जगृहुर्यज्ञभागान् स्वान् यावत् ते हविषोर्पितान् । तावत्कालं जलात् सद्य उत्तस्थौ ब्रह्मणः पुनः ।। २१.
They received their respective portions of the sacrifice as long as the oblations were offered; at that very moment, Brahmā again rose up from the waters.
रुद्रः कोपोद्भवो यस्तु पूर्वं मग्नो महाजले । स सहस्त्रार्कसंकाशो निश्चक्राम जलात् ततः ।। २१.
Rudra, who was born from anger and had previously been immersed in the great waters, then emerged from the water, shining like a thousand suns.
सर्वज्ञानमयो देवः सर्वदेवमयोऽमलः । प्रत्यक्षदर्शी सर्वस्य जगतस्तपसा बभौ ।। २१.
That god, composed of all knowledge, pure and embodying all the gods, became manifest to sight through his ascetic power, perceiving all the worlds.
तस्मिंस्तु काले पञ्चानां जातः सर्गो नरोत्तम । दिव्यानां पृथिवीस्थानां चतुर्णामरजातिनाम् ।। २१.
At that time, O best of men, the creation of five kinds was born—of the divine beings and the four classes dwelling on earth.
रौद्रसर्गस्य संभूतिस्तदा सद्योऽपि जायते । इदानीं रुद्रसर्गं त्वं श्रृणु पार्थिवसत्तम ।। २१.
The arising of the Raudra creation happened immediately then; now, O best of kings, listen to the account of the creation of Rudra.
दशवर्षसहस्त्राणि तपश्चीर्त्वा महज्जले । प्रतिबुद्धो यदा रुद्रस्तदा चोर्वों सकाननाम् । दृष्ट्वा सस्यवतीं रम्यां मनुष्यपशुसंकुलाम् ।। २१.
After performing austerity for ten thousand years in the great waters, when Rudra awoke, he saw the earth with its forests, beautiful and rich with crops, teeming with humans and animals.
शुश्राव च तदा शब्दानृत्विजां दक्षसद्मनि । आश्रमे यज्ञिनां चोच्चैर्योगस्थैरिति कीर्त्तितम् ।। २१.
Then he heard the sounds of the officiating priests in Dakṣa's abode, and in the hermitage of the sacrificers, loudly reciting in yogic concentration, as was proclaimed.
ततः श्रुत्वा महातेजाः सर्वज्ञः परमेश्वरः । चुकोप सुभृशं देवो वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह ।। २१.
Hearing this, the great and all-knowing Lord, blazing with energy, became greatly enraged and spoke these words.
अहं पूर्वं तु कविना सृष्टः सर्वात्मना विभुः । प्रजाः सृजस्वेति तदा वाक्यमेतत् तथोक्तवान् ।। २१.
I was formerly created by the sage, the all-pervading one, with the command: 'Create beings!'—thus was this statement truly spoken.
इदानीं केन तत्कर्म कृतं सृष्ट्यादिवर्णनम् । एवमुक्त्वा भृशं कोपान्ननाद परमेश्वरः ।। २१.
Now, by whom has this act—the description of creation and its beginning—been performed? Having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord, filled with great anger, roared.
तस्य नानदतो ज्वालाः श्रोत्रेभ्यो निर्ययुस्तदा । तत्र भूतानि वेताला उच्छ्रुष्माः प्रेतपूतनाः ।। २१.
As he roared, flames issued from his ears; from them arose beings—vetālas, fierce spirits, pretas, and piśācas.
कूष्माण्डा यातुधानाश्च सर्वे प्रज्वलिताननाः । उत्तस्थुः कोटिशस्तत्र नानाप्रहरणावृताः ।। २१.
Kūṣmāṇḍas and yātudhānas, all with blazing faces, arose there by the millions, armed with various weapons.
ते दृष्ट्वा भूतसंघाता विविधायुधपाणयः । ससर्ज वेदविद्याङ्गं रथं परमशोभनम् ।। २१.
Seeing those hosts of beings, holding diverse weapons, he created a most splendid chariot, endowed with the limbs of Vedic knowledge.
तस्मिन्नृगादयस्त्वश्वास्त्रितत्त्वं च त्रिवेणुकम् । त्रिपूजकं त्रिषवणं धर्माक्षं मारुतध्वनिम् ।। २१.
On that chariot were the Ṛg and other Vedas, horses, the threefold essence, the triple braid, the triple worship, the three pressings, the righteous dice, and the sound of the wind.
अहोरात्रे पताके द्वे धर्माधर्मे तु दण्डके । शकटं सर्वविद्याश्च स्वयं ब्रह्मादिसारथिः ।। २१.
Day and night are his two banners, righteousness and unrighteousness are his two rods; the chariot is all knowledge, and Brahma himself is the charioteer, along with the other gods.
गायत्री च धनुस्तस्य ओङ्कारो गुण एव च । स्वराः सप्त शरास्तस्य देवदेवस्य सुव्रत ।। २१.
Gayatri is his bow, Om is the bowstring, and the seven notes are the arrows of that Lord of gods, O virtuous one.
एवं कृत्वा स सामग्रीं देवदेवः प्रतापवान् । जगाम दक्षयज्ञाय कोपाद् रुद्रः प्रतापवान् ।। २१.
Having thus assembled these things, the glorious Lord of gods, filled with wrath, went to Daksha’s sacrifice.
गच्छतस्तस्य देवस्य अम्बराङ्गिरसं नयत् । ऋत्विजां मन्त्रनिचयो नष्टो रुद्रागमे तदा ।। २१.
As that god advanced, leading the Angirasa spirits through the sky, the collection of mantras of the priests was lost at Rudra’s arrival.
विपरीतमिदं दृष्ट्वा तदा सर्वे च ऋत्विजः । ऊचुः संनह्यतां देवा महद् वो भयमागतम् ।। २१.
Seeing this reversal, all the priests then said: 'Let the gods arm themselves; a great danger has come upon you.'
कश्चिदायाति बलवानसुरो ब्रह्मनिर्मितः । यज्ञभागार्थमेतस्मिन् क्रतौ परमदुर्लभम् ।। २१.
'Some powerful demon, created by Brahma, is coming here for a share of the sacrifice, which is extremely difficult to obtain in this rite.'
एवमुक्तास्ततो देवा ऊचुर्मातामहं तदा । दक्ष तात किमत्रास्मत्कार्यं ब्रूहि विवक्षितम् ।। २१.
Thus addressed, the gods then spoke to their grandsire: 'Daksha, revered one, what should we do here? Tell us what you intend.'
दक्ष उवाच । गृह्यन्तां द्रुतमस्त्राणि संग्रामोऽत्र विधीयताम् । एवमुक्ते तदा देवैर्विविधायुधधारिभिः । रुद्रस्यानुचरैः सार्धं महद्युद्धं प्रवर्तितम् ।। २१.
Daksha said: 'Let weapons be quickly taken up, let battle be arranged here.' When this was said, the gods, bearing various weapons, began a great battle together with Rudra’s followers.
तत्र वेतालभूतानि कूष्माण्डा ग्रहपूतनाः । युयुधुर्लोकपालैश्च नानाशस्त्रधराणि च ।। २१.
There, ghouls, spirits, goblins, planets, and witches, all bearing various weapons, fought with the guardians of the worlds.
देवा रौद्राणि भूतानि निरसन्तो यमालयम् । चिक्षिपुः सायकान् घोरानसींश्च सपरश्वधान् ।। २१.
The gods, driving away the fierce spirits toward the abode of Yama, hurled dreadful arrows, swords, and axes.
भूतान्यपि मृधे धोराण्युल्मुकैरस्थिभिः शरैः । जग्मुर्देवान् मृधे रोषाद् रुद्रस्य पुरतो बलात् ।। २१.
The spirits too, in the battle, out of anger, forcefully attacked the gods before Rudra, with blazing brands, bones, and arrows.
ततस्तस्मिन् महारौद्रे संग्रामे भीमरूपिणि । रुद्रो भगस्य नेत्रे तु बिभेदैकेषुणा मृधे ।। २१.
Then, in that exceedingly fierce and terrifying battle, Rudra, in the conflict, pierced Bhaga’s eyes with a single arrow.
रुद्रस्य शरपातेन नष्टनेत्रं भगं तदा । दृष्ट्वाऽस्य क्रोधात् तेजस्वी पूषा रुद्रमयोधयत् ।। २१.
When Bhaga’s eyes were destroyed by Rudra’s shower of arrows, the radiant Pushan, enraged, fought with Rudra.
सृजन्तमिषुजालानि पूषणं तु महामृधे । दृष्ट्वा रुद्रोऽस्य दन्तांस्तु चकर्षं परवीरहा ।। २१.
When Rudra saw Pushan releasing volleys of arrows in the great battle, the destroyer of enemies pulled out his teeth.
तस्य दन्तांस्तदा दृष्ट्वा पूष्णो रुद्रेण पातितान् । दुद्रुवुः वसवो दिक्षु रुद्रास्त्वेकादश द्रुतम् ।। २१.
Seeing Pushan’s teeth struck down by Rudra, the Vasus fled in all directions, and the eleven Rudras quickly departed.
तान् भग्नान् सहसा दिक्षु दृष्ट्वा विष्णुः प्रतापवान् । आदित्यावरजो वाक्यमुवाच स्वबलं तदा ।। २१.
Seeing them suddenly defeated and fleeing in all directions, the glorious Vishnu, the younger brother of the Sun, then spoke these words to his own army.