Victory of Hiranyaksha Over All the Directions of the Universe

Verse 1 (bhagavata.3.17.1)

मैत्रेय उवाच निशम्यात्मभुवा गीतं कारणं शङ्कयोज्झिताः । ततः सर्वे न्यवर्तन्त त्रिदिवाय दिवौकसः ॥ १ ॥

maitreya uvāca niśamyātma-bhuvā gītaṁ kāraṇaṁ śaṅkayojjhitāḥ tataḥ sarve nyavartanta tridivāya divaukasaḥ

Maitreya said: Hearing Brahma, the Self-born, explain the cause of that darkness, the demigods were freed from their fear, and they all then returned to their heavenly abodes.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.3.17.2)

दितिस्तु भर्तुरादेशादपत्यपरिशङ्किनी । पूर्णे वर्षशते साध्वी पुत्रौ प्रसुषुवे यमौ ॥ २ ॥

ditis tu bhartur ādeśād apatya-pariśaṅkinī pūrṇe varṣa-śate sādhvī putrau prasuṣuve yamau

Diti, the virtuous wife, had been anxious about her children ever since her husband's warning; after a full hundred years of pregnancy she gave birth to twin sons.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.3.17.3)

उत्पाता बहवस्तत्र निपेतुर्जायमानयोः । दिवि भुव्यन्तरिक्षे च लोकस्योरुभयावहाः ॥ ३ ॥

utpātā bahavas tatra nipetur jāyamānayoḥ divi bhuvy antarikṣe ca lokasyoru-bhayāvahāḥ

At the moment of their birth, many portents occurred, in the heavens, on earth, and in the sky between, filling the whole world with great fear.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.3.17.4)

सहाचला भुवश्चेलुर्दिशः सर्वाः प्रजज्वलुः । सोल्काश्चाशनयः पेतुः केतवश्चार्तिहेतवः ॥ ४ ॥

sahācalā bhuvaś celur diśaḥ sarvāḥ prajajvaluḥ solkāś cāśanayaḥ petuḥ ketavaś cārti-hetavaḥ

The earth shook together with its mountains, every direction seemed ablaze, meteors and thunderbolts fell from the sky, and ill-omened comets appeared, portending calamity.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.3.17.5)

ववौ वायुः सुदुःस्पर्शः फूत्कारानीरयन्मुहुः । उन्मूलयन्नगपतीन्वात्यानीको रजोध्वजः ॥ ५ ॥

vavau vāyuḥ suduḥsparśaḥ phūt-kārān īrayan muhuḥ unmūlayan naga-patīn vātyānīko rajo-dhvajaḥ

A wind blew that was agonizing to the touch, hissing again and again, uprooting mighty trees, with the cyclone for its army and clouds of dust for its banners.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.3.17.6)

उद्धसत्तडिदम्भोदघटया नष्टभागणे । व्योम्नि प्रविष्टतमसा न स्म व्यादृश्यते पदम् ॥ ६ ॥

uddhasat-taḍid-ambhoda- ghaṭayā naṣṭa-bhāgaṇe vyomni praviṣṭa-tamasā na sma vyādṛśyate padam

Dense clouds massed together, lightning flickering within them like laughter, blotted out the luminaries of the sky; darkness swallowed the heavens so completely that nothing at all could be seen.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.3.17.7)

चुक्रोश विमना वार्धिरुदूर्मिः क्षुभितोदरः । सोदपानाश्च सरितश्चुक्षुभुः शुष्कपङ्कजाः ॥ ७ ॥

cukrośa vimanā vārdhir udūrmiḥ kṣubhitodaraḥ sodapānāś ca saritaś cukṣubhuḥ śuṣka-paṅkajāḥ

The ocean, its high waves surging and its depths in turmoil, wailed as if grief-stricken; the rivers and even the wells grew turbulent, and the lotus flowers withered.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.3.17.8)

मुहुः परिधयोऽभूवन् सराह्वोः शशिसूर्ययोः । निर्घाता रथनिर्ह्रादा विवरेभ्यः प्रजज्ञिरे ॥ ८ ॥

muhuḥ paridhayo ’bhūvan sarāhvoḥ śaśi-sūryayoḥ nirghātā ratha-nirhrādā vivarebhyaḥ prajajñire

Again and again misty rings encircled the sun and moon as if in eclipse, and from the caves of the mountains came thunderous crashes like the rumble of chariot wheels.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.3.17.9)

अन्तर्ग्रामेषु मुखतो वमन्त्यो वह्निमुल्बणम् । सृगालोलूकटङ्कारैः प्रणेदुरशिवं शिवाः ॥ ९ ॥

antar-grāmeṣu mukhato vamantyo vahnim ulbaṇam sṛgālolūka-ṭaṅkāraiḥ praṇedur aśivaṁ śivāḥ

Inside the villages, she-jackals howled ill-omened cries, breathing fierce fire from their mouths, while jackals and owls joined them with their shrieking.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.3.17.10)

सङ्गीतवद्रोदनवदुन्नमय्य शिरोधराम् । व्यमुञ्चन् विविधा वाचो ग्रामसिंहास्ततस्ततः ॥ १० ॥

saṅgītavad rodanavad unnamayya śirodharām vyamuñcan vividhā vāco grāma-siṁhās tatas tataḥ

Here and there, dogs raised their necks and let out cries of every kind, now like singing, now like wailing.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.3.17.11)

खराश्च कर्कशैः क्षत्तः खुरैर्घ्नन्तो धरातलम् । खार्काररभसा मत्ताः पर्यधावन् वरूथशः ॥ ११ ॥

kharāś ca karkaśaiḥ kṣattaḥ khurair ghnanto dharā-talam khārkāra-rabhasā mattāḥ paryadhāvan varūthaśaḥ

O Vidura, herds of asses ran wildly about, striking the ground with their hard hooves, maddened by their own braying.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.3.17.12)

रुदन्तो रासभत्रस्ता नीडादुदपतन् खगाः । घोषेऽरण्ये च पशवः शकृन्मूत्रमकुर्वत ॥ १२ ॥

rudanto rāsabha-trastā nīḍād udapatan khagāḥ ghoṣe ’raṇye ca paśavaḥ śakṛn-mūtram akurvata

Terrified by the braying of the asses, birds cried out and flew from their nests, while cattle in the pastures and beasts in the forest passed dung and urine out of fear.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.3.17.13)

गावोऽत्रसन्नसृग्दोहास्तोयदाः पूयवर्षिणः । व्यरुदन्देवलिङ्गानि द्रुमाः पेतुर्विनानिलम् ॥ १३ ॥

gāvo ’trasann asṛg-dohās toyadāḥ pūya-varṣiṇaḥ vyarudan deva-liṅgāni drumāḥ petur vinānilam

Terrified cows yielded blood instead of milk, clouds rained down pus, the very images of the gods shed tears, and trees crashed to the ground though no wind blew.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.3.17.14)

ग्रहान् पुण्यतमानन्ये भगणांश्चापि दीपिताः । अतिचेरुर्वक्रगत्या युयुधुश्च परस्परम् ॥ १४ ॥

grahān puṇyatamān anye bhagaṇāṁś cāpi dīpitāḥ aticerur vakra-gatyā yuyudhuś ca parasparam

Other, glaring planets overtook the most auspicious ones and the star-clusters too, moving with crooked, retrograde paths, and seemed to clash against one another.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.3.17.15)

दृष्ट्वान्यांश्च महोत्पातानतत्तत्त्वविदः प्रजाः । ब्रह्मपुत्रानृते भीता मेनिरे विश्वसम्प्लवम् ॥ १५ ॥

dṛṣṭvānyāṁś ca mahotpātān atat-tattva-vidaḥ prajāḥ brahma-putrān ṛte bhītā menire viśva-samplavam

Seeing these and other terrible omens, the people, ignorant of their real cause save the sons of Brahma, grew afraid, believing the dissolution of the universe was at hand.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.3.17.16)

तावादिदैत्यौ सहसा व्यज्यमानात्मपौरुषौ । ववृधातेऽश्मसारेण कायेनाद्रिपती इव ॥ १६ ॥

tāv ādi-daityau sahasā vyajyamānātma-pauruṣau vavṛdhāte ’śma-sāreṇa kāyenādri-patī iva

Those two first demons, their prowess suddenly declaring itself, grew swiftly, their bodies hard as steel, like two towering lords among mountains.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.3.17.17)

दिविस्पृशौ हेमकिरीटकोटिभि- र्निरुद्धकाष्ठौ स्फुरदङ्गदाभुजौ । गां कम्पयन्तौ चरणैः पदे पदे कट्या सुकाञ्च्यार्कमतीत्य तस्थतुः ॥ १७ ॥

divi-spṛśau hema-kirīṭa-koṭibhir niruddha-kāṣṭhau sphurad-aṅgadā-bhujau gāṁ kampayantau caraṇaiḥ pade pade kaṭyā sukāñcyārkam atītya tasthatuḥ

Their golden crowns brushed the sky, their very presence blocked out every direction; their arms shone with radiant bracelets, and the earth trembled at each footfall. Girded about the waist with fine ornamented belts, they stood so tall they seemed to outshine the sun.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.3.17.18)

