Skandapurana 6.3.46

Chapter 46

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then indeed all those immortals addressed these words to Śakra:

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?

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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."

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.