The Birth of Skanda and the Death of Taraka

Verse 1 (13.133.1)

उक्ताः पितामहेनेह सुवर्णस्य विधानतः । विस्तरेण प्रदानस्य ये गुणाः श्रुतिलक्षणाः ॥

uktāḥ pitāmaheneha suvarṇasya vidhānataḥ | vistareṇa pradānasya ye guṇāḥ śrutilakṣaṇāḥ

The Grandsire has told us in detail about gold, and about the merits of giving it, as the scriptures lay them down.

Verse 2 (13.133.2)

यत्तु कारणमुत्पत्तेः सुवर्णस्य प्रकीर्तितम् । स कथं तारकः प्राप्तो निधनं तद्ब्रवीहि मे ॥

yattu kāraṇamutpatteḥ suvarṇasya prakīrtitam | sa kathaṃ tārakaḥ prāpto nidhanaṃ tadbravīhi me

But how did Taraka meet his death, the reason you gave for the origin of gold? Tell me that.

Verse 3 (13.133.3)

उक्तः स दैवतानां हि अवध्य इति पार्थिव । कथं तस्याभवन्मृत्युर्विस्तरेण प्रकीर्तय ॥

uktaḥ sa daivatānāṃ hi avadhya iti pārthiva | kathaṃ tasyābhavanmṛtyurvistareṇa prakīrtaya

It has been said, O king, that he could not be killed by the gods. How then did he come to die? Tell it at length.

Note on the text: Corrected उक्तं स → उक्तः स (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'uktaḥ sa'; the neuter 'उक्तं' cannot agree with 'स'). The first line = CE 13.86.3a; the second line is a recension variant (CE: na ca tasyeha te mṛtyur vistareṇa prakīrtitaḥ).

Verse 4 (13.133.4)

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं त्वत्तः कुरुकुलोद्वह । कार्त्स्न्येन तारकवधं परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥

etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ tvattaḥ kurukulodvaha | kārtsnyena tārakavadhaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

O pride of the Kuru line, I wish to hear this from you: the whole account of the slaying of Taraka, for my curiosity is very great.

Verse 5 (13.133.5)

विपन्नकृत्या राजेन्द्र देवता ऋषयस्तथा । कृत्तिकाश्चोदयामासुरपत्यभरणाय वै ॥

vipannakṛtyā rājendra devatā ṛṣayastathā | kṛttikāścodayāmāsurapatyabharaṇāya vai

O king of kings, the gods and the sages, their purpose having failed, urged the Krittikas to nurse the offspring.

Verse 6 (13.133.6)

न देवतानां काचिद्धि समर्था जातवेदसः । एता हि शक्तास्तं गर्भं सन्धारयितुमोजसा ॥

na devatānāṃ kāciddhi samarthā jātavedasaḥ | etā hi śaktāstaṃ garbhaṃ sandhārayitumojasā

None among the gods was able to bear the fire's embryo; only these women were strong enough to hold that embryo by their power.

Verse 7 (13.133.7)

षण्णां तासां ततः प्रीतः पावको गर्भधारणात् । स्वेन तेजोविसर्गेण वीर्येण परमेण च ॥

ṣaṇṇāṃ tāsāṃ tataḥ prītaḥ pāvako garbhadhāraṇāt | svena tejovisargeṇa vīryeṇa parameṇa ca

The fire was pleased with those six for bearing the embryo, and he gave of his own fiery power and his supreme vigour.

Verse 8 (13.133.8)

तास्तु षट् कृत्तिका गर्भं पुपुषुर्जातवेदसः । षट्सु वर्त्मसु तेजोऽग्नेः सकलं निहितं प्रभो ॥

tāstu ṣaṭ kṛttikā garbhaṃ pupuṣurjātavedasaḥ | ṣaṭsu vartmasu tejo'gneḥ sakalaṃ nihitaṃ prabho

Those six Krittikas nourished the embryo of the fire; into the six passages, O lord, the whole of Agni's fire was placed.

Verse 9 (13.133.9)

ततस्ता वर्धमानस्य कुमारस्य महात्मनः । तेजसाऽभिपरीताङ्ग्यो न क्वचिच्छर्म लेभिरे ॥

tatastā vardhamānasya kumārasya mahātmanaḥ | tejasā'bhiparītāṅgyo na kvaciccharma lebhire

As the great-souled child grew, they were so overcome by his heat that they could find comfort nowhere.

Verse 10 (13.133.10)

ततस्तेजःपरीताङ्ग्यः सर्वाः काल उपस्थिते । समं गर्भं सुषुविरे कृत्तिकास्ता नरर्षभ ॥

tatastejaḥparītāṅgyaḥ sarvāḥ kāla upasthite | samaṃ garbhaṃ suṣuvire kṛttikāstā nararṣabha

Then, scorched by the heat, when the time came, all the Krittikas together bore the embryo, O best of men.

Note on the text: Corrected कृतिकास्ता → कृत्तिकास्ता (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'kṛttikās tā').

Verse 11 (13.133.11)

ततस्तं षडधिष्ठानं गर्भमेकत्वमागतम् । पृथिवी प्रतिजग्राह कृत्तिकानां समीपतः ॥

tatastaṃ ṣaḍadhiṣṭhānaṃ garbhamekatvamāgatam | pṛthivī pratijagrāha kṛttikānāṃ samīpataḥ

Then the Earth received, from near the Krittikas, that embryo, which had six abodes and had become one.

Note on the text: Corrected ष॰धिष्ठानं → षडधिष्ठानं (misprint in Wikisource; stray ॰ mark for the dropped ड; CE reads 'ṣaḍadhiṣṭhānaṃ').

Verse 12 (13.133.12)

स गर्भो दिव्यसंस्थानो दीप्तिमान्पावकप्रभः । दिव्यं शरवणं प्राप्य ववृधे प्रियदर्शनः ॥

sa garbho divyasaṃsthāno dīptimānpāvakaprabhaḥ | divyaṃ śaravaṇaṃ prāpya vavṛdhe priyadarśanaḥ

That embryo, of divine form, radiant and shining like fire, reached the divine reed-forest and grew there, lovely to behold.

Verse 13 (13.133.13)

ददृशुः कृत्तिकास्तं तु बालमर्कसमद्युतिम् । जातस्नेहाश्च सौहार्दात्पुपुषुः स्तन्यविस्रवैः ॥

dadṛśuḥ kṛttikāstaṃ tu bālamarkasamadyutim | jātasnehāśca sauhārdātpupuṣuḥ stanyavisravaiḥ

The Krittikas saw the boy, bright as the sun, and with love born of kindness they nourished him with streams of milk from their breasts.

Note on the text: Corrected स्तन्तविस्रवैः → स्तन्यविस्रवैः (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'stanyavisravaiḥ').

Verse 14 (13.133.14)

अभवत्कार्तिकेयः स त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । स्कन्नत्वात्स्कन्दतां प्राप्तो गुहावासाद्गुहोऽभवत् ॥

abhavatkārtikeyaḥ sa trailokye sacarācare | skannatvātskandatāṃ prāpto guhāvāsādguho'bhavat

He became Karttikeya in the three worlds, moving and unmoving; because he had fallen (skanna) he came to be called Skanda, and because he lived in a cave (guha) he became Guha.

Verse 15 (13.133.15)

ततो देवास्त्रयस्त्रिंशद्दिशश्च सदिगीश्वराः । रुद्रो धाता च विष्णुश्च यमः पूषाऽर्यमा भगः ॥

tato devāstrayastriṃśaddiśaśca sadigīśvarāḥ | rudro dhātā ca viṣṇuśca yamaḥ pūṣā'ryamā bhagaḥ

Then the thirty-three gods, the quarters with the lords of the quarters, Rudra, Dhatri, Vishnu, Yama, Pushan, Aryaman, Bhaga,

Verse 16 (13.133.16)

अंशो मित्रश्च साध्याश्च वासवो वसवोऽश्विनौ । आपो वायुर्नभश्चन्द्रो नक्षत्राणि ग्रहा रविः ॥

aṃśo mitraśca sādhyāśca vāsavo vasavo'śvinau | āpo vāyurnabhaścandro nakṣatrāṇi grahā raviḥ

Amsha, Mitra, the Sadhyas, Vasava, the Vasus, the two Ashvins, the Waters, Vayu, Space, the Moon, the stars, the planets, and the Sun,

Verse 17 (13.133.17)

पृथग्भूतानि चान्यानि यानि देवगणानि वै । आजग्मुस्तेऽद्भुतं द्रष्टुं कुमारं ज्वलनात्मजम् ॥

pṛthagbhūtāni cānyāni yāni devagaṇāni vai | ājagmuste'dbhutaṃ draṣṭuṃ kumāraṃ jvalanātmajam

and whatever other hosts of gods there are, each apart, came to see that wonder, the child born of fire.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 13.86.17a, 17c (recension variant in the first line).

