Chyavana Defies Indra at Sharyati's Sacrifice

Verse 1 (3.125.1)

ततः श्रुत्वा तु शर्यातिर्वयस्थं च्यवनं कृतम् । सुहृष्टः सेनया सार्धमुपायाद्भार्गवाश्रमम् ॥

tataḥ śrutvā tu śaryātirvayasthaṃ cyavanaṃ kṛtam | suhṛṣṭaḥ senayā sārdhamupāyādbhārgavāśramam

Then Sharyati, hearing that Chyavana had been made young, came in great delight to Bhargava's hermitage with his army.

Verse 2 (3.125.2)

च्यवनं च सुकन्यां च दृष्ट्वा देवसुताविव । रेमे सभार्यः शर्यातिः कृत्स्नां प्राप्य महीमिव ॥

cyavanaṃ ca sukanyāṃ ca dṛṣṭvā devasutāviva | reme sabhāryaḥ śaryātiḥ kṛtsnāṃ prāpya mahīmiva

Seeing Chyavana and Sukanya like two children of the gods, Sharyati and his queen rejoiced as though he had won the whole earth.

Verse 3 (3.125.3)

ऋषिणा सत्कृतस्तेन सभार्यः पृथिवीपतिः । उपोपविष्टः कल्याणीः कथाश्चक्रे मनोरमाः ॥

ṛṣiṇā satkṛtastena sabhāryaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | upopaviṣṭaḥ kalyāṇīḥ kathāścakre manoramāḥ

Honoured by the seer, the lord of the earth and his queen sat down near him and held pleasant and auspicious conversation.

Verse 4 (3.125.4)

अथैनं भार्गवो राजन्नुवाच परिसान्त्वयन् । याजयिष्यामि राजंस्त्वां संभारानुपकल्पय ॥

athainaṃ bhārgavo rājannuvāca parisāntvayan | yājayiṣyāmi rājaṃstvāṃ saṃbhārānupakalpaya

Then Bhargava spoke to him, O king, putting him at ease: 'I will perform a sacrifice for you, king; have the materials made ready.'

Verse 5 (3.125.5)

ततः परमसंहृष्टः शर्यातिरवनीपतिः । च्यवनस्य महाराज तद्वाक्यं प्रत्यपूजयत् ॥

tataḥ paramasaṃhṛṣṭaḥ śaryātiravanīpatiḥ | cyavanasya mahārāja tadvākyaṃ pratyapūjayat

Then Sharyati, lord of the land, overjoyed, welcomed those words of Chyavana, great king.

Verse 6 (3.125.6)

प्रशस्तेऽहनि यज्ञीये सर्वकामसमृद्धिमत् । कारयामास शर्यातिर्यज्ञायतनमुत्तमम् ॥

praśaste'hani yajñīye sarvakāmasamṛddhimat | kārayāmāsa śaryātiryajñāyatanamuttamam

On an auspicious day fit for sacrifice, Sharyati had an excellent sacrificial enclosure built, furnished with everything one could desire.

Verse 7 (3.125.7)

तत्रैनं च्यवनो राजन्याजयामास भार्गवः । अद्भुतानि च तत्रासन्यानि तानि निबोध मे ॥

tatrainaṃ cyavano rājanyājayāmāsa bhārgavaḥ | adbhutāni ca tatrāsanyāni tāni nibodha me

There Chyavana Bhargava performed the sacrifice for him, O king; and wonderful things happened there. Hear of them from me.

Verse 8 (3.125.8)

अगृह्णाच्च्यवनः सोममश्विनोर्देवयोस्तदा । तमिन्द्रो वारयामास गृह्णानं स तयोर्ग्रहम् ॥

agṛhṇāccyavanaḥ somamaśvinordevayostadā | tamindro vārayāmāsa gṛhṇānaṃ sa tayorgraham

Chyavana then took up Soma for the two gods, the Ashvins; and as he was drawing their cup, Indra tried to stop him.

Verse 9 (3.125.9)

उभावेतौ न सोमार्हौ नासत्याविति मे मतिः । भिषजौ दिवि देवानां कर्मणा तेन नार्हतः ॥

ubhāvetau na somārhau nāsatyāviti me matiḥ | bhiṣajau divi devānāṃ karmaṇā tena nārhataḥ

In my view these two Nasatyas are not worthy of Soma. They are the physicians of the gods in heaven, and because of that occupation they are not entitled to it.

Verse 10 (3.125.10)

मावमंस्था महात्मानौ रूपद्रविणवत्तरौ । यौ चक्रतुर्मां मघवन्वृन्दारकमिवाजरम् ॥

māvamaṃsthā mahātmānau rūpadraviṇavattarau | yau cakraturmāṃ maghavanvṛndārakamivājaram

Do not slight these two great-souled ones, surpassing in beauty and wealth, Maghavan, who have made me ageless like a god.

Note on the text: Corrected मधवन् → मघवन् (misprint in Wikisource; ध for घ in Indra's epithet).

Verse 11 (3.125.11)

ऋते त्वां विबुधांश्चान्यान्कथं वै नार्हतः सवम् । अश्विनावपि देवेन्द्र देवौ विद्धि पुरंदर ॥

ṛte tvāṃ vibudhāṃścānyānkathaṃ vai nārhataḥ savam | aśvināvapi devendra devau viddhi puraṃdara

Why should these two, unlike you and the other gods, not be entitled to the Soma offering? Know that the Ashvins too are gods, lord of the gods, Purandara.

Verse 12 (3.125.12)

चिकित्सकौ कर्मकरौ कामरूपसमन्वितौ । लोके चरन्तौ मर्त्यानां कथं सोममिहार्हतः ॥

cikitsakau karmakarau kāmarūpasamanvitau | loke carantau martyānāṃ kathaṃ somamihārhataḥ

They are healers who work for hire, who take whatever form they please and roam the world of mortals. How can they be worthy of Soma here?

Verse 13 (3.125.13)

एतदेव तदा वाक्यमाम्रेडयति वासवे । अनादृत्यततः शक्रं ग्रहं जग्राह भार्गवः ॥

etadeva tadā vākyamāmreḍayati vāsave | anādṛtyatataḥ śakraṃ grahaṃ jagrāha bhārgavaḥ

As Vasava kept repeating these same words, Bhargava, ignoring Shakra, took up the cup.

Verse 14 (3.125.14)

ग्रहीष्यन्तं तु तं सोममश्विनोरुत्तमं तदा । समीक्ष्य बलभिद्देव इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

grahīṣyantaṃ tu taṃ somamaśvinoruttamaṃ tadā | samīkṣya balabhiddeva idaṃ vacanamabravīt

Seeing him about to take the excellent Soma for the Ashvins, the god who shattered Bala said:

Verse 15 (3.125.15)

आभ्यामर्थाय सोमं त्वं ग्रहीष्यसि यदि स्वयम् । वज्रं ते प्रहरिष्यामि घोररूपमनुत्तमम् ॥

ābhyāmarthāya somaṃ tvaṃ grahīṣyasi yadi svayam | vajraṃ te prahariṣyāmi ghorarūpamanuttamam

If you yourself take up the Soma for these two, I will strike you with my thunderbolt, terrible in form and unsurpassed.

Note on the text: Corrected आभ्यामर्ताय → आभ्यामर्थाय (misprint in Wikisource; त for थ, cf. CE ābhyām arthāya).

Verse 16 (3.125.16)

एवमुक्तः स्मयन्निन्द्रमभिवीक्ष्य स भार्गवः । जग्राह विधिवत्सोममश्विभ्यामुत्तमं ग्रहम् ॥

evamuktaḥ smayannindramabhivīkṣya sa bhārgavaḥ | jagrāha vidhivatsomamaśvibhyāmuttamaṃ graham

So addressed, Bhargava looked at Indra with a smile and, following the rite, took up the excellent cup of Soma for the Ashvins.

Note on the text: Separated अभिवीक्ष्यस → अभिवीक्ष्य स (words run together in Wikisource).

Verse 17 (3.125.17)

ततोऽस्मै प्राहरद्वज्रं घोररूपं शचीपतिः । तस्य प्रहरतो बाहुं स्तम्भयामास भार्गवः ॥

tato'smai prāharadvajraṃ ghorarūpaṃ śacīpatiḥ | tasya praharato bāhuṃ stambhayāmāsa bhārgavaḥ

Then Shachi's lord hurled his terrible thunderbolt at him; but as he was striking, Bhargava paralysed his arm.

Verse 18 (3.125.18)

तं स्तम्भयित्वा च्यवनो जुहुवे मन्त्रतोऽनलम् । कृत्यार्थी सुमहातेजा देवं हिंसितुमुद्यतः ॥

taṃ stambhayitvā cyavano juhuve mantrato'nalam | kṛtyārthī sumahātejā devaṃ hiṃsitumudyataḥ

Having paralysed him, the mighty Chyavana poured oblations into the fire with mantras, seeking to raise a spirit of destruction, intent on harming the god.

Verse 19 (3.125.19)

ततः कृत्याऽथ संजज्ञे मुनेस्तस्य तपोबलात् । मदो नाम महावीर्यो बृहत्कायो महासुरः ॥

tataḥ kṛtyā'tha saṃjajñe munestasya tapobalāt | mado nāma mahāvīryo bṛhatkāyo mahāsuraḥ

Then, by the power of that sage's austerity, the spirit of destruction came into being: a great Asura named Mada, of immense strength and huge body,

Note on the text: = CE 3.124.19ab–cd; CE 3.124.19ef is the first line of the next verse.

Verse 20 (3.125.20)

शरीरं यस्य निर्देष्टुमशक्यं तु सुरासुरैः । तस्यास्यमभवद्धोरं तीक्ष्णाग्रदशनं महत् ॥

śarīraṃ yasya nirdeṣṭumaśakyaṃ tu surāsuraiḥ | tasyāsyamabhavaddhoraṃ tīkṣṇāgradaśanaṃ mahat

whose body neither gods nor Asuras could describe. His mouth was terrible and enormous, with sharp-pointed teeth.

Note on the text: Corrected यस् → यस्य (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara). Line 1 = CE 3.124.19ef; line 2 = CE 3.124.20ab.

Verse 21 (3.125.21)

हनुरेका स्थिता त्वस्य भूमावेका दिवं गता । चतस्रश्चायता दंष्ट्रा योजनानां शतंशतम् ॥

hanurekā sthitā tvasya bhūmāvekā divaṃ gatā | catasraścāyatā daṃṣṭrā yojanānāṃ śataṃśatam

One of his jaws rested on the earth and the other reached the sky. His four tusks were a hundred yojanas long each.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 3.124.20cd; line 2 = CE 3.124.21ab.

Verse 22 (3.125.22)

इतरे तस्य दशना बभूवुर्दशयोजनाः । प्रासादशिखराकाराः शूलाग्रसमदर्शनाः ॥

itare tasya daśanā babhūvurdaśayojanāḥ | prāsādaśikharākārāḥ śūlāgrasamadarśanāḥ

His other teeth were ten yojanas long, shaped like the pinnacles of palaces and looking like the points of spears.

Note on the text: = CE 3.124.21cd–ef (प्रासादशिखराकाराः where the critical edition reads prākārasadṛśākārāḥ, a recension variant).

Verse 23 (3.125.23)

बाहू परिघसंकाशावायतावयुतं समौ । नेत्रे रविशशिप्रख्ये वक्त्रं कालाग्निसंनिभम् ॥

bāhū parighasaṃkāśāvāyatāvayutaṃ samau | netre raviśaśiprakhye vaktraṃ kālāgnisaṃnibham

His arms were like iron bars, both equal and ten thousand yojanas long; his eyes were like the sun and the moon, and his face like the fire at the end of time.

Note on the text: Corrected वक्रं → वक्त्रं (misprint in Wikisource; 'crooked' for 'face', cf. CE vaktram).

Verse 24 (3.125.24)

लेलिहञ्जिह्वया वक्त्रं विद्युच्चपललोलया । व्यात्ताननो घोरदृष्टिर्ग्रसन्निव जगद्बलात् ॥

lelihañjihvayā vaktraṃ vidyuccapalalolayā | vyāttānano ghoradṛṣṭirgrasanniva jagadbalāt

Licking his mouth with a tongue that flickered like lightning, jaws gaping and terrible of gaze, he seemed about to swallow the world by force.

Note on the text: Corrected वक्रं → वक्त्रं (misprint in Wikisource; 'crooked' for 'face', cf. CE vaktraṃ).

Verse 25 (3.125.25)

स भक्षयिष्यन्संक्रुद्धः शतक्रतुमुपाद्रवत् । महता घोररूपेण लोकाञ्शब्देन नादयत् ॥

sa bhakṣayiṣyansaṃkruddhaḥ śatakratumupādravat | mahatā ghorarūpeṇa lokāñśabdena nādayat

Enraged, he rushed at Shatakratu to devour him, making the worlds resound with a great and terrible roar.