Parva 3 Chapter 57: devāsurayuddhe vṛtrāsurotkarṣavarṇanam - in the battle between deva-s and asura-s, surge of vṛtra

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) Then by the order of the king of deva-s (indra) all the armies attacked by running into the sons of diti, shouting in the fearful sound of jackals. taṁ balaughamaparyantaṁ devānāṁ sudurāsadaṁ | rathanāgāśvakalilaṁ śaṅkhadundubhiniḥsvanam ||3-57-2 That unlimited flow of the army of deva-s, highly difficult to overcome, was mingled with chariots, elephants and horses accompanied by the sound of conches and large kettledrums. āpatantaṁ suduṣpāraṁ rajasā sarvato vṛtam | sainyasāgaramakṣobhyaṁ veleva makarālayam ||3-57-3 That army, endowed all over with the quality of rajas (covered all over with dust), arriving at the battle field was difficult to cross over. The great army appeared like an un-agitated (calm) great ocean at the time new moon day. tadāścaryamapaśyanta aśraddheyamivādbhutam | udīrṇāṁ pṛtanāṁ sarvāṁ sāśvāṁ sarathakuṣjarām ||3-57-4 ācāryaḥ samare'tiṣṭhatkujambhastarasā balī | In the battle, powerful kujambha, with his strength, stopped the whole, astonishing, wonderful, extraordinary army, unseen and unbelievable along with horses, chariots and elephants. sainyārṇavaṁ devatānāṁ girirmerurivācalaḥ ||3-57-5 anīkinaṁ kujambhastu gadayā sa nyavārayat | kujambha, huge like the mountain meru, stopped the army of deva-s, appearing like an ocean, with his mace. sā tathā vāritā senā vihvalābhūnnirudyamā ||3-57-6 That army, stopped by kujambha was distressed becoming devoid of purpose. tasmiṁstathā vartamāne saṁprahāre sudāruṇe | asilomā tu balavāndānavo dānavādhipaḥ ||3-57-7 (Note 1) As the terrible battle was going on, the powerful asiloma, the son of danu, the king of the sons of danu, devasainyasya sarvasya dhūmaketurivotthitaḥ | tamāṁsyarka ivāpohyatsurasainyāni saṁyuge ||3-57-8 rising up as a meteor for (destroying) all the deva army, drove away the deva army from the battle field as the sun drives away the darkness. sahasrarashmipratimo dānavasya rathottamaḥ | sharairmegha ivāvarṣaddevānīkaṁ pratāpavān ||3-57-9 The chariot of the son of danu, the best among chariots, was splendorous like the thousand rays (of sun). The splendorous son of diti showered arrows on the army of deva-s, like water bearing clouds shower water. śaraugharaśmibhirdīptaiḥ pratapto ghoravikramaḥ | raudraḥ krūro durādharṣo durāpo dhvajinīmukhe ||3-57-10 The one who is terrible and valiant, the one who tortures the enemies by shooting group of arrows blazing like sun rays, the terrible one, the cruel one, the one difficult to conquer, difficult to approach, fought in front of the army. yudhyate daivataiḥ sārdhaṁ grasamāna iva prabhuḥ | ugreṣurugravadanaḥ samāruhya mahāgajam ||3-57-11 The lord, terrible among those having terrible faces, mounting on a great elephant, fought with the deva-s, as though swallowing them. surāṇāmuttamāṅgāni prachinoti mahābalaḥ | grasandaivatasainyāni śaradaṁṣṭraḥ pratāpvān ||3-57-12 The highly powerful, splendorous lord, the swallower of the deva's army, having fangs as arrows, cut off the best limbs (heads) of the devas. asijihvaścakrahastaścāpavyāttānano'suraḥ | paraśvadhanakhaḥ śrīmānmṛdaṅgāpūritadhvaniḥ ||3-57-13 The demon's tongue was like a sword, his arm like a wheel, his mouth was like a bow, his nails were like axes. He was auspicious, and his voice was like that of a drum (mṛdaṅga). tiṣṭhate dānavaśreṣṭhaḥ saṁyuge vyāghravadbalī | maurvīghoṣaḥ stanayituḥ pṛṣatkaḥ prathito mahān ||3-57-14 The powerful, the best among the sons of danu, stood in the battle field, like a tiger. The demon appeared like a great cloud twanging his bow string. dhanurvidyudgaṇaścāpo mahāmegha ivāparaḥ | iṣvastrasāgaro ghoro bāhugrāho durāsadaḥ ||3-57-15 His bow was