Skandapurana 6.3.46

English (machine translation) 6.3.46

Language: English

6.3.46.1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Then indeed all those immortals addressed these words to Śakra:

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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?

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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."

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit