Skanda Purana 7.13.3_253

7.13.3_253

sanatkumāra uvāca
atha labdhavaro vyāsa māyācchantosurastataḥ .
bahubhirdānavaiḥ sārdhaṃ sarvām̐llokānabādhata . .24. .
devā api bhayāttasya nāvatiṣṭhan tadagrataḥ .
devāḥ sarve bhayodvignāstasthurnaiva tadagrataḥ .
sthānāni te parityajya yatra tatrāvatasthire ..25. .
āhūtāḥ krūraśabdena dānavairbaladarpitaiḥ .
tathāpi nāvatiṣṭhanta teṣāmagre divaukasaḥ . . 26. .
ṛṣayastānidaṃ prāpya ūcuḥ sarve pramanyavaḥ .
rakṣāṃ kuruta lokānāṃ māvalīnāvatiṣṭhata . .27. .
vayaṃ ca tapasā26 devā dhārayiṣyāma saṃyatāḥ .
mā bhayaṃ vostu yudhyadhvaṃ kurudhvaṃ vijvaraṃ jagat . . 28 . .
ta evamuktāstairvyāsa ṛṣibhirlokakāraṇāt .
bhayānnaivāvatiṣṭhanta tasya dasyostadāgrataḥ ..29. .

Sanatkumāra said: / Then, having obtained the boon, O Vyāsa, that asura, veiling himself with the illusion, / together with many Dānavas harassed all the worlds. // 24 // / Even the gods did not stand before him out of fear. / Terrified with fear, all the gods did not stand before him at all; / abandoning their abodes, they stayed wherever they could. // 25 // / Challenged with harsh words by the Dānavas arrogant with power, / the gods nevertheless did not stand before them. // 26 // / Approaching them, all the seers, greatly sorrowful, said: / "Protect the worlds! Do not hide in concealment! // 27 // / And we, O gods, restrained, shall sustain [you] through austerity. / Let there be no fear for you! Fight, and make the world free from sorrow!" // 28 // / Addressed thus by those seers for the sake of the worlds, O Vyāsa, / out of fear they still did not stand before that villain. // 29