इत्याज्ञप्तास्ततस्तेन प्रगृहीतमहायुधाः । उद्यतास्तस्य नाशाय दैत्याः शतसहस्त्रशः
Thus commanded by him, the Daityas, armed with mighty weapons, rose up in countless thousands to destroy him.
विष्णूः शस्त्रेषु युष्माकं मयि चासौ यथा स्थितः । दैतेयास्तेन सत्येन मा क्रामन्त्वायुधानि मे
Vishnu said: 'As I stand among your weapons and among you, O Daityas, by this truth, let your weapons not touch me.'
ततस्तैः शतशो धैत्यैः सस्त्रौघैराहतोऽपि सन् । नावाप वेदनामल्पामभूज्व वै पुनर्नवः
Then, though struck by the Daityas with torrents of weapons by the hundreds, he felt not even the slightest pain and became renewed again.
दुर्बुद्ध ! विनिवर्त्तस्व वैरिपक्षस्तवादतः । अभयं ते प्रयच्छामि मातिमूढ़मतिर्भव
O fool, turn back from the enemy's side; I grant you fearlessness—be wise, do not persist in your deluded mind.
भयं भयानामपहारिणि स्थिते मनस्यनन्ते मम कुत्र तिष्ठति । यस्मिन् स्मते जन्मजरान्तकादिभयानि सर्व्वाणयपयान्ति तात
When the remover of all fears stands in my mind, O father, where does fear remain? By remembering Him, all fears of birth, old age, death, and the like vanish.
भोभोः सर्पा ! दुराचारमेनमत्यन्तदुर्मतिम् । विषज्वालाकुलैर्व्वक्तूः सद्यो नयत संक्षयम्
O serpents! This wicked one, of utterly evil mind, acts wrongly—immediately destroy him with your venomous flames.
इत्युक्तास्तेन ते सर्पाः कुहकास्तक्षकान्धकाः । अदशन्त समस्तेषु गात्रेष्वतिविषोल्वणाः
Thus commanded by him, the serpents—Kuhaka, Takshaka, and Andhaka—bit him all over with exceedingly potent venom.
स त्वासक्तमतिः कृष्णो दश्यमानो महोरगैः । न विवेदात्मनो गात्रं तत्स्मृत्याह्लादसंस्थितः
Yet Krishna, his mind absorbed, though bitten by the great serpents, did not perceive his own body, remaining in the joy of remembrance.
दंष्ट्रा विशीर्णा मणयः स्फुटन्ति फणेषु तापो हृदयेषु कम्पः । नास्य त्वचः स्वल्पमपीह भिन्न प्रशाधि दैत्येश्वर कार्य्यमन्यत्
Their fangs shattered, gems cracked upon their hoods, heat in their hearts, trembling—yet not even a little of his skin was broken; O lord of the Daityas, seek another means.
हे दिग्गजाः ! सङ्कटदन्तमिशाव ! ध्नतैनमस्मद्रिपुपक्षभिन्नम् । तज्जा विनाशाय भवन्ति तस्य यथारणोः प्रज्वलितो हुताशाः
O guardians of the quarters! O mighty-tusked elephants! Strike down this one who has broken our enemy's ranks; let your attack destroy him as a blazing fire consumes dry wood.
ततः स दिग्गजैर्बालो भूभृच्छिखरसन्निभैः । पातितो धरणीपृष्ठ विषाणैरवपीड़ितः
Then, by those guardians of the quarters, resembling mountain peaks, the boy was struck down to the earth and pierced by their tusks.
स्मरतस्तस्य गोविन्दमिभदन्ताः सहस्त्रशः । शीर्णा वक्षःस्थलं प्राप्य स प्राह पितरं ततः
As he remembered Govinda, the elephant tusks, by the thousands, shattered upon his chest; then he spoke to his father.
दन्ता गजानां कुलिशाग्रनिष्ठुराः शीर्णा यदेते न बलं ममैतत् । महाविपत्पापविनाशनोऽयं जनार्दनानुस्मरणानुभावः
The tusks of the elephants, sharp as thunderbolts, are broken—this is not my strength; it is the power of remembering Janardana, the destroyer of great calamities and sins.
ज्वाल्यतामसुरा ! वह्निरपसर्पत दिग्गजाः । वायो समेधयाग्निं त्वं दह्मतामेष पापकृत् महाकाष्ठच्छन्नमसुरेन्द्रसुतं ततः । प्रज्वाल्य दानवा वह्नि ददहुः खामिनोदिताः
Ignite the fire, O Asuras! Withdraw, O guardians of the quarters! Wind, kindle the fire; let it burn this sinful son of the lord of the Asuras, covered with great logs. Then, the Danavas, urged by the fire, set him ablaze.
