Vrika's Attainment of Indra's Kingdom

Verse 1 (skanda.6.230.1)

सूत उवाच एवं गणत्वमापन्ने ह्यन्धके दानवोत्तमे तस्य पुत्रो वृकोनाम निरुत्साहो द्विषज्जये

sūta uvāca evaṁ gaṇatvamāpanne hyandhake dānavottame tasya putro vṛkonāma nirutsāho dviṣajjaye

Suta said: Thus, when the foremost of demons, Andhaka, had become one of Shiva's ganas, his son, named Vrika, was left without spirit for victory over his enemies.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.230.2)

भयेन महता युक्तो हतशेषैश्च दानवैः प्रविवेश समुद्रांतं सुदुर्गं ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः

bhayena mahatā yukto hataśeṣaiśca dānavaiḥ praviveśa samudrāṁtaṁ sudurgaṁ brāhmaṇottamāḥ

O best of brahmins, overcome with great fear, together with the demons who remained after the slaughter, he entered a well-fortified place at the edge of the ocean.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.230.3)

ततः शक्रः प्रहृष्टात्मा प्रणम्य वृषभध्वजम् तस्यादेशं समासाद्य प्रविवेशामरावतीम्

tataḥ śakraḥ prahṛṣṭātmā praṇamya vṛṣabhadhvajam tasyādeśaṁ samāsādya praviveśāmarāvatīm

Then Indra, his heart rejoicing, bowed to the bull-bannered Shiva, and having received his command, entered Amaravati.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.230.4)

चकार च सुखी राज्यं त्रैलोक्येऽपि द्विजोत्तमाः यज्ञभागान्पुनर्लेभे यथार्थं च धरातले

cakāra ca sukhī rājyaṁ trailokye'pi dvijottamāḥ yajñabhāgānpunarlebhe yathārthaṁ ca dharātale

O best of brahmins, he happily ruled the three worlds, and again received his rightful shares of the sacrifice upon the earth.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.230.5)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु ह्यंधकस्य सुतो वृकः निष्क्रम्य सागरात्तूर्णं जंबुद्वीपं समागतः

etasminneva kāle tu hyaṁdhakasya suto vṛkaḥ niṣkramya sāgarāttūrṇaṁ jaṁbudvīpaṁ samāgataḥ

At this very time, Andhaka's son Vrika, emerging swiftly from the ocean, arrived in Jambudvipa.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.230.6)

हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं मत्वा पुण्यं सुसिद्धिदम् पित्रा यत्र तपस्तप्तमंधकेन दुरात्मना

hāṭakeśvarajaṁ kṣetraṁ matvā puṇyaṁ susiddhidam pitrā yatra tapastaptamaṁdhakena durātmanā

Considering the holy field born at Hatakeshvara to be sacred and a swift bestower of accomplishment — the very place where his evil-souled father Andhaka had practised austerity —

Verse 7 (skanda.6.230.7)

सगुप्तस्तु तपस्तेपे यथा वेत्ति न कश्चन ध्यायमानः सुरश्रेष्ठं भक्त्या कमलसंभवम्

saguptastu tapastepe yathā vetti na kaścana dhyāyamānaḥ suraśreṣṭhaṁ bhaktyā kamalasaṁbhavam

...he practised austerity there in secret, so that no one might know of it, meditating with devotion upon the lotus-born, foremost of gods.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.230.8)

यावद्वर्षसहस्रांतं जलाहारो द्वितीयकम् तपस्तेपे स दैत्येन्द्रो ध्यायमानः पितामहम्

yāvadvarṣasahasrāṁtaṁ jalāhāro dvitīyakam tapastepe sa daityendro dhyāyamānaḥ pitāmaham

For a full thousand years he lived on water alone as his second means of subsistence, that lord of demons practising austerity, meditating upon the Grandsire.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.230.9)

वायुभक्षस्ततो जातस्तावत्कालं द्विजोत्तमाः अंगुष्ठाग्रेण भूपृष्ठं स्पर्शमानो जितेन्द्रियः

vāyubhakṣastato jātastāvatkālaṁ dvijottamāḥ aṁguṣṭhāgreṇa bhūpṛṣṭhaṁ sparśamāno jitendriyaḥ

O best of brahmins, thereafter, for that same span of time, he became a wind-eater, touching the earth only with the tip of his big toe, his senses subdued.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.230.10)

एवं च पञ्चमे प्राप्ते सहस्रे द्विजसत्तमाः ब्रह्मा तस्य गतस्तुष्टिं दृष्ट्वा तस्य तपो महत्

evaṁ ca pañcame prāpte sahasre dvijasattamāḥ brahmā tasya gatastuṣṭiṁ dṛṣṭvā tasya tapo mahat

O best of brahmins, thus, when the fifth thousand years had come, Brahma, beholding his great austerity, was moved to satisfaction.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.230.11)

ततोऽब्रवीत्तमागत्य तां गर्तां ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः भोभो वृक निवर्तस्व तपसोऽस्मात्सुदारुणात्

tato'bravīttamāgatya tāṁ gartāṁ brāhmaṇottamāḥ bhobho vṛka nivartasva tapaso'smātsudāruṇāt

