ASTIKA PARVA: Chapter 19

Churning the ocean

सौतिरुवाच अथावरणमुग्यानि नानाप्रहरणानि च। प्रगृह्याभ्यद्रवन्देवान्सहिता दैत्यदानवाः॥
Sauti said : Then the Daityas and Danavas, in best armours and with various weapons, pursued the celestials.

ततस्तदमृतं देवो विष्णुरादाय वीर्यवान्। जहार दानवेन्द्रेभ्यो नरेण सहितः प्रभुः॥
In the meantime the greatly powerful Lord Vishnu, accompanied with Nara, took away the Ambrosia from the mighty Danavas.

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे पपुस्तदमृतं तदा। विष्णोः सकाशात्संप्राप्य संभ्रमे तुमुले सति॥
Thereupon all the celestials, in that great struggle, drank the Ambrosia receiving it from Vishnu.

ततः पिबत्सु तत्कालं देवेष्वमृतमीप्सितम्। राहुविबुधरूपेण दानवः प्रापिबत्तदा॥
When the celestials were drinking the much longed-for Ambrosia, a Danava, named Rahu, drank it in the guise of a celestial.

तस्य कण्ठमनुप्राप्ते दानवस्यामृते तदा। आख्यातं चन्द्रसूर्याभ्यां सुराणां हितकाम्यया॥
When the Ambrosia has only reached his throat, Chandra and Surya (recognised him and) informed the celestials of what had happened.

ततो भगवता तस्य शिरश्छिन्नमलंकृतम्। चक्रायुधेन चक्रेण पिबतोऽमृतमोजसा॥
Narayana immediately with his discus cut off the well-adorned head of the Danava who was drinking the Ambrosia.

तच्छैलशृङ्गप्रतिमं दानवस्य शिरो महत्। चक्रच्छिन्नं खमुत्पत्य ननादातिभयंकरम्॥
The huge head of the Danava cut off by the discus, appeared like a mountain peak and it rose to the sky and uttered terrible cries.

तत्कबन्धं पपातास्य विस्फुरद्धरणीतले। सपर्वतवनद्वीपां दैत्यस्याकम्पयन्महीम्॥
The headless body of the Daitya fell on the earth, shaking it with all her mountains, forests and islands.

ततो वैरविनिर्बन्धः कृतो राहुमुखेन वै। शाश्वतश्चन्द्रसूर्याभ्यां ग्रसत्यद्यापि चैव तौ॥
From that day a great enmity was created between the head of Rahu and Chandra and Surya. To this day it swallows Chandra and Surya (causing eclipses.)

विहाय भगवांश्चापि स्त्रीरूपमतुलं हरिः। नानाप्रहरणैर्भीमैर्दानवान्समकम्पयत्॥
Then Hari, quitting his matchless female form, made the Danavas tremble by hurling at them various weapons.

ततः प्रवृत्तः संग्राम: समीपे लवणाम्भसः। सुराणामसुराणां च सर्वघोरतरो महान्॥
Thus began the terrible battle between the Devas and Danavas on the shores of the salt sea.

प्रासाश्च विपुलास्तीक्ष्णा न्यपतन्त सहस्रशः। तोमराश्चसुतीक्ष्णाग्राः शस्त्राणि विविधानि च॥
Thousands of sharp javelins and lances and various other weapons were hurled on all sides.

ततोऽसुराश्चक्रभिन्ना वमन्तो रुधिरं बहु। असिशक्तिगदारुग्णा निपेतुर्धरणीतले॥
Cut by the discus and wounded by swords, darts and maces, the Asuras vomited blood and lay prostrate on earth.

छिन्नानि पट्टिशैश्चैव शिरांसि युधि दारुणैः। तप्तकाञ्चनमालीनि निपेतुरनिशं तदा॥
The heads, adorned with bright goldchains, cut off by the discus, fell continually in the fearful battle.

रुधिरेणानुलिप्ताङ्गा निहताश्च महासुराः। अद्रीणामिव कूटानि धातुरक्तानि शेरते॥
The great Asuras, covered with blood, lay dead everywhere and they looked like red dyed mountain peaks.

हाहाकारः समभवत्तत्र तत्र सहस्रशः। अन्योऽन्यं छिन्दतां शस्त्रैरादित्ये लोहितायति॥
When the sun grew red, the piteous cries of distress issued from everywhere and from the dying Asuras.

परिघेरायसैस्तीक्ष्णैः संनिकर्षे च मुष्टिभिः। निघ्नतां समरेऽन्योऽन्यं शब्दो दिवमिवास्पृशत्॥
The roars, of the warriors that cut one another down by missiles when at a distance and by blows of their fists when at close quarters, rose to the sky.

छिन्द्धि भिन्द्धि प्रधाव त्वं पातयाभिसरेति च। व्यश्रूयन्त महाघोराः शब्दास्तत्र समन्ततः॥
"Cut down,” “pierce them”, “pursue”, “fell them down", "advance” these fearful war-cries were heard everywhere.

एवं सुतुमुले युद्धे वर्तमाने महाभये। नरनारायणौ देवौ समाजग्मतुराहवम्॥
When this fearful battle was raging, the Devas Nara and Narayana entered the field.

तत्र दिव्यं धनुर्दृष्ट्वा नरस्य भगवानपि। चिन्तयामास तच्चक्रं विष्णुर्दानवसूदनम्।॥
Seeing the celestial bow in the hand of Nara, Narayana thought of his Danava destroying discus.

ततोऽम्बराच्चिन्तितमात्रमागतं महाप्रभं चक्रममित्रतापनम्। विभावसोस्तुल्यमकुण्ठमण्डलं सुदर्शनं संयति भीमदर्शनम्॥
As soon as it was thought of the discus Sudarshana, the destroyer of enemies, effulgent as Agni and dreadful in battle, came down from the sky.

तदागतं ज्वलितहुताशनप्रभं भयंकरं करिकरबाहुरच्युतः। मुमोच वै प्रबलवदुगवेगवान्। महाप्रभं परनगरावदारणम्॥
When it came, Achyuta, of fearful energy (Narayana) as bright as the blazing fire, with arms like the trunk of an elephant, hurled with great force that weapon, as bright as the blazing fire, dreadful, of extraordinary lustre, capable of destroying hostile towns.

तदन्तकज्वलनसमानवर्चसं पुनः पुनर्व्यपतत वेगवत्तदा। विदारयद्दितिदनुजान्सहस्रशः करेरितं पुरुषवरेण संयुगे॥
That discus, blazing like the fire at the great dissolution of the universe being hurled by the hand of Narayana, continually falling everywhere, destroyed the Daityas and the Danavas by thousands.

दहत्क्वचिज्ज्वलन इवावलेलिहत् प्रसह्य तानसुरगणान्यकृन्तत। प्रवेरितं वियति मुहुः क्षितौ तथा पपौ रणे रुधिरमथो पिशाचवत्॥
Sometimes it blazed like fire and consumed them all; sometimes it struck them down like a goblin; sometimes it drank the blood of the slain Danavas as it travelled through earth and sky.

तथाऽसुरा गिरिभिरदीनचेतसो मुहुर्मुहुः सरगणमादयस्तदा। महाबला विगलितमेघवर्चसः सहस्रशो गगनमभिप्रपद्य ह॥
The greatly powerful and bold Danavas, looking like the rainless clouds, rose to the sky and continually hurled down thousands of mountains, on the celestials, thus harassing them (with terrible vengeance).

अथाम्बराद्भयजननाः प्रपेदिरे सपादपा बहुविधमेघरूपिणः। महाद्रयः परिगलिताग्रसानवः परस्परं द्रुतमभिहत्य सस्वनाः॥
And those fearful mountains, with their forests and flat tops, like masses of clouds, fell from the sky, collided with one another and produced a tremendous roar.

ततो मही प्रविचलिता सकानना महाद्रिपाताभिहता समन्ततः। परस्परं भृशमभिवर्जतां मुहू रणाजिरे भृशमभिसंप्रवर्तिते॥
And when thousands of warriors continually shouted on the field of battle and mountains, with forests thereon, fell all around, the earth with her forests began to tremble.

नरस्ततो वरकनकाग्रभूषणैमहेषुभिर्गगनपथं समावृणोत्। विदारयन्गिरिशिखराणि पत्रिभिः महाभयेऽसुरगणविग्रहे तदा॥
Then the divine Nara, appearing in the fearful battle of the Asuras and Ganas and reducing to dust those mountains by means of his gold-headed arrows, covered the heavens with dust.

ततः महीं लवणजलं च सागरं महासुराः प्रविविशुरर्दिताः सुरैः। वियद्गतं ज्वलितहुताशनप्रभं सुदर्शनं परिकुपितं निशम्य ते॥
Then the mighty Danavas, having been overpowered by the celestials and having seen the fearful discus roving over the fields of heaven like a blazing fire, entered into the bowels of the earth; and some of them plunged into the salt-sea.

ततः सुरैविजयमवाप्य मन्दरः स्वमेव देशं गमितः सुपूजितः। विनाद्य खं दिवमपि चैव सर्वशः ततो गताः सलिलधरा यथागतम्॥
The celestials, having gained the victory, placed with due respect Mandara on its own base; and the clouds, making the heaven resound with their shouts, went to their own abodes.

ततोऽमृतं सुनिहितमेव चक्रिरे सुराः परां मुदमभिगम्य पुष्कलाम्। ददौ च तं निधिममृतस्य रक्षितुं किरीटिने बलभिदथामरैः सह॥
The celestial returning to heaven, were greatly rejoiced and kept the Ambrosia in great care. Indra and other celestial made over the vessel containing Ambrosia to Nara to keep it with all care.