Battle Is Joined

Verse 1 (padma.2.114.1)

कुंजल उवाच । अथ ते दानवाः सर्वे हुंडस्य परिचारकाः । नहुषस्यापि संवादं रंभया तु यथाश्रुतम्

kuṁjala uvāca atha te dānavāḥ sarve huṁḍasya paricārakāḥ nahuṣasyāpi saṁvādaṁ raṁbhayā tu yathāśrutam

Kunjala said: Then all of Hunda's demon attendants, that very exchange with Nahusha, just as they had overheard it through Rambha —

Verse 2 (padma.2.114.2)

आचचक्षुश्च दैत्येंद्रं हुंडं सर्वं सुभाषितम् । तमाकर्ण्य स चुक्रोध दूतं वाक्यमथाब्रवीत्

ācacakṣuśca daityeṁdraṁ huṁḍaṁ sarvaṁ subhāṣitam tamākarṇya sa cukrodha dūtaṁ vākyamathābravīt

— went and related to that lord of demons, Hunda, in full. Hearing it, he grew enraged, and spoke this word to his messenger —

Verse 3 (padma.2.114.3)

गच्छ वीर ममादेशाज्जानीहि पुरुषं हि तम् । संभाषते तया सार्द्धं पुरुषः शिवकन्यया

gaccha vīra mamādeśājjānīhi puruṣaṁ hi tam saṁbhāṣate tayā sārddhaṁ puruṣaḥ śivakanyayā

'Go, hero, by my command, and find out who that man is, who is conversing with Shiva's daughter.'

Verse 4 (padma.2.114.4)

स्वामिनिर्देशमाकर्ण्य जगाम लघुदानवः । विविक्ते नहुषं वीरमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्

svāminirdeśamākarṇya jagāma laghudānavaḥ vivikte nahuṣaṁ vīramidaṁ vacanamabravīt

Hearing his master's command, that lesser demon went forth. In a solitary place, he spoke these words to the hero Nahusha —

Verse 5 (padma.2.114.5)

रथेन साश्वसूतेन दिव्येन परितिष्ठति । धनुषा दिव्यबाणैस्तु सभायां हि भयंकरः

rathena sāśvasūtena divyena paritiṣṭhati dhanuṣā divyabāṇaistu sabhāyāṁ hi bhayaṁkaraḥ

'Why do you stand thus, so terrible in appearance, in a chariot with horse and charioteer, with a bow and divine arrows, before this assembly?'

Verse 6 (padma.2.114.6)

कस्य केन तु कार्येण प्रेषितः केन वैभवान् । अनया रंभया तेऽद्य अन्यया शिवकन्यया

kasya kena tu kāryeṇa preṣitaḥ kena vaibhavān anayā raṁbhayā te'dya anyayā śivakanyayā

'By whom, and for what purpose, have you, so majestic, been sent here? What did this Rambha and that other one, Shiva's daughter, say to you today —'

Verse 7 (padma.2.114.7)

किमुक्तं तत्स्फुटं सर्वं कथयस्व ममाग्रतः । हुंडस्य देवमर्दस्य न बिभेति भवान्कथम्

kimuktaṁ tatsphuṭaṁ sarvaṁ kathayasva mamāgrataḥ huṁḍasya devamardasya na bibheti bhavānkatham

'— whatever they said, plainly, tell it all to me. Why do you not fear Hunda, that shatterer even of gods?'

Verse 8 (padma.2.114.8)

एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि । सत्वरं गच्छ मा तिष्ठ दुःसहो दानवाधिपः

etanme sarvamācakṣva yadi jīvitumicchasi satvaraṁ gaccha mā tiṣṭha duḥsaho dānavādhipaḥ

'Tell me all of this, if you wish to live. Come at once, do not linger here — that lord of demons is not to be endured.'

Verse 9 (padma.2.114.9)

नहुष उवाच । योऽसावायुर्बली राजा सप्तद्वीपाधिपः प्रभुः । तस्य मां तनयं विद्धि सर्वदैत्यविनाशनम्

nahuṣa uvāca yo'sāvāyurbalī rājā saptadvīpādhipaḥ prabhuḥ tasya māṁ tanayaṁ viddhi sarvadaityavināśanam

Nahusha said: 'That mighty king Ayu, lord of all seven continents — know me to be his son, a destroyer of every demon,'

Verse 10 (padma.2.114.10)

नहुषं नाम विख्यातं देवब्राह्मणपूजकम् । हुंडेनापहृतं बाल्ये स्वामिना तव दानव

nahuṣaṁ nāma vikhyātaṁ devabrāhmaṇapūjakam huṁḍenāpahṛtaṁ bālye svāminā tava dānava

'a worshipper of gods and brahmins, renowned by the name Nahusha — who was, in his very infancy, demon, abducted by your master Hunda.'

Verse 11 (padma.2.114.11)

सेयं कन्या शिवस्यापि दैत्येनापहृता पुरा । घोरं तपश्चरत्येषा हुंडस्यापि वधाय च

seyaṁ kanyā śivasyāpi daityenāpahṛtā purā ghoraṁ tapaścaratyeṣā huṁḍasyāpi vadhāya ca

'This is that very maiden, Shiva's own daughter, whom that demon abducted before; it is for Hunda's very destruction that she performs this terrible austerity.'

Verse 12 (padma.2.114.12)

योहमादौ हृतो बालस्त्वया यः सूतिकागृहात् । दास्या अपि करे दत्तः सूदस्यापि दुरात्मना

yohamādau hṛto bālastvayā yaḥ sūtikāgṛhāt dāsyā api kare dattaḥ sūdasyāpi durātmanā

'I am that very child, who was first abducted by you from the birthing-chamber, and given by that vile-souled cook into the hands of a maidservant.'

Verse 13 (padma.2.114.13)

वधार्थं श्रूयतां पाप सोहमद्य समागतः । अस्यापि हुंडदैत्यस्य दुष्टस्य पापकर्मणः

vadhārthaṁ śrūyatāṁ pāpa sohamadya samāgataḥ asyāpi huṁḍadaityasya duṣṭasya pāpakarmaṇaḥ

'Hear this, sinner — I have come here today for the very destruction of that demon Hunda, wicked and steeped in sin.'

Verse 14 (padma.2.114.14)

अन्यांश्च दानवान्घोरान्नयिष्ये यमसादनम् । मामेवं विद्धि पापिष्ठ एवं कथय दानवम्

anyāṁśca dānavānghorānnayiṣye yamasādanam māmevaṁ viddhi pāpiṣṭha evaṁ kathaya dānavam

'And other terrible demons too shall I send to the abode of Death. Know me to be just this, greatest of sinners — and go tell your demon lord all of this.'

Verse 15 (padma.2.114.15)

एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं नहुषस्य महात्मनः । गत्वा हुंडं स दुष्टात्मा आचचक्षेऽस्य भाषितम्

evamākarṇya tatsarvaṁ nahuṣasya mahātmanaḥ gatvā huṁḍaṁ sa duṣṭātmā ācacakṣe'sya bhāṣitam

Hearing this whole speech of the great-souled Nahusha, that wicked-souled demon went to Hunda and related to him all that had been said.

Verse 16 (padma.2.114.16)

निशम्य तन्मुखात्तूर्णं चुक्रोध दितिजेश्वरः । कस्मात्सूदेन पापेन तया दास्या न घातितः

niśamya tanmukhāttūrṇaṁ cukrodha ditijeśvaraḥ kasmātsūdena pāpena tayā dāsyā na ghātitaḥ

Hearing it from his mouth, that lord of the Daityas grew instantly furious: 'Why did that wicked cook and that maidservant not kill him?'

Verse 17 (padma.2.114.17)

सोयं वृद्धिं समायातो मया व्याधिरुपेक्षितः । अथैनं घातयिष्यामि अनया शिवकन्यया

soyaṁ vṛddhiṁ samāyāto mayā vyādhirupekṣitaḥ athainaṁ ghātayiṣyāmi anayā śivakanyayā

'This is that very one, grown to manhood, that sickness I once overlooked. Now I shall put an end to him and to that daughter of Shiva —'

Verse 18 (padma.2.114.18)

आयोः पुत्रं खलं युद्धे बाणैरेभिः शिलाशितैः । एवं सचिंतयित्वा तु सारथिं वाक्यमब्रवीत्

āyoḥ putraṁ khalaṁ yuddhe bāṇairebhiḥ śilāśitaiḥ evaṁ saciṁtayitvā tu sārathiṁ vākyamabravīt

'— that vile son of Ayu, with these arrows sharpened on stone, I shall slay him in battle.' Having thus resolved, he said to his charioteer —

Verse 19 (padma.2.114.19)

स्यंदनं योजयस्व त्वं तुरगैः साधुभिः शिवैः । सेनाध्यक्षं समाहूय इत्युवाच समातुरः

syaṁdanaṁ yojayasva tvaṁ turagaiḥ sādhubhiḥ śivaiḥ senādhyakṣaṁ samāhūya ityuvāca samāturaḥ

'Yoke the chariot with fine, auspicious horses.' Then, summoning his commander, agitated, he said —

Verse 20 (padma.2.114.20)

सज्जतां मम सैन्यं त्वं शूरान्नागान्प्रकल्पय । सारोहैस्तुरगान्योधान्पताकाच्छत्रचामरैः

sajjatāṁ mama sainyaṁ tvaṁ śūrānnāgānprakalpaya sārohaisturagānyodhānpatākācchatracāmaraiḥ

