Rahu Beheaded and the War of Gods and Asuras

Verse 1 (1.19.1)

अथावरणमुख्यानि नानाप्रहरणानि च । प्रगृह्याभ्यद्रवन्देवान्सहिता दैत्यदानवाः ॥

athāvaraṇamukhyāni nānāpraharaṇāni ca | pragṛhyābhyadravandevānsahitā daityadānavāḥ

Then the daityas and danavas, taking up their finest armour and weapons of many kinds, rushed together upon the gods.

Verse 2 (1.19.2)

ततस्तदमृतं देवो विष्णुरादाय वीर्यवान् । जहार दानवेन्द्रेभ्यो नरेण सहितः प्रभुः ॥

tatastadamṛtaṃ devo viṣṇurādāya vīryavān | jahāra dānavendrebhyo nareṇa sahitaḥ prabhuḥ

Then the mighty lord Vishnu, together with Nara, took the nectar and carried it away from the lords of the danavas.

Verse 3 (1.19.3)

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे पपुस्तदमृतं तदा । विष्णोः सकाशात्संप्राप्य संभ्रमे तुमुले सति ॥

tato devagaṇāḥ sarve papustadamṛtaṃ tadā | viṣṇoḥ sakāśātsaṃprāpya saṃbhrame tumule sati

Then all the hosts of the gods, receiving the nectar from Vishnu, drank it there amid the tumult and confusion.

Verse 4 (1.19.4)

पाययत्यमृतं देवान्हरौ बाहुबलान्नरः । निरोधयति चापेन दूरीकृत्य धनुर्धरान् । ये येऽमृतं पिबन्ति स्म ते ते युध्यन्ति दानवैः ॥

pāyayatyamṛtaṃ devānharau bāhubalānnaraḥ | nirodhayati cāpena dūrīkṛtya dhanurdharān | ye ye'mṛtaṃ pibanti sma te te yudhyanti dānavaiḥ

While Hari gave the gods the nectar to drink, Nara, by the strength of his arms, held the foe back with his bow, driving off their archers; and each one who had drunk the nectar turned to fight the danavas.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (` and ;'). Corrected युद्ध्यन्ति → युध्यन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; doubled द). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 5 (1.19.5)

ततः पिबत्सु तत्कालं देवेष्वमृतमीप्सितम् । राहुर्विबुधरूपेण दानवः प्रापिबत्तदा ॥

tataḥ pibatsu tatkālaṃ deveṣvamṛtamīpsitam | rāhurvibudharūpeṇa dānavaḥ prāpibattadā

Then, while the gods were drinking the nectar they had longed for, the danava Rahu, in the guise of a god, drank it as well.

Verse 6 (1.19.6)

तस्य कण्ठमनुप्राप्ते दानवस्यामृते तदा । आख्यातं चन्द्रसूर्याभ्यां सुराणां हितकाम्यया ॥

tasya kaṇṭhamanuprāpte dānavasyāmṛte tadā | ākhyātaṃ candrasūryābhyāṃ surāṇāṃ hitakāmyayā

When the nectar had reached the danava's throat, the Moon and the Sun, wishing the gods well, gave him away.

Verse 7 (1.19.7)

ततो भगवता तस्य शिरश्छिन्नमलंकृतम् । चक्रायुधेन चक्रेण पिबतोऽमृतमोजसा ॥

tato bhagavatā tasya śiraśchinnamalaṃkṛtam | cakrāyudhena cakreṇa pibato'mṛtamojasā

Then the Blessed One, whose weapon is the discus, cut off his adorned head with the discus as he was forcibly drinking the nectar.

Verse 8 (1.19.8)

तच्छैलशृङ्गप्रतिमं दानवस्य शिरो महत् । चक्रेणोत्कृत्तमपतच्चालयद्वसुधातलम् ॥

tacchailaśṛṅgapratimaṃ dānavasya śiro mahat | cakreṇotkṛttamapataccālayadvasudhātalam

The danava's great head, like a mountain peak, severed by the discus, fell and shook the surface of the earth.

Note on the text: Corrected तच्छैलशृह्गप्रङ्गिमं → तच्छैलशृङ्गप्रतिमं (misprint in Wikisource; garbled conjunct and ङ्गि for ति, as in the critical edition). Removed stray wiki marks (` and ।।').

