Bhagavatapurana 6.12: atha dvādaśo'dhyāyaḥ

6.12.1

/0 śrīṛṣiruvāca
evaṃ jihāsurnṛpa dehamājau mṛtyuṃ varaṃ vijayān manyamānaḥ /
śūlaṃ pragṛhyābhyapatat surendraṃ yathā mahāpuruṣaṃ kaiṭabho 'psu //

The sage said:
Desiring thus to give up his body in battle, O king, and considering death to be superior to victory, / he seized his trident and rushed upon the lord of the gods, as Kaiṭabha rushed upon the Supreme Person in the waters.

1. The Rishi said:— O king, thus eager to cast off his body in battle and deeming death preferable to victory, he seized the trident and ran to attack Indra just as Kaitabha rushed at the Almighty Lord.

6.12.2

tato yugāntāgnikaṭhorajihvam āvidhya śūlaṃ tarasāsurendraḥ /
kṣiptvā mahendrāya vinadya vīro hato 'si pāpeti ruṣā jagāda //

Then the asura lord, whirling with force his trident that had tongues as fierce as the fire at the end of the cosmic age, / hurled it at the great Indra, and roaring, the hero shouted in fury: 'You are dead, wicked one!'

2. Then whirling with force his trident barbed with spikes terrible like the fire of Pralaya, (yuga’s end), the great heroic Asura hurled it at Indra, roared loud and said in rage, “dead Thou art, O sinful one.”

6.12.3

kha āpatat tadvicaladgraholkavan nirīkṣya duṣprekṣyamajātaviklavaḥ /
vajreṇa vajrī śataparvaṇācchinad bhujaṃ ca tasyoragarājabhogam //

kha āpatat tadvicaladgraholkavan nirīkṣya duṣprekṣyamajātaviklavaḥ
vajreṇa vajrī śataparvaṇācchinad bhujaṃ ca tasyoragarājabhogam

3. At seeing that weapon darting through the sky like the wheeling planet and fire-brand, not bearable to sight, Indra was not dispirited; and the wielder of Vajra with his Vajra of hundred joints cut it as well as Vritra’s arm, long and stout like the body of Vasuki, the great serpent.

6.12.4

chinnaikabāhuḥ parigheṇa vṛtraḥ saṃrabdha āsādya gṛhītavajram /
hanau tatāḍendramathāmarebhaṃ vajraṃ ca hastān nyapatan maghonaḥ //

chinnaikabāhuḥ parigheṇa vṛtraḥ saṃrabdha āsādya gṛhītavajram
hanau tatāḍendramathāmarebhaṃ vajraṃ ca hastān nyapatan maghonaḥ

4. With one arm cut off, full of rage, Vritra dashed towards Indra with a Parigha (a tremendous bolt) and dealt a blow to Indra and his elephant on the cheek; and the weapon Vajra fell down from the hand of Indra.

6.12.5

vṛtrasya karmātimahādbhutaṃ tat surāsurāścāraṇasiddhasaṅghāḥ /
apūjayaṃstat puruhūtasaṅkaṭaṃ nirīkṣya hā heti vicukruśurbhṛśam //

vṛtrasya karmātimahādbhutaṃ tat surāsurāścāraṇasiddhasaṅghāḥ
apūjayaṃstat puruhūtasaṅkaṭaṃ nirīkṣya hā heti vicukruśurbhṛśam

5. The gods and the Asuras, the companies of Charanas and Sidhas applauded that most wonderful feat of Vritra and, seeing the critical condition of Indra, shouted loudly in great concern ha! ha!.

6.12.6

indro na vajraṃ jagṛhe vilajjitaś cyutaṃ svahastādarisannidhau punaḥ /
tamāha vṛtro hara āttavajro jahi svaśatruṃ na viṣādakālaḥ //

indro na vajraṃ jagṛhe vilajjitaś cyutaṃ svahastādarisannidhau punaḥ
tamāha vṛtro hara āttavajro jahi svaśatruṃ na viṣādakālaḥ

6. Out of shame in the presence of his enemy Indra did not take up the Vajra which had slipped from his hand; and to him Vritra said, “O Indra, strike, take up thy Vajra, slay thy enemy; this is not the time for despondency.”

6.12.7

yuyutsatāṃ kutracidātatāyināṃ jayaḥ sadaikatra na vai parātmanām /
vinaikamutpattilayasthitīśvaraṃ sarvajñamādyaṃ puruṣaṃ sanātanam //

yuyutsatāṃ kutracidātatāyināṃ jayaḥ sadaikatra na vai parātmanām
vinaikamutpattilayasthitīśvaraṃ sarvajñamādyaṃ puruṣaṃ sanātanam

7. For ruffians engaged in a fight there may be victory sometime; at some other time it may not be, especially for those whose body is not under their own control, except the First and Ancient Omniscient Ruler, the cause (Lord) of creation, existence and destruction (of the world).

6.12.8

lokāḥ sapālā yasyeme śvasanti vivaśā vaśe /
dvijā iva śicā baddhāḥ sa kāla iha kāraṇam //

lokāḥ sapālā yasyeme śvasanti vivaśā vaśe
dvijā iva śicā baddhāḥ sa kāla iha kāraṇam

8. The cause of victory and defeat is that Lord who is in the form of Time, under whose control these worlds and their protectors live (breathe) and act in spite of their will, like birds caught in a net.

6.12.9

ojaḥ saho balaṃ prāṇamamṛtaṃ mṛtyumeva ca /
tamajñāya jano hetumātmānaṃ manyate jaḍam //

ojaḥ saho balaṃ prāṇamamṛtaṃ mṛtyumeva ca
tamajñāya jano hetumātmānaṃ manyate jaḍam

9. Not knowing that That Time is the cause of Energy, dauntlessness, strength, perseverence, Moksha, and mortality, creatures of poor sense regard the lifeless body as the cause.

6.12.10

yathā dārumayī nārī yathā patramayo mṛgaḥ /
evaṃ bhūtāni maghavannīśatantrāṇi viddhi bhoḥ //

yathā dārumayī nārī yathā patramayo mṛgaḥ
evaṃ bhūtāni maghavannīśatantrāṇi viddhi bhoḥ

10. Like a woman (a doll) made of wood and like a beast (puppet) acting under the force of a spring, creatures are, O Indra, under the control and guidance of the Supreme Being.

6.12.11

puruṣaḥ prakṛtirvyaktamātmā bhūtendriyāśayāḥ /
śaknuvanty asya sargādau na vinā yadanugrahāt //

puruṣaḥ prakṛtirvyaktamātmā bhūtendriyāśayāḥ
śaknuvanty asya sargādau na vinā yadanugrahāt

11. The Jeeva (the intelligent principle), Prakriti (the principle of matter), Mahattattva, Ahankara, the five Bhutas, the organs of sense and of action and the mind are, in the absence of His grace and help, incapable of creative, and other, activities (relating to the world).

6.12.12

avidvān evamātmānaṃ manyate 'nīśamīśvaram /
bhūtaiḥ sṛjati bhūtāni grasate tāni taiḥ svayam //

avidvān evamātmānaṃ manyate 'nīśamīśvaram
bhūtaiḥ sṛjati bhūtāni grasate tāni taiḥ svayam

12. A man without such culture regards his incapable self to be Iswara; but it is the Lord Himself who creates beings through the Bhutas and withdraws them through these.

6.12.13

āyuḥ śrīḥ kīrtiraiśvaryamāśiṣaḥ puruṣasya yāḥ /
bhavanty eva hi tatkāle yathānicchorviparyayāḥ //

āyuḥ śrīḥ kīrtiraiśvaryamāśiṣaḥ puruṣasya yāḥ
bhavanty eva hi tatkāle yathānicchorviparyayāḥ

13. Length of life, wealth, fame, authority, blessings, all that fall to the lot of a person do occur to him only at the time of success, just as all these are reversed against his wishes by the force of the same time (when tending to his failure).

6.12.14

tasmādakīrtiyaśasorjayāpajayayorapi /
samaḥ syāt sukhaduḥkhābhyāṃ mṛtyujīvitayostathā //

tasmādakīrtiyaśasorjayāpajayayorapi
samaḥ syāt sukhaduḥkhābhyāṃ mṛtyujīvitayostathā

14. Therefore the thoughtful man must be equally unchanged when glory or inglory, victory or defeat, happiness or misery, life or death, falls to his lot.

6.12.15

sattvaṃ rajastama iti prakṛternātmano guṇāḥ /
tatra sākṣiṇamātmānaṃ yo veda sa na badhyate //

sattvaṃ rajastama iti prakṛternātmano guṇāḥ
tatra sākṣiṇamātmānaṃ yo veda sa na badhyate

15. Satva, Rajas and Tamas are the qualities of Prakriti

(matter), but not of Atman (the intelligent being); he, who knows that Atman is a mere witness of all those states, is not subject to bondage.

6.12.16

paśya māṃ nirjitaṃ śatru vṛkṇāyudhabhujaṃ mṛdhe /
ghaṭamānaṃ yathāśakti tava prāṇajihīrṣayā //

paśya māṃ nirjitaṃ śatru vṛkṇāyudhabhujaṃ mṛdhe
ghaṭamānaṃ yathāśakti tava prāṇajihīrṣayā

16. Look at me, O Indra, who, defeated and deprived of weapon and an arm too in battle, am still endeavouring to the best of my power to take thy life.

6.12.17

prāṇaglaho 'yaṃ samara iṣvakṣo vāhanāsanaḥ /
atra na jñāyate 'muṣya jayo 'muṣya parājayaḥ //

prāṇaglaho 'yaṃ samara iṣvakṣo vāhanāsanaḥ
atra na jñāyate 'muṣya jayo 'muṣya parājayaḥ

17. The battle-field is a gambling house where life is the stake, arrows are the dice, the vehicles are the boards; there it is not known whose lot is victory and whose lot is defeat.

6.12.18

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
indro vṛtravacaḥ śrutvā gatālīkamapūjayat /
gṛhītavajraḥ prahasaṃstamāha gatavismayaḥ //

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
indro vṛtravacaḥ śrutvā gatālīkamapūjayat
gṛhītavajraḥ prahasaṃstamāha gatavismayaḥ

18. Sri Suka said:— Having heard the straight-forward speech of Vritra, Indra felt a high regard for him; and, taking up his Vajra and getting over his feeling of astonishment, he laughed and said to him.

6.12.19

/0 indra uvāca
aho dānava siddho 'si yasya te matirīdṛśī /
bhaktaḥ sarvātmanātmānaṃ suhṛdaṃ jagadīśvaram //

/0 indra uvāca
aho dānava siddho 'si yasya te matirīdṛśī
bhaktaḥ sarvātmanātmānaṃ suhṛdaṃ jagadīśvaram

19. Indra said:— O Danu's son, happily thou hast attained wisdom and heaven, since thou hast such a tenor of mind; thou hast successfully and devoutly worshipped in every way the Omnipresent Lord of the Universe, the friend (of all).

6.12.20

bhavān atārṣīn māyāṃ vai vaiṣṇavīṃ janamohinīm /
yadvihāyāsuraṃ bhāvaṃ mahāpuruṣatāṃ gataḥ //

bhavān atārṣīn māyāṃ vai vaiṣṇavīṃ janamohinīm
yadvihāyāsuraṃ bhāvaṃ mahāpuruṣatāṃ gataḥ

20. Thou hast indeed got over Vishnu's Maya that deludes people; for, thou hast triumphed over the Asura nature and attained the character of the Lord's devotee.

6.12.21

khalvidaṃ mahadāścaryaṃ yadrajaḥprakṛtestava /
vāsudeve bhagavati sattvātmani dṛḍhā matiḥ //

khalvidaṃ mahadāścaryaṃ yadrajaḥprakṛtestava
vāsudeve bhagavati sattvātmani dṛḍhā matiḥ

21. It is really very wonderful that thou, born with the proclivities of Rajas, hast unerring and firm faith in the glorious Lord Vasudeva whose nature is Satva (who is the Antaryamin of all).

6.12.22

yasya bhaktirbhagavati harau niḥśreyaseśvare /
vikrīḍato 'mṛtāmbhodhau kiṃ kṣudraiḥ khātakodakaiḥ //

yasya bhaktirbhagavati harau niḥśreyaseśvare
vikrīḍato 'mṛtāmbhodhau kiṃ kṣudraiḥ khātakodakaiḥ

22. To thee that hast developed devotion to the Almighty Lord Hari that grants final beatitude, and to thee that art sporting in the sea of nectar, what has to be done with the waters of poor pits and wells?

6.12.23

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
iti bruvāṇāvanyonyaṃ dharmajijñāsayā nṛpa /
yuyudhāte mahāvīryāvindravṛtrau yudhāmpatī //

/0 śrīśuka uvāca
iti bruvāṇāvanyonyaṃ dharmajijñāsayā nṛpa
yuyudhāte mahāvīryāvindravṛtrau yudhāmpatī

23. Sri Suka said:— Thus discoursing to each other with the desire of enquiring into the nature of righteousness, O king, both Indra and Vritra, leading veterans in battle and possessed of immense energy, fought on.

6.12.24

āvidhya parighaṃ vṛtraḥ kārṣṇāyasamarindamaḥ /
indrāya prāhiṇodghoraṃ vāmahastena māriṣa //

āvidhya parighaṃ vṛtraḥ kārṣṇāyasamarindamaḥ
indrāya prāhiṇodghoraṃ vāmahastena māriṣa

24. Vritra, vanquisher of enemies, brandished his terrible Parigha and hurled it at Indra with his left hand, O intelligent king.

6.12.25

sa tu vṛtrasya parighaṃ karaṃ ca karabhopamam /
ciccheda yugapaddevo vajreṇa śataparvaṇā //

sa tu vṛtrasya parighaṃ karaṃ ca karabhopamam
ciccheda yugapaddevo vajreṇa śataparvaṇā

25. But Indra with his Vajra of hundred joints cut off at once both Vritra’s Parigha and his other arm which was like unto an elephant’s trunk.

6.12.26

dorbhyāmutkṛttamūlābhyāṃ babhau raktasravo 'suraḥ /
chinnapakṣo yathā gotraḥ khādbhraṣṭo vajriṇā hataḥ //

dorbhyāmutkṛttamūlābhyāṃ babhau raktasravo 'suraḥ
chinnapakṣo yathā gotraḥ khādbhraṣṭo vajriṇā hataḥ

26. With both his arms cut at the root and streaming with blood, the Asura shone like a mountain struck by Indra and fallen down from the sky with its wings chopped off.

6.12.27

mahāprāṇo mahāvīryo mahāsarpa iva dvipam /
kṛtvādharāṃ hanuṃ bhūmau daityo divy uttarāṃ hanum //

mahāprāṇo mahāvīryo mahāsarpa iva dvipam
kṛtvādharāṃ hanuṃ bhūmau daityo divy uttarāṃ hanum

27 to 30. Then the Daitya placed his lower jaw on the earth and the upper jaw in the heavens and with his mouth deep like the sky and his tongue terrible like the serpent’s and tusks dreadful like Yama he appeared to devour the three worlds; having enlarged his body to a fearful extent and shunted off mountains with force, powdering the earth under his feet like a great mountain walking about, and approaching Indra he swallowed him with his vehicle (the elephant) even as a great serpent of immense strength and of wonderful powers might devour an elephant. On seeing Indra devoured by Vritra the gods and Prajapathis together with the great sages in great bewilderment cried “woe. woe.”

