The Gods See Ill Omens at the Sacrificial Ground

Verse 1 (shiva.rudra.54.1)

ब्रह्मोवाच । एवं प्रचलिते चास्मिन् वीरभद्रे गणान्विते । दुष्टचिह्नानि दक्षेण दृष्टानि विबुधैरपि

brahmovāca | evaṁ pracalite cāsmin vīrabhadre gaṇānvite | duṣṭacihnāni dakṣeṇa dṛṣṭāni vibudhairapi

Brahma said: "As Virabhadra, together with his hosts, thus set forth, evil portents were seen — by Daksha, and by the gods as well."

Verse 2 (shiva.rudra.54.2)

उत्पाता विविधाश्चासन् वीरभद्रे गणान्विते । त्रिविधा अपि देवर्षे यज्ञविध्वंससूचकाः

utpātā vividhāścāsan vīrabhadre gaṇānvite | trividhā api devarṣe yajñavidhvaṁsasūcakāḥ

"Various calamitous portents arose as Virabhadra advanced with his hosts — of three kinds, O divine sage, all foretelling the destruction of the sacrifice."

Verse 3 (shiva.rudra.54.3)

दक्षवामाक्षिबाहूरुविस्पन्दः समजायत । नानाकष्टप्रदस्तात सर्वथाशुभसूचकः

dakṣavāmākṣibāhūruvispandaḥ samajāyata | nānākaṣṭapradastāta sarvathāśubhasūcakaḥ

"Daksha's left eye, arm, and thigh began to throb — a sign, O son, bringing many kinds of distress, wholly foreboding misfortune."

Verse 4 (shiva.rudra.54.4)

भूकम्पः समभूत्तत्र दक्षयागस्थले तदा । दक्षोऽपश्यच्च मध्याह्ने नक्षत्राण्यद्भुतानि च

bhūkampaḥ samabhūttatra dakṣayāgasthale tadā | dakṣo'paśyacca madhyāhne nakṣatrāṇyadbhutāni ca

"An earthquake struck there at the site of Daksha's sacrifice, and Daksha saw wondrous stars appear even at midday."

Verse 5 (shiva.rudra.54.5)

दिशश्चासन्सुमलिनाः कर्बुरोऽभूद्दिवाकरः । परिवेषसहस्रेण सङ्क्रान्तश्च भयङ्करः

diśaścāsansumalināḥ karburo'bhūddivākaraḥ | pariveṣasahasreṇa saṅkrāntaśca bhayaṅkaraḥ

"The directions grew utterly murky, and the sun turned mottled, encircled by a thousand terrifying haloes."

Verse 6 (shiva.rudra.54.6)

नक्षत्राणि पतन्ति स्म विद्युदग्निप्रभाणि च । नक्षत्राणामभूद्वक्रा गतिश्चाधोमुखी तदा

nakṣatrāṇi patanti sma vidyudagniprabhāṇi ca | nakṣatrāṇāmabhūdvakrā gatiścādhomukhī tadā

"Stars fell, blazing like lightning and fire, and the very stars moved crookedly, their course turned downward."

Verse 7 (shiva.rudra.54.7)

गृध्रा दक्षशिरः स्पृष्ट्वा समुद्भूताः सहस्रशः । आसीद् गृध्रपक्षच्छायैः सच्छायो यागमण्डपः

gṛdhrā dakṣaśiraḥ spṛṣṭvā samudbhūtāḥ sahasraśaḥ | āsīd gṛdhrapakṣacchāyaiḥ sacchāyo yāgamaṇḍapaḥ

"Vultures rose up in their thousands, brushing against Daksha's very head, and the sacrificial pavilion lay shadowed under the shade of their wings."

Verse 8 (shiva.rudra.54.8)

ववाशिरे यागभूमौ क्रोष्टारो नेत्रकस्तदा । उल्कावृष्टिरभूत्तत्र श्वेतवृश्चिकसम्भवा

vavāśire yāgabhūmau kroṣṭāro netrakastadā | ulkāvṛṣṭirabhūttatra śvetavṛścikasambhavā

"Jackals howled upon the sacrificial ground, their eyes fixed there, and a shower of meteors fell, taking the form of white scorpions."

