Skandapurana 1.3.15

English (machine translation) 1.3.15

Language: English

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Lomaśa said: / Then, seeing him gone to dissolution, all the hosts of gods / pondered: 'And how shall we proceed?' 17.1

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Then, having summoned Surabhi, Śacī's husband [Indra] said: / 'Lick the body of Dadhīci at my command.' 17.2

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And thinking, 'So be it,' at that very moment, that body / was immediately licked and made fleshless by that cow. 17.3

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The gods took those bones and fashioned weapons: / the vajra arose from his backbone, and his skull [became] the Brahmaśiras weapon. 17.4

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And the gods then took many other bones of that seer; / and the gods, filled with hostility towards the daityas, made nooses of his network of veins. 17.5

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Having fashioned the weapons, all those gods of great strength and valor / departed in haste, intent upon slaying Vṛtra. 17.6

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Then Suvarcas, the wife of Dadhīci who had been sent away so the gods' work might succeed, / returned, beheld everything there, and then saw her dead husband's body. 17.7

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And learning all this act of the gods, the virtuous woman then became enraged; / extremely wrathful, that chaste woman, the wife of the best of seers, Suvarcas, then uttered a curse: 17.8

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'Ah, all the gods are most wicked, and all are powerless and greedy; / therefore, let all the sky-dwellers be childless from this day forth!' she said. 17.9

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Having thus given a curse to those gods, that ascetic woman / went to the base of a sacred fig tree and then tore open her own womb. 17.10

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From her belly came forth the embryo of the noble Dadhīci, / Pippalāda of great splendor, a direct incarnation of Rudra. 17.11

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Smiling, the mother, with furious eyes, said to that embryo, / to Pippalāda: 'Suvarcas [says]: Stay long in the proximity of this 17.12

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sacred fig tree, O fortunate one! May you be fruitful for all!' / Speaking thus to her son, / that virtuous woman followed her husband through supreme samādhi. 17.13

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Thus that wife of Dadhīci went to heaven with her husband. 17.14

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Those gods, having fashioned their weapons and missiles, eager against the daityas, / came forth, headed by Indra, possessing great strength and valor. 17.15

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Placing their Guru at their head, by his order, those many hosts of gods / then came down to the earth, to the middle region, and, equipped with supreme weapons, all shouted. 17.16

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Advancing toward the gods who had assembled with Indra at their head, / the great daitya Vṛtra marched out, surrounded by a multitude of daityas. 17.17

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Just as the summit of Mount Meru is seen fully filled, / so appeared that great one of immense radiance, the son of Viśvakarman. 17.18

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Great Indra saw him, and the great Asura saw great Indra; / and wondrous indeed was the confrontation of the gods and the Dānavas.

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Then, harboring deep enmity toward each other, the gods and Daityas, / furiously enraged against one another, roared most wondrously.

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Frightful instruments of music were sounded on all sides; / deep notes were heard here at the clashing of gods and Asuras.

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As the war drums were sounded, all of them, seized with haste, / struck one another with vigor using showers of various weapons.

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Then, in that battle between gods and Asuras, the three worlds with all that moves and is still / were seized with great terror and became lifeless.

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Some were cut down and split open, others cleft in two by weapons; / some were struck by iron arrows, and shattered to pieces by weapons and missiles.

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Mutilated, some gods fell slain by spearheads; / weapons flashed in the sky like lightning rays born of clouds.

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Countless heads fell down from the expanse of the sky, / like stars tumbling down, turbulent as during the great dissolution.

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In the midst [of the battle] was waged a conflict bringing destruction to all beings; / then Namuci fought a battle with Śakra.

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The king of the gods himself struck Namuci with his thunderbolt with great speed; / yet not a single hair of the Asura Namuci was broken.

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At [the failure of] the thunderbolt itself, all the Asuras and gods / were seized with utmost astonishment, and great Indra was put to shame.

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He struck Namuci with a mace, but that mace too was shattered into dust; / though it struck Namuci's body, it fell down upon the surface of the earth.

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Then Puraṃdara struck him with a great trident; / hitting Namuci's body, that trident was smashed into a hundred pieces.

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Thus the slayer of the foes of the gods struck him with diverse weapons; / laughing in mockery, Namuci did not [even] strike back at Puraṃdara.

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Then Indra fell silent, filled with deep anxiety; / Indra did not know what was to be done or what was not to be done.

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At that moment, in that great, terrifying battle, / a voice from the sky arose, quickly addressing Indra:

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"Slay this Daitya today, O great Indra, who brings terrifying dread to the gods; / quickly [slay] the great lord of Asuras using foam, by the waters, invincible though he be.

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Even when struck by any other weapon, he can never be killed; / therefore, O lord of the gods, make an effort to slay this evil-minded Namuci."

Hearing that divine voice fraught with supreme truth, ever joyful and auspicious, / the foremost among the resolute, endowed with infinite vigor, went to the shore of the ocean and made a supreme effort.

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Seeing him arrive there, Namuci, faint with fury, / struck the lord of gods with a spear, and laughing, spoke these words:

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"Why have you taken refuge on the ocean shore, O best of the gods, / abandoning the battlefield, and dropping your weapons?

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What did your own thunderbolt do [to me], O dull-witted one?

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So many other weapons and missiles were taken up by you before, O fool, / to slay me now!

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Standing ready for battle, what will you do to slay me? / With what weapon, O fool, do you wish to fight in combat?

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I will cause you to be slain this very day if you stand in battle; / if not, go! Released by me, live long and be happy."

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Hearing this arrogant speech of the demon who shone in combat, / great Indra, provoked to wrath, took hold of the wondrous foam.

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Seeing the foam in his hand, the Asuras then burst into laughter:

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"His weapons have met their end, and Puraṃdara, / the noble-minded Śatakratu, wishes to kill me today with foam alone!"

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Laughing thus, not recognizing Puraṃdara's [intent], / Namuci, the bull among the Daityas, stood before him with contempt.

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Right then, Indra swiftly struck him down with the foam.

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When Namuci was slain, all the gods were filled with joy; / and the seers honored him with cries of 'Well done! Well done!'

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Having slain Namuci in combat, they all attained victory; / but those Daityas, furious with anger and eager to fight, were [yet] resolute.

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The battle between the gods and the Dānavas commenced once more, / with various weapons and missiles released by those longing to kill each other.

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When those Asuras were struck down repeatedly by the gods, / then Vṛtra of great splendor advanced toward Śatakratu.

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Upon seeing Vṛtra, all the gods, Asuras, and mortals / were seized by great terror and lay fallen upon the ground.

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When all the gods and Siddhas were thus terrified, / Indra, mounted upon Airāvata, thunderbolt in hand, full of majesty,

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splendid with an umbrella held over him and a chowrie, / united with all the world-protectors, was scorched with distress.

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Seeing Vṛtra, all those world-protectors and mighty lords, / terrified with fear, sought refuge in Śiva.

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Mentally they all meditated on Śaṃkara, who brings welfare to the world; / and great Indra, desiring victory, duly worshipped the liṅga.

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Instructed then by his Guru with supreme faith, / the noble-minded Bṛhaspati spoke to Śakra:

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Bṛhaspati said: / "If the thirteenth lunar day in the bright fortnight of the month of Kārtika falls upon a Saturday, / complete [in duration], it brings attainment of everything, no doubt.

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On that day, at the time of dusk (pradoṣa), Sadāśiva in the form of the liṅga / should be worshipped, O lord of the gods, for the fulfillment of all desires and purposes.

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Having bathed at noon with sesame and myrobalan, / one should perform [worship] of Śiva with fragrances, flowers, fruits, and the like.

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Afterward, at the hour of dusk (pradoṣa), one should worship an immovable liṅga, / whether self-manifest (svayambhu), installed, man-made, or unmade by man.

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Whether in an inhabited place or an uninhabited place, in a forest or in a hermitage, / one should worship that liṅga with devotion, especially at dusk (pradoṣa)."

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A liṅga situated outside a village yields a hundredfold the fruit of [one in] a village; / a wondrous liṅga in a forest yields a hundredfold the merit of a brahmin's [liṅga].

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Worshipping [a liṅga] on a mountain yields a hundredfold the merit of a forest [liṅga]; / and from a mountain liṅga, the fruit is termed ten thousandfold; / or a liṅga worshipped in a hermitage yields great fruit.

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Therefore, according to this division, the wise must skillfully / perform the worship and adoration of Śiva, and likewise ritual ablution in sacred fords.

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A ritual ablution in a well should be done especially with drawn water, / [which is] splendid merely by bathing after removing five lumps [of earth].

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In a pond, one should perform ritual ablution after removing ten lumps [of earth]; / ritual ablution in a river is superior, and especially so in a great river.

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Ritual ablution in the Gaṅgā is distinguished above all sacred fords; / and equal to it is [ablution] in a divine pool; one should perform this praised ritual ablution.

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Sadāśiva is to be illuminated with a thousand lamps, / or likewise with a hundred lamps, or with a row of thirty-two lamps.

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One should light the lamps with ghee for the satisfaction of Śiva, / and likewise with fruits and lamps, food offerings, perfumes, and incenses.

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Sadāśiva in the form of a liṅga should be worshipped / at the twilight hour by men with sixteen services to achieve all aims.

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One should circumambulate one hundred and eight times, / and one should diligently make prostrations of the same number.

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Sadāśiva should be worshipped with circumambulations and prostrations; / that Rudra is to be praised according to the rules with a hundred names:

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"Homage to Rudra, to the terrible one, to the blue-throated one, to the creator, / to the matted-haired one, to the lord of gods, indeed homage to the sky-haired one!

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Homage to the bull-bannered one, to Soma, indeed to the blue-throated one, / to the space-clad one, to the radiant one, to the matted-haired lover of Umā!

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Homage indeed to the one composed of austerity, to the pervasive one, to the one clothed in rays, / homage to the lover of serpents, to the serpent, to the lord of serpents!

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Homage to the supporter of the earth, to the tiger, to the lord of beasts, / to the lion who destroys the three cities, and to the one with the fierce roar of a tiger!

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Homage to the fish, to the lord of fishes, to the perfected one, to the supreme ruler, / to the destroyer of desire, to the awakened one, to the lord of intellects!

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Homage indeed to the dove, to the distinguished one, to the virtuous one, to the supreme self, / to the Veda, to the seed of the Veda, to the secret of the gods!

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To the extensive one, to the vastly extensive one, to the worthy one of great reach, and to the feast, / homage to the foundation of the world, indeed homage to the one whose form is space!

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To the destroyer of the elephant demon, and indeed to the piercer of the demon Andhaka, / to the dark-red and white one, and to the one beloved of Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa!

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To the god dear to devotion, and to the imperishable knowledge of knowledge, / homage to you, the great lord, and to the destroyer, the Great God!

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Homage, homage to the three-eyed one, to the three Vedas, to the limb of the Veda; / homage indeed to purpose, to the form of purpose, to the supreme purpose!

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Homage indeed to the universal form, to the universe, to the lord of the universe; / and to Śaṃkara, to time, and to the one having the form of parts of time!

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Homage indeed to the formless one, and to the subtle one, to the subtlest of the subtle; / homage to you, the dweller in the cremation ground, homage to you, the skin-clad one!

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To the one with the crescent moon on his crest, and to Rudra, the refuge of all; / to the fortress, to the essence of the fortress, to the witness of the fortress's limbs!

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Homage to the one whose form is the liṅga, to the liṅga, to the lord of liṅgas; / homage indeed to the form of the praṇava, to the meaning of the praṇava!

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Homage, homage to you, the cause of causes, the conqueror of death, whose nature is self-existence! / O three-eyed one, O dark-throated one, O radiant one, O lord of Gaurī, homage to the cause of all auspiciousness!"

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Bṛhaspati said: / "These hundred names of the great lord should then be recited by one observing the vow; / this should be performed diligently at twilight with the same number of circumambulations and prostrations / for the satisfaction of Śaṃkara.

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Thus the vow has been declared to you, O wise Śakra; / perform it quickly, O fortunate one, and then wage war, O lord.

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By the grace of Śambhu, everything such as victory will belong to you.

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For formerly this Vṛtra, a Daiteya of great splendour, / pleased Śiva by austerity on Mount Gandhamādana.

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There was a king named Citraratha; know, O Indra, / that this forest belonging to Citraratha is near the city of Śiva.

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In which forest, O fortunate one, the six waves [of existence] do not exist; / therefore it is named Caitraratha, a most auspicious forest. / To that king a wondrous vehicle was given by Śiva himself,

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moving at will, fitted with tinkling bells, served by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, / adorned by Gandharvas, apsarases, Yakṣas, and Kinnaras.

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Then, roaming the earth formerly in that very vehicle, / and likewise the chief mountains and various continents,

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once that great king named Citraratha, while roaming, / came to Kailāsa, and there he saw a supreme marvel:

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the assembly hall of the great lord, adorned with his attendants, / and the Great Lord embellished by the Goddess clinging to half his body.

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Seeing Sadāśiva accompanied by the Goddess, he spoke these words in her presence:

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"We, O Śambhu, are attached to sense-objects, and our ministers and others are also conquered by women, / yet we ignorant ones do not indulge in women in the midst of people out of shame.

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Having heard this statement, the great lord, as if smiling, / spoke with reason while all were listening:

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'All have fear of public reproach, and not otherwise; / the kālakūṭa poison, indomitable to all, was swallowed [by me].

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Nevertheless, an insufferable mockery of me has been made by the king.' / Calling that Citraratha, the mountain-born Goddess spoke [these] words:

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Girijā said: / 'O evil-minded one, how have you, an ignorant fool, mocked Śaṃkara / together with me? O dull-witted one, you shall see the fruit of your deed!

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Whoever makes a mockery of virtuous ones of equanimous mind, / whether a god or a mortal, is to be known as the lowest of the low.'

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These lords of sages of great majesty, and these seers who bear the Vedas within them, / and likewise all those such as Sanaka—are all these ignorant because they worship Śiva?

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Ah, fool! Among all people only you are knowledgeable today, and no others! / Therefore I shall make you a knowledgeable Daitya, cast out by the gods and by the twice-born!

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Having been thus cursed by the goddess Bhavānī, that best of kings, / King Citraratha, immediately fell headlong from heaven.

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Entering a demonic womb, he then became [the demon] named Vṛtra. / By supreme austerity, he was gradually joined [in purpose] by Tvaṣṭṛ.

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Because of that great austerity, Vṛtra was called invincible. / Therefore, having properly worshipped Śambhu at dusk now,

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slay the great Daitya Vṛtra for the accomplishment of the purpose of the gods!' / Hearing that word of his teacher, Śatakratu said: / 'Tell me now the rule for the closing ceremony of the dusk [observance].'

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Bṛhaspati said: / 'When the month of Kārtika arrives, on a thirteenth [lunar day] falling on a Saturday, / the completion should be performed there for the perfection of the complete observance.

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A bull should be made of silver, with a fine seat upon its back. / Upon it one should place the three-eyed god, beloved of Umā,

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five-faced, ten-armed, with the virtuous daughter of the mountain on half his body. / In this way the wise person should cause Umā and Maheśa to be fashioned of gold.

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Having installed them with the bull upon a copper plate veiled with cloth, / together with Umā and accompanied by manifold offerings,

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one should properly keep vigil at night, endowed with faith. / In the beginning, a ceremonial bath should be carefully performed with the five nectars:

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'O Lord of gods, a ritual ablution with cow's milk has been performed by me with cow's milk. / Accept the ceremonial bath, O Lord of the gods of gods, O Supreme Lord!

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And now, O God, a ceremonial bath is performed by me with curd. / Accept what is given by me, and be very pleased today!

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And now, O God, a ceremonial bath is performed by me with ghee. / Accept what is given with faith, solely for your pleasure!

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This honey is given by me solely for your pleasure. / Receive it, O Lord of gods, and be the bestower of peace upon me!

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Now, O Lord of the gods of gods, a ceremonial bath is performed with white sugar. / Accept what is given with faith, and be very pleased, O Lord!'

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Thus the bull-bannered god should be bathed with the five nectars. / Then water for honouring should be offered with a copper vessel by the wise person, / with this very mantra for the satisfaction of Umā's beloved:

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'You are worthy of water for honouring, O beloved of Umā! With this water for honouring, O Lord, / accept what has been given by me, and be pleased, O Śaṃkara!

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And foot-washing water accompanied by flowers and fragrances has been given to you by me. / Accept it, O Lord of the gods of gods, and being pleased, be the granter of boons!

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And a seat of sacred grass has been offered by me with a grass mat, O Lord. / For your satisfaction, O Lord of gods, be ever the granter of boons to me!

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Sipping water has been given to you by me, O Lord, ruler of the universe. / Accept it, O Supreme Sovereign, and be pleased with me today!

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Endowed with the knot of Brahmā, prompting Vedic rites, / a golden sacred thread has been given to you by me, O Lord.

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And fragrant sandalwood, O God, has been given by me, O Lord. / With supreme devotion by me, O Śambhu, make me fragrant, O Bhava!

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A supreme lamp, O Śambhu, kindled with ghee, / has been given by me; accept it, O Lord of gods, and be the bestower of knowledge upon me!

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A supreme, special lamp, blooming with all medicinal herbs, / accept, O Supreme Sovereign, solely for my peace!

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Accept the row of lamps given by me, O Supreme Lord! / By the offering of the waving of lights, be the bestower of splendour upon me!'

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In the order of fruits, lamps, food-offerings, betel, and so on, / he should be worshipped diligently that night by those who know the ritual procedure.

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Then a vigil should be kept in the house or in a temple of the deity, / having erected a canopy pavilion adorned with various wonders; / Sadāśiva is to be worshipped with song, musical instruments, and dancing.

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According to this very procedure, the rule for the closing ceremony of dusk [observance] / must be performed, O Śakra, by one observing the rites, for the accomplishment of all aims.'

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Śatakratu performed everything that had been spoken by his teacher. / With that very assistance, Indra, intent upon battle,

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fought against Vṛtra together with the gods. / A tumultuous battle took place between the gods and the Dānavas.

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In that intense, exceedingly tumultuous [battle] causing the destruction of gods and Daityas, / a fierce single combat occurred, boundlessly dreadful.

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Vyoma fought with Yama, and the fiercely wrathful one with Agni; / Mahādaṃṣṭra fought with Varuṇa, and the mighty one with Vāyu.

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All were engaged in single combat, seeking to test one another's strength.

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Likewise those excellent gods, mighty-armed heroes of battle, were victorious then; / and all the excellent Daityas then met with utter defeat on all sides.

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Seeing the excellent Daityas defeated by the gods, fleeing and panicked in all directions, / then the mighty Vṛtra spoke this word in supreme wrath:

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Vṛtra said: / 'O Daityas, deeply distressed, why are you stricken with fear / and all intent on fleeing, abandoning the wondrous battle?

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Resolve yourselves on fighting, O heroes, and each show your own valour! / Slaughter the hosts of gods, O mighty ones,

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with clubs, flat-bladed spears, swords, javelins, iron bars, and hammers, / with blades, slings, nooses, spears, and fists!'

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Then the gods fought with weapons born from the bones of Dadhīca, / and with supreme missiles they tore the Asuras to pieces.

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Again the Daityas were struck down by the gods, and they too suffered defeat; / yet once more they were urged against the gods by that Vṛtra.

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Indeed, when those foremost Daityas, being struck down by the lords of gods, fled in all directions, / some of those Dānavas, seeing this, were then terrified with fear and gradually became like eunuchs.

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The foremost Daityas were thus rebuked by the furious Vṛtra: / 'O highly fortunate Puloman, O Vṛṣaparvan, salutation to you!

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O Dhūmrākṣa, O Mahākāla, O great Daitya Vṛkāsura! / O Sthūlākṣa, O great Daitya, O Sthūladaṃṣṭra, salutation to you!

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Abandoning the very gateway to heaven for noble Kṣatriyas, / why do you flee from this supreme battlefield?

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Those whose death occurs in battle go to the supreme state; / wherever it may be, a wise man should desire death in battle.

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Those who abandon battle surely go to hell.

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Men with weapons in hand who wage battle for the sake of brahmins, / for the sake of servants, or for their own sake, even if they are great sinners,

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if struck down by weapon-blows or dying in battle, / go to the supreme abode; no doubt should be entertained here.

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Those whose bodies are severed by weapons for the sake of cows or their master's cause, / dying or wounded in battle, go to the supreme goal.

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Therefore, even sinners who are heroes, slain facing the front in battle, / attain the supreme abode, difficult to obtain even for the wise.

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Or rather, pilgrimage to sacred fords, study of the Vedas, / worship of deities, sacrifices, and various other meritorious deeds—

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all these together are not worth a sixteenth part [of the merit] / of those fallen in battle; such is the rule in all scriptures.

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Therefore, valor in battle must be displayed without hesitation / by you; you must not act otherwise, according to the authority of divine speech.

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All of you are endowed with heroic conduct, noble lineage, and character, possessing great dignity; / fleeing from the battlefield, taking those very [retreating] steps, they become unheroic.

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Indeed, all of them surely go to worlds of sin, according to the words of the traditional scriptures.

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The most sinful who stand in unrighteousness, killers of brahmins, and violators of the teacher's bed / go to painful hell, and just so do those who flee from battle.

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Therefore, you must fight, capable of bearing the burden of your master's business.' / When thus addressed by that high-souled Vṛtra,

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the Asuras followed his word against the gods; / they fought a very tumultuous battle that caused fear to all the worlds.

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When that tumultuous, intense [battle] had begun, Vṛtra alone, the lord of the great Daityas, / spoke with extraordinary wrath to Indra, who was accompanied by the foremost gods.

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Vṛtra said: / 'Listen to the beneficial words spoken by me, endowed with righteousness and purpose: / being the lord of the gods, you do not know what is beneficial and what is harmful.

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Intent on what source of strength was Viśvarūpa slain by you? / Today indeed, O Indra, the fruit of that action has arrived!

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Those fools and dullards who see far ahead, cast out from righteousness, / who are incapable of accomplishing their purpose and whose actions are fruitless— / know all of that, O lord of gods; let it be carefully considered in your mind.

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Therefore, intent on righteousness and free from defilement, fight! / You are the slayer of my brother, O Indra, and therefore I shall slay you.

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Do not run away; stand firm, surrounded by the gods!' / Being thus addressed by Vṛtra, Śakra, filled with intense anger,

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mounted Airāvata and advanced with the desire to slay Vṛtra. / Seeing Indra approaching, Vṛtra, the best of the mighty,

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laughed and spoke these words while everyone listened: / 'Strike me first, and then I shall slay you!'

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Thus addressed, the lord of the gods forcefully struck with his mace / the mighty Vṛtra, foremost among the strong, upon the knee.

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As it came flying, he caught it effortlessly with one hand; / with that very mace he swiftly struck the lord of heaven.

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That mace struck down Purandara along with his thunderbolt. / Seeing Śakra fallen, Vṛtra said to the gods:

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'Take your master, O gods, to your own city, Amarāvatī.'

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Hearing this true word of the high-souled Vṛtra, / all the gods, anxious, did so from the battlefield for Indra's sake.

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Having carried him off while he was on the elephant, surrounding him in fear, / all the gods abandoned the battle and went toward heaven.

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Then, when the gods had gone, the great Asura danced; / Vṛtra laughed aloud, and by that the directions were filled.

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The entire earth, along with its mountains, forests, and woods, trembled; / and then everything moving and unmoving was shaken.

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Hearing that the lord of the gods had retreated, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, / approached the lord of the gods and touched him with water from his water-pot; / at that very moment Purandara regained consciousness.

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Seeing the grandfather before him, he was filled with shame then. / To Mahendra, who was overwhelmed with embarrassment, Brahmā the grandfather said:

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Brahmā said: / 'Vṛtra is endowed with austerity and established in the vow of celibacy; / and this illustrious Vṛtra is endowed with the austerity of Tvaṣṭṛ.

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He is unconquerable by severe austerity; therefore, conquer him through austerity! / Vṛtrāsura, the lord of the Daityas, O Śakra, is to be conquered by you only through supreme meditation.' / Hearing the word of the Supreme Lord, Indra then remembered the god whose banner bears the bull.

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit