धरण्युवाच । तदा दुर्वाससा शप्तो देवराजः शतक्रतुः । वसिष्यसि त्वं मर्त्त्येषु सुप्रतीकसुतेन तु ।। १६.
The earth spoke: At that time, King of the Gods, Śatakratu, was cursed by Durvāsas; you will dwell among mortals, through the son of Supratīka.
उत्सादितो दिवो मूढेत्येवमुक्तस्तु भूधर । इन्द्रो मर्त्त्यमुपागम्य सर्वदेवसमन्वितः ।। १६.
When told by Bhūdhara, 'You have been expelled from heaven, fool,' Indra, accompanied by all the gods, approached the mortal realm.
किं चकार च तस्मिंस्तु दुर्जये च निपातिते । परमेष्ठिना भगवता तेन योगविदुत्तमौ ।। १६.
What did he do then, when the unconquerable one was struck down by the supreme lord, the blessed one, who is foremost in yoga?
स्वर्गे विद्युत्सुविद्युच्च तौ च किं चक्रतुस्तदा । एतन्मे संशयं देव कथयस्व प्रसादतः ।। १६.
What did Vidyutsu and Vidyucca do at that time in heaven, O splendid one? Tell me this doubt, O god, by your grace.
श्रीवराह उवाच । दूर्जयेन जितो धात्रि देवराजः शतक्रतुः । भारते हि तदा वर्षे वाराणस्यां तु पूर्वतः । आश्रित्य संस्थितो देवैः सह यक्षमहोरगैः ।। १६.
Śrī Varāha said: The earth was conquered by Dūrjaya, and King of the Gods, Śatakratu, was defeated; at that time, in the land of Bhārata, east of Vārāṇasī, he remained with the gods, yakṣas, and great serpents.
विद्युत्सुविद्युच्च तदा योगमास्थाय शोभने । दीर्घतापज्वरं वायुकर्मयोगेन संश्रितौ १६.
Then Vidyutsu and Vidyucca, O beautiful one, having adopted yoga, endured a long fever caused by the practice of wind and karma yoga.
तं दुर्जयं मृतं श्रुत्वा समुद्रान्तःस्थितं तदा । आनीय चतुरङ्गं तु देवान् प्रति विजग्मतुः ।। १६.
Hearing that Dūrjaya had died and was then situated within the ocean, they brought their fourfold army and advanced against the gods.
आगत्य तौ तदा दैत्यौ महत्सैन्येन पर्वतम् । हिमवन्तं समाश्रित्य संस्थितौ तु बभूवतुः ।। १६.
Then those two demons, having arrived with a great army, took refuge in the mountain Himavat and remained there.
देवा अपि महत्सैन्यं संहत्य कृतदंशिताः । मन्त्रयाञ्चक्रुरव्यग्रा ऐन्द्रं पदमभीप्सवः ।। १६.
The gods also, assembling a great army and making preparations, deliberated eagerly, desiring the position of Indra.
अब्रवीत् तत्र देवानां गुरुराङ्गिरसो मुनिः । गोमेधेन यजघ्वं वै प्रथमेन तदन्तरम् ।। १६.
There, the guru of the gods, the sage Āṅgiras, spoke: 'You must first perform a cow-sacrifice, then the next.'
यष्टव्यं क्रतुभिः सर्वैरेकस्थितिरथामराः । उपदेशो मया दत्तः क्रियतां शीघ्रमेष वै ।। १६.
All the immortals must perform sacrifices together; I have given this instruction—let it be done quickly.
एवमुक्तास्तदा देवा गाः पशूंश्चानुकल्प्य ते । मुमुचुश्चरणार्थाय रक्षार्थं सरमां ददुः ।। १६.
Thus addressed, the gods then prepared cows and other animals, releasing them for ritual purposes, and assigned Saramā for their protection.
ताश्च गावो देवशुन्या रक्ष्यमाणा धराधरे । तत्र जग्मुस्तदा गावश्चरन्त्यो यत्र तेऽसुराः ।। १६.
Those cows, guarded on the mountain by Saramā in the absence of the gods, wandered to the place where the demons were.
ते च गावस्तु ता दृष्ट्वा शुक्रमूचुः पुरोहितम् । पश्वर्थं देवगा ब्रह्मंश्चार्यन्ते रक्षमाणया । देवशून्या सरमया वद किं क्रियतेऽधुना ।। १६.
Seeing those cows, they spoke to Śukra, the priest: 'The cows for sacrifice, the gods, and Brahman are being protected by Saramā, with the gods absent. Tell us, what should be done now?'
एवमुक्तस्तदा शुक्रः प्रत्युवाचासुरांस्तदा । एता गा ह्रियतां शीघ्रमसुरा मा विलम्बथ ।। १६.
Thus addressed, Śukra then replied to the demons: 'Take these cows quickly, demons, do not delay.'