'Make ready my army, prepare the valiant elephants, the mounted horses, the warriors, with their banners, parasols and chowries —'

Verse 21 (padma.2.114.21)

चतुरंगबलं मेऽद्य योजयस्व हि सत्वरम् । एवमाकर्ण्य तत्तस्य हुंडस्यापि ततो लघुः

caturaṁgabalaṁ me'dya yojayasva hi satvaram evamākarṇya tattasya huṁḍasyāpi tato laghuḥ

'— make ready today, swiftly, my army of four divisions.' Hearing this, Hunda's swift —

Verse 22 (padma.2.114.22)

सेनाध्यक्षो महाप्राज्ञः सर्वं चक्रे यथाविधि । चतुरंगेन तेनासौ बलेन महता वृतः

senādhyakṣo mahāprājñaḥ sarvaṁ cakre yathāvidhi caturaṁgena tenāsau balena mahatā vṛtaḥ

— and greatly wise commander made everything ready, in due order. Then, surrounded by that vast fourfold army, that Hunda —

Verse 23 (padma.2.114.23)

जगाम नहुषं वीरं चापबाणधरं रणे । इंद्रस्य स्यंदने युक्तं सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम्

jagāma nahuṣaṁ vīraṁ cāpabāṇadharaṁ raṇe iṁdrasya syaṁdane yuktaṁ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varam

— set out toward that hero Nahusha, bow and arrow in hand, ready for battle, foremost among all wielders of weapons, mounted upon Indra's own chariot.

Verse 24 (padma.2.114.24)

उद्यंतं समरे वीरं दुरापं देवदानवैः । पश्यंति गगने देवा विमानस्था महौजसः

udyaṁtaṁ samare vīraṁ durāpaṁ devadānavaiḥ paśyaṁti gagane devā vimānasthā mahaujasaḥ

That hero, ready for battle, hard to match even by gods and demons — the gods of great splendor, seated in their aerial cars in the sky, watched him —

Verse 25 (padma.2.114.25)

तेजोज्वालासमाकीर्णं द्वितीयमिव भास्करम् । सूत उवाच । अथ ते दानवाः सर्वे ववृषुस्तं शरोत्तमैः

tejojvālāsamākīrṇaṁ dvitīyamiva bhāskaram sūta uvāca atha te dānavāḥ sarve vavṛṣustaṁ śarottamaiḥ

— wreathed in flames of splendor, as if he were a second sun. Suta said: Then all those demons rained excellent arrows upon him,

Verse 26 (padma.2.114.26)

खड्गैः पाशैर्महाशूलैः शक्तिभिस्तु परश्वधैः । युयुधुः संयुगे तेन नहुषेण महात्मना

khaḍgaiḥ pāśairmahāśūlaiḥ śaktibhistu paraśvadhaiḥ yuyudhuḥ saṁyuge tena nahuṣeṇa mahātmanā

with swords, nooses, great tridents, spears and battle-axes — they fought that great-souled Nahusha in the combat.

Verse 27 (padma.2.114.27)

संरब्धा गर्जमानास्ते यथा मेघा गिरौ तथा । तद्विक्रमं समालोक्य आयुपुत्रः प्रतापवान्

saṁrabdhā garjamānāste yathā meghā girau tathā tadvikramaṁ samālokya āyuputraḥ pratāpavān

Enraged, roaring like clouds thundering upon a mountain, they raged on. Beholding their onslaught, that mighty son of Ayu —

Verse 28 (padma.2.114.28)

इंद्रायुधसमं चापं विस्फार्य स गुणस्वरम् । वज्रस्फोटसमः शब्दश्चापस्यापि महात्मनः

iṁdrāyudhasamaṁ cāpaṁ visphārya sa guṇasvaram vajrasphoṭasamaḥ śabdaścāpasyāpi mahātmanaḥ

— drew his bow, resembling Indra's own, and from its string sent forth a terrible twang — the sound of that great soul's bow was as of a thunderbolt striking down.

Verse 29 (padma.2.114.29)

नहुषेण कृतो विप्रा दानवानां भयप्रदः । महता तेन घोषेण दानवाः प्रचकंपिरे

nahuṣeṇa kṛto viprā dānavānāṁ bhayapradaḥ mahatā tena ghoṣeṇa dānavāḥ pracakaṁpire

O brahmins, that sound, raised by Nahusha, became a thing of terror to the demons. At that mighty roar all the demons trembled,

Verse 30 (padma.2.114.30)

कश्मलाविष्टहृदया भग्नसत्वा महाहवे

kaśmalāviṣṭahṛdayā bhagnasatvā mahāhave

their hearts filled with confusion, and in that great battle they lost all their courage.