Parva 3 Chapter 53: devāsurayuddhādyāraṁbhe sanakādyāgamanam - as the battle begins between deva-s and asura-s, the coming of sanaka etc.

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) Afterwards the most wonderful battle between the asura-s and deva-s began. The battle among the deva-s and asura-s was like the great oceans striking each other, crossing the shores at the time of the end of yugas. nānāyudhoddyotavidīpitāṅgā mahābalā vyāyatakārmukāste | raṇotsukhā vāraṇahastahastāḥ sudurjayāstoyadanādanādāḥ ||3-53-2 The highly powerful (deva-s and asura-s), holding huge bows and varieties of weapons, eager to fight the battle, having huge arms like elephants, most difficult to conquer in the battle, roaring like the thundering rain bearing clouds, visphārayantaḥ sahasā dhanūṁṣi cakrāṇi cādityasamaprabhāṇi | samutkṣipanto hyaśanīścha ghorān khaḍgāṁścha te vajramukhāścha śaktīḥ ||3-53-3 suddenly discharged (arrows) from the bows and wheels having splendor equal to sun and threw terrible thunderbolts and swords and spears with diamond tips, mahāgadāḥ kāṣchanapaṭṭanaddhā- stathāyasānkarmukamudgarāṁścha | śūlāṁścha vṛkṣāṁścha vigṛhya dīptā- nnadanti śūrāḥ shatasho raṇasthāḥ ||3-53-4 great maces with golden knots, huge bows and hammers of iron, spears, trees. Hundreds of valiant deva-s and asura-s fought, roaring against each other in the battle. vaiśampāyana uvāca etasminnantare teṣāmanyonyamabhinighnatām | dvandvayuddhānyavartanta devānāṁ dānavaiḥ saha ||3-53-5 vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) During this time, as they were fighting for killing each other, there were duel fights between the deva-s and demons. marutāṁ paṣchamo yastu sa bāṇenābhyayudhyata | mahābalaḥ suravaraḥ sāvitra iti yaṁ viduḥ ||3-53-6 The fifth among marut-s, the highly powerful, the best among deva-s, famous as sāvitra fought against bāṇa. anāyuṣāyāḥ putrastu balo nāma mahāsuraḥ | so'yudhyata raṇe'tyugro dhruveṇa vasunā saha ||3-53-7 The son of anāyuṣa, the great demon named bala fought battle against the highly terrific vasu, dhruva. namuchiścāsuraśreṣṭho dhareṇa saha yudhyata | pravarau viśvakarmāṇau khyātau devāsureśvarau ||3-53-8 The best among demons, namuchi fought with dhara. Both the prominent famous sculptors of the world, the lord (tvaṣṭrā) of deva-s and the lord (maya) of demons (fought against each other). [Note 1] pulomā tu mahādaityo vāyunā saha yudhyata | sasainyaḥ parvatākāro raṇe'yudhyata daṁśitaḥ ||3-53-9 The great demon puloma fought against vāyu. The huge one having the shape of a mountain, ready for battle, fought in the battle. hayagrīvastu ditijaḥ saha pūṣṇā tvayudhyata | śūreṇāmitavīryeṇa bhāskarākāravarchasā ||3-53-10 hayagrīva, born to diti fought with pūṣa, the brave one having unlimited valiance, having the splendor of the sun. śambarastu mahādaityo mahāmāyo mahāsuraḥ | bhagenāyudhyata tadā sahito yuddhadurmadaḥ ||3-53-11 The great son of diti, shambara, having great illusions, the great demon, having false pride of battle fought with bhaga. śarabhaḥ shalabhashcaiva daityānāṁ candrabhāskarau | prayuddhau saha somena śaiśirāstreṇa dhīmatā ||3-53-12 sharabha as well as shalabha, the moon and sun among the sons of diti, fought with soma having the weapon of shaishira. virochanastu balavān balerbalavataḥ pitā | viṣvaksenena sādhyena devena ca sa yudhyata ||3-53-13 The most powerful virochana, the powerful father of bali fought with viṣvaksena, the sādhya, the deva. kujambhastu mahātejā hiraṇyakaśipoḥ sutaḥ | aṁśenāyudhyata tadā prāsapraharaṇena vai ||3-53-14 kujambha, the highly splendorous son of hiraṇyakaśipu fought with aṁśa who uses barbed missile as his weapon. asilomā tu balinā mārutena samaṁ vibho | tadāyudhyata dīptāsyo vikṛtaḥ parvatāyudhaḥ ||3-53-15 O lord! (janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Then powerful (balinā) asilomā having blazing mouth and deformed body, fought with marut, using mountain as the weapon. anāyuṣāyāḥ putrastu vṛtro nāma mahāsuraḥ | aśvibhyāṁ devavaidyābhyāṁ saha yudhyata saṁyuge ||3-53-16 In the battle, the son of anāyuṣa, the great demon named vṛtra fought with the twin deva-s, ashvins, the divine physicians. ekacakrastu ditijashcakrahasto durāsadaḥ | sahāyudhyata devena sādhyena ditijāriṇā || 3-53-17 The son of diti, ekacakra, holding wheel in his hands, difficult to be conquered fought with sādhyadeva, the enemy of sons of diti. balastu madhupiṅgākṣo vṛtrabhrātā mahāsuraḥ | mṛgavyādhena rudreṇa sahāyudhyata vīryavān ||3-53-18 The great demon, the powerful madhupiṅgākṣa, the brother of vṛtra fought with the rudra, the mṛgavyādha. rāhustu vikṛtākāraḥ śataśīrṣā mahodaraḥ | ajaikapādena raṇe sahāyudhyata daṁśitaḥ ||3-53-19 rāhu, the demon having a deformed body, one hundred heads and huge belly, getting ready for the battle, fought with ajaikapāt. keśī tu dānavaśreṣṭhaḥ prāvṛṭkālāmbudaprabhaḥ | dhaneśvareṇa bhīmena sahāyudhyata saṁyuge ||3-53-20 The best among the sons of danu, keshi, splendorous as the water bearing cloud fought with the lord of wealth, bhīma. vṛṣaparvā tu balinā nikumbhena mahāraṇe | vishvedevena vihśveśaḥ sahāyudhyata vīryavān ||3-53-21 In the great battle, vṛṣaparva fought with the powerful, valiant viśvadeva, the lord of the world, named pāvana. (Note 2) prahlādastu mahāvīryo vīraiḥ svaistanayairvṛtaḥ | yuyudhe saha kālena raṇe kāla ivāparaḥ ||3-53-22 The highly valiant prahlāda, surrounded by his valiant sons fought the battle with the god of death, as though he was another god of death. anuhrādaḥ kubereṇa dhanadena mahāraṇe | gadāhastena yuyudhe śobhayanripuvāhinīṁ ||3-53-23 In the great battle, anuhrāda fought with the god of wealth kubera. The one holding the mace in his hands fought, blazing the army of enemies. viprachittistu daiteyo varuṇena mahātmanā | pravṛtto vai raṇaṁ kartuṁ daityāṇāṁ nandivardhanaḥ ||3-53-24 The son of diti, viprachitti, the one who increases the happiness of the sons of diti, started fighting with varuṇa, the great soul. balistu saha śakreṇa sureshena mahātmanā | yuyudhe devarājena balinā balavānraṇe ||3-53-25 The highly powerful bali fought with the great soul, lord of deva-s, the powerful king of deva-s, śakra (indra) in the battle. śeṣā devāścha daityāścha jaghnuranyonyamāhave | vinardanto mahānādānprāsāsiśaraśaktibhiḥ ||3-53-26 The remaining deva-s and the sons of diti (demons) fought against each other in the battle roaring aloud and using barbed missiles, swords, arrows and spears. adṛśyanta mahotpātā ye proktā jagataḥ kṣaye | mārutāḥ sapta te kṣubdhā vyaśīryanta mahīdharāḥ ||3-53-27 Great meteors were seen as falling indicating the decline of the world. All the seven winds became agitated. The mountains became shattered. sapta chaivotthitāḥ sūryāḥ śoṣayanto mahārṇavān | bahunābhidyata dharā vāyunā mathitā yathā ||3-53-28 Seven suns were seen as rising, drying up the great oceans. The earth was broken many times as oppressed by winds. vyutthitāścha mahāmeghāḥ śakracāpāṅkitodarāḥ | praṇeduḥ sarvabhūtāni sarvāḥ satimirā diśaḥ ||3-53-29 Great clouds rose up, decorated by bows of śakra (rainbows) on their belly. All the beings wailed. All directions became dark. devānāmajayo ghoro dṛśyate kālanirmitaḥ | ghorotpātaḥ samudbhūto yugāntasamaye yathā ||3-53-30 A terrible defeat, made by Time, was seen for the devas. Terrible meteors were seen as falling as though during the time of the decline of the yuga. na hyantarīkṣaṁ na disho na bhūmi- rna bhāskaro'dṛśyata reṇujālaiḥ | vavushcha vātāstumulāḥ sudhūmā dishashcha sarvāstimiropagūḍhāḥ ||3-53-31 Due to the rising dust, neither the sky, nor the directions, nor the earth nor the sun could be seen. A tumultuous, smoky wind blew. All the directions were engulfed in darkness. ete cānye ca bahavo dṛśyante devanirmitāḥ | bhūmau tathāntarikṣe ca mahotpātāḥ samantataḥ ||3-53-32 All these and many other signs, made by the lord were seen. Great meteors fell all over the sky and earth. tadyuddhaṁ devadaityānāṁ bhīmānāṁ bhīmadarśanam | apashyata gururbrahmā sarvaireva suraiḥ saha ||3-53-33 The preceptor, brahmā along with all deva-s, saw that terrible battle between the deva-s and the sons of diti (demons), frightening to behold. vedaiścaturbhiḥ sāṅgaiścha vidyābhiścha sanātanaḥ | padmayonirvṛtaḥ śrīmānsiddhaiścha paramarṣibhiḥ ||3-53-34 The eternal one saw the battle along with all the four veda-s and the subdivisions and all knowledge. The one who was born on the lotus, saw the battle along with siddha-s and great sages. nānāmaṇistambhasahasracitra- māruhya yānaṁ dadṛśe svayaṁbhūḥ | subhāsvaraṁ bhūtasahasrayuktaṁ pradīpyamānaṁ vapuṣā vareṇa ||3-53-35 The self born was seen there mounted on a vehicle having hundreds of poles decorated with jewels. The lord was dazzling along with hundreds of beings. His body was dazzling with splendor. sutaptajāmbūnadabhakticitra- mānandabherīśatasaṁpraṇādam | nakṣatrachaṇḍāṁśubhiraṁśumantaṁ vaiḍūryasomārkavibhūṣitāṅgam ||3-53-36 The vehicle was decorated with blazing golden lines. It was accompanied with many sounds of joyous trumpets. It was sparkling with bright stars. It was decorated with cats eye gems, sūrya and soma. tamātmajo vai pulahaṁ pulastya- stathā marīchirbhṛguraṅgirāścha | ṛksāmabhiḥ samyagabhiṣṭuvantaḥ sevanti devaṁ varadaṁ vimāne ||3-53-37 On that vehicle, brahmas sons, pulaha, pulastya, marīchi, bhṛgu and aṅgirā praised the lord , who provides boons with the hymns of ṛk and sāma. taṁ pāvakā lokaguruṁ svayaṁbhuvaṁ sāṅgāścha vedā makhadevatāścha | sevanti devaṁ bhuvaneśvareśaṁ bhūtāni cānyāni mahānubhāvam ||3-53-38 The preceptor of the world, the self born brahmā was praised by the god of fire, the veda-s along with their divisions and the gods of sacrifices. All the beings as well as others serve the lord of the world, brahma, who is concerned with the welfare of all beings. ete babhūvuścha maharṣisaṅghā vaiśvānarāḥ pāvakayonayaścha | sarve yayurdevapurohitāścha yuddhotsukāḥ sarvasurāsurāṇām ||3-53-39 These great souls along with the groups of sages, vaiśvānara-s, those born from fire, the priests of deva-s, keen for the battle between the deva-s and demons, went there. yogeśvarāḥ ṣaṭ ca divākarābhā vibhūṣaṇairbhūṣitasarvadehāḥ | antarhitā vai dadṛśurnabhaḥsthā nārāyaṇaścaiva narashcha devāḥ ||3-53-40 The six gods of yoga (sanaka, sanandana, sanātana, sanatkumāra, kapila and jaigīṣavya - see nīlakaṇṭa commentary) having the splendor of the sun, with their bodies fully decorated with ornaments along with the deva-s, nārāyaṇa and nara saw the battle, hidden, from the sky. vaktraiścaturvedadharaiścaturbhiḥ saṁpūrṇacandrapratimaiḥ sukāntaiḥ | sarvā disho nistimirāścakāra navodito'sau śaradīva candraḥ ||3-53-41 With his four faces holding the four veda-s, having the beauty of the full moon, the lord brahmā removed the darkness from all directions with his splendor, like a new moon rising in the autumn season. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi devāsurayuddhe sanakādikāgamanaṁ nāma trīpaṣcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the fiftythird chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, as the battle begins between deva-s and asura-s, the coming of sanaka etc. Note 1: KKT has an extra line which translates as [ fought against each other like elephants in rut ] Note 2: We have adopted the Gita Press version for the translation which reads vṛṣaparvā tu balinā pāvanena mahāraṇe nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-53-1 tataḥ mahārṇavā iveti yojanā || · 3-53-40 ṣaṭ yogeśvarāḥ 1 sanaka - 2 sanandana - 3 sanātana - 4 sanatkumāra - 5 kapila - 6 jaigīṣavyāḥ | iti śrīharivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ tripaṣcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