Verse 9 (1.19.9)

चक्रच्छिन्नं खमुत्पत्य ननादातिभयंकरम् । तत्कबन्धं पपातास्य विस्फुरद्धरणीतले ॥

cakracchinnaṃ khamutpatya nanādātibhayaṃkaram | tatkabandhaṃ papātāsya visphuraddharaṇītale

Cut off by the discus, the head leapt into the sky and roared most terribly, while his headless trunk fell writhing to the ground,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 10 (1.19.10)

त्रयोदश सहस्राणि चतुरश्रं समन्ततः । सपर्वतवनद्वीपां दैत्यस्याकम्पयन्महीम् ॥

trayodaśa sahasrāṇi caturaśraṃ samantataḥ | saparvatavanadvīpāṃ daityasyākampayanmahīm

and the daitya's body, thirteen thousand yojanas across on every side, made the earth shake with its mountains, forests and islands.

Note on the text: Removed a stray wiki mark (`). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 11 (1.19.11)

ततो वैरविनिर्बन्धः कृतो राहुमुखेन वै । शाश्वतश्चन्द्रसूर्याभ्यां ग्रसत्यद्यापि चैव तौ ॥

tato vairavinirbandhaḥ kṛto rāhumukhena vai | śāśvataścandrasūryābhyāṃ grasatyadyāpi caiva tau

From then on Rahu's mouth has borne a lasting enmity toward the Moon and the Sun, and to this day it swallows them both.

Verse 12 (1.19.12)

विहाय भगवांश्चापि स्त्रीरूपमतुलं हरिः । नानाप्रहरणैर्भीमैर्दानवान्समकम्पयत् ॥

vihāya bhagavāṃścāpi strīrūpamatulaṃ hariḥ | nānāpraharaṇairbhīmairdānavānsamakampayat

Then the Blessed Hari, casting off his peerless woman's form, made the danavas tremble with many terrible weapons.

Note on the text: Corrected दानवान्तमकम्पयत् → दानवान्समकम्पयत् (misprint in Wikisource; त for स, as in the critical edition).

Verse 13 (1.19.13)

ततः प्रवृत्तः संग्रामः समीपे लवणाम्भसः । सुराणामसुराणां च सर्वघोरतरो महान् ॥

tataḥ pravṛttaḥ saṃgrāmaḥ samīpe lavaṇāmbhasaḥ | surāṇāmasurāṇāṃ ca sarvaghorataro mahān

Then, near the salt sea, a great battle broke out between the gods and the asuras, more terrible than any.

Verse 14 (1.19.14)

प्रासाश्च विपुलास्तीक्ष्णा न्यपतन्त सहस्रशः । तोमराश्च सुतीक्ष्णाग्राः शस्त्राणि विविधानि च ॥

prāsāśca vipulāstīkṣṇā nyapatanta sahasraśaḥ | tomarāśca sutīkṣṇāgrāḥ śastrāṇi vividhāni ca

Huge, sharp lances fell by the thousands, and keen-pointed javelins, and weapons of every kind.

Verse 15 (1.19.15)

ततोऽसुराश्चक्रभिन्ना वमन्तो रुधिरं बहु । असिशक्तिगदारुग्णा निपेतुर्धरणीतले ॥

tato'surāścakrabhinnā vamanto rudhiraṃ bahu | asiśaktigadārugṇā nipeturdharaṇītale

Then the asuras, cut by the discus and broken by swords, spears and maces, fell to the ground vomiting streams of blood.

Verse 16 (1.19.16)

छिन्नानि पट्टिशैश्चैव शिरांसि युधि दारुणैः । तप्तकाञ्चनमालीनि निपेतुरनिशं तदा ॥

chinnāni paṭṭiśaiścaiva śirāṃsi yudhi dāruṇaiḥ | taptakāñcanamālīni nipeturaniśaṃ tadā

Heads hewn off in battle by cruel broad-bladed spears, wearing garlands of burnished gold, fell without cease.

Verse 17 (1.19.17)

रुधिरेणानुलिप्ताङ्गा निहताश्च महासुराः । अद्रीणामिव कूटानि धातुरक्तानि शेरते ॥

rudhireṇānuliptāṅgā nihatāśca mahāsurāḥ | adrīṇāmiva kūṭāni dhāturaktāni śerate

The great asuras lay slain, their limbs smeared with blood, like mountain peaks reddened with ore.

Verse 18 (1.19.18)

हाहाकारः समभवत्तत्र तत्र सहस्रशः । अन्योन्यं छिन्दतां शस्त्रैरादित्ये लोहितायति ॥

hāhākāraḥ samabhavattatra tatra sahasraśaḥ | anyonyaṃ chindatāṃ śastrairāditye lohitāyati

Cries of woe rose by the thousands on every side as they hacked at one another with weapons, while the sun turned red.

Note on the text: Corrected आहाकारः → हाहाकारः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ह, as in the critical edition) and spaced अन्योन्यंछिन्दतां → अन्योन्यं छिन्दतां.

Verse 19 (1.19.19)

परिघैरायसैस्तीक्ष्णैः सन्निकर्षे च मुष्टिभिः । निघ्नतां समरेऽन्योन्यं शब्दो दिवमिवास्पृशत् ॥

parighairāyasaistīkṣṇaiḥ sannikarṣe ca muṣṭibhiḥ | nighnatāṃ samare'nyonyaṃ śabdo divamivāspṛśat

As they struck one another in the fight with sharp iron clubs, and with their fists at close quarters, the din seemed to touch the sky.

Verse 20 (1.19.20)

छिन्धि भिन्धि प्रधाव त्वं पातयाभिसरेति च । व्यश्रूयन्त महाघोराः शब्दास्तत्र समन्ततः ॥

chindhi bhindhi pradhāva tvaṃ pātayābhisareti ca | vyaśrūyanta mahāghorāḥ śabdāstatra samantataḥ

'Cut! Pierce! Charge! Strike him down! Advance!' Such terrible cries were heard there on every side.

Note on the text: Spaced छिन्धिभिन्धि → छिन्धि भिन्धि (run-together words in Wikisource, as in the critical edition).

Verse 21 (1.19.21)

एवं सुतुमुले युद्धे वर्तमाने महाभये । नरनारायणौ देवौ समाजग्मतुराहवम् ॥

evaṃ sutumule yuddhe vartamāne mahābhaye | naranārāyaṇau devau samājagmaturāhavam

While this tumultuous and fearful battle went on, the two gods Nara and Narayana came to the field.

Verse 22 (1.19.22)

तत्र दिव्यं धनुर्दृष्ट्वा नरस्य भगवानपि । चिन्तयामास तच्चक्रं विष्णुर्दानवसूदनम् ॥

tatra divyaṃ dhanurdṛṣṭvā narasya bhagavānapi | cintayāmāsa taccakraṃ viṣṇurdānavasūdanam

Seeing Nara's divine bow there, the Blessed Vishnu called to mind his discus, the slayer of danavas.

Verse 23 (1.19.23)

ततोऽम्बराच्चिन्तितमात्रमागतं । महाप्रभं चक्रममित्रतापनम् । विभावसोस्तुल्यमकुण्ठमण्डलं । सुदर्शनं संयति भीमदर्शनम् ॥

tato'mbarāccintitamātramāgataṃ | mahāprabhaṃ cakramamitratāpanam | vibhāvasostulyamakuṇṭhamaṇḍalaṃ | sudarśanaṃ saṃyati bhīmadarśanam

Then, the moment it was thought of, the discus Sudarshana came from the sky: of great radiance, the scourge of enemies, like fire itself, its rim never blunted, terrible to behold in battle.

Verse 24 (1.19.24)

तदागतं ज्वलितहुताशनप्रभं । भयंकरं करिकरबाहुरच्युतः । मुमोच वै प्रबलवदुग्रवेगवा- । न्महाप्रभं परनगरावदारणम् ॥

tadāgataṃ jvalitahutāśanaprabhaṃ | bhayaṃkaraṃ karikarabāhuracyutaḥ | mumoca vai prabalavadugravegavā- | nmahāprabhaṃ paranagarāvadāraṇam

It came, blazing like a kindled fire, fearsome; and Achyuta, whose arms were like an elephant's trunk, mighty and of fierce speed, let fly that radiant discus, the shatterer of enemy cities.

Verse 25 (1.19.25)

तदन्तकज्वलनसमानवर्चसं । पुनःपुनर्न्यपतत वेगवत्तदा । विदारयद्दितिदनुजान्सहस्रशः । करेरितं पुरुषवरेण संयुगे ॥

tadantakajvalanasamānavarcasaṃ | punaḥpunarnyapatata vegavattadā | vidārayadditidanujānsahasraśaḥ | kareritaṃ puruṣavareṇa saṃyuge

Splendid as the fire of the Destroyer, it struck swiftly again and again, hurled in battle by the hand of the best of beings, tearing apart the sons of Diti and Danu by the thousands.

Verse 26 (1.19.26)

दहत्क्वचिज्ज्वलन इवावलेलिह- । त्प्रसह्य तानसुरगणान्न्यकृन्तत । प्रवेरितं वियति मुहुः क्षितौ तथा । पपौ रणे रुधिरमथो पिशाचवत् ॥

dahatkvacijjvalana ivāvaleliha- | tprasahya tānasuragaṇānnyakṛntata | praveritaṃ viyati muhuḥ kṣitau tathā | papau raṇe rudhiramatho piśācavat

Here burning like fire, licking at them, it cut down the hosts of asuras by force; hurled again and again into the sky and onto the earth, it drank their blood in battle like a pishacha.