quick like lightning. He appeared like another great rain bearing cloud. The terrible demon held a sea of arrows on his hand. He was most difficult to be conquered. kārmukormitaraṅgaughairbāṇāvartamahāhradaḥ | gadāsimakaro raudro jyāvelaḥ śikṣayoddhataḥ ||3-57-16 He appeared like a great pool, his bow as the beating of the groups of waves, his arrows as the whirlpool, his mace and sword as terrible sharks. The bow was the sea shore. He was an expert fighter. padātimīnaḥ sumahāngarjitotkruṣṭaghoṣavān | hayāngajānpadātīṁścha rathāṁścha sahasā bahūn ||3-57-17 nyamajjayata samare paravīrānmahārathān | The foot soldiers were the fishes. The great battle of sea shouted and roared loudly. The terrible demon, asiloma drowned many of his enemies, valiant great chariot fighters, horses, elephants, foot soldiers and chariots in the battle. āplāvayatsa devaughāndāruṇo dānaveśvaraḥ ||3-57-18 prāvartata yudhi śrīmānyudhi śreṣṭho yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | The terrible lord of the sons of danu, made the deva army flow away in the battle. The best among the fighters, the one who is firm in battle, the auspicious lord was engaged in the battle. apaśyaṁstridaśāḥ sarve śuddhajāmbūnadaprabham ||3-57-19 sannaddhaṁ tatra yudhyantaṁ jvalantamiva pāvakam | All the deva-s saw the one (asiloma) who was sparkling with pure gold, who was fighting in the battle field like a blazing fire. madhyaṁdinagataṁ sūryaṁ jvalantamiva tejasā ||3-57-20 na śekuḥ sarvabhūtāni dānavaṁ prasamīkṣitum | None among the beings was able to look at the son of danu who was blazing with splendor like the blazing mid day sun. yathā prarūḍhaṁ gharmānte dahetkakṣaṁ hutāśanaḥ ||3-57-21 tathāsuravaro daityo dahati sma sutejasā | As fire, the eater of oblations, burns the dry wood in the summer, the son of diti burned the best among deva-s with his splendor. devānāṁ dānavānāṁ ca balaṁ mardati dāruṇam ||3-57-22 virūḍhamabhavatsarvamākulaṁ ca samantataḥ | The armies of deva-s and the sons of danu oppressed each other terribly. All those who assembled there, became terribly distressed. śūrāścha te balodagrā hastyaśvarathadhūrgatāḥ ||3-57-23 āryāṁ buddhiṁ samāsthāya na tyajanti mahāraṇam | The valiants, having high power, mounted on elephants, horses and chariots, taking up the intelligence of the faithful, did not abandon the great battle. tadudtpiṣjalakaṁ yuddhamabhavadromaharṣaṇam ||3-57-24 devadānavayoḥ saṅkhye rudhirasrāvakardamam | That disordered tumultuous battle of deva-s and the sons of danu became highly exciting, causing the hair to bristle due to terror, making blood to flow like dirt. na diśaḥ pratyajānanta bhayagrāhanipīḍitāḥ ||3-57-25 śastrapātāṁścha vividhāndānavānāṁ mahāraṇe | Those oppressed by the terror of many varieties of arrows shot by the sons of danu in the battle, could not recognize the directions. anyonyaṁ mūḍhachittāste nijaghnurvyākulīkṛtāḥ ||3-57-26 svānparānnābhijānanti vimūḍhāḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ | Mingling among themselves, they killed each other with confused mind. Becoming confused, those holding weapons could not recognize their own people and enemies. śiroruheṣu saṅgṛhya kacciccūrasya saṁyuge ||3-57-27 śūraścchinatti mūrdhānaṁ saṁdaṣṭauṣṭhapuṭānanam | (Note 2) In the battle, one valiant, grasping the hair of another valiant cut off the head, with the face biting ones own lips. bāhubhirmuṣṭibhiścaiva vajrakalpaiḥ sudāruṇaiḥ | praharanti raṇe vīrā āttaśastrāḥ parasparam ||3-57-28 In the battle, the valiants holding weapons struck each other with arms, and fists terrible like the thunderbolt. yodhaprāṇahare raudre svargadvāre'napāvṛte | saṅkule tumule yuddhe vartamāne mahābhaye ||3-57-29 As the highly fearful, tumultuous, terrible battle, taking away the life of the fighters was going on, the