Harivamsha 33
English (machine translation) 33
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33.1
Vaiśaṃpāyana said:
Then, hearing of the danger from Viṣṇu, the Daityas and Dānavas,
who are difficult to conquer in combat, made vast preparations for war.
33.2
Maya, indeed, [boarded] an imperishable chariot made of gold, three nalvas across,
with four wheels, a splendid body, and well-arranged great weapons,
33.3
resounding with clusters of small bells, draped in leopard skins,
fashioned with nets of gems, and adorned with nets of gold,
33.4
thronged with depictions of mythical beasts, radiant with sculpted birds,
bearing quivers filled with divine missiles, and rumbling like rain-clouds,
33.5
with sound axles, lofty as the best of chariots, with a fine seat, towering like a mountain,
filled with clubs and iron bludgeons, like an ocean incarnate,
33.6
with bracelets and armlets of gold, its pole bearing golden rings,
lofty with flags and banners, resembling Mount Mandara with the sun.
33.7
It had the body of a lordly elephant or a cloud, here and there shining like a lion's mane,
yoked to a thousand bears, roaring like a thousand clouds.
33.8
Longing for battle, he took his stand in that blazing, sky-faring, celestial chariot,
the crusher of enemy cars, like the radiant sun upon Mount Meru.
33.9
Tāra drove an iron chariot one krośa wide,
resembling a heap of mountain peaks, like a mass of black collyrium,
33.10
having eight wheels of black iron, with iron poles, yokes, and front pieces,
casting beams of darkness, like a thundercloud rumbling,
33.11
covered with a great mesh of iron fitted with latticed openings,
filled with iron bludgeons and throwing clubs,
33.12
and with barbed darts, spread-out nooses, hanging mallets,
and terrifying spears together with battle-axes.
33.13
Raised against the enemies like a second Mandara,
yoked to a thousand donkeys, he mounted that excellent chariot.
33.14
Virocana, enraged, stood mace in hand
at the front of that army, like a mountain with a blazing peak.
33.15
The Dānava Hayagrīva drove a chariot
yoked to a thousand horses, which crushed the host of rivals.
33.16
Bending a vast and mighty bow of many thousand fathoms,
Varāha stood at the front, like a mountain with its foothills.
33.17
Kṣara, out of arrogance, shedding tears born of rage from both eyes,
with trembling teeth, lips, and face, longed for battle.
33.18
Mounting a vehicle with eighteen horses, the heroic Dānava Tvaṣṭṛ,
marshaled by the Dānava battle arrays, rode all around.
33.19
Vipracitti’s son, Śveta, adorned with white earrings,
resembling a white mountain, stood facing the battle.
33.20
Bali’s son Ariṣṭa, the foremost, armed with mountain crags,
stood ready for combat, exerting himself like another mountain.
33.21
Kiśora, from extreme excitement, urged on like a young steed,
appeared in the midst of the Daitya army like the risen sun.
33.22
Lamba, resembling a trailing rain-cloud, his ornaments hanging down on his clothes,
shone in the Daitya battle array like the sun enveloped in mist.
33.23
Svarbhānu, fighting with his jaws, weaponed with teeth, lips, and eyes,
loomed like a mountain facing the army of the gods;
laughing, the fair-faced planet took his stand in front of the Daityas.
33.24
Others shone mounted on horses, others upon the necks of elephants;
some rode lions and tigers, and others boars and bears.
33.25
Some rode donkeys and camels, some had clouds for their mounts;
some were mounted on various birds, and some rode the wind.
33.26
Other Daityas were foot-soldiers, terrifying, with deformed faces;
one-legged and two-legged, they danced, eager for combat.
33.27
Roaring fiercely and clapping their arms, many Dānavas,
bulls among the Dānavas, bellowed with the sounds of haughty tigers.
33.28
Expert in wielding the bow, with fierce maces and iron bludgeons,
those Dānavas threatened [the foe] with arms shaped like iron clubs.
33.29
With barbed darts, nooses, swords, spears, goads, and axes,
with śataghnīs and sharp-edged mallets, they disported themselves.
33.30
With boulders, rocks, bludgeons, excellent weapons,
and discus-missiles, the foremost Daityas cheered the army,
33.30x491
the Dānavas maddened by war, longing for victory in combat.
33.31
Thus that entire Dānava army, furious with the intoxication of battle,
stood facing the gods, like a towering mass of clouds.
33.32
Wondrous, densely packed with thousands of Daityas, resembling wind, fire, water, clouds, and mountains,
that army, swelling for the rising flood of battle, seemed mad with the desire to fight.
Linked texts (1)
- Harivaṃśa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit