यमभिगर्जताम् ।। ९३.

A tumultuous and hair-raising battle broke out among them, fierce with mighty warriors roaring at each other.

तत्राञ्जनो नीलकुक्षिर्मेघवर्णो बलाहकः । उदराक्षो ललाटाक्षः सुभीमो भीमविक्रमः । स्वर्भानुश्चेति दैत्याष्टौ वसून् दुद्रुवुराहवे ।। ९३.

There, Añjana, Nīlakukṣi, Meghavarṇa, Balāhaka, Udarākṣa, Lalāṭākṣa, Subhīma, and Bhīmavikrama—these eight Daityas, along with Svarbhānu, charged at the Vasus in battle.

यथासंख्येन तद्वच्च दैत्या द्वादश चापरे । आदित्यान् दैत्यवर्यास्तु तेषां प्राधान्यतः श्रृणु ।। ९३.

In the same way, twelve other Daityas, each according to their number, attacked the Ādityas; listen now to the chief among these Daitya leaders.

भीमो ध्वङ्क्षो ध्वस्तकर्णः शङ्कुकर्णस्तथैव च । वज्रकायोऽतिवीर्यश्च विद्युन्माली तथैव च ।। ९३.

Bhīma, Dhvaṅkṣa, Dhvastakarṇa, Śaṅkukarṇa, Vajrakāya the exceedingly mighty, and Vidyunmālī as well,

रक्ताक्षो भीमदंष्ट्रस्तु विद्युज्जिह्वस्तथैव च । अतिकायो महाकायो दीर्घबाहुः कृतान्तकः ।। ९३.

Raktākṣa, Bhīmadaṃṣṭra, Vidyujjihva, Atikāya, Mahākāya, Dīrghabāhu, and Kṛtāntaka—these,

एते द्वादश दैत्येन्द्रा आदित्यान् युधि दुद्रुवुः । स्वकं सैन्यमुपादाय तद्वदन्येऽपि दानवाः । रुद्रान् दुद्रुवुरव्यग्रा यथासंख्येन कोपिताः ।। ९३.

These twelve Daitya lords, with their own armies, charged at the Ādityas in battle; likewise, other Dānavas, enraged, attacked the Rudras, each according to their number.

कालः कृतान्तो रक्ताक्षो हरणो मित्रहाऽनिलः । यज्ञहा ब्रह्महा गोघ्नः स्त्रीघ्नः संवर्त्तकस्तथा ।। ९३.

Kāla, Kṛtānta, Raktākṣa, Haraṇa, Mitrahā, Anila, Yajñahā, Brahmahā, Goughna, Strīghna, and Saṃvartaka—these,

इत्येते दश चैकश्च दैत्येन्द्रा युद्धदुर्मदाः । यथासंख्येन रुद्रांस्तु दुद्रुवुर्भीमविक्रमाः ।। ९३.

Thus, these ten and one more Daitya lords, mad with the desire for battle, charged fiercely at the Rudras, each according to their number.

शेषान् देवान् शेषदैत्या यथायोगमुपाद्रवन् । स्वयं महिषदैत्यस्तु इन्द्रं दुद्राव वेगितः ।। ९३.

The remaining Daityas attacked the other gods as appropriate; but Mahisha himself, with great speed, rushed directly at Indra.

स चापि बलवान् दैत्यो ब्रह्मणो वरदर्पितः । अवध्यः पुरुषेणाजौ यद्यपि स्यात् पिनाकधृक् ।। ९३.

And that powerful Daitya, emboldened by the boon of Brahmā, could not be slain by any man in battle, even if he were the wielder of Pināka.

आदित्यैर्वसुभिः साध्यै रुद्रैश्च निहता भृशम् । असुरा यातुधानाश्च संख्यापूरणकेवलाः ।। ९३.

The Asuras and Yātudhānas were struck down in great numbers by the Ādityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, and Rudras, their ranks replenished only by counting.

देवानामपि सैन्यानि निहतान्यसुरैर्युधि । एवं भूते तदा भग्ने देवेन्द्रे विद्रुताः सुराः ।। ९३.

The armies of the gods too were struck down by the Asuras in battle; in this way, when defeat befell the gods, the Devas fled, abandoning Indra.

अर्दिता विविधैः शस्त्रैः शूलपट्टिशमुद्गरैः । गतवन्तो ब्रह्मलोकमसुरैरर्दिताः सुराः ।। ९३.

Afflicted by various weapons—spears, pattiśas, and maces—the gods, tormented by the Asuras, went to the world of Brahmā.

श्रीवराह उवाच । अथ विद्युत्प्रभो दैत्यस्तथा दूतो विसर्जितः । देव्याः सकाशं गत्वाऽसौ तामुवाच सुमध्यमाम् ।। ९४.

Śrī Varāha said: Then the Daitya Vidyutprabha, sent as a messenger, went to the goddess and addressed her, she of slender waist.

प्रणम्य प्रयतो भूत्वा कुमारीशतसंकुलाम् । आस्थाने विनयापन्नस्ततो वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ९४.

After bowing with devotion and composure, he approached the place crowded with hundreds of maidens, and then, with humility, spoke these words.

विद्युत्प्रभ उवाच । देवि पूर्वमृषिस्त्वासीदादिसर्गे कसंभवः । सखा सारस्वतो जातः सुपार्श्वो नाम वै विभुः ।। ९४.

Vidyutprabha said: O goddess, in the beginning of creation there was a sage, born at that time, whose name was Supārśva, a friend of Sarasvata, renowned and powerful.

तस्याभवन्महातेजाः सिन्धुद्वीपः प्रतापवान् । स हि तीव्रं तपस्तेपे माहिष्मत्यां पुरोत्तमे ।। ९४.

His son was the mighty Sindhudvīpa, full of great energy; he performed intense austerities in the illustrious city of Māhiṣmatī.

कुर्वतस्तु तपो घोरं निराहारस्य शोभने । आद्या तु विप्रचित्तेस्तु सुता सुरसुतोपमा । माहिष्मतीति विख्याता रूपेणासदृशी भुवि ।। ९४.

While he was engaged in severe penance, abstaining from food, the eldest daughter of Vipracitti, equal to the daughters of the gods, became famous on earth as Māhiṣmatī, unmatched in beauty.

सा सखीभिः परिवृता विहरन्ती यदृच्छया । आगता मन्दरद्रोणीं तत्रापश्यत् तपोवनम् । मुनेरम्बरसंज्ञस्य विविधद्रुममालिनम् ।। ९४.

Surrounded by her companions, she was wandering about as she pleased, and came to the slopes of Mount Mandara, where she saw the hermitage of the sage named Ambara, adorned with many kinds of trees.

लतागृहैस्तु विविधैर्वकुलैर्लकुचैस्तथा । चन्दनैः स्पन्दनैः शालैः सरलैरुपशोभितम् । विचित्रवनखण्डैश्च भूषितं तु महात्मनः ।। ९४.

It was beautified by various bowers of creepers, vakula and lakucha trees, as well as sandalwood, spandana, śāla, and sarala trees, and decorated with diverse forest groves belonging to the great-souled sage.