doors of heaven were opened (to welcome those who die in the battle field). hayo hayaṁ gajo nāgaṁ vīro vīraṁ mahāhave | abhyadravaṣjighāṁsanto hyasamaṣjasamāhave | In the battle, horses ran against horses, elephants against elephants, valiant against valiant to kill each other. asurāścha surāścaiva vikramāḍhyā mahārathāḥ || 3-57-30 juhuvuḥ samare prāṇānnijaghnuritaretaram | The demons as well as the deva-s, those blessed with valiance, the great chariot fighters offered their life forces as oblation, killing each other. muktakeṣā vikavacā virathāśicinnakārmukāḥ ||3-57-31 hastaiḥ pādaiścha yudhyante dānavāstridaśaiḥ saha | With their free falling hairs, devoid of their shields, devoid of their chariots, their bows broken, the sons of diti fought with the deva-s with their hands and feet. haristu niśitaṁ bhallaṁ preṣyāmāsa saṁyuge ||3-57-32 sa tasya dhanuṣaḥ koṭiṁ cittvā bhūmāvapātayat | In the battle hari (indra) shot a sharp arrow (bhalla). That arrow cut off the curved end of his (asiloma's) bow and made it fall on the earth. punaścāpi pṛṣatkānāṁ śatāni nataparvaṇām ||3-57-33 prāhiṇotsahasā tasya dānavendrasya saṁyuge | Again indra shot hundreds of arrows with sharp tips, forcefully against the king (indra) of the sons of danu in the battle. tasya dehavimuktāste mārutena samīritāḥ ||3-57-34 bhagnārdhakāyā viviśuḥ pannagā iva parvate | The arrows shot by indra, having the speed of wind, entered half of his (asiloma's) body , like serpents enter a mountain. sa tairnipatitairgātraiḥ kṣaradbhirasṛgāvalīḥ ||3-57-35 babhau daityo mahābāhurmerurdhātumivotsṛjan | punaścāpi pṛṣatkānāṁ śatāni nataparvaṇām ||3-57-36 asiloma, the one with powerful arms, son of diti, who was struck again by hundreds of sharp arrows in his body causing blood to flow, sparkled like the mountain meru having elements. tato'silomā saṅkruddhaḥ pragṛhyānyanmahādhanuḥ | rukmapuṅkhāṁścha niśitānpreṣayāmāsa sāyakān ||3-57-37 Then asiloma, becoming angry, taking up another great bow, shot sharp arrows having golden knots. taistu marmasu vivyādha sarpānalaviṣopamaiḥ | gātraṁ saṣcādayāmāsa mahābhrairiva parvatam ||3-57-38 Shooting the arrows having the poison of serpents, on each weak spots, he covered the body of his enemy like great clouds cover a mountain. bhuyaḥ saṁdhāya ca śaraṁ mumocāntakasaṁnibham | supuṅkhaṁ sūryasaṅkāśaṁ bāṇamapratimaṁ raṇe ||3-57-39 Again he released sharp arrows, terrible like death, having auspicious golden knots, dazzling like sun, difficult to conquer in the battle. tena bāṇaprahāreṇa saṁyuge bhīmakarmaṇā | mumoha sahasā devo bhūmau cāpi papāta ha ||3-57-40 Struck by the arrows shot by the one who performs terrible deeds in the battle, the deva became confused and fell down on the earth. tato hāhākṛtāḥ sarve deve bhūtalamāśrite | jagatsadevamāvignaṁ yathārkapatanaṁ tathā ||3-57-41 As the deva fell down on the earth, all cried alas! alas! and became distressed in the heaven as though the sun has fallen down on the earth. parivāraṁ tu samare tasya hatvā mahāsuraḥ | ekatriṁśatsahasrāṇi yodhānāṁ dānavottamaḥ ||3-57-42 The great demon, the best among the sons of danu, killed his followers, thirty one thousand fighters, in the battle. jayaśriyā sevyamāno dipyamāna ivācalaḥ | pragṛhya kārmukaṁ ghoraṁ gataḥ śakrarathaṁ prati ||3-57-43 The one who accomplished victory, asiloma, like a blazing mountain, taking up a terrible bow, went towards the chariot of śakra (indra). tathaiva tu mahāyuddhe sasainyāvaśvināvubhau | prayuddhau saha vṛtreṇa balinā devatāriṇā ||3-57-44 In the same way, the twin ashvin-s, along with their army fought against the powerful vṛtra, the enemy of deva-s, in the great battle. bāṇakhaḍgadhanuṣpāṇiḥ samare tyaktajīvitaḥ | āsādya so'śvinau daityaḥ sthito giririvācalaḥ ||3-57-45 Holding arrows, sword and the bow in his