The Slaying of Kaleya

Verse 1 (padma.1.66.1)

व्यास उवाच। भ्रातरं निहतं दृष्ट्वा कालेयो नाम दानवः। चित्ररथं प्रदुद्राव धृत्वा बाणं सकार्मुकम्

vyāsa uvāca. bhrātaraṁ nihataṁ dṛṣṭvā kāleyo nāma dānavaḥ. citrarathaṁ pradudrāva dhṛtvā bāṇaṁ sakārmukam

Vyasa said: Seeing his brother slain, the danava named Kaleya charged toward the wondrous chariot, bow and arrow in hand.

Verse 2 (padma.1.66.2)

दृष्ट्वासुरं विधावंतं कालमृत्युसमप्रभम्। अरौत्सीत्तं महावीर्यो जयंतः पाकशासनिः

dṛṣṭvāsuraṁ vidhāvaṁtaṁ kālamṛtyusamaprabham. arautsīttaṁ mahāvīryo jayaṁtaḥ pākaśāsaniḥ

Seeing the demon charging, radiant as death itself, the greatly valorous Jayanta, son of Pakashasana, checked him.

Verse 3 (padma.1.66.3)

अब्रवीच्च महातेजा दैतेयं सुरसत्तमः। तथ्यं धर्माभिसंयुक्तं लोकद्वयहितं ध्रुवम्

abravīcca mahātejā daiteyaṁ surasattamaḥ. tathyaṁ dharmābhisaṁyuktaṁ lokadvayahitaṁ dhruvam

That greatly radiant, foremost of gods spoke to the demon words that were true, joined with dharma, and certainly beneficial for both worlds: "He who slays one already afflicted and pained by a weapon's blow, or bewildered—

Verse 4 (padma.1.66.4)

शस्त्राभिघातदुःखार्तं कश्मलं चान्यसंयुतम्। प्रभग्नं च निरस्तं च यो हंति स च बालिशः

śastrābhighātaduḥkhārtaṁ kaśmalaṁ cānyasaṁyutam. prabhagnaṁ ca nirastaṁ ca yo haṁti sa ca bāliśaḥ

—or beset by some other difficulty, or already broken and cast down — he is a fool."

Verse 5 (padma.1.66.5)

सुचिरं रौरवं भुक्त्वा तस्य दासो भवेच्चिरम्। तस्मान्मामुं प्रयुध्यस्व युद्धधर्मस्थितो भव

suciraṁ rauravaṁ bhuktvā tasya dāso bhavecciram. tasmānmāmuṁ prayudhyasva yuddhadharmasthito bhava

"Such a one, after long suffering in the Raurava hell, becomes that slain one's servant for a long time. Therefore fight me properly, and abide by the law of battle."

Verse 6 (padma.1.66.6)

जयंतमब्रवीद्वाक्यं कालेयः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। निहत्य भ्रातृहंतारमथ त्वांहन्मि सांप्रतम्

jayaṁtamabravīdvākyaṁ kāleyaḥ krodhamūrcchitaḥ. nihatya bhrātṛhaṁtāramatha tvāṁhanmi sāṁpratam

Kaleya, overcome with rage, said to Jayanta: "Having slain my brother's killer, I shall now kill you as well, at once."

Verse 7 (padma.1.66.7)

ततस्तं चासुरश्रेष्ठं कालानलसमप्रभम्। जयंतो निशितैर्बाणैर्जघान सुरसत्तमः

tatastaṁ cāsuraśreṣṭhaṁ kālānalasamaprabham. jayaṁto niśitairbāṇairjaghāna surasattamaḥ

Then Jayanta, foremost of gods, struck that foremost of demons — radiant as the fire of doomsday — with sharp arrows.

Verse 8 (padma.1.66.8)

निचकर्त्त शरान्सोपि त्रिभिर्विव्याध चासुरः। यथावृष्टिगणं प्राप्य नदी गैरिकवाहिनी

nicakartta śarānsopi tribhirvivyādha cāsuraḥ. yathāvṛṣṭigaṇaṁ prāpya nadī gairikavāhinī

That demon too cut down those arrows, and pierced Jayanta with three of his own — as a river swollen with red ochre surges upon receiving a mass of rain.

Verse 9 (padma.1.66.9)

तथा तौ च महावीर्यौ न क्षीणौ न च कातरौ। न शर्म परिलेभाते परस्परजयैषिणौ

tathā tau ca mahāvīryau na kṣīṇau na ca kātarau. na śarma parilebhāte parasparajayaiṣiṇau

Thus those two of great valor were neither weakened nor timid; each desiring the other's defeat, neither found any peace.

Verse 10 (padma.1.66.10)

अथ तस्य च दैत्यस्य धनुश्चिच्छेद चेषुणा। यंतारं पंचभिर्बाणैः पातयामास भूतले

atha tasya ca daityasya dhanuściccheda ceṣuṇā. yaṁtāraṁ paṁcabhirbāṇaiḥ pātayāmāsa bhūtale

Then Jayanta cut the demon's bow with an arrow, and with five arrows brought his charioteer down to the ground.

Verse 11 (padma.1.66.11)

अष्टाभिर्निशितैर्बाणैश्चतुरोश्वानपातयात्। शक्तिं संगृह्य भूमिष्ठः कुमारं च जघान ह

aṣṭābhirniśitairbāṇaiścaturośvānapātayāt. śaktiṁ saṁgṛhya bhūmiṣṭhaḥ kumāraṁ ca jaghāna ha

With eight sharp arrows he brought down the four horses. Kaleya, now standing on the ground, seized a spear and struck the young Jayanta.

Verse 12 (padma.1.66.12)

गदया पीडितं साश्वं सवरूथं सकूबरम्। पातयित्वा धरण्यां च सिंहनादं ननाद ह

gadayā pīḍitaṁ sāśvaṁ savarūthaṁ sakūbaram. pātayitvā dharaṇyāṁ ca siṁhanādaṁ nanāda ha

Having with his mace felled to the ground the chariot — with its horses, chariot-box, and yoke — he roared a lion's roar.

Verse 13 (padma.1.66.13)

लाघवात्स धरां गत्वा गदापाणिरुपस्थितः। वज्रपाताद्यथा शब्दो लोकानां दुःसहो भवेत्

lāghavātsa dharāṁ gatvā gadāpāṇirupasthitaḥ. vajrapātādyathā śabdo lokānāṁ duḥsaho bhavet

Then Jayanta too swiftly came down to the ground, mace in hand, and stood ready. As the sound of a thunderbolt's fall is unbearable to all beings—

Verse 14 (padma.1.66.14)

तथा तयोर्गदापाते शब्दः स्यात्तु मुहुर्मुहुः। एवं तयोर्गदायुद्धं यावदब्दचतुष्टयम्

tathā tayorgadāpāte śabdaḥ syāttu muhurmuhuḥ. evaṁ tayorgadāyuddhaṁ yāvadabdacatuṣṭayam

—so was the sound, again and again, of their maces clashing. Thus their mace-duel continued for a span of four years.

Verse 15 (padma.1.66.15)

प्रभग्ने ते गदे खस्थौ खड्गचर्मधरावुभौ। तदा पदातिनोर्युद्धमद्भुतं लोमहर्षणं

prabhagne te gade khasthau khaḍgacarmadharāvubhau. tadā padātinoryuddhamadbhutaṁ lomaharṣaṇaṁ

When their two maces were shattered, both took up sword and shield; then the foot-combat between the two grew wondrous and hair-raising.

Verse 16 (padma.1.66.16)

दृष्ट्वा च विस्मयं जग्मुर्देवासुरमहोरगाः। खड्गपातैर्मुहूर्तांते तयोश्छिन्ने तु वर्मणी

dṛṣṭvā ca vismayaṁ jagmurdevāsuramahoragāḥ. khaḍgapātairmuhūrtāṁte tayośchinne tu varmaṇī

Seeing it, the gods, demons, and great serpents were struck with wonder. Within moments, the armor of both was cut through by the falling blows of their swords.

Verse 17 (padma.1.66.17)

अभवत्खड्गयुद्धं च तयोर्युद्धातिशीलिनोः। दधार चिकुरे तस्य जयंतो भीमविक्रमः

abhavatkhaḍgayuddhaṁ ca tayoryuddhātiśīlinoḥ. dadhāra cikure tasya jayaṁto bhīmavikramaḥ

The sword-duel continued between those two heroes, both greatly skilled in combat. Then Jayanta, of terrible prowess, seized him by the hair.

Verse 18 (padma.1.66.18)

शिरश्छित्वास्य खड्गेन पातयामास भूतले। ततस्तु जयशब्देन देवाः सर्वे ननंदिरे

śiraśchitvāsya khaḍgena pātayāmāsa bhūtale. tatastu jayaśabdena devāḥ sarve nanaṁdire

Cutting off his head with his sword, he cast it down to the ground. Then, at the cry of victory, all the gods rejoiced.

Verse 19 (padma.1.66.19)

प्रभग्ना दैत्यसंघाश्च दिशः सर्वाः प्रदुद्रुवुः

prabhagnā daityasaṁghāśca diśaḥ sarvāḥ pradudruvuḥ

And the shattered hosts of the daityas fled in every direction.