Verse 9 (shiva.rudra.54.9)

खरा वाता ववुस्तत्र पांशुवृष्टिसमन्विताः । शलभाश्च समुद्भूता विवर्तानिलकम्पिताः

kharā vātā vavustatra pāṁśuvṛṣṭisamanvitāḥ | śalabhāśca samudbhūtā vivartānilakampitāḥ

"Harsh winds blew there, laden with showers of dust, and locusts swarmed up, shaken by whirling gusts."

Verse 10 (shiva.rudra.54.10)

नीतश्च पवनैरूर्ध्वं स दक्षाध्वरमण्डपः । दैवान्वितेन दक्षेण यः कृतो नूतनोऽद्भुतः

nītaśca pavanairūrdhvaṁ sa dakṣādhvaramaṇḍapaḥ | daivānvitena dakṣeṇa yaḥ kṛto nūtano'dbhutaḥ

"And that sacrificial pavilion of Daksha, newly built and wondrous, made by fortune-favored Daksha, was lifted up into the sky by the winds."

Verse 11 (shiva.rudra.54.11)

वेमुर्दक्षादयः सर्वे तदा शोणितमद्भुतम् । वेमुश्च मांसखण्डानि सशल्यानि मुहुर्मुहुः

vemurdakṣādayaḥ sarve tadā śoṇitamadbhutam | vemuśca māṁsakhaṇḍāni saśalyāni muhurmuhuḥ

"Daksha and all the others then vomited forth wondrous blood, and again and again they vomited pieces of flesh mixed with splinters of bone."

Verse 12 (shiva.rudra.54.12)

सकम्पाश्च बभूवुस्ते दीपा वातहता इव । दुःखिताश्चाभवन्सर्वे शस्त्रधाराहता इव

sakampāśca babhūvuste dīpā vātahatā iva | duḥkhitāścābhavansarve śastradhārāhatā iva

"They trembled like lamps struck by the wind, and all of them fell into anguish as though struck by the edge of a blade."

Verse 13 (shiva.rudra.54.13)

तदा निनादजातानि बाष्पवर्षाणि तत्क्षणे । प्रातस्तुषारवर्षीणि पद्मानीव वनान्तरे

tadā ninādajātāni bāṣpavarṣāṇi tatkṣaṇe | prātastuṣāravarṣīṇi padmānīva vanāntare

"Then at that instant there fell showers of tears amid loud cries, like lotuses in a forest showered upon by the morning frost."

Verse 14 (shiva.rudra.54.14)

दक्षाद्यक्षीणि जातानि ह्यकस्माद्विशदान्यपि । निशायां कमलाश्चैव कुमुदानीव सङ्गवे

dakṣādyakṣīṇi jātāni hyakasmādviśadānyapi | niśāyāṁ kamalāścaiva kumudānīva saṅgave

"The very eyes of Daksha and the others suddenly turned pale and wide, like day-lotuses at night, or like night-lilies at the morning's gathering hour."

Verse 15 (shiva.rudra.54.15)

असृग्ववर्ष देवश्च तिमिरेणावृता दिशः । दिग्दाहोऽभूद्विशेषेण त्रासयन् सकलाञ्जनान्

asṛgvavarṣa devaśca timireṇāvṛtā diśaḥ | digdāho'bhūdviśeṣeṇa trāsayan sakalāñjanān

"The god rained down blood, and the directions were shrouded in darkness; a burning of the directions occurred especially, terrifying all the people there."

Verse 16 (shiva.rudra.54.16)

एवंविधान्यरिष्टानि ददृशुर्विबुधादयः । भयमापेदिरेऽत्यन्तं मुने विष्ण्वादिकास्तदा

evaṁvidhānyariṣṭāni dadṛśurvibudhādayaḥ | bhayamāpedire'tyantaṁ mune viṣṇvādikāstadā

"Such calamities did the gods and the others witness, and, O sage, Vishnu and the rest fell then into utter terror."

Verse 17 (shiva.rudra.54.17)

भुवि ते मूर्छिताः पेतुर्हा हताः स्म इतीरयन् । तरवस्तीरसञ्जाता नदीवेगहता इव

bhuvi te mūrchitāḥ peturhā hatāḥ sma itīrayan | taravastīrasañjātā nadīvegahatā iva

"They fell fainting to the ground, crying, 'Alas, we are slain!' — like trees grown on a riverbank, struck down by the current's force."

Verse 18 (shiva.rudra.54.18)

पतित्वा ते स्थिता भूमौ क्रूराः सर्पा हता इव । कन्दुका इव ते भूयः पतिताः पुनरुत्थिताः

patitvā te sthitā bhūmau krūrāḥ sarpā hatā iva | kandukā iva te bhūyaḥ patitāḥ punarutthitāḥ

"Having fallen, they lay upon the ground like fierce serpents slain, and then, like balls, having fallen, they rose up again."

Verse 19 (shiva.rudra.54.19)

ततस्ते तापसन्तप्ता रुरुदुः कुररी इव । रोदनध्वनिसङ्क्रातोरुक्तिप्रत्युक्तिका इव

tataste tāpasantaptā ruruduḥ kurarī iva | rodanadhvanisaṅkrātoruktipratyuktikā iva

"Then, scorched with anguish, they wept like the osprey, as though their very cries of lamentation exchanged words of grief with one another."

Verse 20 (shiva.rudra.54.20)

सवैकुण्ठास्ततः सर्वे तदा कुण्ठितशक्तयः । स्वस्वोपकण्ठमाकण्ठं लुलुठुः कमठा इव

savaikuṇṭhāstataḥ sarve tadā kuṇṭhitaśaktayaḥ | svasvopakaṇṭhamākaṇṭhaṁ luluṭhuḥ kamaṭhā iva

"Then all of them, the Lord of Vaikuntha among them, their powers now blunted, writhed, each clutching his own throat, like tortoises drawing in their necks."

Verse 21 (shiva.rudra.54.21)

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र सञ्जाता चाशरीरवाक् । श्रावयत्यखिलान् देवान् दक्षं चैव विशेषतः

etasminnantare tatra sañjātā cāśarīravāk | śrāvayatyakhilān devān dakṣaṁ caiva viśeṣataḥ

"Meanwhile, a disembodied voice then arose there, making itself heard by all the gods, and by Daksha in particular."

Verse 22 (shiva.rudra.54.22)

आकाशवाण्युवाच । धिक् जन्म तव दक्षाद्य महामूढोऽसि पापधीः ॥ भविष्यति महद्दुःखमनिवार्यं हरोद्भवम्

ākāśavāṇyuvāca | dhik janma tava dakṣādya mahāmūḍho'si pāpadhīḥ || bhaviṣyati mahadduḥkhamanivāryaṁ harodbhavam

The voice from the sky said: "Shame on your birth, O Daksha! Today you are utterly deluded, evil of mind. Great, unavoidable sorrow shall now arise from Hara."

Verse 23 (shiva.rudra.54.23)

सहायिनोऽत्र ये मूढास्तव देवादयः स्थिताः । तेषामपि महद्दुःखं भविष्यति न संशयः

sahāyino'tra ye mūḍhāstava devādayaḥ sthitāḥ | teṣāmapi mahadduḥkhaṁ bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ

"And those deluded ones standing here as your helpers, the gods and the rest — for them too great sorrow shall come, without doubt."

Verse 24 (shiva.rudra.54.24)

ब्रह्मोवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वाकाशवचनं दृष्ट्वारिष्टानि तानि च । दक्षः प्रापद्भयं चाति परे देवादयोऽपि ह

brahmovāca | tacchrutvākāśavacanaṁ dṛṣṭvāriṣṭāni tāni ca | dakṣaḥ prāpadbhayaṁ cāti pare devādayo'pi ha

Brahma said: "Hearing that word from the sky, and seeing those calamities, Daksha fell into the utmost fear, and so did the other gods as well."

Verse 25 (shiva.rudra.54.25)

वेपमानस्तदा दक्षो विकलश्चाति चेतसि । अगच्छच्छरणं विष्णोः स्वप्रभोरिन्दिरापतेः

vepamānastadā dakṣo vikalaścāti cetasi | agacchaccharaṇaṁ viṣṇoḥ svaprabhorindirāpateḥ

"Trembling then, and utterly distraught in mind, Daksha went for refuge to Vishnu, his own Lord, the husband of Indira."

Verse 26 (shiva.rudra.54.26)

सुप्रणम्य भयाविष्टः संस्तूय च विचेतनः । अवोचद्देवदेवं तं विष्णुं स्वजनवत्सलम्

supraṇamya bhayāviṣṭaḥ saṁstūya ca vicetanaḥ | avocaddevadevaṁ taṁ viṣṇuṁ svajanavatsalam

"Bowing low, overcome with fear, and praising him though bewildered, he spoke to that God of gods, Vishnu, ever affectionate toward his own people."