श्रीभगवानुवाच ततो देवयुगेऽतीते देवा वै समकल्पयन्। यज्ञं वेदप्रमाणेन विधिवद् यष्टुमीप्सवः॥
The holy one said "After the Satya Yuga had passed away, the gods, desirous of celebrating a sacrifice, made preparations according to the Vedic prescription.
कल्पयामासुरथ ते साधनानि हवींषि च। भागार्हा देवताश्चैव यज्ञियं द्रव्यमेव च॥
They collected clarified butter and the other necessary articles. And they not only collected the requisites of their sacrifice, but also determined those amongst themselves that should partake of the sacrificial offerings.
ता वै रुद्रमजानन्त्यो याथातथ्येन देवताः। नाकल्पयन्त देवस्य स्थाणोर्भागं नराधिप॥
Not knowing Rudra truly, the gods, O king, reserved no share for the divine Sthanu.
सोऽकल्प्यमाने भागे तु कृत्तिवासा मखेऽमरैः। ततः साधनमन्विच्छन् धनुरादौ ससर्ज ह॥
Seeing that the celestials reserved no share for him in the sacrificial offerings, Sthanu, clad in deer skins, desired to destroy that Sacrifice and with that object made a bow.
लोकयज्ञः क्रियायज्ञे गृहयज्ञः सनातनः। पञ्चभूमनृयज्ञश्च जज्ञे सर्वमिदं जगत्॥
There are four sorts of Sacrifices, viz. the Loka-Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of especial rites, the eternal domestic Sacrifice, and the Sacrifice consisting in the gratification of man from his enjoyment of the five elemental substances and their compounds. From these four sorts of Sacrifice that the universe had emanated.
लोकयज्ञैर्नृयज्ञैश्च कपर्दी विदधे धनुः। धनुः सृष्टमभूत् तस्य पञ्चकिष्कुप्रमाणतः॥
Kaparddin made that bow out of the materials of the first and the fourth kinds of Sacrifices. The length of that bow was five cubits.
वषट्कारोऽभवज्या तु धनुषस्तस्य भारत। यज्ञाङ्गानि च चत्वारि तस्य संनहनेऽभवन्॥
the sacred (mantra) Vashat, O Bharata, was made its string. The four parts, of which a Sacrifice consists, became the ornaments of that bow.
ततः क्रुद्धो महादेवस्तदुपादाय कार्मुकम्। आजगामाथा तत्रैव यत्र देवाः समीजिरे॥
Then Mahadeva, worked up with rage, and taking up that bow proceeded to that spot where the celestials were celebrating the Sacrifice.
तमात्तकार्मुकं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मचारिणमव्ययम्। विव्यथे पृथिवी देवी पर्वताश्च चकम्पिरे॥
Seeing the illustrious Rudra arrive there dressed as a Brahmacharin and armed with that bow, the goddess Earth shrank with fear and the mountains began to shake.
न ववौ पवनश्चैव नाग्निर्जज्वाल वैधितः। व्यभ्रमचापि संविग्नं दिवि नक्षत्रमण्डलम्॥
The wind ceased to move, and fire itself, though fed, did not burn. The stars in the sky, in fear, moved irregularly.
न बभौ भास्करचापि सोमः श्रीमुक्तमण्डलः। तिमिरेणाकुलं सर्वमाकाशं चाभवद् वृतम्॥
The Sun's effulgence decreased. The disc of the Moon lost its beauty. The entire sky was covered with a thick darkness.
अभिभूतास्ततो देवा विषयान्न प्रजज्ञिरे। न प्रत्यभाच्च यज्ञः स देवतास्त्रेसिरे तथा॥
The celestials did not know what to do. Their Sacrifice ceased to blaze forth. The gods were all terrified.
ततः स यज्ञं विव्याध रौद्रेण हृदि पत्रिणा। अपक्रान्तस्ततो यज्ञो मृगा भूत्वा सपावकः॥
Rudra then cut the embodiment of Sacrifice with a dreadful arrow in the heart. Assuming the shape of a deer, the embodied from of Sacrifice, fled away with the god of fire.
स तु तेनैव रूपेण दिवं प्राप्य व्यराजत। अन्वीयमानो रुद्रेण युधिष्ठिर नभस्तले॥
Approaching heaven in that form, he shone in beauty. Rudra, however, O Yudhishthira, pursued him through the sky.
अपक्रान्ते ततो यज्ञे सज्ञां न प्रत्यभात् सुरान्। नष्टसंज्ञेषु देवेषु न प्राज्ञायत किंचन॥
After Sacrifice had fled away, the gods lost their beauty. Having lost their senses, the gods were bewildered.
त्र्यम्बक सवितुर्बाहू भगस्य नयने तथा। पूष्णश्च दशनान् क्रुद्धो धनुष्कोट्या व्यशातयत्॥
Then the three-eyed Mahadeva, with his bow, broke in anger the arms of Savitri, and plucked out the eyes of Bhaga and the teeth of Pushna.
प्राद्रवन्त ततो देवा यज्ञाङ्गानि च सर्वशः। केचित् तत्रैव पूर्णन्तो गतासव इवाभवन्॥
The gods and the several parts of Sacrifice fled away. Some amongst the them rolling dropped down senseless.
स तु विद्राव्य तत् सर्वं शितिकण्ठोऽवहस्य च। अवष्टभ्य धनुष्कोटि रुरोध विबुधांस्ततः॥
Having agitated them thus the blue throated Rudra, laughed aloud and whirling his bow, paralysed them.
ततो वागमरैरुक्ता ज्यां तस्य धनुषोऽच्छिनत्। आ तत् सहसा राजंश्छिन्नज्यं व्यस्फुरद् धनुः॥
The celestials then cried aloud. At their command, the string of the bow broke. The string having broken, the bow became straight as a line.
ततो विधनुषं देवा देवश्रेष्ठमुपागमन्। शरणं सह यज्ञेन प्रसादं चाकरोत् प्रभुः॥
The gods then came to the god of gods, and, with the embodied form of Sacrifice, sought the protection of the powerful Mahadeva and tried to please him.
ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान् स्थाष्य कोपं जलाशये। स जलं पावको भूत्वा शोषयत्यनिशं प्रभो॥
Pleased, the great god threw his anger into the water. O king, assuming the from of fire, that wrath is always busy with consuming water.
भगस्य नयने चैव बाहू च सवितुस्तथा। प्रादात् पूष्णश्च दशनान् पुनर्यज्ञांश्च पाण्डव॥
He then gave to Savitri his arms, Bhaga his eyes, and Pushna his teeth. And he also restored the Sacrifices themselves, O Pandava.
ततः सुस्थमिदं सर्वं बभूव पुनरेव हि। सर्वाणि च हवींष्यस्य देवा भागमकल्पयन्॥
The world was once more saved. The gods assigned to Mahadeva all the libations of clarified butter as his share of sacrificial offerings.
तस्मिन् क्रुद्धेऽभवत् सर्वमसुस्थं भुवनं प्रभो। प्रसन्ने च पुनः सुस्थं प्रसन्नोऽस्य च वीर्यवान्॥
O monarch, when Mahadeva had become angry, the whole world was thus agitated, and, when he became gratified, Everything was safe. Highly powerful, the god Mahadeva was pleased with Ashvatthaman.
ततस्ते निहताः सर्वे तव पुत्रा महारथाः। अन्ये च बहवः शूराः पाञ्चालस्य पदानुगाः॥
Therefore your sons, those great carwarriors, could be killed by that warrior. And therefore also many other heroes, viz., the Panchala's, with all their followers, could be killed by him.
न तन्मनसि कर्तव्यं न च तद् द्रौणिना कृतम्। महादेवप्रसादेन कुरु कार्यमनन्तरम्॥
You should not think of it. It was not Drona's son that performed that act. It was done through the power of Mahadeva. Do now what should be done next."