Matsyapurana 148

English (machine translation) 148

Language: English

148.1

Tāraka said: / 'Listen to my words, all you mighty Asuras! / Let all apply their intellect to the well-being of our enterprise!

148.2

The gods are destroyers of the race of all Dānavas; / by our very nature of birth, an unyielding, imperishable enmity has grown.

148.3

Today we shall march to subdue the Suras, / relying on the strength of our own arms, all of us without doubt.

148.4

Yet without ascetic power, I deem an encounter with the Suras ill-advised. / Therefore, O sons of Diti, I will first undertake terrible asceticism.

148.5

Then we will conquer the Suras and enjoy the three worlds; / for a man with steadfast methods gains steadfast fortune.

148.6

An unstable man can never protect unstable fortunes.' / Hearing these words of that Asura, all the Dānavas,

148.7

the Daityas there, amazed, cried out, 'Well said! Well said!' / He went to an excellent cave of the Pāriyātra mountain,

148.8

strewn with flowers of all seasons, illuminated by various medicinal herbs, / variegated with cascades of various mineral juices, endowed with diverse cavern-chambers,

148.9

hidden all around by dense thickets, sheltering wondrous wishing-trees, / abundant in manifold forms, teeming with various flocks of birds,

148.10

endowed with various springs and diverse reservoirs of water. / Reaching that cave, the Daitya performed vast asceticism.

148.11

Without food, practising the five fires, eating leaves, subsisting on water, / he performed these austerities for a hundred years each.

148.12

Then, slicing from his own body day after day a karṣa weight / of flesh, he offered it into the fire, until he became devoid of flesh.

148.13

When he was reduced to fleshlessness and had become a mass of ascetic power, / all creatures blazed all around from his splendor.

148.14

All the Suras were agitated and terrified by his asceticism. / In the meantime, Brahmā reached supreme contentment.

148.15

To grant Tāraka a boon, he departed from the abode of the gods; / reaching that king of mountains, the god spoke with sweet voice / to Tāraka, who was dwelling in the mountain cave:

148.16

Brahmā said: / 'Child, enough of your asceticism! Nothing is now unattainable for you. / Choose an agreeable boon, whatever is in your heart.'

148.17

Thus addressed, the Daitya Tāraka, bowed before the self-born lord; / having joined his palms, humble and of vast prowess, he spoke:

148.18

Tāraka said: / 'O dweller in the minds of gods and beings, you know the deeds of living creatures; / mortals mostly seek retaliation and desire conquest.

By our very nature of birth, we are sworn enemies of the immortals; / and by those cruel ones, abandoning righteousness, the Daityas have been decimated. / May I be the one who uplifts them—such is my resolve.

148.20

May I be invulnerable to all beings and to weapons of immense energy; / this is the supreme boon that abides in my heart.

148.21

Grant me this, O lord of gods; no other boon pleases me.' / Then Viriñci, the leader of the Suras, said to that Daitya:

148.22

'Embodied beings cannot exist without death, O best of Daityas; / choose your death, therefore, from wherever you do not fear it.'

148.23

Then, having reflected, the Daitya king, deluded by pride, / chose death from an infant of only seven days.

148.24

And Brahmā, having granted him the boon desired in his heart, whatever it was, / departed for heaven, the god; and the Daitya too went to his own abode.

148.25

When the Daitya had emerged from his asceticism, the Daitya lords / surrounded him, as the hosts of gods surround the thousand-eyed Śakra in heaven.

148.26

While Tāraka, the delight of the Daityas, presided over his great kingdom, / the seasons assumed bodily form, enhanced with the qualities of their respective times.

148.27

They became his servants, and the world-protectors on every side. / Seeing the Dānava, Beauty, Radiance, Fortitude, Intellect, and Fortune,

148.28

full of virtues and wholly flawless, surrounded him. / His body anointed with black agarwood, adorned with a great crown,

148.29

his limbs bound with splendid armlets, seated upon a great lion-throne, / the foremost Apsarases fanned him vigorously, never ceasing.

148.30

The sun and moon served as lamps, the wind-god as the fan, / and Death became his forerunner, O best of sages.

148.31

As time passed thus at length, the Daitya Tārakāsura, / haughty with an abundance of boons, spoke to his ministers:

148.32

Tāraka said: / 'What is the use of kingship to me without conquering heaven? / Without avenging our enmity with the Suras, what peace is there in my heart?

148.33

Even today, the immortals consume the sacrificial shares in heaven itself; / Viṣṇu does not abandon Fortune, but stands firm, free from wandering.

148.34

The beloveds of the immortals are embraced by carefree celestial women, / scented with lotus-wine, in the pleasure-parks in heaven.

148.35

A man who, having gained birth, does not manifest prowess, / his birth has been in vain; not being born is far better.

148.36

He who does not fulfill the desires of his parents, nor relieves his kin of sorrow, / nor wins renown radiant as snow, though born, is dead in my opinion.

