न वर्षति घनव्राते दृष्टनष्टे क्वचित् स्थिते । पूताङ्गारकणोन्मिश्रगतौ वहति मारुते
No rain fell from the massed clouds, which vanished from sight and did not return; the wind carried only ashes mixed with glowing embers.
शीर्णमर्मरपर्णासु दावाग्निवलितासु च । वनस्थलीषु शून्यासु चिरप्रव्रजितास्व् इव
In the forests, leaves were shriveled and rustling, scorched by wildfire, and the groves stood empty, as if abandoned long ago.
अकाण्डम् अभवद् भीमम् उद्दामदवपावकम् । शोषिताशेषगहनं भस्मशेषतृणोलपम्
A dreadful, uncontrolled blaze arose without warning, drying up every thicket, leaving only ashes and remnants of grass.
पांसुधूसरसर्वाङ्गं क्षुधिताशेषमानवम् । निरन्नतृणपानीयदेशोद्यद्दावमण्डलम्
All bodies were covered in dust, and every person was hungry; the land, lacking food, grass, and water, was encircled by wildfire.
कचन्मरुमरीच्यम्बुमज्जन्महिषमण्डलम् । वातोत्थसैकतव्यूहवारिवाहावृताम्बरम्
The region was filled with buffaloes sinking into mirages and sand, while the wind raised heaps of sand and clouds covered the sky.
पानीयशब्दमात्रैकश्रवणोत्कनरव्रजम् । आतपाद् अतिसंशोषसीदत्सकलमानवम्
Crowds of people, longing only to hear the sound of water, suffered from the intense heat, which dried up all life.
पुत्रग्रसनसंरब्धक्षुधितोज्झितजीवितम् । स्वाङ्गचर्वणसंरम्भलुठद्दशनमण्डलम्
Driven by hunger, some lost their lives in a frenzy to devour their own children; others, in desperation, gnawed at their own limbs, their teeth sunk deep as they writhed.
मांसशङ्कानिगीर्णोग्रखदिराग्निकणोत्करम् । मण्डूकाशावशग्रस्तवनपाषाणखण्डकम्
A place strewn with fragments of meat, bones, and sharp splinters of khadira wood, with embers scattered about, and stones gnawed by famished frogs.
अन्योऽन्यद्रुतसंसक्तमातृपुत्रपितृव्रजम् । गृध्रोदररटत्साग्रनिगीर्णवनशारिकम्
There, mothers, sons, and fathers, all mingled together, are swiftly seized by one another; the forest mynas are swallowed whole by vultures with roaring bellies.
परस्पराङ्गविच्छेदरक्तसिक्तधरातलम् । हरिग्रसनसंरब्धमत्तक्षुभितवारणम्
The ground is soaked with blood from the severed limbs of creatures attacking each other, while maddened elephants, agitated by the frenzy of lions, are fiercely devoured.
दरीनिगिरणैकोत्कसिंहभ्रमणभीषणम् । अन्योऽन्यग्रसनोद्युक्तलोकमल्लकृताहवम्
It is a terrifying scene of lions wandering about, swallowing deer in a single gulp, and people engaged in mutual slaughter, like wrestlers locked in deadly combat.
निष्पत्त्रपादपोड्डीनपूताङ्गारमयानिलम् । रक्तपानोत्कमार्जारलीढधातुतलावनि
The trees stand stripped of leaves, their trunks scorched and blackened, the air thick with ashes; the ground is smeared with the remains licked by blood-drinking cats.
ज्वालाघनघनाटोपसावतंसवनानिलम् । सर्वस्खलज्ज्वलद्वह्निपुञ्जपिञ्जरजङ्गलम्
The forest winds are adorned with the tumult of dense, blazing flames; everywhere, the jungle is tinged yellow by the leaping clusters of fire that stumble and flare.
दग्धाजगरकुञ्जोत्थधूममांसलगुल्मकम् । मारुतावलितज्वालासन्ध्याभ्रवलिताम्बरम्
From the burned dens of serpents, columns of smoky, fleshy clumps arise; the sky is streaked with clouds colored by the wind-driven tongues of flame.
उड्डामरमरुद्भ्रान्तभास्मनस्तम्भमण्डलम् । साक्रन्दनरदन्ताग्रशीर्णार्भककृतारवम्
The air is filled with whirling pillars of ash, tossed by wild winds; the cries of children with their teeth bitten off echo amidst the wailing of men.
