None: Chapter 169

The commencement of the fight with the Nivatakavachas

अर्जुन उवाच ततोऽहं स्तूयमानस्तु तत्र तत्र महर्षिभिः। अपश्यमुदधिं भीममपां पतिमथाव्ययम्॥
Arjuna said ; Then praised by the great sages here and there, I (at length) beheld the dreadful oceanthe inexhaustible lord of waters.

फेनवत्यः प्रकीर्णाश्च संहताश्च समुत्थिताः। ऊर्मयश्चात्र दृश्यन्ते वल्गन्त इव पर्वताः॥
(And) on it were visible, foamy and swelling waves scattered all over, dashing against each other and looking like moving rocks.

नावः सहस्रशस्तत्र रत्नपूर्णाः समन्ततः। नभसीव विमानानि विचरन्त्यो विरेजिरे। तिमिङ्गिलाः कच्छपाश्च तथा तिमितिमिड्गिलाः॥
Ships full of gems were seen on it all around. Timingilas, tortoises, Timitimingilas,

मकराश्चात्र दृश्यन्ते जले मग्ना इवाद्रयः। शङ्खानां च सहस्राणि मग्नान्यप्सु समन्ततः॥
And Makaras were seen here like submarine reefs. Thousands of submerged shells lying all around.

दृश्यन्ते स्म यथा रात्रौ तारास्तन्वभ्रसंवृताः। तथा सहस्रशस्तत्र रत्नसङ्घाः प्लवन्त्युत॥
Looked like stars on a night covered with light clouds. Thousands of gems were floating in heaps.

वायुश्च घूर्णते भीमस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्। तमुदीक्ष्य महावेगं सर्वाम्भोनिधिमुत्तमम्॥ अपश्यं दानवाकीर्णं तद् दैत्यपुरमन्तिकात्। तत्रैव मातलिस्तूर्णं निपत्य पृथिवीतले।॥
And a dreadful wind was sweeping over it in whirls, which appeared wonderful to me. Behoiding that excellent lord of all waters with strong tides I saw very near, the city of the Daiytas full of the Danavas. There soon entering into the nether world, Matali,

रथं तं तु समाश्लिष्य प्राद्रवद् रथयोगवित्। त्रासयन् रथघोषेण तत् पुरं समुपाद्रवत्॥
Expert in driving the car and sitting steadily on it, drove it with force. And he drove onward making that city resound with the rattling sound of the car.

रथघोषं तु तं श्रुत्वा स्तनयित्लोरिवाम्बरे। मन्वाना देवराजं मामाविग्ना दानवाभवन्॥
Hearing that rattling noise of the car as the roar of the clouds in the sky and taking me for the king of the gods, the Danavas became agitated.

सर्वे सम्भ्रान्तमनसः शरचापधराः स्थिताः। तथासिशूलपरशुगदामुसलपाणयः॥
(And) with their minds trembling with fear, they stood, holding in their hands arrows, bows, swords, javelins, axes, maces and clubs.

ततो द्वाराणि पिदधुर्दानवास्त्रस्तचेतसः। संविधाय पुरे रक्षां न स्म कश्चन दृश्यते॥
Then having made arrangements for the defence of their city, the Danavas. with hearts troubled with fear, closed the gates so that nothing could be seen.

ततः शङ्खमुपादाय देवदत्तं महास्वनम्। परमां मुदमाश्रित्य प्राधमं तं शनैरहम्॥
Then taking my conch, Devadatta, emitting tremendous roars, I repeatedly blew it with great joy.

स तु शब्दो दिवं स्तम्वा प्रतिशब्दमजीजनत्। वित्रेसुश्च निलिल्युश्च भूतानि सुमहान्त्यपि॥
That sound, ringing through the heavens, sent forth echoes. Upon which, mighty creatures, greatly terrified, hid themselves.

ततो निवातकवचा: सर्व एव स्वलंकृताः। दंशिता विविधैस्त्राणैर्विचित्रायुधपाणयः॥ आयसैश्च महाशूलैर्गदाभिर्मुसलैरपि। पट्टिशैः करवालैश्च रथचक्रैश्च भारत॥ शतघ्नीभिर्भुशुण्डीभिः खङ्गैश्चित्रैः स्वलंकृतैः। प्रगृहीतैर्दितेः पुत्राः प्रादुरासन् सहस्रशः॥
Thereupon, O Bharata, all those sons of Ditithe Nivatakavachas-poured in thousands, adorned with ornaments, clad in various kinds of mails and holding in their hands various weapons, (such as) javelins, mighty maces, clubs, hatchets, Pattishas, Sabres, car-wheels, Shataghnis, Bhushundis and variegated and ornamented swords.

ततो विचार्य बहुशो रथमार्गेषु तान् हयान्। प्राचोदयत् समे देशे मातलिर्भरतर्षभ॥
Then O best of the Bharatas, deliberately judging of the course the car should take, Matali began to drive the steeds on level grounds,

तेन तेषां प्रणुन्नानामाशुत्वाच्छीघ्रगामिनाम्। नान्वपश्यं तदा किंचित् तन्मेऽद्भुतमिवाभवत्॥
Then, on account of the rapid career of the horses, fleet as the wind and guided by him (Matali) I could perceive nothing-and this appeared wonderful to me.

ततस्ते दानवास्तत्र वादित्राणि सहस्रशः। विकृतस्वररूपाणि भृशं सर्वाण्यनादयन्॥
Thereupon the Danavas vehemently began to sound thousands of musical instruments, discordant and of awkward shapes.

तेन शब्देन सहसा समुद्रे पर्वतोपमाः। आप्लवन्त गतैः सत्त्वैर्मत्स्याः शतसहस्रशः॥
Stupefied at those sounds, hundreds and thousands of fishes (huge) as mountains began suddenly to fly away from the sea.

ततो वेगेन महता दानवा मामुपाद्रवन् विमुञ्चन्तः शितान् बाणान् शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
Then the Danavas rushed at me with tremendous force discharging hundreds and thousands of sharpened arrows.

स सम्प्रहारस्तुमुलस्तेषां च मम भारत। अवर्तत महाघोरो निवातकवचान्तकः॥
(And), O Bharata, there took place between them and me a terrible fight destructive of the Nivatakavachas.

ततो देवर्षयश्चैव तथान्ये च महर्षयः। ब्रह्मर्षयश्च सिद्धाश्च समाजग्मुर्महामृधे॥
The Devarshis, the Danavarshis, the Brahinarshis and the Siddhas came there to witness that terrible encounter.

ते वै मामनुरूपाभिर्मधुराभिर्जयैषिणः। अस्तुवन् मुनयो वाग्भिर्यथेन्द्रं तारकामये।॥
(And) those Munis, eager for my victory, began to eulogise me with sweet speeches as they did Indra, at the war which took place on account of Tara (the wife of Brihaspati).