ASTIKA PARVA: Chapter 32

Story of Garuda

सौतिरुवाच ततस्तस्मिन्द्विजश्रेष्ठ समुदीर्णे तथाविधे। गरुडः पक्षिराट् तूर्णं संप्राप्तो विबुधान्प्रति॥
Sauti said : O best of the twice born, the celestials, having stood prepared for battle (in he way already narrated), the king of the birds Garuda soon came upon them.

तं दृष्ट्वातिबलं चैव प्राकम्पन्त सुरास्ततः। परस्परं च प्रत्यघ्नन् सर्वप्रहरणान्युत॥
The celestials, having seen him of excessive strength, began to tremble in fear; and (having been confused) struck one another with all their weapons.

तत्र चासीदमेयात्मा विद्युदग्निसमप्रभः। भौमनः सुमहावीर्यः सोमस्य परिरक्षिता॥
Amongst those that were guarding the Soma Bhaumana (Vishvakarma) of matchless strength and of great energy. He was as effulgent as the lightning and fire.

स तेन पतगेन्द्रेण पक्षतुण्डनखक्षतैः। मुहूर्तमतुलं युद्धं कृत्वा विनिहतो युधि॥
But after a moment's fight he lay dead, mangled by the king of the birds with his beaks, talons and wings.

रजश्चोद्धय सुमहत्पक्षवातेन खेचरः। कृत्वा लोकान्निरालोकांस्तेन देवानवाकिरत्॥
The great bird, darkening the worlds with the dust raised by the great storm created by his wings, overwhelmed the celestials. was

तेनावकीर्णा रजसा देवा मोहमुपागमन्। न चैवं ददृशुश्छन्ना रजसाऽमृतरक्षिणः॥
Having been overwhelmed with that dust, the celestials fainted away. Those that were guarding the Ambrosia could not see Garuda on account of the dust.

एवं संलोडयामास गरुडस्त्रिदिवालयम्। पक्षतुण्डप्रहारैस्तु देवान्स विददार ह॥
Thus Garuda agitated the celestial regions and mangled the celestial with his wings and beaks.

ततो देवः सहस्राक्षस्तूर्णं वायुमचोदयत्। विक्षिपेमां रजोवृष्टिं तवेदं कर्म मारुत॥
Thereupon the celestials, the god of thousand eyes (Indra), commanded Vayu, saying, “O Maruta, it is your work to drive the dust away.

अथ वायुरपोवाह तद्रजस्तरसा बली। ततो वितिमिरे जाते देवाः शकुनिमार्दयन्॥
Then the mighty Vayu drove away the dust; and when darkness thus disappeared, the celestials attacked the bird.

ननादोच्चैः स बलवान्महामेघ इवाम्बरे। वध्यमानः सुरगणैः सर्वभूतानि भीषयन्॥
When he was attacked by the celestials, he roared in the sky, like the great cloud, frightful to every creature.

उत्पपात महावीर्यः पक्षिराट् परवीरहा। समुत्पत्यान्तरिक्षस्थं देवानामुपरिस्थितम्॥ वर्मिणो विबुधाः सर्वे नानाशस्त्रैरवाकिरन्। पट्टिशैः परिषैः शूलैर्गदाभिश्च सवासवाः॥ क्षुरप्रैचलितैश्चापि चक्रैरादित्यरूपिभिः। नानाशास्त्रविसर्गस्तैर्वध्यमानः समन्ततः॥
The greatly powerful king of birds, the slayer of enemies, rose on his wings and stayed in the sky over the heads of the celestials, with their lord Indra, who showered on him double edged swords, iron maces, sharp lances, bright arrows and discus of the form of the sun. Being thus attacked from every side,

कुर्वन्सुतुमुलं युद्धं पक्षिरान व्यकम्पत। निर्दहन्निव चाकाशे वैनतेयः प्रतापवान्। पक्षाभ्यामुरसा चैव समन्ताद्व्याक्षिपत्सुरान्॥
The king of birds fought the great battle without being weary for a moment and the greatly powerful son of Vinata, blazing in the sky, attacked the celestials on all sides by his wings and breast and scattered them in all directions.

ते विक्षिप्तास्ततो देवा दुद्रुवुर्गरुडार्दिताः। नखतुण्डक्षताश्चैव सुस्रुवुः शोणितं बहु॥
Mangled by the talons and the beaks of Garuda, copious blood began to flow from the bodies of the celestials. Afflicted thus, the Devas ran away hither and tither.

साध्याः प्राची सगन्धर्वा वसवो दक्षिणां दिशम्। प्रजग्मुः सहिता रुद्राः पतगेन्द्रप्रधर्षिताः॥
Thus overcome by the king of birds, the Sadhyas fled with the Gandharvas towards the east, the Vasus with the Rudras towards the south,

दिशं प्रतीजीमादित्या नासत्यावुत्तरां दिशम्। मुहुर्मुहुः प्रेक्षमाणा युध्यमाना महौजसः॥
The Adityas towards the west and the Ashvinis towards the north. Gifted with great powers, they retreated from fighting and looking back every moment at their enemy, they fled.

अश्वक्रन्देन वीरेण रेणुकेन च पक्षिराट्। क्रथनेन च शूरेण तपनेन च खेचरः॥ उलूकश्वसनाभ्यां च निमेषेण च पक्षिराट्। प्ररुजेन च संग्रामं चकार पुलिनेन च॥
Garuda fought with the greatly courageous Ashvakranda and Renuka, the bold Krathana and Tapana, Uluka and Shvasana, Nimesha, Praruja and Pulina.

तान्पक्षनखतुण्डात्रैरभिनद्विनतासुतः। युगान्तकाले संक्रुद्धः पिनाकीव परंतपः॥
The son of Vinata mangled them with his wings, talons and beaks, like the chastiser of foes, the angry Pinaki (Shiva) at the end of the Yuga..

महाबला महोत्साहास्तेन ते बहुधा क्षताः। रेजुरभ्रधनप्रख्या रुधिरौघप्रवर्षिणः॥
Those greatly powerful and energetic celestials, mangled all over by that great bird, looked like masses of black clouds, dropping showers of blood.

तान्कृत्वा पतगश्रेष्ठः सर्वानुत्क्रान्तजीवितान्। अतिक्रान्तोऽमृतस्यार्थे सर्वतोऽग्निमपश्यत॥
Thus making the celestials almost dead, the best of the birds went where the Ambrosia was. He saw it surrounded on all sides by fire.

आवृण्वानं महाज्वालमर्चिभिः सर्वतोऽम्बरम्। दहन्तमिव तीक्ष्णांशुं चण्डवायुसमीरितम्॥
The terrible flames of that fire covered whole of the sky and moved by violent winds, they bent on burning the very sun.

ततो नवत्या नवतीर्मुखानां कृत्वा महात्मा गरुडस्तपस्वी। नदीः समापीय मुखैस्ततस्तैः सुशीघ्रमागम्य पुनर्जवेन॥ ज्वलन्तमग्नि तममित्रतापनः समास्तरत्पत्ररथो नदीभिः। ततः प्रचक्रे वपुरन्यदल्पं प्रवेष्टकामोऽग्निमभिप्रशाम्य॥
The illustrious Garuda assumed ninety times ninety mouths and drinking in many rivers by those mouths and coming back in great speed, having wings for his vehicle, extinguished the fire with those rivers' water. And extinguishing that fire, he assumed a very small form, wishing to enter into the place where the Ambrosia was,