6.12.28

nabhogambhīravaktreṇa leliholbaṇajihvayā /
daṃṣṭrābhiḥ kālakalpābhirgrasanniva jagattrayam //

nabhogambhīravaktreṇa leliholbaṇajihvayā
daṃṣṭrābhiḥ kālakalpābhirgrasanniva jagattrayam

6.12.29

atimātramahākāya ākṣipaṃstarasā girīn /
girirāṭ pādacārīva padbhyāṃ nirjarayan mahīm //

atimātramahākāya ākṣipaṃstarasā girīn
girirāṭ pādacārīva padbhyāṃ nirjarayan mahīm

6.12.30

jagrāsa sa samāsādya vajriṇaṃ sahavāhanam /
vṛtragrastaṃ tamālokya saprajāpatayaḥ surāḥ /
hā kaṣṭamiti nirviṇṇāścukruśuḥ samaharṣayaḥ //

jagrāsa sa samāsādya vajriṇaṃ sahavāhanam
vṛtragrastaṃ tamālokya saprajāpatayaḥ surāḥ
hā kaṣṭamiti nirviṇṇāścukruśuḥ samaharṣayaḥ

6.12.31

nigīrṇo 'py asurendreṇa na mamārodaraṃ gataḥ /
mahāpuruṣasannaddho yogamāyābalena ca //

nigīrṇo 'py asurendreṇa na mamārodaraṃ gataḥ
mahāpuruṣasannaddho yogamāyābalena ca

31. Though swallowed by the great Asura Indra did not die; he only got down into the stomach; being protected by Sri Narayana like a coat and by virtue of yoga and power of changing his form.

6.12.32

bhittvā vajreṇa tatkukṣiṃ niṣkramya balabhidvibhuḥ /
uccakarta śiraḥ śatrorgiriśṛṅgamivaujasā //

bhittvā vajreṇa tatkukṣiṃ niṣkramya balabhidvibhuḥ
uccakarta śiraḥ śatrorgiriśṛṅgamivaujasā

32. The skilful Indra, vanquisher of Bala, cut open his stomach with his Vajra and came out and then by dint of strength he chopped off the enemy’s head like the crest of a mountain.

6.12.33

vajrastu tatkandharamāśuvegaḥ kṛntan samantāt parivartamānaḥ /
nyapātayat tāvadahargaṇena yo jyotiṣāmayane vārtrahatye //

vajrastu tatkandharamāśuvegaḥ kṛntan samantāt parivartamānaḥ
nyapātayat tāvadahargaṇena yo jyotiṣāmayane vārtrahatye

33. But to cut off Vritra (his head) the weapon Vajra went round and round cutting into his neck and though working very rapidly felled his head in so many days as make the two Ayanas (two periods of six months each) required for a complete rotation, _i. e._, in a year of planets.

6.12.34

tadā ca khe dundubhayo vinedur gandharvasiddhāḥ samaharṣisaṅghāḥ /
vārtraghnaliṅgaistamabhiṣṭuvānā mantrairmudā kusumairabhyavarṣan //

tadā ca khe dundubhayo vinedur gandharvasiddhāḥ samaharṣisaṅghāḥ
vārtraghnaliṅgaistamabhiṣṭuvānā mantrairmudā kusumairabhyavarṣan

34. At that time celestial drums were sounded in the sky; Gandharvas, Siddhas, crowds of great Rishis praised Indra singing mantras that celebrate his feats in vanquishing Vritra and in great joy covered Indra with showers of flowers.

6.12.35

vṛtrasya dehān niṣkrāntamātmajyotirarindama /
paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāmalokaṃ samapadyata //

vṛtrasya dehān niṣkrāntamātmajyotirarindama
paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāmalokaṃ samapadyata

35. O Vanquisher of enemies, the light of Atman issuing forth from Vritra's body attained to Aloka (Paramatman) as all people stood witnessing.