सम्भ्रान्तपुरुषव्यूहदन्तकृत्तमहाशवम् । मांसभोगजवग्रस्तरक्तरक्तनिजाङ्गुलि
A great corpse, its teeth torn out by the tumult of men, its flesh devoured swiftly by packs of blood-soaked fingers.
नीलपत्त्रलताशब्दपीतधूमघनच्छवि । भ्रमद्गृध्रनिगीर्णोग्रनभोभ्रान्तोल्मुकामिषम्
Its complexion was darkened by smoke, yellowed by the sound of rustling leaves and creepers, as fierce vultures circled and devoured its flesh, while meteors roamed the sky.
इतरेतरभिन्नाङ्गलोकविद्रवणाकुलम् । ज्वलिताग्निटनत्कारविदीर्णहृदयोदरम्
Limbs torn apart by one another, the place was thrown into panic, its heart and belly split open by the crackling of blazing fire.
गतमारुतभाङ्कारभीमदावाग्निवल्गनम् । भीताजगरफूत्कारपतदङ्गारपादपम्
The terrifying forest fire, roaring with the sound of rushing wind, leapt about; trees fell like burning coals at the hiss of frightened serpents.
तद् अकाण्डं स्फुटं प्राप्य स देशश् शुष्ककोटरः । द्वादशार्काग्निदग्धस्य जगतो ऽनुकृतिं ययौ
That region, hollow and dry, having reached such utter ruin, resembled the world scorched by twelve suns’ fire.
ज्वलदनलजटालवृक्षषण्डः प्रसृतमरुत्प्रसरापनुन्नलोकः । ज्वलनतपनभास्करात्मजानां रमणगृहानुकृतिं जगाम देशः
The forest, with its blazing, flame-haired trees and winds sweeping all before them, became like the burning pleasure-houses of the sun’s own children.
तस्मिंस् तदा वर्तमाने कष्टे विधिविपर्यये । अकालोल्बणकल्पान्ते नितान्तातपदायिनि
At that time, in that place, under such harsh and calamitous conditions, at the end of a terrible age, the heat was relentless.
जनाः केचन निष्क्रम्य सकलत्रसुहृज्जनाः । गता देशान्तरं व्योम्नश् शरदीव पयोधराः
Some people, with all their wives and friends, departed from there to another land, like clouds dispersing from the sky in autumn.
देहावयवसंलीनपुत्रदाराग्र्यबान्धवाः । शीर्णाः केचन तत्रैव च्छिन्ना इव वने द्रुमाः
Some, merged with their bodies and limbs, sons, wives, and closest kin, perished there, like trees cut down in a forest.
भुक्ताः केचन दिग्व्याघ्रैर् निर्गच्छन्तस् स्वमन्दिरात् । अजातपक्षकाश् श्येनैः खगा नीडोद्गता इव
Some were devoured by wild beasts as they left their homes, like fledgling birds seized by hawks when leaving their nests.
प्रविष्टाः केचिद् अनलं ज्वलितं शलभा इव । केचिच् छ्वभ्रेषु पतिताश् शिलाश् शैलच्युता इव
Some entered blazing fire like moths, and some fell into chasms like rocks tumbling from mountains.
अहं तु तान् परित्यज्य श्वशुरादीन् स्वकाञ् जनान् । कलत्रमात्रम् आदाय कृच्छ्राद् देशाद् विनिर्गतः
But I, abandoning my relatives such as in-laws and my own people, departed from that land with only my wife, and with great difficulty.
अनलान् अनिलांश् चैव रक्षकान् भक्षकान् अपि । वञ्चयित्वा भयान् मृत्योस् सदारो ऽहं विनिर्गतः
Evading fires, winds, guards, and even predators, I escaped the terrors of death, departing with my wife.
प्राप्य तद्देशपर्यन्तं तत्र तालतरोस् तले । अवरोप्य सुतान् स्कन्धात् तान् अनर्थान् इवोल्बणान्
Having reached the border of that land, beneath a palm tree, I set down my children from my shoulders, as if laying aside burdensome misfortunes.
विश्रान्तो ऽस्मि चिरश्रान्तो रौरवाद् इव निर्गतः । ग्रीष्मदावनिदाघार्तो ग्रीष्मे पद्म इवाजलः
Exhausted from long toil, I rested, as one freed from hell, scorched by the summer forest fire, like a lotus deprived of water in the heat.