Bhagavatapurana 3.17: atha saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

3.17.1

/0 maitreya uvāca
niśamyātma-bhuvā gītaṃ kāraṇaṃ śaṅkayojjhitāḥ /
tataḥ sarve nyavartanta tridivāya divaukasaḥ //

Maitreya said: / Having heard the explanation declared by the self-born [Brahmā], freed from apprehension, / all the denizens of heaven then returned to the celestial world.

1. Maitreya said:—Having heard the cause explained by him (Brahma) born of Paramatman, all the gods, returned to Swargaloka rid of fear.

3.17.2

ditis tu bhartur ādeśād apatya-pariśaṅkinī /
pūrṇe varṣa-śate sādhvī putrau prasuṣuve yamau //

Diti, however, fearful for her offspring at her husband's command, / after a full hundred years gave birth to twin sons, virtuous woman that she was.

2. Now Diti the righteous wife who was apprehending great trouble (to the gods) from her children, (as indicated by her lord) was delivered of twins at the end of a hundred years.

3.17.3

utpātā bahavas tatra nipetur jāyamānayoḥ /
divi bhuvy antarikṣe ca lokasyoru-bhayāvahāḥ //

Many portents occurred there at the moment of their birth, / in heaven, on earth, and in the mid-air, bringing great terror to the world.

3. Then appeared many ill-omens at the hour of their birth, in the heavens, on the earth, and in the mid air, all intimating great fear to the world.

3.17.4

sahācalā bhuvaś celur diśaḥ sarvāḥ prajajvaluḥ /
solkāś cāśanayaḥ petuḥ ketavaś cārti-hetavaḥ //

The earth shook along with the mountains; all the directions blazed; / meteors fell along with thunderbolts, and comets, the causes of distress.

4. All parts of the earth with the mountains on them shook violently; all the directions were in a conflagration; thunderbolts and firebrands fell on the earth and comets appeared foreboding grief.

3.17.5

vavau vāyuḥ suduḥsparśaḥ phūt-kārān īrayan muhuḥ /
unmūlayan naga-patīn vātyānīko rajo-dhvajaḥ //

A wind blew, exceedingly harsh to the touch, repeatedly emitting hissing roars, / uprooting great trees, a host of cyclonic storms, with dust for its banner.

5. (Then) blew the wind which was piercing to the touch, and frequently hissed (through the sky); also a host of whirl winds uprooting huge trees and holding high its banner of dust.

3.17.6

uddhasat-taḍid-ambhoda- ghaṭayā naṣṭa-bhāgaṇe /
vyomni praviṣṭa-tamasā na sma vyādṛśyate padam //

When the hosts of stars were hidden by a mass of clouds flashing with lightning, / and darkness entered the sky, no place at all could be seen.

6. In the sky the luminaries being obscured by clouds which seemed to laugh boisterously with flashes of lightning, no spot was visible by reason of encroaching darkness.

3.17.7

cukrośa vimanā vārdhir udūrmiḥ kṣubhitodaraḥ /
sodapānāś ca saritaś cukṣubhuḥ śuṣka-paṅkajāḥ //

The ocean, dejected, with surging waves and agitated belly, cried out; / and the rivers along with the wells were troubled, their lotuses withered.

7. The (high waves of the ocean) roared aloud as if stricken with sorrow, his bowels being agitated; rivers and wells were also writhing with withering lotus-blossoms.

3.17.8

muhuḥ paridhayo 'bhūvan sarāhvoḥ śaśi-sūryayoḥ /
nirghātā ratha-nirhrādā vivarebhyaḥ prajajñire //

Halos appeared repeatedly around both the moon and the sun accompanied by Rāhu; / crashes of thunder like the rattling of chariots arose from chasms.

8. Often misty halos were formed around the sun and the moon was eclipsed by Rahu. Then were heard roars of thunder without clouds; and deep sounds as of moving chariots issued from (mountain) caves.

3.17.9

antar-grāmeṣu mukhato vamantyo vahnim ulbaṇam /
sṛgālolūka-ṭaṅkāraiḥ praṇedur aśivaṃ śivāḥ //

Inside the villages, female jackals, vomiting dreadful fire from their mouths, / howled inauspiciously, accompanied by the screeches of owls.

9. In the villages she-jackals vomited fearful fires from their mouths and kept howling portentously; jackals howled and owls hooted along with them.

3.17.10

saṅgītavad rodanavad unnamayya śirodharām /
vyamuñcan vividhā vāco grāma-siṃhās tatas tataḥ //

Raising their necks, as if singing and weeping, / the village dogs let loose diverse cries here and there.

10. In various parts dogs uttered different voices lifting up their heads and necks as in singing or in weeping.

3.17.11

kharāś ca karkaśaiḥ kṣattaḥ khurair ghnanto dharā-talam /
khārkāra-rabhasā mattāḥ paryadhāvan varūthaśaḥ //

And donkeys, O Vidura, striking the earth's surface with their hard hooves, / ran around in herds, crazed with the fury of braying.

11. And the maddened asses (donkeys) struck the surface of the earth, O Vidura, with their hard hoofs, and ran about in herds, braying impatiently.

3.17.12

rudanto rāsabha-trastā nīḍād udapatan khagāḥ /
ghoṣe 'raṇye ca paśavaḥ śakṛn-mūtram akurvata //

Screaming, frightened by the donkeys, the birds flew up from their nests; / and in the cowpens and in the forest, the beasts passed dung and urine.

12. Birds frightened by donkeys flew wailing out of their nests, and both in the village and in the forets beasts passed dung and urine.

3.17.13

gāvo 'trasann asṛg-dohās toyadāḥ pūya-varṣiṇaḥ /
vyarudan deva-liṅgāni drumāḥ petur vinānilam //

The cows were terrified and gave milk of blood; the clouds rained pus; / images of the gods wept; trees fell down without any wind.

13. Cows suddenly trembled, blood flowing from their udders; clouds rained pus; the images of the gods wept tears; and trees dropped down in the absence of any wind.

3.17.14

grahān puṇyatamān anye bhagaṇāṃś cāpi dīpitāḥ /
aticerur vakra-gatyā yuyudhuś ca parasparam //

The other planets, ablaze, traversed the most auspicious planets / and constellations in retrograde motion and fought with one another.

14-15. The other bright planets took a crooked course and passed over (crossed the path of) the auspicious planets and the constellations of stars, and coming back fought with one another; having noticed these and other mighty ill-omens, people who did not understand their true import except the sons of Brahmā, were all frightened and thought that the destruction of the world had come.

3.17.15

dṛṣṭvānyāṃś ca mahotpātān atat-tattva-vidaḥ prajāḥ /
brahma-putrān ṛte bhītā menire viśva-samplavam //

Seeing these and other great portents, the people, ignorant of the truth behind them, / except for the sons of Brahmā, were terrified and considered it the dissolution of the universe.

3.17.16

tāv ādi-daityau sahasā vyajyamānātma-pauruṣau /
vavṛdhāte 'śma-sāreṇa kāyenādri-patī iva //

Those two foremost Daityas, whose innate prowess was quickly manifested, / grew with bodies like iron, like two lords of mountains.

16. Those two early Daityas grew like two great mountains, their energy and power fast unfolding and their bodies becoming as hard as steel.

3.17.17

divi-spṛśau hema-kirīṭa-koṭibhir niruddha-kāṣṭhau sphurad-aṅgadā-bhujau /
gāṃ kampayantau caraṇaiḥ pade pade kaṭyā sukāñcyārkam atītya tasthatuḥ //

Touching the sky with the peaks of their golden crowns, blocking the directions, their arms sporting glittering armlets, / shaking the earth at every step with their feet, surpassing the sun with their waists adorned with fine girdles, they stood.

17. Touching the firmament with the tops of their gold crowns and encompassing all the directions with their arms, brilliant with splendid Angadas, and shaking the earth with

their feet at every step, they stood adorned with splendid zones about their middle which was far above (the orbit of) the sun.

3.17.18

prajāpatir nāma tayor akārṣīd yaḥ prāk sva-dehād yamayor ajāyata /
taṃ vai hiraṇyakaśipuṃ viduḥ prajā yaṃ taṃ hiraṇyākṣam asūta sāgrataḥ //

Prajāpati [Kaśyapa] gave the names of the two twins: the one who had emerged first from his own body, / him people knew as Hiraṇyakaśipu; and the one she brought forth first, they knew as Hiraṇyākṣa.

18. Kasyapa Prajapati gave them names; people know him to be Hiranyakasipu who was first of the twins born of his body; and call him (the other) Hiranyaksha whom she (the mother) first brought forth.

3.17.19

cakre hiraṇyakaśipur dorbhyāṃ brahma-vareṇa ca /
vaśe sa-pālān lokāṃs trīn akuto-mṛtyur uddhataḥ //

Hiraṇyakaśipu, haughty and fearing death from no quarter, brought the three worlds / along with their guardians under his control by the strength of his arms and Brahmā's boon.

19. Suspecting death from nothing by virtue of Brahma's boon, and puffed up with the strength of his arms, Hiranyakasipu brought the three worlds with their protectors under his power.

3.17.20

hiraṇyākṣo 'nujas tasya priyaḥ prīti-kṛd anvaham /
gadā-pāṇir divaṃ yāto yuyutsur mṛgayan raṇam //

Hiraṇyākṣa, his younger brother, dear to him and pleasing him every day, / mace in hand, went to heaven, desiring to fight, in search of battle.

20. His beloved younger brother, Hiranyaksha, ever intent upon doing what pleased him, armed himself with Gada, and eager to fight, went to Swarga, seeking war.

3.17.21

taṃ vīkṣya duḥsaha-javaṃ raṇat-kāñcana-nūpuram /
vaijayantyā srajā juṣṭam aṃsa-nyasta-mahā-gadam //

Seeing him, of unbearable speed, with jingling golden anklets, / adorned with a Vaijayantī garland, with a great mace placed upon his shoulder,

21—22. As soon as they saw him advance with irresistible force, with anklets of gold ringing (about his feet), wearing the wreath of Vaijayanti, and resting the Gada on his shoulder, intoxicated with pride on account of his strong mind and body as well as his boons, with none to subdue him and with nothing to fear, the frightened gods hid themselves, as serpents do for fear of Garuda.

3.17.22

mano-vīrya-varotsiktam asṛṇyam akuto-bhayam /
bhītā nililyire devās tārkṣya-trastā ivāhayaḥ //

intoxicated by the strength of his mind and boons, unrestrainable, fearing nothing from anywhere, / the frightened gods hid, like serpents terrified of Garuḍa.

3.17.23

sa vai tirohitān dṛṣṭvā mahasā svena daitya-rāṭ /
sendrān deva-gaṇān kṣībān apaśyan vyanadad bhṛśam //

Seeing that the hosts of gods along with Indra had vanished before his own majesty, / and not seeing them drunk with power, the king of the Daityas roared loudly.

23. The king of Daityas saw that they had vanished on account of his brilliant (terrific) might, and roared violently on not finding Indra and his celestial hosts, who had lost their wits (or not finding the cowardly Indra etc.)

3.17.24

tato nivṛttaḥ krīḍiṣyan gambhīraṃ bhīma-nisvanam /
vijagāhe mahā-sattvo vārdhiṃ matta iva dvipaḥ //

Then turning away, wishing to sport, he of great might / plunged into the deep ocean with its fearful roar, like an intoxicated elephant.

24. Returning thence and eager to find sport, the Daitya of immense energy like a haughty elephant, plunged into the deep sea which was fearfully boisterous (unfathomable and terribly boisterous.)

3.17.25

tasmin praviṣṭe varuṇasya sainikā yādo-gaṇāḥ sanna-dhiyaḥ sasādhvasāḥ /
ahanyamānā api tasya varcasā pradharṣitā dūrataraṃ pradudruvuḥ //

When he entered, Varuṇa's soldiers, the aquatic creatures, their minds distressed and struck with terror, / although not struck, overwhelmed by his splendour, fled far away.

25. When he plunged, all the aquatic beings, which are the hosts of Varuna, lost heart, and, cast in fear, ran away very far, baffled by his heroic splendour, though he dealt no blow.

3.17.26

sa varṣa-pūgān udadhau mahā-balaś caran mahormīñ chvasaneritān muhuḥ /
maurvyābhijaghne gadayā vibhāvarīm āsedivāṃs tāta purīṃ pracetasaḥ //

Moving through the ocean for many years, the mighty one struck the great waves driven by the wind / repeatedly with his mace of iron, and arrived at night, dear one, at Vibhāvarī, the city of Pracetas.

26. For many many years did he the Daitya of vast strength sport through the sea and often beat down, with his

gada made of maurvi, (blackiron) the high waves which frequently rose by the force of his breath, and O Son! he, (then) reached Vibhavari, the city of Varuna.

3.17.27

tatropalabhyāsura-loka-pālakaṃ yādo-gaṇānām ṛṣabhaṃ pracetasam /
smayan pralabdhuṃ praṇipatya nīcavaj jagāda me dehy adhirāja saṃyugam //

Finding there the guardian of the nether regions, Pracetas, the foremost among the aquatic creatures, / he smiled, bowed low like an inferior so as to mock him, and said: "Give me battle, O sovereign lord!

27. There he saw Varuna, the king of Asuras, (Loka Palaka) the lord of aquatic animals, and he smiled and bowed like a mean person to impose upon him (Varuna) and said ‘O great king; be placed to give me battle.’

3.17.28

tvaṃ loka-pālo 'dhipatir bṛhac-chravā vīryāpaho durmada-vīra-māninām /
vijitya loke 'khila-daitya-dānavān yad rājasūyena purāyajat prabho //

You are a world-guardian, a ruler, of great renown, the destroyer of the prowess of arrogant pretend-heroes, / since in former times, having conquered all the Daityas and Dānavas in the world, you performed the Rājasūya sacrifice, O lord."

28. ‘Thou art the protector of the world, a great king of wide fame, who can subdue the prowess of those that are haughty and presume to be valiant; for having conquered all the Daityas and Danavas in the world, thou of old performedst the Rajasuya, O Lord!’

3.17.29

sa evam utsikta-madena vidviṣā dṛḍhaṃ pralabdho bhagavān apāṃ patiḥ /
roṣaṃ samutthaṃ śamayan svayā dhiyā vyavocad aṅgopaśamaṃ gatā vayam //

Thus severely mocked by his enemy, who was puffed up with arrogance, the lord, the master of the waters, / calming with his intellect the wrath that arose, replied: "O dear one, we have retired from war.

29. The god Varuna, the lord of waters, thus deceived by the enemy who could not contain his haughtiness (waxed angry); but by the force of reason he stemmed the anger which rose in him and was (being) observed by the enemy, and said ‘O good warrior, we have attained tranquillity (we have subdued our passion.)

3.17.30

paśyāmi nānyaṃ puruṣāt purātanād yaḥ saṃyuge tvāṃ raṇa-mārga-kovidam /
ārādhayiṣyaty asurarṣabhehi taṃ manasvino yaṃ gṛṇate bhavādṛśāḥ //

I see none other than the ancient Person who will satisfy you in combat, skilled as you are in the paths of war. / Approach Him, O bull of the Asuras, whom spirited men like you praise.

30. ‘I do not see any one other than the Eternal Person who will give satisfaction in battle to thee a veteran in the ways of war. O foremost one among the Asuras, betake thyself to Him whom heroes like thee sing (in appreciation).

3.17.31

taṃ vīram ārād abhipadya vismayaḥ śayiṣyase vīra-śaye śvabhir vṛtaḥ /
yas tvad-vidhānām asatāṃ praśāntaye rūpāṇi dhatte sad-anugrahecchayā //

Approaching that hero, your pride subdued, you will lie down upon the bed of heroes, surrounded by dogs— / He who, to pacify the unrighteous like you, assumes forms out of a desire to show grace to the righteous."

31. ‘Thou wilt soon come up with Him who for doing away with wicked beings like thee and doing good to the righteous assumes (many) forms, and, being rid of thy pride, thou wilt lie in the bed of heroes surrounded by hounds.