Matsyapurana 176

English (machine translation) 176

Language: English

176.1

*Matsya said:*
Saying 'Let it be so,' Śakra, who causes the thirty gods to prosper, / rejoiced and directed Soma, whose weapon is cool, to the forefront for battle:

176.2

'Go, Soma, provide assistance to the bearer of the noose, / for the destruction of the asuras and for the victory of the heaven-dwellers.'

176.3

'You have prowess equal to mine, and you are the ruler of rulers among the luminaries; / those who know essence know that the essence in all worlds is made of you.'

176.4

'Your waning and waxing are evident, like that of the ocean's expanse; / you revolve day and night, ordaining time in the world.'

176.5

The mark formed by the shadow of the world is your spot, resembling a hare; / even the gods do not know it, O Soma, nor do those born of the asterisms.

176.6

You dwell above the path of the sun and above the luminaries; / driving away the darkness with your splendor, you illumine the entire world.

176.7

White-rayed, cool-bodied, ruler of the luminaries, the hare-marked moon, / the governor, embodiment of the conjunction of time, beloved, the imperishable essence of the sacrifice,

176.8

lord of plants, origin of ritual acts, adorning Hara's crest, / cool-rayed, vessel of nectar, swift-moving, riding on white steeds,

176.9

you are the splendor of the splendid-bodied, you are the soma of soma-drinkers, / you are gentle to all beings, destroyer of darkness, king of asterisms.

176.10

Therefore go, O commander of the great army, accompanied by Varuṇa with his hosts, / extinguish the Asuras' illusory power by which we are burned in battle!

176.11

Soma said: / Since you speak to me for the sake of the battle, O king of gods, bestower of boons, / here I rain down frost that removes the Daityas' illusory power.

176.12

Look upon these Daitya lions in the great battle, scorched by my cold, / wrapped in frost, stripped of their illusory power and pride!

176.13

Having spoken thus, the lord of stars, together with the lord of waters, with auspicious waters / flooded the armies for the increase of peace among the Suras.

176.14

Sent forth by the moon, the rains of frost accompanied by nooses / enveloped those terrible Daityas like masses of clouds.

Linked texts (1)

Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit