Matsyapurana 136

English (machine translation) 136

Language: English

136.1

Sūta said: / Having dealt his blow, the wily Maya, foremost of the Dānavas, / quickly entered Tripura, as a dark cloud enters the sky.

136.2

Breathing a long and hot sigh upon seeing the Dānavas assembled in the center, / he meditated on Time when the destruction of the world had arrived, like another Time personified:

136.3

"Even Indra was afraid of him when he stood before him eager for battle; / yet even that highly renowned Vidyunmālin has met his destruction.

136.4

Indeed, there is no fortress equal to this city of Tripura; / yet even upon it this misfortune has come; a fortress is of no avail anywhere.

136.5

All is under the control of Time alone—both a fortress and that which is even more impenetrable; / when Time is enraged, how shall there be any protection for us from Time today?

136.6

Whatever strength exists in the three worlds among all living beings / is all subject to Time; such is the ordinance of the Grandfather.

136.7

What stratagem could prevail against this unassailable, boundless force? / Who could be capable of overcoming it, except the god Maheśvara?

136.8

I do not fear Indra, nor Yama, nor Varuṇa, nor the lord of wealth; / but the master of these gods is that Maheśvara, hard to conquer.

136.9

Whatever the fruit of sovereignty may be, and whatever the fruit of supreme lordship, / I will display that today as far as the heroes extend on all sides.

136.10

I shall create a step-well filled with the water of nectar and supreme medicinal herbs; / then the Daityas will come back to life by means of these supreme life-restoring herbs."

136.11

Reflecting thus, the mighty Maya, foremost of workers of illusion, / created a step-well by his illusory power, just as Pitāmaha created Rambhā.

136.12

It was two yojanas in length and a full yojana in breadth, / provided with steps and walkways, of varied beauty like an enchanting story,

136.13

filled with supreme water resembling the rays of the moon, / pure and smelling of nectar, like a woman full of good qualities,

136.14

surrounded by blue water-lilies, white water-lilies, lotuses, and kadamba flowers, / enclosed by dread enclosures possessing the radiance of the moon and the sun,

136.15

swarming with sweetly chirping birds gleaming like fine gold, / resembling suitors seeking their desire, like an attrition-stick producing life.

136.16

Having created that step-well as Maheśvara brought forth the Gaṅgā, / that Maya washed Vidyunmālin in it first of all.

136.17

Dipped in that well, that mighty Daitya, enemy of the gods, / arose like a fire fed with fuel, suddenly offered an oblation.

136.18

Making an añjali to Maya, the one named Tāraka was greeted; / and rising up, Vidyunmālin spoke these words to Maya:

136.19

“Where is Nandī with Rudra, surrounded by jackal-like Pramathas? / Crushing our enemies, let us fight! What pity indeed do we have for our bodies?

136.20

Only by pursuing Rudra shall we become victorious lords; / or else, slain by them in battle, we shall become food for Yama.”

136.21

Hearing these vigorous words of Vidyunmālin, / Maya, the great Asura, embraced him with tear-moistened eyes and said this:

136.22

“O Vidyunmālin, I desire neither kingdom nor life / without you, O mighty-armed one. What else matters, O great Asura?

136.23

For by illusory powers this great well of nectar, O lord, / was created to restore the life of slain Dānavas and Daityas.

136.24

By good fortune, O Daitya, I see you returned here from the realm of Yama! / Today we shall enjoy this great treasure recovered from adversity.”

136.25

Beholding again and again that well fashioned by Maya’s illusory power, / the Daitya lords, their faces and eyes filled with joy, spoke these words:

136.26

“O Dānavas, fight now fearlessly with the Pramathas! / The well made by Maya will bring the slain back to life!”

136.27

Then that dreadful war-drum, sounding like an agitated ocean, / being beaten, resounded loudly again and again, roaring terribly.

136.28

Hearing the terrible sound of the drum, like the gathering of thunderclouds, / the Asuras quickly descended from Tripura, eager for battle.

136.29

Adorned with bracelets of iron, silver, and gold embellished with jewels, / and with earrings, necklaces, and towering diadems,

136.30

smoking unceasingly like blazing fires, / taking up weapons, splendid and of steadfast valour,

136.31

like dancing actors, roaring like rain-clouds, / like elephants with raised trunks, and fearless like lions,

136.32

deep as lakes, blazing like suns, / and towering like trees, those Daitya lords terrified the mighty army.

136.33

The Pramathas too, full of zeal, swooping like soaring Garuḍas, / eager to fight, rushed against the Dānavas, foes of the Dānavas.

136.34

The Pramathas under Nandīśvara and the Dānavas under Tāraka, / joining together and spurred on by might, waged battle.

136.35

With swords bright as the moon, spears tawny as fire, / and firmly released arrows, they struck one another.

136.36

Of the arrows being loosed and swords descending, / the appearances were like great meteors falling from the sky.

136.37

Their hearts pierced by javelins, thrown down as if without mercy, / the Pramathas and Asuras wailed as though plunged into hells.

136.38

Heads adorned with golden earrings and towering crowns / fell upon the earth like mountain peaks at the dissolution of the world.

136.39

Severed by battleaxes, spears, swords, and iron clubs, / they fell to the ground, resembling huge elephants.

136.40

Joyfully the Pramathas of terrifying roar bellowed suddenly; / while other accomplished ones performed wondrous celestial music of battle.

136.41

“You seem strong, Pramatha!” “You seem proud, Dānava!” / Thus shouting words to one another, the warders stood at the forefront of battle.

136.42

Some followers of Śaṅkara, struck by Dānavas with iron clubs, / vomited blood from their mouths, like mountains vomiting gold ore.

136.43

The Asuras, enemies of the gods, were also slain in the fight / by Pramathas with iron arrows, trees, and mountain peaks.

136.44

Then other bull-like Dānavas, urged by the Dānava Maya, / picked up those slaughtered Daityas and threw them into the well.

136.45

And they, with radiant bodies like the immortals in heaven, / arose upon reaching the well, adorned with handsome forms, ornaments, and garments.

136.46

Then some Dānavas, regaining life by being cast into the well, / slapped their arms, roared like lions, and charged, as did the [other] Asuras:

136.47

“Advance upon these Pramathas, O Dānavas! Why do you sit idle? / For even if you are slain, the well will revive you again!”

136.48

Hearing this speech, Śaṅkukarṇa, resembling the foremost planet, / went swiftly to the lord of the gods and spoke these words:

136.49

“Slain again and again, O lord, by the Pramathas, these Asuras / rise up once more, terrible, like crops sprinkled with water!

136.50

In this city there is indeed a well filled with nectar-water, / into which the slain Dānavas, when cast, return to life!”

136.51

While Śaṅkukarṇa was thus reporting to the god Maheśvara, / truly dreadful portents occurred in the Dānava army.

136.52

The one named Tāraka, with very terrible eyes and open mouth like a lion, / rushed in great fury toward the chariot of Mahādeva.

136.53

In Tripura, a great and dreadful roar of war-drums and conchs resounded; / the Dānavas rushed out, having seen the Sura on the chariot of the God of gods.

136.54

An earthquake occurred there, and the chariot sank into the ground; / seeing this, Rudra and the self-born Pitāmaha were agitated.

136.55

Occupied by those two foremost of gods, that excellent chariot, / reaching improper ground, sank down like a virtuous man fallen into distress.

136.56

As a body in decay of humours, or scarce water in summer, / that chariot went to weakness, like affection wronged.

136.57

Leaping from the chariot, the self-born [Brahmā] of mighty breath / lifted up that sinking, excellent chariot, which embodies the three worlds.

136.58

Then Janārdana, clad in yellow garments, stepping out from the arrow / and assuming a huge bull-form, took hold of the uncontainable chariot.

136.59

With his two horns, that great warrior, seizing the three worlds as the chariot itself, / carried it ready, like a family bearer sustaining his family.

136.60

The Daitya lord named Tāraka too, like a winged king of mountains, / rushed then against the god Brahmā and struck him.

136.61

Struck by the one named Tāraka, Brahmā placed the goad on the pole, / and flared up repeatedly, emitting sighs from his mouth.

136.62

There, a great roar, terrifying like thunderclouds, / was raised by the Daityas and Dānavas in honour of the one named Tāraka.

136.63

Then Keśava, with chariot-wheel in hand, in the form of a bull, worshipped by the lord of bulls, / having crushed all the host of Diti’s sons in the great fight, entered the city of Tripura.

Surrounded by water-bearing clouds, filled with excellent water lilies, blue lotuses, and blooming lotuses, / the preceptor of the gods drank up that nectar-water, as the sun [drinks up] the dense, blinding darkness of night.

136.65

Having drunk the reservoir of the Asura chiefs, the yellow-robed Janārdana, / roaring, mighty-armed, then entered the arrow.

136.66

Then the Asuras, struck down by the fearsome lord of gaṇas, their wounds swelling rivers of blood, / were turned back in battle by the fierce-faced warriors, as [unjust foes are routed] by men intent on righteousness.

136.67

The one called Tāraka and Taḍinmālin, together with Maya, assailed by the Pramathas, / retreated to the city, afflicted by arrows, just as [breaths] go into the body at the rising of wind.

136.68

The lords of the Gaṇas, manifesting their rising pride, with Mahendra, Nandīśvara, and Ṣaṇmukha in battle, / roared loudly and laughed, fiercely intoxicated: 'May we conquer together with the regents of the directions beginning with Candra!'

Translations (1)

The Matsya Puranam — A Taluqdar of Oudh 1916, English

Linked texts (1)

Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit