Sunda and Upasunda Lay Waste the Worlds

Verse 1 (1.230.1)

उत्सवे वृत्तमात्रे तु त्रैलोक्याकाङ्क्षिणावुभौ । मन्त्रयित्वा ततः सेनां तावज्ञापयतां तदा ॥

utsave vṛttamātre tu trailokyākāṅkṣiṇāvubhau | mantrayitvā tataḥ senāṃ tāvajñāpayatāṃ tadā

As soon as the festival was over, the two, eager for the three worlds, took counsel and then gave orders to their army.

Verse 2 (1.230.2)

सुहृद्भिरप्यनुज्ञातौ दैत्यैर्वृद्धैश्च मन्त्रिभिः । कृत्वा प्रास्थानिकं रात्रौ मघासु ययतुस्तदा ॥

suhṛdbhirapyanujñātau daityairvṛddhaiśca mantribhiḥ | kṛtvā prāsthānikaṃ rātrau maghāsu yayatustadā

With the leave of their friends and of the aged daityas and ministers, they performed the rites for setting out and departed by night, under the constellation Magha.

Verse 3 (1.230.3)

गदापिट्टशधारिण्या शूलमुद्गरहस्तया । प्रस्थितौ सह वर्मिण्या महत्या दैत्यसेनया ॥

gadāpiṭṭaśadhāriṇyā śūlamudgarahastayā | prasthitau saha varmiṇyā mahatyā daityasenayā

They set out with a great armoured army of daityas, bearing maces and pattishas, with spears and clubs in hand.

Verse 4 (1.230.4)

मङ्गलैः स्तुतिभिश्चापि विजयप्रतिसंहितैः । चारणैः स्तूयमानौ तौ जग्मतुः परया मुदा ॥

maṅgalaiḥ stutibhiścāpi vijayapratisaṃhitaiḥ | cāraṇaiḥ stūyamānau tau jagmatuḥ parayā mudā

Praised by the charanas with auspicious songs and hymns that promised victory, the two went on in the greatest delight.

Verse 5 (1.230.5)

तावन्तरिक्षमुत्प्लुत्य दैत्यौ कामगमावुभौ । देवानामेव भवनं जग्मतुर्युद्धदुर्मदौ ॥

tāvantarikṣamutplutya daityau kāmagamāvubhau | devānāmeva bhavanaṃ jagmaturyuddhadurmadau

Leaping up into the sky, the two daityas, who could go wherever they wished and were mad for battle, went straight to the abode of the gods.

Note on the text: Corrected युद्दुर्मदौ → युद्धदुर्मदौ (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, the CE reads yuddhadurmadau).

Verse 6 (1.230.6)

तयोरागमनं ज्ञात्वा वरदानं च तत्प्रभोः । हित्वा त्रिविष्टपं जग्मुर्ब्रह्मलोकं ततः सुराः ॥

tayorāgamanaṃ jñātvā varadānaṃ ca tatprabhoḥ | hitvā triviṣṭapaṃ jagmurbrahmalokaṃ tataḥ surāḥ

Learning of their coming and of the boon the lord had granted, the gods abandoned heaven and went to the world of Brahma.

Verse 7 (1.230.7)

ताविन्द्रलोकं निर्जित्य यक्षरक्षोगणांस्तदा । खेचराण्यपि भूतानि जघ्नतुस्तीव्रविक्रमौ ॥

tāvindralokaṃ nirjitya yakṣarakṣogaṇāṃstadā | khecarāṇyapi bhūtāni jaghnatustīvravikramau

Having conquered the world of Indra, those two of fierce valour then slew the hosts of yakshas and rakshasas, and the creatures that move through the sky as well.

Verse 8 (1.230.8)

अन्तर्भूमिगतान्नागाञ्जित्वा तौ च महारथौ । समुद्रवासिनीः सर्वा म्लेच्छजातीर्विजिग्यतुः ॥

antarbhūmigatānnāgāñjitvā tau ca mahārathau | samudravāsinīḥ sarvā mlecchajātīrvijigyatuḥ

Those two great warriors conquered the nagas who live beneath the earth, and subdued all the barbarian peoples who dwell by the sea.

Verse 9 (1.230.9)

ततः सर्वां महीं जेतुमारब्धावुग्रशासनौ । सैनिकांश्च समाहूय सुतीक्ष्णं वाक्यमूचतुः ॥

tataḥ sarvāṃ mahīṃ jetumārabdhāvugraśāsanau | sainikāṃśca samāhūya sutīkṣṇaṃ vākyamūcatuḥ

Then, harsh in their rule, they set out to conquer the whole earth; and summoning their soldiers, they spoke these sharp words:

Verse 10 (1.230.10)

राजर्षयो महायज्ञैर्हव्यकव्यैर्द्विजातयः । तेजो बलं च देवानां वर्धन्ति श्रियं तथा ॥

rājarṣayo mahāyajñairhavyakavyairdvijātayaḥ | tejo balaṃ ca devānāṃ vardhanti śriyaṃ tathā

"The royal sages with their great sacrifices, and the twice-born with their offerings to the gods and the ancestors, increase the vigour, strength and glory of the gods.

Verse 11 (1.230.11)

तेषामेवं प्रवृत्तानां सर्वेषामसुरद्विषाम् । संभूय सर्वैरस्माभिः कार्यः सर्वात्मना वधः ॥

teṣāmevaṃ pravṛttānāṃ sarveṣāmasuradviṣām | saṃbhūya sarvairasmābhiḥ kāryaḥ sarvātmanā vadhaḥ

All of them who act like this, enemies of the asuras, must be slain by all of us together, with all our might."

Verse 12 (1.230.12)

एवं सर्वान्समादिश्य पूर्वतीरे महोदधेः । क्रूरां मतिं समास्थाय जग्मतुः सर्वतोमुखौ ॥

evaṃ sarvānsamādiśya pūrvatīre mahodadheḥ | krūrāṃ matiṃ samāsthāya jagmatuḥ sarvatomukhau

Having thus commanded them all, the two took up a cruel resolve on the eastern shore of the great ocean and went forth in every direction.

Verse 13 (1.230.13)

यज्ञैर्यजन्ति ये केचिद्याजयन्ति च ये द्विजाः । तान्सर्वान्प्रसभं हत्वा बलिनौ जग्मतुस्ततः ॥

yajñairyajanti ye kecidyājayanti ca ye dvijāḥ | tānsarvānprasabhaṃ hatvā balinau jagmatustataḥ

Whoever offered sacrifices, and the brahmins who officiated at them, all of these the mighty pair slew by force, and then moved on.

Verse 14 (1.230.14)

आश्रमेष्वग्निहोत्राणि मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । गृहीत्वा प्रक्षिपन्त्यप्सु विश्रब्धं सैनिकास्तयोः ॥

āśrameṣvagnihotrāṇi munīnāṃ bhāvitātmanām | gṛhītvā prakṣipantyapsu viśrabdhaṃ sainikāstayoḥ

In the hermitages of sages of perfected spirit, their soldiers fearlessly seized the sacred fires and threw them into the water.

Verse 15 (1.230.15)

तपोधनैश्च ये क्रुद्धैः शापा उक्ता महात्मभिः । नाक्रामन्त तयोस्तेऽपि वरदाननिराकृताः ॥

tapodhanaiśca ye kruddhaiḥ śāpā uktā mahātmabhiḥ | nākrāmanta tayoste'pi varadānanirākṛtāḥ

And the curses that the great-souled ascetics uttered in anger did not take hold of the two either, for the boon had turned them aside.

Verse 16 (1.230.16)

नाक्रामन्त यदा शापा बाणा मुक्ताः शिलास्विव । नियमान्संपरित्यज्य व्यद्रवन्त द्विजातयः ॥

nākrāmanta yadā śāpā bāṇā muktāḥ śilāsviva | niyamānsaṃparityajya vyadravanta dvijātayaḥ

When the curses failed to take hold, like arrows loosed against rocks, the brahmins abandoned their observances and fled.

Verse 17 (1.230.17)

पृथिव्यां ये तपःसिद्धा दान्ताः शमपरायणाः । तयोर्भयाद्दुद्रुवुस्ते वैनतेयादिवोरगाः ॥

pṛthivyāṃ ye tapaḥsiddhā dāntāḥ śamaparāyaṇāḥ | tayorbhayāddudruvuste vainateyādivoragāḥ

Those on earth who were perfected by austerity, self-controlled and devoted to calm, fled in fear of the two, like snakes before the son of Vinata.

Verse 18 (1.230.18)

मथितैराश्रमैर्भग्नैर्विकीर्णकलशस्रुवैः । शून्यमासीज्जगत्सर्वं कालेनेव हतं तदा ॥

mathitairāśramairbhagnairvikīrṇakalaśasruvaiḥ | śūnyamāsījjagatsarvaṃ kāleneva hataṃ tadā

With the hermitages churned up and broken and their water-pots and ladles scattered, the whole world lay empty, as if struck down by Time.

Verse 19 (1.230.19)

ततो राजन्नदृश्यद्भिर्ऋषिभिश्च महासुरौ । उभौ विनिश्चयं कृत्वा विकुर्वाते वधैषिणौ ॥

tato rājannadṛśyadbhirṛṣibhiśca mahāsurau | ubhau viniścayaṃ kṛtvā vikurvāte vadhaiṣiṇau

Then, O king, since the seers had hidden themselves from sight, the two great asuras settled on a plan together and, bent on slaughter, changed their forms.

Verse 20 (1.230.20)

प्रभिन्नकरटौ मत्तौ भूत्वा कुञ्जररूपिणौ । संलीनमपि दुर्गेषु निन्यतुर्यमसादनम् ॥

prabhinnakaraṭau mattau bhūtvā kuñjararūpiṇau | saṃlīnamapi durgeṣu ninyaturyamasādanam

Taking the form of rutting elephants with temples streaming, they sent to the abode of Yama even those who had hidden in fastnesses.

Verse 21 (1.230.21)

सिंहौ भूत्वा पुनर्व्याघ्रौ पुनश्चान्तर्हितावुभौ । तैस्तैरुपायैस्तौ क्रूरावृषीन्दृष्ट्वा निजघ्नतुः ॥

siṃhau bhūtvā punarvyāghrau punaścāntarhitāvubhau | taistairupāyaistau krūrāvṛṣīndṛṣṭvā nijaghnatuḥ

Becoming lions, then tigers, then again vanishing from sight, by these means and others the cruel pair sought out the seers and killed them.

Verse 22 (1.230.22)

निवृत्तयज्ञस्वाध्याया प्रनष्टनृपतिद्विजा । उत्सन्नोत्सवयज्ञा च बभूव वसुधा तदा ॥

nivṛttayajñasvādhyāyā pranaṣṭanṛpatidvijā | utsannotsavayajñā ca babhūva vasudhā tadā

Sacrifice and Vedic study ceased, kings and brahmins perished, and festivals and sacrifices were wiped from the earth.

Verse 23 (1.230.23)

हाहाभूता भयार्ता च निवृत्तविपणापणा । निवृत्तदेवकार्या च पुण्योद्वाहविवर्जिता ॥

hāhābhūtā bhayārtā ca nivṛttavipaṇāpaṇā | nivṛttadevakāryā ca puṇyodvāhavivarjitā

The earth cried out in woe and was stricken with fear; trade and markets stopped, the rites for the gods ceased, and holy weddings were no more.

Verse 24 (1.230.24)

निवृत्तकृषिगोरक्षा विध्वस्तनगराश्रमा । अस्थिकङ्कालसंकीर्णा भूर्बभूवोग्रदर्शना ॥

nivṛttakṛṣigorakṣā vidhvastanagarāśramā | asthikaṅkālasaṃkīrṇā bhūrbabhūvogradarśanā

Farming and the herding of cattle ceased, towns and hermitages lay in ruins, and the earth, strewn with bones and skeletons, became dreadful to see.

Verse 25 (1.230.25)

निवृत्तपितृकार्यं च निर्वषट्कारमङ्गलम् । जगत्प्रतिभयाकारं दुष्प्रेक्ष्यमभवत्तदा ॥

nivṛttapitṛkāryaṃ ca nirvaṣaṭkāramaṅgalam | jagatpratibhayākāraṃ duṣprekṣyamabhavattadā

The rites for the ancestors ceased, there were no vashat calls and no auspicious ceremonies; the world took on a terrifying aspect and was hard to look upon.

Verse 26 (1.230.26)

चन्द्रादित्यौ ग्रहास्तारा नक्षत्राणि दिवौकसः । जग्मुर्विषादं तत्कर्म दृष्ट्वा सुन्दोपसुन्दयोः ॥

candrādityau grahāstārā nakṣatrāṇi divaukasaḥ | jagmurviṣādaṃ tatkarma dṛṣṭvā sundopasundayoḥ

The sun and the moon, the planets, the stars, the constellations and the dwellers of heaven fell into despair on seeing that deed of Sunda and Upasunda.

Verse 27 (1.230.27)

एवं सर्वा दिशो दैत्यौ जित्वा क्रूरेण कर्मणा । निःसपत्नौ कुरुक्षेत्रे निवेशमभिचक्रतुः ॥

evaṃ sarvā diśo daityau jitvā krūreṇa karmaṇā | niḥsapatnau kurukṣetre niveśamabhicakratuḥ

Having thus conquered every quarter by their cruel deeds, the two daityas, without a rival left, made their dwelling at Kurukshetra.