प्रजापतिर्नाम तयोरकार्षीद् यः प्राक् स्वदेहाद्यमयोरजायत । तं वै हिरण्यकशिपुं विदुः प्रजा यं तं हिरण्याक्षमसूत साग्रतः ॥ १८ ॥

prajāpatir nāma tayor akārṣīd yaḥ prāk sva-dehād yamayor ajāyata taṁ vai hiraṇyakaśipuṁ viduḥ prajā yaṁ taṁ hiraṇyākṣam asūta sāgrataḥ

Prajapati gave the twins their names: the son who came first from his own body the people came to know as Hiranyakashipu, and the one whom Diti had first conceived, they called Hiranyaksha.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.3.17.19)

चक्रे हिरण्यकशिपुर्दोर्भ्यां ब्रह्मवरेण च । वशे सपालाँल्लोकांस्त्रीनकुतोमृत्युरुद्धतः ॥ १९ ॥

cakre hiraṇyakaśipur dorbhyāṁ brahma-vareṇa ca vaśe sa-pālāḻ lokāṁs trīn akuto-mṛtyur uddhataḥ

By the strength of his two arms and the boon he had won from Brahma, Hiranyakashipu, fearing death from no source and grown arrogant, brought the three worlds together with their guardians under his sway.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.3.17.20)

हिरण्याक्षोऽनुजस्तस्य प्रियः प्रीतिकृदन्वहम् । गदापाणिर्दिवं यातो युयुत्सुर्मृगयन् रणम् ॥ २० ॥

hiraṇyākṣo ’nujas tasya priyaḥ prīti-kṛd anvaham gadā-pāṇir divaṁ yāto yuyutsur mṛgayan raṇam

His younger brother Hiranyaksha, beloved of him and eager each day to please him, set out for the heavens, mace in hand, spoiling for a fight and hunting for battle.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.3.17.21)

तं वीक्ष्य दुःसहजवं रणत्काञ्चननूपुरम् । वैजयन्त्या स्रजा जुष्टमंसन्यस्तमहागदम् ॥ २१ ॥

taṁ vīkṣya duḥsaha-javaṁ raṇat-kāñcana-nūpuram vaijayantyā srajā juṣṭam aṁsa-nyasta-mahā-gadam

They saw him: his speed unbearable, golden anklets jingling as he moved, a Vaijayanti garland about his neck, and a massive mace resting on his shoulder.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.3.17.22)

मनोवीर्यवरोत्सिक्तमसृण्यमकुतोभयम् । भीता निलिल्यिरे देवास्तार्क्ष्यत्रस्ता इवाहयः ॥ २२ ॥

mano-vīrya-varotsiktam asṛṇyam akuto-bhayam bhītā nililyire devās tārkṣya-trastā ivāhayaḥ

He was swollen with pride, born of his own strength and the boon he had received, impossible to restrain and afraid of nothing. Seeing him, the terrified gods hid themselves, like serpents fleeing in fear of Garuda.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.3.17.23)

स वै तिरोहितान् दृष्ट्वा महसा स्वेन दैत्यराट् । सेन्द्रान्देवगणान् क्षीबानपश्यन् व्यनदद् भृशम् ॥ २३ ॥

sa vai tirohitān dṛṣṭvā mahasā svena daitya-rāṭ sendrān deva-gaṇān kṣībān apaśyan vyanadad bhṛśam

That lord of the Daityas, finding that Indra and the host of demigods, once so intoxicated with their own power, had vanished, unable to withstand his might, roared out loudly.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.3.17.24)

ततो निवृत्तः क्रीडिष्यन् गम्भीरं भीमनिस्वनम् । विजगाहे महासत्त्वो वार्धिं मत्त इव द्विपः ॥ २४ ॥

tato nivṛttaḥ krīḍiṣyan gambhīraṁ bhīma-nisvanam vijagāhe mahā-sattvo vārdhiṁ matta iva dvipaḥ

Turning back then, wishing only for sport, that mighty being plunged into the deep, thunderously roaring ocean, like an elephant maddened with rut.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.3.17.25)

तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे वरुणस्य सैनिका यादोगणाः सन्नधियः ससाध्वसाः । अहन्यमाना अपि तस्य वर्चसा प्रधर्षिता दूरतरं प्रदुद्रुवुः ॥ २५ ॥

tasmin praviṣṭe varuṇasya sainikā yādo-gaṇāḥ sanna-dhiyaḥ sasādhvasāḥ ahanyamānā api tasya varcasā pradharṣitā dūrataraṁ pradudruvuḥ

The moment he entered, Varuna's warriors, the creatures of the deep, grew fearful and downcast; though he had not touched them, they were so overpowered by his sheer splendor that they fled far away.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.3.17.26)

स वर्षपूगानुदधौ महाबल- श्चरन्महोर्मीञ्छ्वसनेरितान्मुहुः । मौर्व्याभिजघ्ने गदया विभावरी- मासेदिवांस्तात पुरीं प्रचेतसः ॥ २६ ॥

sa varṣa-pūgān udadhau mahā-balaś caran mahormīñ chvasaneritān muhuḥ maurvyābhijaghne gadayā vibhāvarīm āsedivāṁs tāta purīṁ pracetasaḥ

For years on end that mighty being roamed the ocean, again and again beating back its wind-tossed waves with his iron-bound mace, until, dear Vidura, he arrived at Vibhavari, the city of Varuna.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.3.17.27)

तत्रोपलभ्यासुरलोकपालकं यादोगणानामृषभं प्रचेतसम् । स्मयन् प्रलब्धुं प्रणिपत्य नीचव- ज्जगाद मे देह्यधिराज संयुगम ॥ २७ ॥

tatropalabhyāsura-loka-pālakaṁ yādo-gaṇānām ṛṣabhaṁ pracetasam smayan pralabdhuṁ praṇipatya nīcavaj jagāda me dehy adhirāja saṁyugam

There, coming upon Varuna, guardian of the netherworld and lord of the aquatic creatures, he bowed low before him like a man of no standing, and smiling to mock him, said: 'Grant me battle, O sovereign lord!'

Verse 28 (bhagavata.3.17.28)

त्वं लोकपालोऽधिपतिर्बृहच्छ्रवा वीर्यापहो दुर्मदवीरमानिनाम् । विजित्य लोकेऽखिलदैत्यदानवान् यद्राजसूयेन पुरायजत्प्रभो ॥ २८ ॥

tvaṁ loka-pālo ’dhipatir bṛhac-chravā vīryāpaho durmada-vīra-māninām vijitya loke ’khila-daitya-dānavān yad rājasūyena purāyajat prabho

You are a guardian of the world, a ruler renowned far and wide, who has broken the strength of proud warriors puffed up with their own valor; having once conquered every Daitya and Danava on earth, you, O lord, celebrated it with a Rajasuya sacrifice.

Verse 29 (bhagavata.3.17.29)

स एवमुत्सिक्तमदेन विद्विषा दृढं प्रलब्धो भगवानपां पतिः । रोषं समुत्थं शमयन् स्वया धिया व्यवोचदङ्गोपशमं गता वयम् ॥ २९ ॥

sa evam utsikta-madena vidviṣā dṛḍhaṁ pralabdho bhagavān apāṁ patiḥ roṣaṁ samutthaṁ śamayan svayā dhiyā vyavocad aṅgopaśamaṁ gatā vayam

Thus deeply mocked by an enemy swollen with vanity, the worshipful lord of the waters mastered the anger that rose in him through his own good sense, and replied: 'My friend, I have set aside the ways of combat.'

Verse 30 (bhagavata.3.17.30)

पश्यामि नान्यं पुरुषात्पुरातनाद् यः संयुगे त्वां रणमार्गकोविदम् । आराधयिष्यत्यसुरर्षभेहि तं मनस्विनो यं गृणते भवादृशाः ॥ ३० ॥

paśyāmi nānyaṁ puruṣāt purātanād yaḥ saṁyuge tvāṁ raṇa-mārga-kovidam ārādhayiṣyaty asurarṣabhehi taṁ manasvino yaṁ gṛṇate bhavādṛśāḥ

I see no one, save the most ancient Person, who could satisfy you in combat, skilled as you are in the ways of war. Go to Him, O chief of the asuras, He whom even the wise, such as yourself, speak of with praise.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.3.17.31)

तं वीरमारादभिपद्य विस्मयः शयिष्यसे वीरशये श्वभिर्वृतः । यस्त्वद्विधानामसतां प्रशान्तये रूपाणि धत्ते सदनुग्रहेच्छया ॥ ३१ ॥

taṁ vīram ārād abhipadya vismayaḥ śayiṣyase vīra-śaye śvabhir vṛtaḥ yas tvad-vidhānām asatāṁ praśāntaye rūpāṇi dhatte sad-anugrahecchayā

Once you draw near that great hero, your pride will vanish, and you will lie down upon the warrior's bed, ringed by dogs, for it is He who, wishing to show grace to the virtuous, assumes His various forms to bring peace by ending the wicked, such as you.