arms, abandoning his life in the battle, the son of diti, standing firm in the battle field like a mountain, fought against the twin aśvins. tataḥ śaṅkhamupādhmāya dviṣatāṁ lomaharṣaṇam | jyāghoṣatalaśabdaiścha sarvabhūtānyavejayat ||3-57-46 Then he blew his conch, causing the hair of the enemies to bristle due to fear and roared in a loud voice. All the beings were distressed. tataḥ saṁhṛṣṭaromāṇaḥ śaṅkhaśabdaṁ viśuśruvuḥ | yakṣarākṣasadevaughā vṛtrasyāpi ca niḥsvanam ||3-57-47 Then the groups of yakṣa-s, rākṣasa-s and the deva-s heard the sound of blowing the conch as well as the roaring of vṛtra. gadātomaranistriṁśaśūlaśaktiparaśvadhāḥ | pragṛhītā vyarājanta yakṣarākṣasabāhubhiḥ ||3-57-48 Then the yakṣa-s and rākṣasa-s took up many maces, lances (tomara), swords (nistriṁśa), darts (śūla), spears and hatchets and sparkled in the battle field. taiḥ pramuktānmahākāyaiḥ śūlaśaktiparaśvadhān | bhallairvṛtraparicchedabhīmavegaravaistathā ||3-57-49 The darts, spears and hatchets thrown by those having huge bodies were cut to pieces by the arrow bhalla, shot by vṛtra with great speed. antarikṣacarāṇāṁ ca bhūmisthānāṁ ca garjatām | śarairvivyādha gātrāṇi devānāṁ priyadarśinām ||3-57-50 He shot arrows at the bodies of the most beautiful deva-s travelling in the sky as well and standing on earth roaring. vṛtrāsurabhujotsṛṣṭairbahudhā yakṣarakṣasām | nikṛntānyeva dṛśyante śarīrāṇi śirāṁsi ca ||3-57-51 Many of the bodies and heads of the bodies of the yakṣa-s and rākṣasa-s were seen cut off by the arrows released by the hands of the demon vṛtra. atha raktamahāvṛṣṭirabhyavarṣata medinīm | gadāparighabhinnānāṁ devānāṁ gātrasaṁbhavā ||3-57-52 Then a great rain of blood showered on the earth originating from the bodies of deva-s, split and cut by maces and iron clubs. prachcādayantaṁ bāṇaughairvṛtraṁ bhīmaparākramam | dadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāni bhānumantamivāṁśubhiḥ ||3-57-53 Then all the beings saw vṛtra, the performer of highly valiant deeds, covered by arrows, like the sun covered by group of clouds. tīkṣṇaraśmirivādityaḥ pratapansarvadevatāḥ | aśvinorbalavānkruddhaḥ sāyakairmarmabhedibhiḥ ||3-57-54 The powerful one who tortured all the deva-s like the sun having blazing rays, becoming angry, shot arrows at the twin ashvin-s, splitting their crucial spots. nadato vividhānnādānarditasyāpi sāyakaiḥ | na mohamasurendrasya dadṛśustridaśā raṇe ||3-57-55 The deva-s could not observe any confusion in the king (indra) of demons in the battle, even though he was oppressed by the arrows and roaring with a variety of sounds. te'sicharmagadābhiścha parighaprāsatomaraiḥ | parashvadhaishcha śūlaiścha pravavarṣurmahārathāḥ ||3-57-56 The best fighters, the great chariot fighters showered swords, shields, maces, iron clubs (parigha), barbed missiles (prāsa), lances (tomara), hatchets (parashvadha) and darts. tato vṛtraḥ susaṅkruddhastaistadābhyardito balī | abhyavarṣacchitairbāṇaistāntsarvāntsatyavikramaḥ ||3-57-57 Then highly powerful vṛtra, oppressed by them became angry. The truly valiant one showered sharp arrows on all of them. tena vitrāsitā devā viprakīrṇamahāyudhāḥ | ghoramārtasvaraṁ cakrurvṛtrāsurabhayārditāḥ ||3-57-58 The deva-s, trembled by vṛtra, those showered great weapons, produced terrible and painful sounds, terrorized by vṛtra. utsṛjya te gadāśaktiśūlarṣṭiparighāśanīn | uttarāṁ diśamājagmustrāsitā dṛḍhadhanvinā ||3-57-59 Those who threw maces, spears, darts and iron clubs, oppressed by the one holding the bow firmly in battle, ran towards the direction of north. śūlaśaktigadāpāṇirvyūḍhorasko mahābhujaḥ | prāvartata raṇe vṛtrastrāsayānaścarācarān ||3-57-60 The one with powerful arms, the one having a wide chest, the one who makes the moving and fixed beings tremble, vṛtra, moved in the battle field, holding