O best of brahmins, then, coming to that pit, he said to him: 'Ho, Vrika! Desist now from this exceedingly harsh austerity.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.230.12)

वरं वरय भद्रं ते यो नित्यं मनसि स्थितः

varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te yo nityaṁ manasi sthitaḥ

'Choose a boon — blessings upon you — whatever it is that is ever fixed in your mind.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.230.13)

वृक उवाच यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव यदि देयो वरो मम जरामरणहीनं मां तत्कुरुष्व पितामह

vṛka uvāca yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva yadi deyo varo mama jarāmaraṇahīnaṁ māṁ tatkuruṣva pitāmaha

Vrika said: If you are pleased with me, O god, and if a boon is to be given to me, then make me free from old age and death, O Grandsire.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.230.14)

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच मम प्रसादतो वत्स जरामरणवर्जितः भविष्यसि न सन्देहः सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

śrībrahmovāca mama prasādato vatsa jarāmaraṇavarjitaḥ bhaviṣyasi na sandehaḥ satyametanmayoditam

Shri Brahma said: By my grace, child, you shall become free from old age and death; there is no doubt of this — what I have spoken is true.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.230.15)

एवमुक्त्वा ततो ब्रह्मा तत्रैवांतरधीयत वृकोऽपि कृतकृत्यस्त्वागतश्च स्वगृहं पितुः

evamuktvā tato brahmā tatraivāṁtaradhīyata vṛko'pi kṛtakṛtyastvāgataśca svagṛhaṁ pituḥ

Having said this, Brahma then vanished right there; and Vrika too, his purpose accomplished, returned to his father's house.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.230.16)

गिरिं रैवतकं नाम सर्वर्तुकुसुमोज्ज्वलम् तत्र गत्वा निजामात्यैः समं मन्त्र्य च सत्वरम् इन्द्रोपरि ततश्चक्रे यानं युद्धपरीप्सया

giriṁ raivatakaṁ nāma sarvartukusumojjvalam tatra gatvā nijāmātyaiḥ samaṁ mantrya ca satvaram indropari tataścakre yānaṁ yuddhaparīpsayā

He went to the mountain named Raivataka, resplendent with the flowers of every season; having taken swift counsel there with his own ministers, he then set out on an expedition against Indra, seeking battle.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.230.17)

इंद्रोऽपि च परिज्ञाय दानवं तं महाबलम् जरामृत्युपरित्यक्तं प्रभावात्परमेष्ठिनः

iṁdro'pi ca parijñāya dānavaṁ taṁ mahābalam jarāmṛtyuparityaktaṁ prabhāvātparameṣṭhinaḥ

Indra too, learning that this mighty demon had been freed from old age and death by the power of the Supreme Grandsire...

Verse 18 (skanda.6.230.18)

परित्यज्य भयाच्चैव पुरीं चैवामरावतीम् ब्रह्मलोकं गतस्तूर्णं देवैः सर्वैः समन्वितः

parityajya bhayāccaiva purīṁ caivāmarāvatīm brahmalokaṁ gatastūrṇaṁ devaiḥ sarvaiḥ samanvitaḥ

...out of fear abandoned the city of Amaravati, and swiftly went to Brahmaloka, accompanied by all the gods.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.230.19)

एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तो वृकश्च त्रिदशालये ससैन्यपरिवारेण प्रहृष्टेन समन्वितः

etasminnaṁtare prāpto vṛkaśca tridaśālaye sasainyaparivāreṇa prahṛṣṭena samanvitaḥ

Meanwhile Vrika arrived at the abode of the thirty gods, accompanied by his rejoicing army and retinue.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.230.20)

ततश्चैंद्रपदे तस्मिन्स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः शुक्रात्प्राप्याभिषेकं च पुष्पस्नानसमुद्भवम्

tataścaiṁdrapade tasminsvayameva vyavasthitaḥ śukrātprāpyābhiṣekaṁ ca puṣpasnānasamudbhavam

Then he himself took his place upon the throne of Indra, having received from Shukra the consecration that arises from the flower-bath.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.230.21)

सोऽभिषिक्तस्तु शुक्रेण देवराज्यपदे वृकः स्थापयामास दैतेयान्देवतानां पदेषु च

so'bhiṣiktastu śukreṇa devarājyapade vṛkaḥ sthāpayāmāsa daiteyāndevatānāṁ padeṣu ca

Vrika, thus consecrated by Shukra to the office of king of the gods, established the sons of Diti in the various offices of the gods.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.230.22)

आदित्यानां वसूनां च रुद्राणां मरुतामपि यज्ञभागकृते विप्राः शुक्रशासनमाश्रिताः

ādityānāṁ vasūnāṁ ca rudrāṇāṁ marutāmapi yajñabhāgakṛte viprāḥ śukraśāsanamāśritāḥ

O brahmins, demons were installed as well in the places of the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, and the Maruts, for the sake of the sacrificial shares, under the governance of Shukra.