Verse 27 (1.19.27)

तथाऽसुरा गिरिभिरदीनचेतसो । मुहुर्मुहुः सुरगणमार्दयंस्तदा । महाबला विगलितमेघवर्चसः । सहस्रशो गगनमभिप्रपद्य ह ॥

tathā'surā giribhiradīnacetaso | muhurmuhuḥ suragaṇamārdayaṃstadā | mahābalā vigalitameghavarcasaḥ | sahasraśo gaganamabhiprapadya ha

Even so the asuras, undaunted and mighty, with the lustre of scattering clouds, rose into the sky by the thousands and battered the hosts of gods with mountains again and again.

Note on the text: Spaced अभिप्रपद्यह → अभिप्रपद्य ह (run-together words in Wikisource, as in the critical edition).

Verse 28 (1.19.28)

अथाम्बराद्भयजननाः प्रपेदिरे । सपादपा बहुविधमेघरूपिणः । महाद्रयः परिगलिताग्रसानवः । परस्परं द्रुतमभिहत्य सस्वनाः ॥

athāmbarādbhayajananāḥ prapedire | sapādapā bahuvidhamegharūpiṇaḥ | mahādrayaḥ parigalitāgrasānavaḥ | parasparaṃ drutamabhihatya sasvanāḥ

Then from the sky great mountains came crashing down, spreading terror, trees and all, like clouds of many shapes, their crests and ridges crumbling, striking against one another with a roar.

Verse 29 (1.19.29)

ततो मही प्रविचलिता सकानना । महाद्रिपाताभिहता समन्ततः । परस्परं भृशमभिगर्जतां मुहू । रणाजिरे भृशमभिसंप्रवर्तिते ॥

tato mahī pravicalitā sakānanā | mahādripātābhihatā samantataḥ | parasparaṃ bhṛśamabhigarjatāṃ muhū | raṇājire bhṛśamabhisaṃpravartite

Then the earth with its forests quaked on every side, struck by the falling of great mountains, while on the field the fighting raged and the warriors roared at one another again and again.

Verse 30 (1.19.30)

नरस्ततो वरकनकाग्रभूषणै- । र्महेषुभिर्गगनपथं समावृणोत् । विदारयन्गिरिशिखराणि पत्रिभि- । र्महाभयेऽसुरगणविग्रहे तदा ॥

narastato varakanakāgrabhūṣaṇai- | rmaheṣubhirgaganapathaṃ samāvṛṇot | vidārayangiriśikharāṇi patribhi- | rmahābhaye'suragaṇavigrahe tadā

Then, in that dreadful clash with the asura hosts, Nara covered the path of the sky with great arrows tipped with fine gold, shattering the mountain peaks with his feathered shafts.

Verse 31 (1.19.31)

ततो महीं लवणजलं च सागरं । महासुराः प्रविविशुरर्दिताः सुरैः । वियद्गतं ज्वलितहुताशनप्रभं । सुदर्शनं परिकुपितं निशाम्य ते ॥

tato mahīṃ lavaṇajalaṃ ca sāgaraṃ | mahāsurāḥ praviviśurarditāḥ suraiḥ | viyadgataṃ jvalitahutāśanaprabhaṃ | sudarśanaṃ parikupitaṃ niśāmya te

Then the great asuras, hard pressed by the gods, seeing Sudarshana in the sky, blazing like a kindled fire and fiercely angry, fled into the earth and into the salt waters of the ocean.

Verse 32 (1.19.32)

ततः सुरैर्विजयमवाप्य मन्दरः । स्वमेव देशं गमितः सुपूजितः । विनाद्य खं दिवमपि चैव सर्वश- । स्ततो गताः सलिलधरा यथागतम् ॥

tataḥ surairvijayamavāpya mandaraḥ | svameva deśaṃ gamitaḥ supūjitaḥ | vinādya khaṃ divamapi caiva sarvaśa- | stato gatāḥ saliladharā yathāgatam

Then, the gods having won the victory, Mandara was duly honoured and taken back to its own place; and the rain-clouds, having made the heavens and the sky resound on every side, went back as they had come.

Verse 33 (1.19.33)

ततोऽमृतं सुनिहितमेव चक्रिरे । सुराः परां मुदमभिगम्य पुष्कलाम् । ददौ च तं निधिममृतस्य रक्षितुं । किरीटिने बलभिदथामरैः सह ॥

tato'mṛtaṃ sunihitameva cakrire | surāḥ parāṃ mudamabhigamya puṣkalām | dadau ca taṃ nidhimamṛtasya rakṣituṃ | kirīṭine balabhidathāmaraiḥ saha

Then the gods, filled with the highest and fullest joy, laid the nectar safely away; and Indra, the slayer of Bala, together with the immortals, gave that treasure of nectar to the diademed Nara to guard.

Note on the text: Corrected पुरां → परां and ददो → ददौ (misprints in Wikisource; wrong vowel signs, as in the critical edition).