Verse 18 (13.133.18)

ऋषयस्तुष्टुवुश्चैव गन्धर्वाश्च जगुस्तथा । षडाननं कुमारं तु द्विषडक्षं द्विजप्रियम् ॥

ṛṣayastuṣṭuvuścaiva gandharvāśca jagustathā | ṣaḍānanaṃ kumāraṃ tu dviṣaḍakṣaṃ dvijapriyam

The sages praised him and the Gandharvas sang, as they beheld the six-faced boy, twelve-eyed, dear to the twice-born,

Note on the text: First line = CE 13.86.17e; second line = CE 18a.

Verse 19 (13.133.19)

पीनांसं द्वादशभुजं पावकादित्यवर्चसम् । शयानं शरगुल्मस्थं दृष्ट्वा देवाः सहर्षिभिः । लेभिरे परमं हर्षं मेनिरे चासुरं हतम् ॥

pīnāṃsaṃ dvādaśabhujaṃ pāvakādityavarcasam | śayānaṃ śaragulmasthaṃ dṛṣṭvā devāḥ saharṣibhiḥ | lebhire paramaṃ harṣaṃ menire cāsuraṃ hatam

broad-shouldered, twelve-armed, bright as fire and the sun, lying in the clump of reeds. Seeing him, the gods with the sages felt supreme joy and thought the asura already slain.

Note on the text: Three-line verse as printed on the page (13-133-19a,b,c) = CE 13.86.18c, 19a and 19c.

Verse 20 (13.133.20)

ततो देवाः प्रियाण्यस्य सर्व एव समाहरन् । क्रीडतः क्रीडनीयानि ददुः पक्षिगणांश्च ह ॥

tato devāḥ priyāṇyasya sarva eva samāharan | krīḍataḥ krīḍanīyāni daduḥ pakṣigaṇāṃśca ha

Then all the gods brought him things he would love, toys for him to play with, and gave him flocks of birds.

Verse 21 (13.133.21)

सुपर्णोऽस्य ददौ पुत्रं मयूरं चित्रबर्हिणम् । राक्षसाश्च ददुस्तस्मै वराहमहिषावुभौ ॥

suparṇo'sya dadau putraṃ mayūraṃ citrabarhiṇam | rākṣasāśca dadustasmai varāhamahiṣāvubhau

Suparna gave him his son, the peacock of varied plumage; the Rakshasas gave him a boar and a buffalo.

Verse 22 (13.133.22)

कुक्कुटं चाग्निसङ्काशं प्रददावरुणः स्वयम् । चन्द्रमाः प्रददौ मेषमादित्यो रुचिरां प्रभाम् ॥

kukkuṭaṃ cāgnisaṅkāśaṃ pradadāvaruṇaḥ svayam | candramāḥ pradadau meṣamādityo rucirāṃ prabhām

Aruna himself gave him a cock, fiery in splendour; the Moon gave a ram, and the Sun a lovely radiance.

Verse 23 (13.133.23)

गवां माता च गा देवी ददौ शतसहस्रशः । छागमग्निर्गुणोपेतमिला पुष्पफलं बहु ॥

gavāṃ mātā ca gā devī dadau śatasahasraśaḥ | chāgamagnirguṇopetamilā puṣpaphalaṃ bahu

The mother of cows, the goddess of cows, gave cows by the hundred thousand; Agni gave a fine goat, and Ila gave abundant flowers and fruit.

Verse 24 (13.133.24)

सुधन्वा शकटं चैव रथं चाञ्चितकूबरम् । वरुणो वारुणान्दिव्यान्सगजान्प्रददौ शुभान् ॥

sudhanvā śakaṭaṃ caiva rathaṃ cāñcitakūbaram | varuṇo vāruṇāndivyānsagajānpradadau śubhān

Sudhanva gave a cart and a chariot with a curved pole; Varuna gave beautiful, splendid creatures of the waters, together with elephants.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 13.86.24a, 24c (recension variants).

Verse 25 (13.133.25)

सिंहान्सुरेन्द्रो व्याघ्रांश्च द्विपानन्यांश्च दंष्ट्रिणः । श्वापदांश्च बहून्घोराञ्शस्त्राणि विविधानि च ॥

siṃhānsurendro vyāghrāṃśca dvipānanyāṃśca daṃṣṭriṇaḥ | śvāpadāṃśca bahūnghorāñśastrāṇi vividhāni ca

Indra, lord of the gods, gave lions and tigers, elephants and other tusked animals, many fierce beasts of prey, and weapons of many kinds.

Note on the text: First line = CE 13.86.24e; second line = CE 13.86.25a (recension variants).

Verse 26 (13.133.26)

राक्षसासुरसङ्घाश्च अनुजग्मुस्तमीश्वरम् ॥

rākṣasāsurasaṅghāśca anujagmustamīśvaram

And hosts of Rakshasas and Asuras followed that lord.

Note on the text: One-line verse as printed on the page (13-133-26a) = CE 13.86.25c (CE: 'ye ’nujagmus tam īśvaram'). The CE star line 13.86.25d*0403_01 that follows is not in Wikisource and is not added.

Verse 27 (13.133.27)

वर्धमानवधोपायं प्रार्थयामास तारकः । उपायैर्बहुभिर्हन्तुं नाशकच्चापि तं विभुम् ॥

vardhamānavadhopāyaṃ prārthayāmāsa tārakaḥ | upāyairbahubhirhantuṃ nāśakaccāpi taṃ vibhum

Taraka sought a means of killing him as he grew, but with many devices he could not kill that mighty one.

Verse 28 (13.133.28)

सैनापत्येन तं देवाः पूजयित्वा गुहालयम् । शशंसुर्विप्रकारं तं तस्मै तारककारितम् ॥

saināpatyena taṃ devāḥ pūjayitvā guhālayam | śaśaṃsurviprakāraṃ taṃ tasmai tārakakāritam

The gods honoured the dweller in the cave with the office of commander and told him of the wrong that Taraka had done to them.

Verse 29 (13.133.29)

स विवृद्धो महावीर्यो देवसेनापतिः प्रभुः । जघानामोघया शक्त्या दानवं तारकं गुहः ॥

sa vivṛddho mahāvīryo devasenāpatiḥ prabhuḥ | jaghānāmoghayā śaktyā dānavaṃ tārakaṃ guhaḥ

Grown strong, of great valour, the lord Guha, commander of the divine army, killed the danava Taraka with his unfailing spear.

Verse 30 (13.133.30)

तेन तस्मिन्कुमारेण क्रीडता निहतेऽसुरे । सुरेन्द्रः स्थापितो राज्ये देवानां पुनरीश्वरः ॥

tena tasminkumāreṇa krīḍatā nihate'sure | surendraḥ sthāpito rājye devānāṃ punarīśvaraḥ

When the asura had been killed by the child in play, Indra was set again on his throne as lord of the gods.

Verse 31 (13.133.31)

स सेनापतिरेवाथ बभौ स्कन्दः प्रतापवान् । ईशो गोप्ता च देवानां प्रियकृच्छङ्करस्य च ॥

sa senāpatirevātha babhau skandaḥ pratāpavān | īśo goptā ca devānāṃ priyakṛcchaṅkarasya ca

Skanda, the mighty commander, shone as the protector and lord of the gods and the doer of what pleased Shankara.

Verse 32 (13.133.32)

हिरण्यमूर्तिर्भगवानेष एव च पावकिः । सदा कुमारो देवानां सैनापत्यमवाप्तवान् ॥

hiraṇyamūrtirbhagavāneṣa eva ca pāvakiḥ | sadā kumāro devānāṃ saināpatyamavāptavān

The blessed one, golden of form, the son of Fire, ever a youth, obtained the generalship of the gods.

Note on the text: Corrected भगवानेव एव → भगवानेष एव (misprint in Wikisource; CE reads 'bhagavān eṣa eva'; 'एव एव' is a doubling).

Verse 33 (13.133.33)

तस्मात्सुवर्णं मङ्गल्यं रत्नमक्षय्यमुत्तमम् । सहजं कार्तिकेयस्य वह्नेस्तेजः परं मतम् ॥

tasmātsuvarṇaṃ maṅgalyaṃ ratnamakṣayyamuttamam | sahajaṃ kārtikeyasya vahnestejaḥ paraṃ matam

Therefore gold is auspicious, the best, imperishable jewel, born with Karttikeya, held to be the supreme fire-energy of Agni.

Verse 34 (13.133.34)

एवं रामाय कौरव्य वसिष्ठोऽकथयत्पुरा । तस्मात्सुवर्णदानाय प्रयतस्व नराधिप ॥

evaṃ rāmāya kauravya vasiṣṭho'kathayatpurā | tasmātsuvarṇadānāya prayatasva narādhipa

This is what Vasishtha told Rama long ago, O Kaurava; therefore, king, strive to give gold.

Verse 35 (13.133.35)

रामः सुवर्णं दत्त्वा हि विमुक्तः सर्वकिल्बिषैः । त्रिविष्टपे महत्स्थानमवापासुलभं नरैः ॥

rāmaḥ suvarṇaṃ dattvā hi vimuktaḥ sarvakilbiṣaiḥ | triviṣṭape mahatsthānamavāpāsulabhaṃ naraiḥ

Rama, by giving gold, was freed from all sins and won in heaven a great station, hard for men to reach.