148.37

Therefore, for the conquest of the bulls among immortals, and quickly to seize the fortune of the three worlds: / let my eight-wheeled chariot be harnessed, and my army—an invincible host of Daityas; / and let my banner be bound with gold plate, and my parasol hung with nets of pearls!'

148.38

Hearing Tāraka's words, the Dānava named Grasana, / the commander of the Daitya king, endowed with strength, did just so.

148.39

Beating the deep kettle-drum and swiftly summoning the Daityas, / [he prepared the chariot] adorned with eight wheels and drawn by a thousand horses,

148.40

decked with white fabrics, four yojanas wide, / fitted with various pleasure-chambers, delightful with songs and musical instruments,

148.41

like the celestial aerial chariot of the god Śatakratu, lord of the Suras. / There were Daityas, masters of ten crores of Daityas, of fierce prowess.

148.42

Foremost among them was Jambha; next after him Kujambha, / Mahiṣa, Kuñjara, Megha, and Kālanemi and Nimi,

148.43

Mathana, Jambhaka, and Śumbha: ten leaders, lords among Daityas. / And there were hundreds of others under him, capable of cleaving the earth,

148.44

Daitya lords with bodies like mountains, possessing terrible valor, / wielding various weapons and missiles, masters of diverse arms and celestial weaponry.

148.45

Tāraka had a dreadful banner adorned with gold; / with a banner bearing a makara was the commander Grasana, destroyer of foes.

148.46

Jambha had an iron face of a Piśāca [on his standard], / and on Kujambha's standard was a donkey shaking its tail.

148.47

Mahiṣa had a golden jackal on his standard then, / and Śumbha's standard bore a high-raised crow made of black iron.

148.48

The standards of the others likewise had various designs and arrangements. / With a hundred swift-coursing tigers garlanded with gold

148.49

and adorned with nets of jingling bells, Grasana's chariot was yoked. / And with a hundred lions, the chariot of Jambha was invincible in battle.

148.50

Kujambha's chariot was yoked with donkeys having faces of Piśācas. / Mahiṣa's chariot was drawn by camels, and Gaja's by horses.

148.51

Meṣa's chariot was drawn by fierce leopards, and Kālanemi's by elephants. / Mounted on rutting, huge elephants resembling mountains, Nimir,

148.52

possessing four-tusked, fragrant, trained elephants roaring like clouds, / [stood], with black horses adorned with gold, extending a hundred cubits long,

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adorned with an array of white chowries, facing the southern quarter. / His handsome limbs smeared with white sandalwood, radiant with garlands of varied flowers,

148.54

a Daitya lord named Mathana shone forth, noose in hand. / Jambhaka mounted a camel hung with nets of small bells.

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The Dānava Śumbha was mounted on a great black-and-white ram. / Other heroic Dānavas too rode forth on various mounts,

148.56

performing fierce and wondrous deeds, adorned with earrings and turbans, / wearing varied upper garments and ornamented with diverse garlands,

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richly anointed with various fragrant scents, praised by varied bards, / accompanied by the vibrations of varied musical instruments, and having great charioteers leading the vanguard.

148.58

The great Asuras in that army were devoted to tales of varied valour. / That army of the lion among Daityas became terrifying in appearance,

148.59

thronged with rutting, fierce elephants, horses, and chariots; / with numerous infantry and banners, it set out to battle the immortals.

148.60

In the meantime, Vāyu, the messenger of the gods in heaven, / seeing that army of Dānavas, went to report to Indra.

148.61

Having gone to the celestial assembly of great-souled Mahendra, / he reported in the midst of the gods the critical matter that had arisen.

148.62

Hearing that, the king of the gods closed his eyes; / then, the mighty-armed one addressed these words in due season to Bṛhaspati:

148.63

Indra said: / "This immense clash of the gods with the Dānavas has arrived. / Tell me what must be done here, according to political policy and diplomatic means."

148.64

Hearing this speech of Mahendra, the lord of speech, / the illustrious and noble-minded Bṛhaspati, spoke as follows:

148.65

"Policy begins with conciliation, it is handed down, while the army has four divisions. / For those who desire victory, O best of Suras, this is the eternal rule.

148.66

Conciliation, division, bribery, and force are the four expedients. / In statecraft, these apply in order, according to place, time, and suitability of the enemy.

148.67

A greedy, cruel man who has secured a stronghold cannot be brought to peace. / When afflicted, a wicked person becomes manageable, having cast off hesitation.

148.68

There is no scope for conciliation with the Daityas, for they have secured refuge. / Nor can they be divided by virtue of caste duty; and what is bribery to those who have achieved sovereignty?

148.69

Punishment is the only expedient here, if it pleases you. / Conciliation applied to wicked people proves completely futile.

148.70

Cruel men assume that the conciliation offered by high-souled ones arises from fear. / They consider straightforwardness, noble mindset, and compassion to be departures from policy.

148.71

Wicked men always think that conciliation arises out of fear. / Therefore, to overpower a wicked man, reliance on prowess is better.

148.72

Action is proper once he is overpowered; this is the great vow of the virtuous. / A wicked man never becomes suitable for goodness.

148.73

Even a good person might sometimes wish to abandon his own nature. / This is what my intellect discerns; resolve on this matter as you will."

148.74

Addressed thus, the thousand-eyed one said to him, "So be it indeed." / Reflecting on what ought to be done, he spoke in the assembly of the immortals:

148.75

Indra said: / "Listen with attention to my words, O dwellers of heaven! / You are the enjoyers of sacrifice, content in soul, and deeply sattvic;

148.76

always abiding in your own majesty, the protectors of the universe. / Yet the lords of the Dānavas torment you without any cause.

148.77

Towards them, conciliation and the like do not apply; force alone must be employed. / Let preparations for battle be made; let my army be assembled!

148.78

Let weapons be honoured, let the deities of missiles be worshipped! / Let the immortals harness mounts and chariots for me!

148.79

Make Yama the commander-in-chief without delay, O heaven-dwellers!" / Addressed in this manner, those who were foremost among the gods equipped themselves.

148.80

Adorned with golden bells and yoked with ten thousand horses in battle, / endowed with diverse wondrous qualities, obtained by all the divinities,

148.81

the invincible chariot of the king of gods was prepared by Mātali. / Mounted upon a buffalo, Yama stood at the head of the army,

148.82

surrounded on all sides by a host of fierce attendants, / his eyes filling the sky like the blazing flames raised at the end of a cosmic age.

148.83

The fire-god, mounted on a goat, stood with spear in hand. / Pavana, with an elephant-goad in his hand, displayed great swiftness.

148.84

Mounted on the lord of serpents, the lord of waters went himself in majestic form. / In a chariot drawn by men, the god who is the lord of Rākṣasas moved through the sky.

148.85

Endowed with a sharp sword, the fierce one stood ready in the battle. / The god who is the overseer of wealth, having a lion's roar, was armed with a mace.

148.86

The Moon, the Sun, and the two Aśvins stood with fourfold armies. / Accompanied by kings, the Gandharvas stood adorned with gold,

148.87

wearing gold-yellow upper garments, with variegated armour, chariots, and weapons; / having crests reaching the vault of heaven, and banners of lapis lazuli adorned with sea-monsters.

148.88

Wearing upper garments red as China-roses, the Rākṣasas had red hair; / with vulture-banners, possessing great valour, they were adorned with spotless iron.

148.89

Armed with clubs, swords, and maces in hand, mail-clad and wearing turbans on their chariots; / the Nāgas, roaring like great clouds, wielded dreadful meteors and thunderbolts as weapons.

148.90

The Yakṣas wore black garments, carrying terrible bows and arrows; / fierce, with banners of copper owls, they were adorned with gold and jewels.

148.91

The army of night-wanderers shone, wearing leopard skins as upper garments, / largely bearing banners of vulture feathers, and ornamented with bone ornaments.

148.92

Hard to look upon with their club weapons, they raised a great roar like various creatures. / The Kiṃnaras wore white garments and had banners with white feathers;

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mostly riding upon rutting elephants, they had sharp lances as weapons. / Adorned with a net of pearls, a swan made of silver

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was the banner of the lord of waters, while fire had a fierce smoke-banner. / And a bough made of a great ruby belonged to the giver of wealth;

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raised high, his standard shone as if wishing to go into the sky. / Yama's great standard was made of wood and iron, bearing a wolf.

148.96

The face of a corpse shone upon the banner of the lord of the Rākṣasas; / the two gods, the Moon and the Sun, possessed of boundless splendour, had golden lions on their banners.

148.97

A pot variegated with gems served as the banner of the two Aśvins; / crafted with a golden elephant, adorned with varied jewels,

148.98

and decorated with white chowries was the banner of Śatakratu. / Accompanied by Nāgas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, great Uragas, and Niśācaras,

148.99

that army of the king of gods was invincible across the three worlds, / consisting of thirty-three crores of troops belonging to the god of gods.

148.100

Mounted upon the elephant named Airāvata, which resembled the Himālaya, / with white ears like chowries, wearing a lovely garland of pure golden lotuses, / marked with radiant saffron shoots that lent him charm, / and swarming with playful bees hovering about his temples,

148.101

seated there, exceedingly mighty, clad in variegated ornaments and garments, / adorned with a broad canopy radiant like light, / the circumference of his arm-tips laden with loosened armlets, / the thousand-eyed Pākaśāsana, praised by thousands of bards, shone resplendent in heaven.

148.102

Dense with a surging host of horses and elephants, / resplendent with rows of white umbrellas and banners, / crowded with invincible archers, that army shone, / hard to overcome with its warriors wielding various weapons.

Translations (1)

The Matsya Puranam — A Taluqdar of Oudh 1916, English

Linked texts (1)

Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit