The Creatures of Khandava Perish; Indra Sends Rain

Verse 1 (1.252.1)

तौ रथाभ्यां रथश्रेष्ठौ दावस्योभयतः स्थितौ । दिक्षु सर्वासु भूतानां चक्राते कदनं महत् ॥

tau rathābhyāṃ rathaśreṣṭhau dāvasyobhayataḥ sthitau | dikṣu sarvāsu bhūtānāṃ cakrāte kadanaṃ mahat

Those two foremost of chariot-fighters, posted in their chariots on both sides of the forest, wrought a great slaughter of creatures in every direction.

Verse 2 (1.252.2)

यत्र यत्र च दृश्यन्ते प्राणिनः खाण्डवालयाः । पलायन्तः प्रवीरौ तौ तत्रतत्राभ्यधावताम् ॥

yatra yatra ca dṛśyante prāṇinaḥ khāṇḍavālayāḥ | palāyantaḥ pravīrau tau tatratatrābhyadhāvatām

Wherever the creatures living in Khandava were seen fleeing, there the two heroes rushed.

Verse 3 (1.252.3)

छिद्रं न स्म प्रपश्यन्ति रथयोराशुचारिणोः । आविद्धावेव दृश्येते रथिनौ तौ रथोत्तमौ ॥

chidraṃ na sma prapaśyanti rathayorāśucāriṇoḥ | āviddhāveva dṛśyete rathinau tau rathottamau

The creatures could find no gap between the two swift-moving chariots; the two warriors, best of chariot-fighters, seemed to whirl round and round like firebrands.

Verse 4 (1.252.4)

खाण्डवे दह्यमाने तु भूतान्यथ सहस्रशः । उत्पेतुर्भैरवान्नादान्विनदन्तः समन्ततः ॥

khāṇḍave dahyamāne tu bhūtānyatha sahasraśaḥ | utpeturbhairavānnādānvinadantaḥ samantataḥ

As Khandava burned, creatures leapt up in their thousands, crying terrible cries on every side.

Verse 5 (1.252.5)

दग्धैकदेशा बहवो निष्टप्ताश्च तथाऽपरे । स्फुटिताक्षा विशीर्णाश्च विप्लुताश्च तथाऽपरे ॥

dagdhaikadeśā bahavo niṣṭaptāśca tathā'pare | sphuṭitākṣā viśīrṇāśca viplutāśca tathā'pare

Many were burned in one part of the body, others were scorched; some had their eyes burst, some were torn apart, and still others ran about in panic.

Verse 6 (1.252.6)

समालिङ्ग्य सुतानन्ये पितॄन्भ्रातॄनथाऽपरे । त्यक्तुं न शेकुः स्नेहेन तत्रैव निधनं गताः ॥

samāliṅgya sutānanye pitṝnbhrātṝnathā'pare | tyaktuṃ na śekuḥ snehena tatraiva nidhanaṃ gatāḥ

Some clasped their sons, others their fathers and brothers, and, unable for love to leave them, died right there.

Verse 7 (1.252.7)

सन्दष्टदशनाश्चान्ये समुत्पेतुरनेकशः । ततस्तेऽतीव घूर्णन्तः पुनरग्नौ प्रपेदिरे ॥

sandaṣṭadaśanāścānye samutpeturanekaśaḥ | tataste'tīva ghūrṇantaḥ punaragnau prapedire

Others, gnashing their teeth, leapt up in great numbers; then, reeling wildly, they fell back into the fire.

Verse 8 (1.252.8)

दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले । तत्रतत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्तः शरीरिणः ॥

dagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇā viceṣṭanto mahītale | tatratatra sma dṛśyante vinaśyantaḥ śarīriṇaḥ

With wings, eyes and feet burnt, creatures were seen here and there writhing on the ground and perishing.

Verse 9 (1.252.9)

जलाशयेषु तप्तेषु क्वाथ्यमानेषु वह्निना । गतसत्त्वाः स्म दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्याः समन्ततः ॥

jalāśayeṣu tapteṣu kvāthyamāneṣu vahninā | gatasattvāḥ sma dṛśyante kūrmamatsyāḥ samantataḥ

In the pools, heated and brought to the boil by the fire, tortoises and fish were seen lifeless all around.

Note on the text: Corrected गतसत्वाः → गतसत्त्वाः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त in सत्त्व, as in the critical edition's gatasattvāḥ).

Verse 10 (1.252.10)

शरीरैरपरे दीप्तैर्देहवन्त इवाग्नयः । अदृश्यन्त वने तत्र प्राणिनः प्राणिसंक्षये ॥

śarīrairapare dīptairdehavanta ivāgnayaḥ | adṛśyanta vane tatra prāṇinaḥ prāṇisaṃkṣaye

Other creatures there in the forest, their bodies ablaze, looked like fires that had taken bodily form, in that destruction of living things.

Verse 11 (1.252.11)

कांश्चिदुत्पततः पार्थः शरैः संछिद्य खण्डशः । पातयामास विहगान्प्रदीप्ते वसुरेतसि ॥

kāṃścidutpatataḥ pārthaḥ śaraiḥ saṃchidya khaṇḍaśaḥ | pātayāmāsa vihagānpradīpte vasuretasi

Some birds that flew up Partha cut to pieces with his arrows and brought down into the blazing fire.

Verse 12 (1.252.12)

ते शराचितसर्वाङ्गा निनदन्तो महारवान् । ऊर्ध्वमुत्पत्य वेगेन निपेतुः खाण्डवे पुनः ॥

te śarācitasarvāṅgā ninadanto mahāravān | ūrdhvamutpatya vegena nipetuḥ khāṇḍave punaḥ

Their whole bodies stuck with arrows, crying loud cries, they flew swiftly upward and fell back into Khandava.

Verse 13 (1.252.13)

शरैरभ्याहतानां च सङ्घशः स्म वनौकसाम् । विरावः शुश्रुवे घोरः समुद्रस्येव मथ्यतः ॥

śarairabhyāhatānāṃ ca saṅghaśaḥ sma vanaukasām | virāvaḥ śuśruve ghoraḥ samudrasyeva mathyataḥ

From the forest-dwellers struck down by arrows in their flocks a dreadful cry was heard, like the roar of the ocean as it was churned.

Verse 14 (1.252.14)

वह्नेश्चापि प्रदीप्तस्य खमुत्पेतुर्महार्चिषः । जनयामासुरुद्वेगं सुमहान्तं दिवौकसाम् ॥

vahneścāpi pradīptasya khamutpeturmahārciṣaḥ | janayāmāsurudvegaṃ sumahāntaṃ divaukasām

And great flames from the blazing fire leapt up into the sky and caused very great alarm among the dwellers of heaven.

Verse 15 (1.252.15)

तेनार्चिषा सुसन्तप्ता देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः । ततो जग्मुर्महात्मानः सर्व एव दिवौकसः । शतक्रतुं सहस्राक्षं देवेशमसुरार्दनम् ॥

tenārciṣā susantaptā devāḥ sarṣipurogamāḥ | tato jagmurmahātmānaḥ sarva eva divaukasaḥ | śatakratuṃ sahasrākṣaṃ deveśamasurārdanam

Scorched by that flame, the gods with the seers at their head, all the great-souled dwellers of heaven, went to Shatakratu, the thousand-eyed lord of the gods, tormentor of the asuras.

Note on the text: The first line (तेनार्चिषा सुसन्तप्ता…) is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 16 (1.252.16)

किं न्विमे मानवाः सर्वे दह्यन्ते चित्रभानुना । कच्चिन्न संक्षयः प्राप्तो लोकानाममरेश्वर ॥

kiṃ nvime mānavāḥ sarve dahyante citrabhānunā | kaccinna saṃkṣayaḥ prāpto lokānāmamareśvara

"Why are all these mortals being burned by the fire? Has the destruction of the worlds come, lord of the immortals?"

Verse 17 (1.252.17)

तच्छ्रुत्वा वृत्रहा तेभ्यः स्वयमेवान्ववेक्ष्य च । खाण्डवस्य विमोक्षार्थं प्रययौ हरिवाहनः ॥

tacchrutvā vṛtrahā tebhyaḥ svayamevānvavekṣya ca | khāṇḍavasya vimokṣārthaṃ prayayau harivāhanaḥ

Hearing this from them, the slayer of Vritra looked into it himself, and he whose steeds are bay set out to free Khandava.

Verse 18 (1.252.18)

महता रथबृन्देन नानारूपेण वासवः । आकाशं समवाकीर्य प्रववर्ष सुरेश्वरः ॥

mahatā rathabṛndena nānārūpeṇa vāsavaḥ | ākāśaṃ samavākīrya pravavarṣa sureśvaraḥ

Vasava, lord of the gods, covering the sky with a great host of chariots of many forms, poured down rain.

Verse 19 (1.252.19)

ततोऽक्षमात्रा व्यसृजन्धाराः शतसहस्रशः । चोदिता देवराजेन जलदाः खाण्डवं प्रति ॥

tato'kṣamātrā vyasṛjandhārāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ | coditā devarājena jaladāḥ khāṇḍavaṃ prati

Then, urged on by the king of the gods, the clouds let loose upon Khandava streams as thick as chariot axles, by hundreds of thousands.

Verse 20 (1.252.20)

असंप्राप्तास्तु ता धारास्तेजसा जातवेदसः । ख एव समशुष्यन्त नकाश्चित्पावकं गताः ॥

asaṃprāptāstu tā dhārāstejasā jātavedasaḥ | kha eva samaśuṣyanta nakāścitpāvakaṃ gatāḥ

But those streams, before they could reach it, dried up in the sky itself from the heat of Jatavedas; not one of them reached the fire.

Note on the text: Corrected समुशुष्यन्त → समशुष्यन्त (misprint in Wikisource; उ for the augment अ in the imperfect सम्-अशुष्यन्त, as in the critical edition's samaśuṣyanta).

Verse 21 (1.252.21)

ततो नमुचिहा क्रुद्धो भृशमर्चिष्मतस्तदा । पुनरेव महामेघैरम्भांसि व्यसृजद्बहु ॥

tato namucihā kruddho bhṛśamarciṣmatastadā | punareva mahāmeghairambhāṃsi vyasṛjadbahu

Then the slayer of Namuchi, furious with the flaming one, once more let loose a flood of water from great clouds.

Verse 22 (1.252.22)

अर्चिर्धाराभिसंबद्धं धूमविद्युत्समाकुलम् । बभूव तद्वनं घोरं स्तनयित्नुसमाकुलम् ॥

arcirdhārābhisaṃbaddhaṃ dhūmavidyutsamākulam | babhūva tadvanaṃ ghoraṃ stanayitnusamākulam

Locked together with flames and torrents of rain, filled with smoke and lightning, crowded with thunder, that forest became a fearful sight.