darts, spears and maces in his hands. tatraikastu mahābāhurasiśūladharaḥ prabhuḥ | abhyadhāvata daityendraṁ vṛtramapratimaṁ raṇe ||3-57-61 [gṛhītacāpo vegena prabhinna iva vāraṇaḥ] | In the battle field, one among them, having powerful arms, a lord holding sword and darts, followed vṛtra, the indra (king) of diti's sons, who is devoid of an opponent in the battle [holding a bow, quickly, like an elephant in rut]. tamāpatantaṁ saṁprekśya nirbhinnamiva vāraṇam | vatsadantaistribhiḥ pārśve vivyādha surasattamam ||3-57-62 Seeing him entering the battle field, like an elephant in rut, he shot three vatsadanta arrows at the side of the body of the best among the demons. so'tividdho maheṣvāsaḥ śarairamitavikramaḥ | gadāṁ jagrāha balavāngadāyuddhaviśāradaḥ ||3-57-63 The highly valiant and powerful one, the expert in the fight with maces, the foremost among the bowmen, shot by many arrows, took up a mace. tāṁ pragṛhya mahābhīmāmayaḥsāramayīṁ dṛḍhām | ashvinau sahasā''gamya tāḍayāmāsa vīryavān ||3-57-64 Taking the highly huge and strong mace of iron, the highly valiant one struck the twin aśvins. dīpyamānaṁ tataḥ śūlamaśvī suvipulaṁ dṛḍham | prāsṛjadvṛtradaityāya sahasā romaharṣaṇam ||3-57-65 Then the ashvin-s took up a blazing huge and strong dart and threw it at the son of diti, vṛtra, causing the hair to bristle due to terror. bhaṅktvā śūlaṁ gadāgreṇa gadāyuddhaviśāradaḥ | aśvinaṁ sahasābhyarcya garutmāniva pannagam ||3-57-66 vṛtra, the expert in the battle with maces, broke the dart with the tip of his mace. He ran and oppressed the ashvin-s suddenly like garutmān (garuḍa) oppresses the serpents. so'ntarikṣātsamutpatya vidhūya mahatīṁ gadām | nāsatyopari cikṣepa giriśṛṅgopamāṁ balī ||3-57-67 The powerful one vṛtra, leaped from the sky, shaking his great mace and threw the same, similar to the peak of a mountain, on nāsatya (one of the ashvin-s). gadayābhihataḥ so'śvistyaktvā śūlamanuttamam | prayātaḥ sahasā tatra yatra yudhyati vāsavaḥ ||3-57-68 The ashvin, nāsatya struck by the mace, abandoned his best dart and ran quickly to the place where vasava (indra) was. parājitya tu saṅgrāme aśvinaṁ bhīmavikramam | jayaśriyā sevyamāno vṛtro yuddhe vyavasthitaḥ ||3-57-69 vṛtra, achieving victory, by defeating the highly valiant ashvin-s in the battle, stood in the battle field. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi devāsurayuddhe vṛtrāsurotkarṣavarṇane saptapaṣcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ This is the fifty seventh chapter of bhaviṣyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, in the manifestation of vāmana, in the battle between deva-s and asura-s, surge of vṛtra Note 1: After 3-57-7(1) two lines are given in section 42 B, Appendix I, Volume II, page 702, lines 1456 and 1457, harivamśa, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune, 1971. tasmimstathā vartamāne saṁprahāre sudāruṇe (mahātmane) | asilomā hariscaiva jagnutustau parasparam || As the great souls were fighting against each other, asiloma and hari (indra) struck against each other. The ṁalayalam translation of these lines are given in bhāṣābhārataṁ (Page 965, Volume 6, DC Books, 2007) Note 2: After 3-57-27, this line given in section 42 B, Appendix I, Volume II, page 703, line 1498, harivamśa, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune, 1971, (also given on Page 1139, Gita Press Edition) is considered for meaningful translation. The ṁalayalam translation of this line is given in bhāṣābhārataṁ (Page 966, Volume 6, DC Books, 2007). nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-57-24 utpiṣjalakam Akulatvam || · 3-57-25 devadānavayoḥ devadānavajātyoḥ || · 3-57-46 avejayat akampayat || iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ saptapaṣcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