Skandapurana 6.3.46

6.3.46.p1

adhyāya 46

6.3.46.1

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
sa dānavo varaṃ labdhvā jagāma svapuraṃ prati .
dadarśa svapuraṃ rājañchobhitaṃ citracatvaraiḥ .. 46.1 ..

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Having obtained the boon, that Dānava went toward his city.
He saw his city, O king, adorned with variegated courtyards,

6.3.46.2

udyānaiścaiva vividhaiḥ kadalīkhaṇḍamaṇḍitaiḥ .
panasairbakulaiścaivāmrātairāmraiśca campakaiḥ .. 46.2 ..

with various gardens decorated with groves of plantains,
with jackfruits, bakulas, hog plums, mangoes, and campakas,

6.3.46.3

aśokairnālikeraiśca mātuliṅgaiḥ sadāḍimaiḥ .
nānāvṛkṣaiśca śobhāḍhyaṃ taḍāgairupaśobhitam .. 46.3 ..

with aśokas, coconuts, citrons, and pomegranates,
richly adorned with various trees and beautified with ponds,

6.3.46.4

devatāyatanairdivyairdhvajamālāsuśobhitaiḥ .
vedādhyayananirghoṣairmaṅgalādyairvināditam .. 46.4 ..

with divine temples of deities adorned with rows of banners,
and resounded with the chanting of the Vedas and auspicious songs.

6.3.46.5

prāviśadbhavane divye kāñcane rukmamālini .
apaśyatsa sutān bhāryāmamātyān dāsabhṛtyakān .. 46.5 ..

He entered his divine palace, golden and garlanded with gold.
He saw his sons, his wife, ministers, servants, and attendants.

6.3.46.6

tato jayapradān sarvānitaścetaśca dhāvataḥ .
hṛcchobhāṃ ca prakurvāṇān vai jayantībhiruccakaiḥ .. 46.6 ..

Then all, proclaiming victory, running here and there,
displayed heartfelt joy, [holding] triumph-banners high aloft.

6.3.46.7

kecittoraṇamābadhya kecitpuṣpāṇyavākiran .
mātuliṅgakarāścānye dhāvanti hyandhakaṃ prati .. 46.7 ..

Some erected archways; some scattered flowers;
and others, holding citrons in their hands, ran toward Andhaka.

6.3.46.8

pure janāśca dṛśyante bhājanairannapūritaiḥ .
pūrṇahastāḥ pradṛśyante tatraiva bahavo janāḥ .. 46.8 ..

In the city, people were seen with platters filled with food;
many people were seen right there with filled hands.

6.3.46.9

sākṣatairbhājanaistatra śatasāhasrayoṣitaḥ .
mantrān paṭhanti viprāśca maṅgalānyapi yoṣitaḥ .. 46.9 ..

There hundreds of thousands of women [held] platters with unhusked rice grains;
brahmins recited mantras, and women [sang] auspicious songs.

6.3.46.10

amātyāścaiva bhṛtyāśca gajāṃścāḍhaukayanti ca .
vardhāpayanti te sarve ye kecitpuravāsinaḥ .. 46.10 ..

Ministers and servants brought elephants as gifts,
and all the citizens congratulated him.

6.3.46.11

hṛṣṭastuṣṭo'vasattatra sacivaiḥ saha so'ndhakaḥ .
dadarśa sa jagatsarvaṃ turaṅgāṃśca padātikān .. 46.11 ..

Glad and contented, that Andhaka lived there with his counselors.
He inspected all his domains, the horses, and the infantry,

6.3.46.12

tathaiva vividhān kośāṃstatra kāñcanapūritān .
mahiṣīrgā vṛṣāṃścaivāpaśyacchatrāṇyanekadhā .. 46.12 ..

as well as various treasuries filled with gold;
he looked upon buffaloes, cows, bulls, and royal parasols of many kinds.

6.3.46.13

sa evamandhakastatra kiyantaṃ kālamāvasat .
hṛṣṭastuṣṭo vasanmartye sa surairnābhyabhūyata .. 46.13 ..

In this way, Andhaka dwelt there for some time.
Living on earth glad and contented, he was not overcome by the gods.

6.3.46.14

varaṃ labdhaṃ tu taṃ jñātvā śaṅkitāḥ svargavāsinaḥ .
ekībhūtāśca te sarve vāsavaṃ śaraṇaṃ gatāḥ .. 46.14 ..

Learning of the boon that had been obtained, the dwellers of heaven were alarmed;
united together, they all went to Vāsava for refuge.

6.3.46.15

śakra uvāca -
kathamāgamanaṃ vo'tra sarveṣāmapi nākinām .
kasmādvo bhayamutpannamāgatāḥ śaraṇaṃ katham .. 46.15 ..

Śakra said:
"Why have all of you, residents of heaven, come here? / From where has your fear arisen? Why have you come for refuge?"

6.3.46.16

tataste hyamarāḥ sarve śakrametadvaco'bruvan .. 46.16 ..

Then indeed all those immortals addressed these words to Śakra:

6.3.46.17

devā ūcuḥ .
suranāthāndhako nāma daityaḥ śambhuvarorjitaḥ .
ajeyaḥ sarvadevānāṃ kiṃ nu kāryamataḥ param .. 46.17 ..

The gods said:
"O lord of gods, a daitya named Andhaka, empowered by a boon from Śambhu, / is invincible to all the gods. What indeed should be done hereafter?

6.3.46.18

tattvaṃ cintaya deveśa ka upāyo vidhīyatām .
itthaṃ vadanti te devāḥ śakrāgre mantraṇodyatāḥ .. 46.18 ..

Reflect on this truth, O lord of gods: what remedy can be devised?"
Thus the gods spoke before Śakra, preparing to take counsel.

6.3.46.19

mantrayanti ca yāvadvai tāvaccāramukheritam .
jñātvā tatra sa devaughaṃ dānavo nirgato gṛhāt .. 46.19 ..

Even as they were holding counsel, learning from the report of a spy / that the host of gods was assembled there, the Dānava set out from his dwelling.

6.3.46.20

ekākī syandanārūḍha āyurdhaibahubhirvṛtaḥ .
durgamaṃ merupṛṣṭhaṃ sa līlayaiva gato nṛpa .. 46.20 ..

Mounted alone on a chariot, surrounded by many weapons, / he effortlessly reached the inaccessible summit of Meru, O king,

6.3.46.21

svarṇaprākārasaṃyuktaṃ śobhitaṃ vividhāśramaiḥ .
durgamaṃ śatruvargasya tadā pārthivasattama .. 46.21 ..

which was endowed with golden ramparts and adorned with various hermitages, / inaccessible to any host of foes, O best of kings.

6.3.46.22

praviveśāsurastatra līlayā svagṛhe yathā .
vṛtrahā bhayamāpannaḥ svakīyaṃ cāsanaṃ dadau .. 46.22 ..

The asura entered there effortlessly, as if into his own home.
The slayer of Vṛtra was seized with fear and gave him his own seat.

6.3.46.23

upaviṣṭo'ndhakastatra śakrasyaivāsane śubhe .
āsthānaṃ kalayāmāsa sarvatastridaśāvṛtam .. 46.23 ..

Andhaka sat down there upon Śakra's own auspicious seat / and held court, surrounded on all sides by the gods.

6.3.46.24

śakra uvāca -
kiṃ tavāgamanaṃ cātra kiṃ kāryaṃ kathayasva me .
yadasmadīyaṃ vittaṃ hi tatte dāsyāmi dānava .. 46.24 ..

Śakra said:
"What is the purpose of your coming here? Tell me what must be done.
Whatever wealth belongs to us, that I will give to you, O Dānava."

6.3.46.25

andhaka uvāca -
nāhaṃ vai kāmaye kośaṃ na gajāṃśca sureśvara .
svakīyaṃ darśayasvādya svargaśṛṅgārabhūṣitam .. 46.25 ..

Andhaka said:
"I desire no treasury, nor elephants, O lord of gods.
Show me today your own [domain], adorned with the ornaments of heaven:

6.3.46.26

airāvataṃ mahānāgaṃ taṃ caivoccaiḥśravohayam .
urvaśyādīni ratnāni mama darśaya gopate .. 46.26 ..

Airāvata, the great elephant, and that horse Uccaiḥśravas,
and the jewels beginning with Urvaśī—show them to me, O lord of cattle!

6.3.46.27

pārijātakapuṣpāṇi vṛkṣajātīnanekaśaḥ .
vāditrāṇi ca sarvāṇi darśayasva śacīpate .. 46.27 ..

The pārijāta flowers, numerous varieties of trees,
and all the musical instruments—show them to me, O husband of Śacī!"

6.3.46.28

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā śakraścintitavānidam .
yo'muṃ nihanti pāpmānaṃ na taṃ paśyāmi karhicit .. 46.28 ..

Hearing those words of his, Śakra thought to himself:
"I do not see anyone anywhere who can slay this evil one.

6.3.46.29

nāsti rakṣāpradaḥ kaścitsvargalokasya duḥkhinaḥ .
bhayatrasto dadāvanyadvāditrādyapsarogaṇaiḥ .. 46.29 ..

There is no one to grant protection to this afflicted world of heaven."
Trembling with fear, he provided other [entertainments], with musical instruments and groups of apsarases.

6.3.46.30

raṅgabhūmāvupāviśya kārayāmāsa tāṇḍavam .
upaviṣṭāḥ surāḥ sarve yamamārutakinnarāḥ .. 46.30 ..

Seated in the assembly hall, he had a tāṇḍava dance performed.
All the gods sat down, along with Yama, the wind-god, and the kinnaras.

6.3.46.31

urvaśyādyā apsaraso gītavāditrayogataḥ .
nanṛtuḥ puratastasya sarvā ekaikaśo nṛpa .. 46.31 ..

The apsarases beginning with Urvaśī, accompanied by song and musical instruments, / danced before him, all of them one by one, O king.

6.3.46.32

na vyaśrāmyata taccittaṃ dṛṣṭvā cāpsarasastadā .
śacīṃ prati manastasya sakāmamabhavannṛpa .. 46.32 ..

Seeing the apsarases, his mind found no satisfaction then;
his heart was filled with lust for Śacī, O king.

6.3.46.33

gṛhītvā śakrabhāryāṃ sa prasthitaḥ svapuraṃ prati .
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhamandhakasya suraiḥ saha .. 46.33 ..

Seizing the wife of Śakra, he set out towards his own city.
Then a battle broke out between Andhaka and the gods.

6.3.46.34

tena devagaṇāḥ sarve dhvastāḥ pārthivasattama .
saṃgrāme vividhaiḥ śastraiścakravajrādibhirghanaiḥ .. 46.34 ..

All the hosts of gods were crushed by him, O best of kings,
in battle with various dense weapons such as discs and thunderbolts.

6.3.46.35

saṃtāpitāḥ surāḥ sarve kṣayaṃ nītā hyanekaśaḥ .
sarve'pi marutastena bhagnāḥ saṃgrāmamūrdhani .. 46.35 ..

Tormented, all the gods were brought to ruin in many ways;
even all the Maruts were broken by him at the head of the battle.

6.3.46.36

yathā siṃhogajān sarvān vicitya vicaredvanam .
tadvadekena te devā jitāḥ sarve parāṅmukhāḥ .. 46.36 ..

Just as a lion would roam the forest after routing all the elephants, / so the gods were all defeated by that single one and turned their backs.

6.3.46.37

bālo'dhipo yathā grāme svecchayā pīḍayejjanān .
svairamākramya gṛhṇāti kośavāsāṃsi cāsakṛt .. 46.37 ..

Just as a childish ruler in a village oppresses the people at will, / and invading at pleasure repeatedly seizes treasury and garments,

6.3.46.38

gataṃ na paśyatyātmānaṃ prajāsaṃtāpanena ca .
gṛhītvā śakrabhāryāṃ sa gato vai dānavottamaḥ .. 46.38 ..

and does not see himself brought to ruin by the tormenting of subjects, / [so] that foremost Dānava, having seized Śakra's wife, departed.

6.3.46.38_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe śūlabhedamāhātmye śacīharaṇavarṇanaṃ nāma ṣaṭcatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ..

Thus ends the forty-sixth chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Abduction of Śacī', in the Śūlabheda-māhātmya of the Revākhaṇḍa, in the fifth Avantī section, of the Mahāpurāṇa in eighty-one thousand verses, the glorious Skandapurāṇa.