अर्जुन उवाच अदृश्यमानास्ते दैत्या योधयन्ति स्म मायया। अदृश्येनास्त्रवीर्येण तानप्यहमयोधयम्॥
Arjuna said: The demons, concealed from view, began fighting by the help of illusion. I also by the power of invisible weapons (i.e. weapons operating on unseen objects) fought with them,
गाण्डीवमुक्ता विशिखाः सम्यगस्त्रप्रचोदिताः। अच्छिन्दत्रुत्तमाङ्गानि यत्र यत्र स्म तेऽभवन्॥
And by means of arrows duly shot from the Gandiva, I cut off their heads wherever they were stationed.
ततो निवातकवचा वध्यमाना मया युधि। संहृत्य मायां सहसा प्राविशन् पुरमात्मनः॥
Thereupon, the Nivatakavachas, thus struck dead by me, all on a sudden, forsook their illusion and entered into their own city.
व्यपयातेषु दैत्येषु प्रादुर्भूते च दर्शने। अपश्यं दानवांस्तत्र हतान् शतसहस्रशः॥
The Daityas having fled and everything being disclosed to view, I beheld there hundreds and thousands of the Danavas (lying) slain.
विनिष्पिष्टानि तत्रैषां शस्त्राण्याभरणानि च। शतशः स्म प्रदृश्यन्ते गात्राणि कवचानि च॥
(And) I saw by hundred their crushed weapons ornaments, limbs and mails.
हयानां नान्तरं ह्यासीत् पदाद् विचलितुं पदम्। उत्पत्य सहसा तस्थुरन्तरिक्षगमास्ततः॥
In consequence of the battlefield being strewn all over with dead bodies, the steeds had no room to move from one step to another, Thereupon with a sudden spring they took their station in the air.
ततो निवातकवचा व्योम संछाद्य केवलम्। अदृश्या ह्यत्यवर्तन्त विसृन्तः शिलोच्चयान्॥
Then concealed from view, the Nivatakavachas, covering the entire firmament, rained down crags.
अन्तर्भूमिगताश्चान्ये हयानां चरणान्यथ। व्यगृहणन् दानवा घोरा रथचक्रे च भारता॥
Other dreadful Danavas entering into the entrails of the earth, O Bharata, caught hold of the legs of the horses and the car-wheels.
विनिगृह्य हरीनश्वान् रथं च मम युध्यतः। सर्वतो मामविध्यन्त सरथंधरणीधरैः॥
were When engaged in fighting, (they) seizing the horses and the car, covered me on the car, on all sides with rocks.
पर्वतैरुपचीयद्भिः पतमानैस्तथापरैः। स देशो यत्र वर्ताम गुहेव समपद्यत॥
On account of the rocks with which we were covered and of the others which were falling (around us), the place where we stationed, looked like a cave.
पर्वतैश्छाद्यमानोऽहं निगृहीतैश्च वाजिभिः। अगच्छं परमामार्तं मातलिस्तदलक्षयत्॥
That I was sore afflicted on account of being surrounded by rocks and the steeds being hard pressed, was perceived by Matali.
लक्षयित्वा च मां भीतमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्। अर्जुनार्जुन मा भैस्त्वं वज्रमस्त्रमुदीरय॥
Seeing me terrified he spoke these words, "O Arjuna, O Arjuna, don't be afraid; discharge the weapon, Vajra (thunderbolt)."
ततोऽहं तस्य तद् वाक्यं श्रुत्वा वज्रमुदीरयम्। देवराजस्य दयितं भीममस्त्रं नराधिप॥
Then, O lord of men, hearing these words of his, I let go that favourite weapon of the king of the celestials, the terrible Vajra (thunderbolt).
अचलं स्थानमासाद्य गाण्डीवमनुमन्त्र्य च। अमुञ्चं वज्रसंस्पर्शानायसान् निशितान् शरान्॥
Inspiring the Gandiva with mantras and aiming at the locality of the rocks, I discharged sharpened iron darts having the touch of the thunderbolt.
ततो मायाश्च ताः सर्वा निवातकवचांश्च तान्! ते वज्रचोदिता बाणा वज्रभूताः समाविशन्॥
And those arrows, turned into thunderbolt (on account of their) being shot from the Vajra, penetrated through the illusion and all the Nivatakavachas.
ते वज्रवेगविहता दानवाः पर्वतोपमाः। इतरेतरमाश्लिष्य न्यपतन् पृथिवीतले॥
Then those Danavas, big as rocks smitten by the force of the thunder, fell on the ground clashing against one another,
अन्तर्भूमौ च येऽगृहणन् दानवा रथवाजिनः। अनुप्रविश्य तान् बाणाः प्राहिण्वन् यमसादनम्॥
And the shafts, penetrating those Danavas, who entering into the bowels of the earth had seized the horses and the car, sent them to the abode of Yama.
हतैर्निवातकवचैर्निरस्तैः पर्वतोपमैः। समाच्छाद्यत देशः स विकीर्णैरिव पर्वतैः॥
That place was completely filled with those Nivatakavachas looking like mountains, who were (either) killed or wounded and lying scattered like (so many) rocks.
न हयानां क्षति: काचिन्न रथस्य न मातलेः। मम चादृश्यत तदा तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्॥
And the fact, that neither did the horses, nor Matali, nor myself, suffer the least (by that event), appeared strange.
ततो मां प्रहसन् राजन् मातलि: प्रत्यभाषत। नैतदर्जुन देवेषु त्वयि वीर्यं यदीक्ष्यते॥
Then, O king, Matali addressed me with a smile "the prowess displayed by you cannot be seen even among the gods.”
हतेष्वसुरसंघेषु दारास्तेषां तु सर्वशः। प्राक्रोशन नगरे तस्मिन् यथा शरदि सारसाः॥
On the Danava hosts being slain all their wives in that city began to bewail like cranes in autumn.
ततो मातलिना सार्धमहं तत् पुरमभ्ययाम्। त्रासयन् स्थघोषेण निवातकवचस्त्रियः॥
Then accompanied by Matali, I entered that city, terrifying the females of the Nivatakavachas by the rattling noise of the car.
तान् दृष्ट्वा दशसाहस्रान् मयूरसदृशान् हयान्। रथं च रविसंकाशं प्राद्रवन् गणशः स्त्रियः॥
Beholding those ten thousands of steeds resembling peacocks and that car of the splendour of the sun, the females began to flee in large numbers.
ताभिराभरणैः शब्दस्वासिताभिः समीरितः। शिलानामिव शैलेषु पतन्तीनामभूत् तदा॥
Thereupon, there arose a sound of the falling of the ornaments (from the persons) of those terrified ladies like the sound of hail falling upon a mountain.
वित्रस्ता दैत्यनार्यस्ताः स्वानि वेश्मान्यथाविशन्। बहुरलविचित्राणि शातकुम्भमयानि च॥
At last the affrighted ladies of the Daityas entered into their respective golden palaces decked with innumerable gems.
तदद्भुताकारमहं दृष्ट्वा नगरमुत्तमम्। विशिष्टं देवनगरादपृच्छं मातलिं ततः॥
Then beholding that wonderful and excellent city, superior to that of the gods, I asked Matali,
इदमेवंविधं कस्माद् देवा नावासयन्त्युत। पुरंदरपुराद्धीदं विशिष्टमिति लक्षये॥
“This city appears superior to that of Purandara. How is it that the Gods do not reside in such a place?"
मातलिरुवाच आसीदिदं पुरा पार्थ देवराजस्य नः पुरम्। ततो निवातकवचैरितः प्रच्याविताः सुराः॥
Matali answered O Partha, formerly it was the city of our lord of the gods. (But) afterwards the gods were expciled from here by the Nivatakavachas.
तपस्तप्त्वा महत् तीव्र प्रसाद्य च पितामहम्। इदं वृतं निवासाय देवेभ्यश्चाभयं युधि॥
Having pleased Brahma by the performance of rigid asceticism, they asked (of him) the boons, (namely), to dwell here and to be free from all fears of the gods in wars.
ततः शक्रेण भगवान् स्वयंभूरिति चोदितः। विधत्तां भगवानन्तमात्मनो हितकाम्यया॥
Then the self-existent lord (Shiva) was thus addressed by Shakra. "O lord, keeping our welfare in view, do what you think proper."
तत उक्तो भगवता दिष्टमत्रेति भारत। भवितान्तस्त्वमप्येषां देहेनान्येन शत्रुहन्॥
Thereupon, O Bharata, the lord (Shiva) thus commanded Indra saying "O destroyer of foes, assuming another body you will kill these (demons).”
तत एषां वधार्थाय शक्रोऽस्त्राणि ददौ तव। न हि शक्याः सुरैर्हन्तुं य एते निहतास्त्वया॥
Therefore, Shakra gave you the weapons for the destruction of these (demons). Even the gods had been unable to slay these that have been killed by you.
कालस्य परिणामेन ततस्त्वमिह भारत। एषामन्तकरः प्राप्तस्तत् त्वया च कृतं तथा॥
O Bharata, as you have come hither just at the appointed time, you have been able to kill them.
दानवानां विनाशाय अस्त्राणां परमं बलम्। चाहितस्त्वं महेन्द्रेण पुरुषेन्द्र तदुत्तमम्॥
O best of mortals, in order to destroy these Danavas, Mahendra conferred on you the energy (that belongs to the possessor) of those excellent weapons.
अर्जुन उवाच ततः प्रशाम्य नगरं दानवांश्च निहत्य तान्। पुनर्मातलिना सार्धमगच्छं देवसद्म तत्॥
Arjuna said : Having killed the Danavas and subdued (their) city, I returned to the abode of the celestials accompanied by Matali.