The Origin of the Submarine Fire: Dadhichi and the Gods' Weapons

Verse 1 (skanda.7.31.1)

देव्युवाच। सकारपंचकं प्रोक्तं यत्त्वया मम शंकर। कथं तदत्र संवृत्तमेतन्मे संशयं महत्

devyuvāca| sakārapaṁcakaṁ proktaṁ yattvayā mama śaṁkara| kathaṁ tadatra saṁvṛttametanme saṁśayaṁ mahat

The Goddess said: O Shankara, that fivefold group beginning with the syllable 'sa' which you spoke of to me — how did it come to pass here? This is a great doubt for me.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.31.2)

कथं वात्र समायाता कुतश्चापि सरस्वती। कथं स वाडवो जातः कस्मिन्काले कथं ह्यभूत्। तत्सर्वं विस्तरेणेदं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

kathaṁ vātra samāyātā kutaścāpi sarasvatī| kathaṁ sa vāḍavo jātaḥ kasminkāle kathaṁ hyabhūt| tatsarvaṁ vistareṇedaṁ yathāvadvaktumarhasi

And how did Sarasvati come here, and from where? How and at what time did that submarine fire (vadavagni) arise? You should tell me all of this properly and in detail.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.31.3)

ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु देवि यथा जाता तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे सरस्वती। यतश्चैव समुद्भूता सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी

īśvara uvāca| śṛṇu devi yathā jātā tasminkṣetre sarasvatī| yataścaiva samudbhūtā sarvapāpapraṇāśinī

Ishvara said: Listen, O Goddess, how Sarasvati — the destroyer of all sins — came to be in that sacred field, and the source from which she arose.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.31.4)

हिरण्या वज्रिणी न्यंकुः कपिला च सरस्वती

hiraṇyā vajriṇī nyaṁkuḥ kapilā ca sarasvatī

Hiranya, Vajrini, Nyanku, and Kapila — these are all names of Sarasvati herself.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.31.5)

ऋषिभिः पञ्चभिश्चात्र समाहूता यथा पुरा। वाडवेनाग्निना युक्ता यथा जाता शृणुष्व तत्

ṛṣibhiḥ pañcabhiścātra samāhūtā yathā purā| vāḍavenāgninā yuktā yathā jātā śṛṇuṣva tat

How she was, in ancient times, invoked here by five sages, and how she came to be joined with the submarine fire — listen to that.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.31.6)

पुरा देवासुरे युद्धे निवृत्ते सोमकारणात्। पितामहस्य वचनात्तारां चन्द्रः समर्पयत्

purā devāsure yuddhe nivṛtte somakāraṇāt| pitāmahasya vacanāttārāṁ candraḥ samarpayat

Formerly, when the war between gods and demons — which had arisen on account of Soma — had ceased, Chandra, by the word of Brahma the Grandsire, restored Tara.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.31.7)

ततो याताः सुराः स्वर्गं पश्यन्तोऽधोमुखा महीम्। ददृशुस्ते ततो देवा भूम्यां स्वर्गमिवापरम्

tato yātāḥ surāḥ svargaṁ paśyanto'dhomukhā mahīm| dadṛśuste tato devā bhūmyāṁ svargamivāparam

Then the gods went on toward heaven, and looking down with faces turned toward the earth, those gods beheld upon the ground what seemed to be another heaven.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.31.8)

आश्रमं मुनिमुख्यस्य दधीचेर्लोक विश्रुतम्। सर्वर्त्तुकुसुमोपेतं पादपैरुपशोभितम्। केतकीकुटजोद्भूत बकुलामोदमोदितम्

āśramaṁ munimukhyasya dadhīcerloka viśrutam| sarvarttukusumopetaṁ pādapairupaśobhitam| ketakīkuṭajodbhūta bakulāmodamoditam

It was the world-renowned ashram of Dadhichi, foremost among sages — adorned with the flowers of every season, beautified with trees, and delighted by the fragrance rising from ketaki, kutaja, and bakula blossoms.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.31.9)

एवंविधं समासाद्य तदाश्रमपदं गुरु। कौतुकाद्द्रष्टुमारब्धाः सर्वे देवा मनोरमम्

evaṁvidhaṁ samāsādya tadāśramapadaṁ guru| kautukāddraṣṭumārabdhāḥ sarve devā manoramam

Having thus arrived at that great, delightful hermitage, all the gods, out of curiosity, began to gaze upon it.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.31.10)

ते च तीर्थाश्रमे तस्मिन्यानान्युत्सृज्य संयताः। प्रवृत्तास्तमृषिं द्रष्टुं प्राकृताः पुरुषा यथा

te ca tīrthāśrame tasminyānānyutsṛjya saṁyatāḥ| pravṛttāstamṛṣiṁ draṣṭuṁ prākṛtāḥ puruṣā yathā

At that sacred hermitage, having set aside their celestial vehicles and restraining themselves, they proceeded to see that sage just as ordinary men would.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.31.11)

दृष्टवंतः सुराः सर्वे पितामहमिवापरम्। ततस्त ऋषिणा सर्वे पाद्यार्घ्यादिभिरर्च्चिताः

dṛṣṭavaṁtaḥ surāḥ sarve pitāmahamivāparam| tatasta ṛṣiṇā sarve pādyārghyādibhirarccitāḥ

All the gods beheld him as though he were another Grandsire Brahma. Then that sage honored them all with water for the feet, arghya, and the like.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.31.12)

यथोक्तमासनं भेजुः सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः। तेषां मध्ये समुत्थाय शक्रः प्रोवाच तं मुनिम्

yathoktamāsanaṁ bhejuḥ sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ| teṣāṁ madhye samutthāya śakraḥ provāca taṁ munim

All the gods, together with Vasava (Indra), took the seats offered to them as was proper. Then, rising up from among them, Shakra addressed that sage.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.31.13)

आयुधानि विमुच्याग्रे भवान्गृह्णात्विमानि हि। तन्निशम्य वचः प्राह दधीचिः पाकशासनम्

āyudhāni vimucyāgre bhavāngṛhṇātvimāni hi| tanniśamya vacaḥ prāha dadhīciḥ pākaśāsanam

"Let these weapons of ours first be set aside here — please accept them." Having heard this speech, Dadhichi said to Pakashasana (Indra)—

Verse 14 (skanda.7.31.14)

मुक्तास्त्राणि ममाभ्याशे यूयं यात त्रिविष्टपम्। तं शक्रः प्राह चैतानि कार्यकाले ह्युपस्थिते

muktāstrāṇi mamābhyāśe yūyaṁ yāta triviṣṭapam| taṁ śakraḥ prāha caitāni kāryakāle hyupasthite

"—leave the weapons near me, and go on to heaven." Shakra said to him: "When the time of need arises—

Verse 15 (skanda.7.31.15)

देयानि ते पुनः शत्रूनभिजेष्यामहे रणे। पुनःपुनस्ततः शक्रः संदिश्य मुनिसत्तमम्

deyāni te punaḥ śatrūnabhijeṣyāmahe raṇe| punaḥpunastataḥ śakraḥ saṁdiśya munisattamam

—they must be returned to us, so that we may conquer our enemies in battle." Then Shakra, having instructed that most excellent sage again and again—

Verse 16 (skanda.7.31.16)

अस्माकमेव देयानि न चान्यस्य त्वया मुने। बाढमित्युदिते शक्रमुक्तवान्मुनिसत्तमः

asmākameva deyāni na cānyasya tvayā mune| bāḍhamityudite śakramuktavānmunisattamaḥ

"—O sage, they must be given to us alone, and to no one else." When "very well" had been spoken in assent, the most excellent sage said to Shakra—

Verse 17 (skanda.7.31.17)

दास्यामि ते समस्तानि युद्धकाले विशेषतः। नास्य मिथ्या भवेद्वाक्यमिति मत्वा शचीपतिः। मुक्त्वास्त्राणि तदभ्याशे पुनः स्वर्गं गतस्तदा

dāsyāmi te samastāni yuddhakāle viśeṣataḥ| nāsya mithyā bhavedvākyamiti matvā śacīpatiḥ| muktvāstrāṇi tadabhyāśe punaḥ svargaṁ gatastadā

"I shall give you all of these, especially at the time of war." Thinking, "his word will not prove false," the Lord of Shachi (Indra), having left the weapons in his keeping, then went again to heaven.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.31.18)

अस्त्रार्पणं यः प्रयतः प्रयत्नाच्छृणोति राजा भुवि भावितातात्मा। सोऽभ्येति युद्धे विजयं परं हि सुतांश्च धर्मार्थयशोभिरामाः

astrārpaṇaṁ yaḥ prayataḥ prayatnācchṛṇoti rājā bhuvi bhāvitātātmā| so'bhyeti yuddhe vijayaṁ paraṁ hi sutāṁśca dharmārthayaśobhirāmāḥ

Whatever king on earth, self-controlled and of purified soul, diligently and attentively hears this account of the offering of the weapons — he attains supreme victory in battle, and sons made splendid by dharma, wealth, and fame.