TIRTHAYATRA PARVA: Chapter 101

The destruction of Vritra

लोमश उवाच ततः स वज्री बलिभिर्दैवतैरभिरक्षितः। आससाद ततो वृत्रं स्थितमावृत्य रोदसी॥
Lomasha said : Thereupon that wielder of Vajra (Indra) supported by the powerful celestials came to Vritra who was then occupying both the earth and the heaven.

कालकेयैर्महाकायैः समन्तादभिरक्षितम्। समुद्यतप्रहरणैः सशृङ्गैरिव पर्वतैः॥
He was guarded on all sides by the huge bodied Kalkeyas with upraised weapons, looking like great mountains with towering peaks.

ततो युद्धं समभवद् देवानां दानवैः सह। मुहूर्तं भरतश्रेष्ठ लोकत्रासकरं महत्॥
O best of the Bharata race, then a great battle appalling on the three worlds was fought by the celestials with the Danavas for a short while.

उद्यतप्रतिपिष्टानां खङ्गानां वीरबाहुभिः। आसीत् सुतुमुलः शब्दः शरीरेष्वभिपात्यताम्॥
Loud was the clashing of swords upraised and warded off by the heroic hands, those that were aimed at one another's bodies.

शिरोभिः प्रपतद्भिश्चाप्यन्तरिक्षान्महीतलम्। तालैरिव महाराज वृन्ताद् भ्रष्टैरदृश्यत॥
The heads began to fall from the sky on the earth like fruits of palmyra palm, falling on the ground loosened from their stalks.

ते हेमकवचा भूत्वा कालेयाः परिघायुधाः। त्रिदशानभ्यवर्तन्त दावदग्धा इवाद्रयः॥
The Kaleyas, clad in golden armour and armed with iron mounted in aces rushed towards the celestials like moving mountains on fire.

तेषां वेगवतां वेगं साभिमानं प्रधावताम्। न शेकुस्त्रिदशाः सोढुं ते भग्नाः प्राद्रवन् भयात्॥
Being unable to stand the onrush of those impetuous heroes, the celestials broke (their ranks) and fled away from fear.

तान् दृष्ट्वा द्रवतो भीतान् सहस्राक्षः पुरंदरः। वृत्रे विवर्धमाने च कश्मलं महदाविशत्॥
Seeking them (the celestials) flying in fear and Vritra growing in boldness, the thousand eyed Purandra (Indra) was greatly confounded with fear.

कालेयभयसंत्रस्तो देवः साक्षात् पुरंदरः। जगाम शरणं शीघ्रं तं तु नारायणं प्रभुम्॥
Filled with the fear of the Kalkeyas the deity Purandra (Indra) himself asked protection from the lord Narayana without delay.

तं शक्रं कश्मलाविष्टं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुः सनातनः। स्वतेजो व्यदधाच्छने बलमस्य विवर्धयन्॥
The eternal Vishnu, seeing Sakra (Indra) confounded with fear and grief, enhanced his prowess by importing to him a portion of his own might.

विष्णुना गोपितं शक्रं दृष्ट्वा देवगणास्ततः। सर्वे तेजः समादध्युस्तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽमलाः॥
Having seen Sakra (Indra) thus protected by Vishnu, all the celestials and the Brahmana Rishis of spotless deeds imparted to him their own might.

स समाप्यायितः शक्रो विष्णुना दैवतैः सह। ऋषिभिश्च महाभागैर्बलवान् समपद्यता॥
Thus favoured by Vishnu by all the celestials and by the highly-blessed Rishis Sakra (Indra) became more powerful than before.

ज्ञात्वा बलस्थं त्रिदशाधिपं तु ननाद वृत्रो महतो निनादान। तस्य प्रणादेनधरा दिशश्च खं द्यौर्नगाश्चापि चचाल सर्वम्॥
Knowing that the chief of the celestials had been filled with the prowess of others, Vitra sent forth fearful roars. The earth, the directions, the heaven and the mountains all began to tremble.

ततो महेन्द्रः परमाभितप्तः श्रुत्वा रवं घोररूपं महान्तम्। भये निमग्नस्त्वरितो मुमोच वज्रं महत् तस्य वधाय राजन्॥
O king, thereupon hearing that fearful and loud roar, Indra was filled with grief and fear and in order to kill the Asura he hurled the great Vajra.

स शक्रवज्राभिहतः पपात महासुरः काञ्चनमाल्यधारी। यथा महाशैलवरः पुरस्तात् स मन्दरो विष्णुकराद् विमुक्तः॥
Struck with Vajra, that great Asura adorned with garlands of gold, fell down as the great Mandara mountain did in the days of yore when hurled from the hand of Vishnu.

तस्मिन् हते दैत्यवरे भयातः शक्रः प्रदुद्राव सरः प्रवेष्टुम्। वज्रं स मेने न कराद् विमुक्तं वृत्रं भयाच्चापि हतं न मेने॥
When that foremost of Daityas was killed, even then Sakra (Indra) fled away in fear to take shelter in a lake, thinking that the Vajra had not been hurled from his hands and that Vitra had not (really) been killed.

सर्वे च देवा मुदिताः प्रहृष्टा महर्षयश्चेन्द्रभिष्टुवन्तः। सर्वांश्च दैत्यांस्त्वरिताः समेत्य जघ्नुः सुरा वृत्रवधाभितप्तान्॥
The celestials and the great Rishis were all filled with joy and they cheerfully sang the praise of Indra. Then the celestials mustering together began to kill all the Daityas who grew dejected by the death of Vitra.

तैस्त्रास्यमानास्त्रिदशैः समेतैः समुद्रमेवाविविशुर्भयार्ताः। प्रविश्य चैवोदधिमप्रमेयं झषाकुलं नक्रसमाकुलं च॥
Struck with panic at the sight of the assembled celestials, they entered the fathomless ocean, full of fishes and alligators. They (the Danavas) assembled together with pride began to conspire for the destruction of the three worlds.

स्त्रैलोक्यनाशार्थमभिस्मयन्तः। स्तांस्तानुपायानुपवर्णयन्ति॥
Some among them who were wise suggested some courses of action, each according to his own judgment.

तेषां तु तत्र क्रमकालयोगाद् घोरा मतिश्चिन्तयतां बभूव। स्तेषां विनाशः प्रथमं तु कार्यः॥
In course of time they made the fearful resolution that they should first destroy all persons' knowledge and ascetic virtues.

लोका हि सर्वे तपसा ध्रियन्ते तस्मात् त्वरध्वं तपसः क्षयाय। ये सन्ति केचिच्च वसुंधरायां तपस्विनोधर्मविदश्च तज्ज्ञाः॥
"The worlds are all supported by asceticism, therefore lose no time to destroy asceticism. All those men who are on earth endued with ascetic virtues and with the knowledge of the precepts of virtue and that of Brahma.

तेषां वधः क्रियतां क्षिप्रमेव तेषु प्रणष्टेषु जगत् प्रणष्टम्। एवं हि सर्वे गतबुद्धिभावा जगद्विनाशे परमप्रहृष्टाः॥
Should be soon destroyed, for when they are destroyed, the whole universe will be destroyed.” Having arrived at this resulting for the destruction of the universe, they became exceedingly glad.

दुर्गं समाश्रित्य महोमिमन्तं रत्नाकरं वरुणस्यालयं स्म॥
Then they made the ocean, with the mountain, like waves, the abode of Varuna, their fort.