Vayu Purana

देवतानामवध्यस्तु महाकायो महाबलः। अन्तर्भूमिगतस्तत्र वालुकान्तर्हितो महान् ।। २६.

There, hidden beneath the sand, is a great being of immense size and strength, invulnerable even to the gods.

स मनोस्तनयः क्रूरो धुन्धुर्नाम सुदारुणः। शतं लोकविनाशाय तप आस्थाय दारुणम् ।। २६.

He is Dhundhu, the fierce and terrible son of Manu, who, undertaking dreadful austerities, seeks to destroy the worlds.

संवत्सरस्य पर्य्यन्ते स निःश्वासं प्रमुञ्चति। यदा तदा मही तत्र चलिता स्म सकानना ।। २६.

At the end of each year, he exhales, and then the earth there, along with its forests, trembles.

तस्य निःश्वासवातेन रज उद्धूयते महत्। आदित्यपथमावृत्य सप्ताहं भूमिकम्पनम् ।। २६.

By the force of his breath, a great cloud of dust is raised, covering the path of the sun, and for seven days the earth quakes.

सविस्फुलिङ्गं सज्वालं सधूममतिदारुणम् । तेन राजन्न शक्नोमि तस्मिन् स्थातुं स्व आश्रमे ।। २६.

With sparks, flames, and smoke, it is exceedingly terrifying; because of this, O king, I am unable to remain in my hermitage.

तं वारय महाबाहो लोकानां हितकाम्यया। तेजस्ते सुमहाविष्णुस्तेजसाप्याययिष्यति ।। २६.

O mighty-armed one, restrain him for the welfare of the worlds; your great energy, like that of Viṣṇu, will overcome his power.

लोकाः स्वस्था भवन्त्वद्य तस्मिन् विनिहतेऽसुरे । त्वं हि तस्य वधायाद्य समर्थः पृथिवीपते ।। २६.

Today, when that demon is slain, the worlds will be at peace; for you, O king, are capable of killing him.

विष्णुना च वरो दत्तो मम पूर्व्वं ततोऽनघ। न हि धुन्धुर्महावीर्य्यस्तेजसाल्पेन शक्यते ।। २६.

Viṣṇu once granted me a boon, O sinless one, that Dhundhu, of great might, cannot be destroyed by lesser power.

निर्द्दग्धुं पृथिवीपाल अपि वर्ष शतैरिह। वीर्य्यं हि सुमहत्तस्य देवैरपि दुरासहम् ।। २६.

O protector of the earth, not even in a hundred years could he be burned up here; his strength is so great that even the gods find it hard to withstand.

एवमुक्तस्तु राजर्षिरुत्तङ्केन महात्मना। कुबलाश्वं सुतं प्रादात्तस्मिन् धुन्धुनिवारणे ।। २६.

Thus addressed by the great-souled Uttanka, the royal sage gave his son Kubalāśva for the task of restraining Dhundhu.

राजा संन्यस्तशस्त्रोऽहमयन्तु तनयो मम। भविष्यति द्विजश्वेष्ठ धुन्धुमारो न संशयः ।। २६.

The king said: I have renounced weapons; let my son go. O best of twice-born, he will surely become the slayer of Dhundhu.

स तं व्यादिश्य तनयं धुन्धुमारणमुद्यतम्। जगाम पर्व्वतायैव तपसे शंसितव्रतः ।। २६.

Having instructed his son, who was prepared to destroy Dhundhu, he went to the mountain to undertake austerities, his vow firmly declared.

कुबलाश्वस्तु धर्म्मात्मा पितुर्वचनमास्थितः। सहस्रैरेकविंशत्या पुत्राणां सह पार्थिवः। प्रायादुत्तङ्क सहितो धुन्धोस्तस्य निवारणे ।। २६.

Kubalāśva, righteous in soul, accepted his father's command; together with his twenty-one thousand sons and the sage Uttaṅka, the king set out to subdue Dhundhu.

तमाविशत्ततो विष्णुर्भगवान् स्वेन तेजसा। उत्तङ्कस्य नियोगात्तु लोकानां हितकाम्यया ।। २६.

Then, by his own radiance, the blessed Viṣṇu entered him, at the behest of Uttaṅka and for the welfare of the worlds.

तस्मिन् प्रयाते दुर्द्धर्षे दिवि शब्दो महानभूत्। अद्यप्रुभृत्येष नृपो धुन्धुमारो भविष्यति ।। २६.

As he departed, a great sound arose in the heavens, difficult to withstand: 'From this day forward, this king shall be known as Dhundhumāra.'

दिव्यैः पुष्पैश्च तं देवाः सममंसत अद्भुतम्। सगत्वा पुरुष व्याघ्रस्तनयैः सह वीर्य्यवान् ।। २६.

The gods honored him with divine flowers, wondrous to behold, as the tiger among men, mighty, set out with his sons.

समुद्रं खनयामास वालुकार्णवमव्ययम्। नारायणेन राजर्षिस्तेजसाप्यायितो हि सः ।। २६.

That royal sage, filled with the energy of Nārāyaṇa, began to dig up the inexhaustible ocean of sand.

बभूवातिबलो भूय उत्तङ्कस्य वशे स्थितः। तस्य पुत्रैः खनद्भिश्च वालुकान्तर्हितस्तदा ।। २६.

He became exceedingly powerful, remaining under the control of Uttaṅka; at that time, his sons dug through the sand where it concealed him.

धुन्धुरासादितस्तत्र दिशमाश्रित्य पश्चिमाम्। मुखजेनाग्निना क्रुद्धो लोकानुद्वर्त्तयन्निव ।। २६.

There, Dhundhu was encountered, having taken refuge in the western direction, enraged, as if overturning the worlds with the fire from his mouth.

वारि शुश्राव योगेन महोदधिरिवोदये। सोमस्य सोमपश्रेष्ठ धारोर्मिकलिलो महान् ।। २६.

Through yogic power, he heard the sound of water, vast as the ocean at its rise, a great tumult of waves, O foremost of Soma-drinkers.

तस्य पुत्रास्तु निर्द्दग्धास्त्रिभिरूनास्तु राक्षसाः। ततः स राजातिबलो धुन्धुबन्धुनिबर्हणः ।। २६.

His sons, save three, were consumed by the Rākṣasa's fire; then that exceedingly powerful king destroyed Dhundhu's kin.

तस्य वारिमयं वेगमपिबत् स नराधिपः। योगी योगेन वह्निं वा शमयामास वारिणा ।। २६.

That lord of men drank the rushing water, and by yogic power subdued the fire with water, as a yogi would.

निरस्यत्तं महाकायं बलेनोदकराक्षसम्। उत्तङ्कं दर्शयामास कृतकर्म्मा नराधिपः ।। २६.

With his strength, he cast down that great-bodied water-demon, and, his task accomplished, the king presented him to Uttaṅka.

उत्तङ्कश्च वरं प्रादात्तस्मै राज्ञे महात्मने। अदात्तस्याक्षयं वित्तं शत्रुभिश्चाप्यधृष्यताम् ।। २६.

Uttaṅka granted a boon to that great-souled king: inexhaustible wealth and invincibility even against enemies.

धर्म्मे रतिञ्च सततं स्वर्गे वासं तथाक्षयम्। पुत्राणां चाक्षयाँल्लोकान् स्वर्गे ये राक्षसा हताः ।। २६.

He granted him constant delight in righteousness, eternal residence in heaven, and for his sons who were slain by the Rākṣasa, everlasting worlds in heaven.

तस्य पुत्रास्त्रयः शिष्टा दृढाश्वो ज्येष्ठ उच्यते। भद्राश्वः कपिलाश्वश्च कनीयासौ तु तौ स्मृतौ ।। २६.

Of his sons, three remained: the eldest is called Dṛḍhāśva; Bhadrāśva and Kapilāśva are the younger two, so it is remembered.

धौन्धुमारिर्दृढाश्वस्तु हर्यश्वस्तस्य चात्मजः। हर्यश्वस्य निकुम्भोऽभूत् क्षत्रधर्मरतः सदा ।। २६.

Dhundhumāri is Dṛḍhāśva, and his son was Haryaśva; Haryaśva's son was Nikumbha, who was always devoted to the warrior's duty.

संहताश्वो निकुम्भस्य श्रुतो रणविशारदः । कृशाश्वश्चाक्षयाश्वश्च संहताश्च सुतावुभौ ।। २६.

Saṃhatāśva, renowned and skilled in battle, was Nikumbha's son; and Kṛśāśva and Akṣayāśva, both sons of Saṃhatāśva.

तस्य पत्नी हैमवती सतां मतिदृषद्वती। विख्याता त्रिषु लोकेषु पुत्रस्तस्याः प्रसेनजित् ।। २६.

His wife, Hemavatī, steadfast in the wisdom of the virtuous, was renowned in the three worlds; her son was Prasenajit.