तातैष वह्निः पवनेरितोऽपि न मां दहत्यत्र समन्ततोऽहम् । पश्यामि पह्मास्तरणास्तृतानि शीतानि सर्व्वाणि दिशां मुखानि
Father, though this fire is fanned by the wind, it does not burn me at all; I see lotus beds spread everywhere, and all the directions are cool.
अथ दैत्येश्वरं प्रोचुर्भार्गवस्यात्मजाद्रिजाः । पुरोहिता महात्मानः साचम्ना संस्तूय वाग्मिनः
Then the sons of Bhargava, the great-souled priests, eloquent and praising him, spoke to the lord of the Daityas.
राजन् ! नियम्यतां कोपो बालेऽत्र तनयेऽनुजे । कोपो देवनिकायेषु यत्र ते सफलो यतः
O king, restrain your anger toward this boy, your son and younger brother; let your wrath be directed at the hosts of gods, where it will be fruitful.
तथा तथैनं बालं ते शासितारो भविष्यति
Thus, in this way, those will become the chastisers of your boy.
बालत्वं सर्व्वदोषाणां दैत्यराजास्पदं यतः । ततोऽत्र कोपमत्यर्थं योक्तुमर्हसि नार्भके
Childhood is the abode of all faults, O king of the Daityas; therefore, you should not direct excessive anger towards a child in this matter.
न त्यक्ष्यति हरेः पक्षमस्माकं वचनाद् यदि । ततः कृत्यां वधायास्य करिष्यामो निवर्त्तिनीम्
If, by our words, he does not abandon the side of Hari, then we shall employ a magical rite to bring about his death and turn him back.
एवमभ्यर्थितस्तैस्तु दैत्यराजः पुरोहितैः । दैत्यैर्निष्काशयामास पुत्रं पावकसञ्चयात्
Thus urged by his priests, the king of the Daityas expelled his son from the assembly of fire.
तो गुरुगृहे बालः सवसन् बालदानवान् । अध्यापयामास मुहुरुपदेशान्तरे गुरोः
While living in the house of his teacher, the boy instructed the other young Daityas repeatedly, even amidst the teacher’s other lessons.
श्वूयतां परमार्थो मे दैतेया दितिजात्मजाः । न चान्यथैतन्मन्तव्यं नात्र लोभादिकारणम्
Listen to my highest teaching, O Daityas, sons of Diti; let this not be considered otherwise—there is no motive here of greed or the like.
जन्म बाल्यं ततः सर्वो जन्तुः प्राप्नोति यौवनम् । अव्याहतैव भवति ततोऽनुदिवसं जरा
After birth and childhood, every creature attains youth; then, without hindrance, day by day, old age comes.
ततश्यच मृत्युमभ्येति जन्तुर्दैत्येश्वरात्मजाः । प्रत्यक्षं दृश्यते चैतदस्माकं भवतां तथा
Then, O sons of the lord of the Daityas, death approaches the creature; this is seen directly by us and by you as well.
मृतस्य च पुनर्जन्म भवत्येतज्व नान्यथा । आगमोऽयं तथा तत्र नोपादानं विनोद्भवः
And for the dead, there is rebirth—this is certain, not otherwise; such is the tradition, and in that, there is no arising without a cause.
गर्भवासादि यावत् तु पुनर्जन्मोपपादनम् । समस्तावस्थकं तावदू दुः खमेवावगम्यताम्
From dwelling in the womb and so on, up to the occasion of rebirth, every stage is to be understood as nothing but suffering.
क्षुतूतृषअमोपशमं तदूच्छीताद्यु पशमं सुखम् । मन्यते बालबुद्धित्वादू दुः खमेव हि तत् पुनः
The cessation of hunger and thirst, or the relief from cold and the like, is considered happiness by childish minds, but in truth, that too is only suffering.
अत्यन्तस्तिमिताङ्गानां व्यायामेन सुखैषिणाम् । भ्रान्तिज्ञानावृताक्षाणां प्रहारोऽपि सूखायते
For those whose limbs are utterly inert, who desire pleasure through exertion, whose senses are veiled by deluded knowledge—even a blow seems pleasurable.
क शरीरमशेषाणां श्लैष्मादीनां महाचयः । क कान्ति-शोभा-शौरभ्य-कमनीयादयो गुणाः
What is the body but a mass of phlegm and the like? What beauty, radiance, fragrance, or charm are its qualities?