The Slaying of Tareya

Verse 1 (padma.1.69.1)

व्यास उवाच। तारेयो बलसंपन्नः शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमः। जघान विशिखैस्स्कन्दं पितृघातिनमाहवे

vyāsa uvāca. tāreyo balasaṁpannaḥ śakratulyaparākramaḥ. jaghāna viśikhaisskandaṁ pitṛghātinamāhave

Vyasa said: Tareya, endowed with strength, of valor equal to Shakra's, struck Skanda — the slayer of his father — with arrows in battle.

Verse 2 (padma.1.69.2)

ततस्स्कन्दो महाबाहुर्हरितुल्यपराक्रमः। विचकर्त शरांस्तांस्तान्निर्बिभेद शरोत्तमैः

tatasskando mahābāhurharitulyaparākramaḥ. vicakarta śarāṁstāṁstānnirbibheda śarottamaiḥ

Then Skanda, mighty-armed, of valor equal to Hari's, cut down those arrows and pierced him with excellent shafts of his own.

Verse 3 (padma.1.69.3)

स दैत्यस्सहसा स्कंदं छादयामास मार्गणैः। असंभ्रान्तः प्रचिच्छेद विशाखो विशिखैस्तदा

sa daityassahasā skaṁdaṁ chādayāmāsa mārgaṇaiḥ. asaṁbhrāntaḥ praciccheda viśākho viśikhaistadā

That daitya suddenly covered Skanda with arrows; undaunted, Vishakha then cut them all down with his own shafts.

Verse 4 (padma.1.69.4)

तारेयोग्निशरैः स्कंदं जघान रणमूर्धनि। विशिखं भिदुरप्रख्यं चखान हरनंदने

tāreyogniśaraiḥ skaṁdaṁ jaghāna raṇamūrdhani. viśikhaṁ bhiduraprakhyaṁ cakhāna haranaṁdane

Tareya struck Skanda in the forefront of battle with fire-arrows, and drove a shattering shaft deep into the son of Hara.

Verse 5 (padma.1.69.5)

वैश्वानरेण सेनानीस्तत्र संपर्यवारयत्। रौद्रमस्त्रं पुनर्दैत्यः प्रेषयामास तं प्रति

vaiśvānareṇa senānīstatra saṁparyavārayat. raudramastraṁ punardaityaḥ preṣayāmāsa taṁ prati

The army's commander then countered with the Vaishvanara weapon. The daitya again sent forth the Raudra weapon against him.

Verse 6 (padma.1.69.6)

तन्निरस्तं कृतं तेन बाणेनास्फालितेन च। अघोरं प्राक्षिपद्दैत्यो घोररूपं सुदारुणं

tannirastaṁ kṛtaṁ tena bāṇenāsphālitena ca. aghoraṁ prākṣipaddaityo ghorarūpaṁ sudāruṇaṁ

Skanda neutralized it with a single swiftly-loosed arrow. The daitya then hurled the Aghora weapon, of terrible and dreadful form.

Verse 7 (padma.1.69.7)

भूधरा विटपास्सिंहास्तथा सर्पादयः शराः। धावंति पार्वतीपुत्रं कोटिकोटिसहस्रशः

bhūdharā viṭapāssiṁhāstathā sarpādayaḥ śarāḥ. dhāvaṁti pārvatīputraṁ koṭikoṭisahasraśaḥ

From it came arrows in the forms of mountains, tree-branches, lions, serpents, and the like, rushing at the son of Parvati by the millions upon millions.

Verse 8 (padma.1.69.8)

छित्वा तांस्तुशरान्स्कंदो बिभेद दैत्यपुंगवं। आपादं शीर्षपर्यंतं शरैरग्न्यर्कसन्निभैः

chitvā tāṁstuśarānskaṁdo bibheda daityapuṁgavaṁ. āpādaṁ śīrṣaparyaṁtaṁ śarairagnyarkasannibhaiḥ

Cutting down those arrows, Skanda pierced that foremost of daityas from foot to head with arrows resembling fire and the sun.

Verse 9 (padma.1.69.9)

स्वर्णपुंखाः शरा लग्ना देहे दैत्यपतेर्भृशं। रेजुस्ते स्वर्णशकला यथा कृष्णशिलोच्चये

svarṇapuṁkhāḥ śarā lagnā dehe daityapaterbhṛśaṁ. rejuste svarṇaśakalā yathā kṛṣṇaśiloccaye

The gold-feathered arrows, driven deep into the demon-lord's body, gleamed like flecks of gold upon a heap of black stone.

Verse 10 (padma.1.69.10)

तस्य देहात्ततश्चैव बहु सुस्राव शोणितं। यथा च माधवे मासि पुरुपुष्पश्शमी तरुः

tasya dehāttataścaiva bahu susrāva śoṇitaṁ. yathā ca mādhave māsi purupuṣpaśśamī taruḥ

From his body then flowed much blood — as a shami tree, in the month of spring, is laden with many blossoms.

Verse 11 (padma.1.69.11)

स्यंदनाधश्चराश्वाश्च शिश्यिरे भूमिलग्नकाः। अथ क्रुद्धो महादैत्यः शूलं भीमं च दारुणं

syaṁdanādhaścarāśvāśca śiśyire bhūmilagnakāḥ. atha kruddho mahādaityaḥ śūlaṁ bhīmaṁ ca dāruṇaṁ

His chariot-horses sank down, pinned to the ground beneath the chariot. Then the enraged great daitya, seizing a fearsome and terrible trident—

Verse 12 (padma.1.69.12)

धृत्वा तं प्रतिचिक्षेप कालमृत्युसमप्रभं। पार्वतीनंदनेनापि शूलं पाशुपतेन ह

dhṛtvā taṁ praticikṣepa kālamṛtyusamaprabhaṁ. pārvatīnaṁdanenāpi śūlaṁ pāśupatena ha

—hurled it forth, radiant as death itself. The son of Parvati, in turn, met it with the Pashupata trident.

Verse 13 (padma.1.69.13)

क्षिप्तं तेन कृतं दग्धं मुहूर्तेन रणाजिरे। पुनः शक्तिं मुमोचाथ ब्रह्मदत्तान्तु दानवः

kṣiptaṁ tena kṛtaṁ dagdhaṁ muhūrtena raṇājire. punaḥ śaktiṁ mumocātha brahmadattāntu dānavaḥ

The trident that was hurled was burnt to ashes in an instant on the battlefield. Then the danava again released a spear that Brahma himself had granted him.

Verse 14 (padma.1.69.14)

शूलं प्रतिजघानाथ शतकूटसमप्रभम्। ततोऽस्त्रे वज्रसंकाशे जघटाते वियत्यपि

śūlaṁ pratijaghānātha śatakūṭasamaprabham. tato'stre vajrasaṁkāśe jaghaṭāte viyatyapi

Skanda struck it back with a trident radiant as the hundred-peaked mountain. Then the two weapons, resembling thunderbolts, clashed together even in the sky.

Verse 15 (padma.1.69.15)

तयोस्सवीर्ययोरस्त्रे धरण्यां प्रणिपेततुः। ततो दैत्यपतिः स्कंदं शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः

tayossavīryayorastre dharaṇyāṁ praṇipetatuḥ. tato daityapatiḥ skaṁdaṁ śarairagniśikhopamaiḥ

Both of those mighty weapons then fell down together upon the earth. Then the lord of the daityas assailed Skanda with arrows like flames of fire—

Verse 16 (padma.1.69.16)

अर्दयामास सहसा घनधारेव पर्वतं। तांस्तु च्छित्वा महाबाहुः सेनानीश्चापमस्य वै

ardayāmāsa sahasā ghanadhāreva parvataṁ. tāṁstu cchitvā mahābāhuḥ senānīścāpamasya vai

—suddenly, as a torrent of rain assails a mountain. But the mighty-armed commander, cutting down those arrows, then cut his bow as well—

Verse 17 (padma.1.69.17)

विचकर्तार्धचंद्रेण तथा यंतुः शिरोमहत्। तथाश्वान्बहुभिर्बाणैः पातयामास भूतले

vicakartārdhacaṁdreṇa tathā yaṁtuḥ śiromahat. tathāśvānbahubhirbāṇaiḥ pātayāmāsa bhūtale

—with a crescent-headed arrow, and likewise cut off his charioteer's great head; and with many arrows he brought the horses down to the ground.

Verse 18 (padma.1.69.18)

गृहीत्वा मुसलं वेगात्स दुद्राव स्थले गुहं। जघान तेन दैत्येन्द्रः शिखिनं शिखिवाहनं

gṛhītvā musalaṁ vegātsa dudrāva sthale guhaṁ. jaghāna tena daityendraḥ śikhinaṁ śikhivāhanaṁ

Seizing a mace, Tareya swiftly ran on foot toward Guha. With it, that lord of daityas struck the crested peacock, Skanda's mount.

Verse 19 (padma.1.69.19)

ततो मोहं गतो बर्ही प्रचकंपे मुहुर्मुहुः। ततः स्कंदः पुनस्तं च जघानासुरपुंगवं

tato mohaṁ gato barhī pracakaṁpe muhurmuhuḥ. tataḥ skaṁdaḥ punastaṁ ca jaghānāsurapuṁgavaṁ

Then the peacock, overcome with a swoon, trembled again and again. Then Skanda struck that foremost of asuras once more—

Verse 20 (padma.1.69.20)

प्रचिच्छेदासिना वेगान्मुसलं चातिदारुणं। तारेयः शक्तिमादाय जघान क्रौंचदारणम्

pracicchedāsinā vegānmusalaṁ cātidāruṇaṁ. tāreyaḥ śaktimādāya jaghāna krauṁcadāraṇam

—and swiftly cut through his fearsome mace with his sword. Tareya then, seizing a spear, struck Skanda, the piercer of Mount Krauncha.

Verse 21 (padma.1.69.21)

सोपि शक्तिं मुमोचाथ अमोघां दुष्टघातिनीम्। ततः संदह्य सा शक्तिर्विश्वप्रलयकारिणी

sopi śaktiṁ mumocātha amoghāṁ duṣṭaghātinīm. tataḥ saṁdahya sā śaktirviśvapralayakāriṇī

Skanda too then released his unfailing spear, the slayer of the wicked. Then that spear, capable of causing universal dissolution, having burned Tareya—

Verse 22 (padma.1.69.22)

यमदंडसमानं च भित्वा पुनर्गुहं गता। स गतासुः पपातोर्व्यां चालयंश्च वसुंधरां

yamadaṁḍasamānaṁ ca bhitvā punarguhaṁ gatā. sa gatāsuḥ papātorvyāṁ cālayaṁśca vasuṁdharāṁ

—and pierced him through like the rod of Yama, returned again to Skanda. Tareya, his life gone, fell upon the earth, shaking the ground.

Verse 23 (padma.1.69.23)

पुष्पधूपादिभिः स्कंदः सर्वदेवैः प्रपूजितः

puṣpadhūpādibhiḥ skaṁdaḥ sarvadevaiḥ prapūjitaḥ

Skanda was then honored by all the gods with flowers, incense, and the like.