एवमुक्तास्तदा दैत्या जह्रुस्ता गा यदृच्छया । हृतासु तासु सरमा मार्गमन्वेषणे रता ।। १६.
Thus addressed, the demons seized those cows as they pleased; with the cows taken, Saramā became intent on searching for their path.
अपश्यत् सा दितेः पुत्रैर्नीता गावो धराधरे । दैत्यैरपि शुनी दृष्टा दृष्टमार्गा विशेषतः ।। १६.
She saw that the cows had been taken by Diti’s sons to the mountain; the demons had also observed the dog, especially noting her movements.
दृष्ट्वा ते तां च साम्नैव सामपूर्वमिदं वचः । आसां गवां तु दुग्ध्वैव क्षीरं त्वं सरमे शुभे ।। १६.
Seeing her, they addressed her gently, first with conciliatory words: ‘O Sarama, auspicious one, milk these cows and drink the milk.’
पिबस्वैवमिति प्रोक्ता तस्यै तद् ददुरञ्जसा । दत्त्वा तु क्षीरपानं तु तस्यै ते दैत्यनायकाः ।। १६.
When told thus, she was promptly given the milk; the leaders of the demons granted her the opportunity to drink the milk.
मा भद्रे देवराजाय गाश्चेमा विनिवेदय । एवमुक्त्वा ततो दैत्या मुमुचुस्तां शुनीं वने ।। १६.
‘Do not, O good one, inform the king of the gods about these cows,’ they said, and then released the dog into the forest.
तैर्मुक्ता सा सुरांस्तूर्णं जगाम खलु वेपती । नमश्चक्रे च देवेन्द्रं सरमा सुरसत्तमम् ।। १६.
Freed by them, she quickly went to the gods, trembling, and offered salutations to Indra, the foremost among the gods.
तस्याश्च मरुतो देवा देवेन्द्रेण निरूपिताः । गूढं गच्छत रक्षार्थं देवशुन्या महाबलाः ।। १६.
The Maruts, appointed by Indra, went secretly for protection, accompanied by the powerful divine dog.
इत्युक्तास्तेन सूक्ष्मेण वपुषा जग्मुरञ्जसा । तेऽप्यागम्य सुरेन्द्राय नमश्रक्रुर्धराधरे ।। १६.
Thus instructed, they departed swiftly in subtle forms; upon arrival, they bowed to Indra on the mountain.
तां देवराजः पप्रच्छ क्व गावः सरमेऽभवन् । एवमुक्ता तु सरमा न जानामीति चाब्रवीत् ।। १६.
The king of the gods asked her, ‘Where are the cows, Sarama?’ Thus questioned, Sarama replied, ‘I do not know.’
तत इन्द्रो रुषा युक्तो यज्ञार्थमुपकल्पिताः । गावः क्व चेति मरुतः प्रोवाचेदं शुनी कथम् ।। १६.
Then Indra, filled with anger, asked the Maruts, ‘Where are the cows prepared for sacrifice?’ and questioned the dog as well.
एवमुक्तास्तु मरुतो देवेन्द्रेण धराधरे । कथयामासुरव्यग्राः कर्म्म तत् सरमाकृतम् ।। १६.
Thus addressed by Indra on the mountain, the Maruts anxiously narrated the actions performed by Sarama.
तत इन्द्रः समुत्थाय पदा संताडयच्छुनीम् । क्रोधेन महताविष्टो देवेन्द्रः पाकशासनः ।। १६.
Then Indra rose and struck the dog with his foot, possessed by great wrath, the lord of the gods, wielder of the thunderbolt.
क्षीरं पीतं त्वया मूढे गावस्ताश्चासुरैर्हृताः । एवमुक्त्वा पदा तेन ताडिता सरमा धरे ।। १६.
‘You have foolishly drunk the milk, and the cows have been taken by the demons,’ he said, and struck Sarama with his foot on the mountain.
तस्येन्द्रपादघातेन क्षीरं वक्त्रात् प्रसुस्त्रुवे । स्त्रवता तेन पयसा सा शुनी यत्र गा भवन् । जगाम तत्र देवेन्द्रः सहसैन्यस्तदा धरे ।। १६.
From Indra’s kick, milk flowed from her mouth; with that streaming milk, the dog went to where the cows were, and then Indra, with his army, proceeded there on the mountain.
गत्वा चापश्यद् देवेन्द्रस्ता गा दैत्यैरुपाहृताः । पालनां चक्रुर्ये दैत्या बलिनो भृशम् । ते सैन्यैर्निहताः सद्यस्तत्यजुर्गाः स्वमूर्त्तिभिः ।। १६.
Having gone, Indra saw the cows brought by the demons, who were fiercely guarding them; those powerful demons were immediately slain by the armies, and abandoned the cows, returning to their own forms.