Revākhaṇḍa ascribed to the Vāyupurāṇa (RKV) 46
English (machine translation) 46
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Contents
- 46.38 — 2 parts
46.1
The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Having obtained the boon, that Dānava went towards his own city.
O king, he saw his own city adorned with wonderful courtyards,
46.2
and with diverse gardens beautified by banana groves,
with jackfruits, bakulas, hog-plums, mangoes, and campakas,
46.3
with aśokas and coconuts, citrons along with pomegranates, / rich in beauty with various trees, and adorned with ponds;
46.4
with divine temples well-adorned with rows of banners,
and resounding with the sounds of Vedic recitation and auspicious chants.
46.5
He entered his divine golden palace decorated with golden garlands;
he saw his sons, wife, ministers, slaves, and servants.
46.6
Then [he saw them] all conferring victory, running here and there,
and gladdening hearts with victory banners held high.
46.7
Some fastened archways, some scattered flowers,
and others, holding citrons in their hands, ran towards Andhaka.
46.8
People were seen in the city with vessels filled with food;
many people were seen right there with full hands.
46.9
There hundreds of thousands of women [bore] vessels with unbroken grains;
Brahmins recited mantras, and women [sang] auspicious songs.
46.10
The ministers and servants brought elephants forward,
and all the city-dwellers congratulated him.
46.11
Delighted and contented, Andhaka dwelt there together with his ministers;
he looked upon his whole domain, and upon the horses and foot soldiers,
46.12
and likewise upon diverse treasuries filled with gold there;
he saw buffaloes, cows, and bulls, and parasols of many kinds.
46.13
That Andhaka thus lived there for some time;
dwelling in the mortal world, glad and satisfied, he was not overcome by the gods.
46.14
Knowing that he had obtained the boon, the dwellers of heaven became anxious;
uniting together, they all went to Vāsava for refuge.
46.15
Śakra said:
"Why have all of you heaven-dwellers come here?
From what has your fear arisen? Why have you come for refuge?"
46.16
Then all those immortals spoke these words to Śakra:
46.17
The gods said:
"O lord of the gods, the Daitya named Andhaka has been invigorated by Śambhu's boon;
he is invincible to all the gods. What, then, should be done now?
46.18
Consider the truth, O lord of the gods: what means may be undertaken?"
Thus those gods spoke before Śakra, preparing for counsel.
46.19
Even while they were taking counsel, having learned through the mouth of a spy
that the host of gods was there, the Dānava departed from his home.
46.20
Alone, mounted on a chariot, surrounded by many weapons,
he went with ease, O king, to the summit of Meru, difficult of access,
46.21
endowed with golden ramparts, adorned with diverse hermitages,
[and] inaccessible to the host of enemies, O best of kings.
46.22
The Asura entered there effortlessly, as if into his own house.
Vṛtra's slayer, seized by fear, gave him his own seat.
46.23
Andhaka sat there on Śakra's very own auspicious throne;
he held court, surrounded on all sides by the gods.
46.24
Śakra said:
"What is the purpose of your coming here? Tell me what needs to be done.
Whatever wealth is ours, O Dānava, I shall give it to you."
46.25
Andhaka said:
"I do not desire treasury, nor elephants, O lord of the gods;
today, display your own [realm], decorated with the ornaments of heaven.
46.26
Show me Airāvata the great elephant, and that horse Uccaiḥśravas,
and the jewels such as Urvaśī, O lord of cattle.
46.27
Display the pārijātaka flowers, the manifold species of trees,
and all the musical instruments, O lord of Śacī."
46.28
Hearing those words of his, Śakra thought this:
"I see no one anywhere who may slay this sinner.
46.29
There is no one to give protection to the distressed world of heaven."
Trembling with fear, he provided everything else, along with musical instruments and hosts of apsarases.
46.30
Sitting in the arena, he caused a dance to be performed;
all the gods, Yama, the wind gods, and the kinnaras sat down.
46.31
Urvaśī and the other apsarases, accompanied by song and instruments,
all danced before him one by one, O king.
46.32
Seeing the apsarases, his mind found no rest then;
his mind, O king, became full of lust towards Śacī.
46.33
Seizing Śakra's wife, he set out towards his own city;
then battle broke out between Andhaka and the gods.
46.34
All the hosts of gods were crushed by him, O best of kings,
in battle with various dense weapons, such as discus, thunderbolt, and others.
46.35
All the gods were distressed and repeatedly brought to ruin; / indeed, all the Maruts were broken by him at the head of the battle.
46.36
Just as a lion, having sought out all the elephants, roams the forest, / likewise by him alone were all those gods defeated and turned back.
46.37
Just as a boy ruler in a village torments people at his will, / and invading at pleasure repeatedly seizes treasury and garments,
46.38
and by tormenting the subjects does not see his own ruin, / that best of Dānavas departed, having seized the wife of Śakra.
46.38.p1
|| Thus ends the forty-sixth chapter, named 'The Description of the Abduction of Śacī', in the Śūlabhedamāhātmya, in the Revākhaṇḍa, in the fifth Avantī section, in the Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses, the glorious Skandapurāṇa.
46.38.p2
RKV chapter 47
Linked texts (1)
- Revākhaṇḍa (Vāyupurāṇa) — Sanskrit