The Battle of the Banner

Verse 1 (skanda.8.125.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि ध्वजसंग्राममूर्जितम् । देवानामसुराणाञ्च प्राणयोगविनाशनम्

sanatkumāra uvāca | ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi dhvajasaṁgrāmamūrjitam | devānāmasurāṇāñca prāṇayogavināśanam

Sanatkumara said: Hereafter I shall relate the mighty battle of the Banner, the destroyer of life among the gods and Asuras.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.125.2)

आसीद् दनुसुतः श्रीमान् विप्रचित्तिर्महाबलः । तपस्तेपे स युक्तात्मा भस्त्रापद इति श्रुतिः

āsīd danusutaḥ śrīmān vipracittirmahābalaḥ | tapastepe sa yuktātmā bhastrāpada iti śrutiḥ

There was a glorious, mighty son of Danu, Viprachitti; with disciplined mind he performed austerity — tradition says at Bhastrapada.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.125.3)

स राध्य तत्र देवेशं भगवन्तं त्रिलोचनम् । वरं वव्रेमरत्वञ्च तस्मै प्रादात् स देवपः

sa rādhya tatra deveśaṁ bhagavantaṁ trilocanam | varaṁ vavremaratvañca tasmai prādāt sa devapaḥ

Having propitiated there the Lord of gods, the Blessed three-eyed one, he chose the boon of immortality, and that lord of gods granted it.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.125.4)

ध्वजं मायामयं दिव्यं सर्वगं काञ्चनं शुभम् । उवाच चैनं तुष्टात्मा भगवान्दानवेश्वरम्

dhvajaṁ māyāmayaṁ divyaṁ sarvagaṁ kāñcanaṁ śubham | uvāca cainaṁ tuṣṭātmā bhagavāndānaveśvaram

And also a magical, divine, all-pervading, golden, auspicious banner; and the Blessed one, his heart pleased, said to that lord of Danavas:

Verse 5 (skanda.8.125.5)

अयं तव दनोः पुत्र विश्वरूपो ध्वजोत्तमः । एनमाश्रित्य युद्धेषु त्वमजय्यो भविष्यसि

ayaṁ tava danoḥ putra viśvarūpo dhvajottamaḥ | enamāśritya yuddheṣu tvamajayyo bhaviṣyasi

'This, O son of Danu, is your supreme banner Vishvarupa; relying on it in battles, you shall become unconquerable.'

Verse 6 (skanda.8.125.6)

अमरश्च महाबाहो शब्दं चेन्न करिष्यसि । अतोन्यथा तु ते भाग्यैर्भविता विजयो रणे

amaraśca mahābāho śabdaṁ cenna kariṣyasi | atonyathā tu te bhāgyairbhavitā vijayo raṇe

'And you shall be immortal, O mighty-armed one, if you utter no sound; otherwise your fortune of victory in battle shall fail.'

Verse 7 (skanda.8.125.7)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । स एवमुक्तो देवेन ध्वजेन महता युधि । दनुजैः सह विप्रेन्द्र देवान्सर्वान्समाह्वयत्

sanatkumāra uvāca | sa evamukto devena dhvajena mahatā yudhi | danujaiḥ saha viprendra devānsarvānsamāhvayat

Sanatkumara said: O lord of brahmins, thus addressed by the god, he, with that great banner, together with the Danujas, challenged all the gods to battle.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.125.8)

तद्युद्धमभवद् घोरं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् । वर्षाणान्तु शतान्यष्टौ दश चैव सुदारुणम्

tadyuddhamabhavad ghoraṁ tumulaṁ lomaharṣaṇam | varṣāṇāntu śatānyaṣṭau daśa caiva sudāruṇam

That battle became terrible, tumultuous, and hair-raising, extremely dreadful, lasting eight hundred and ten years.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.125.9)

तत्राद्भुतमपश्यन्ते दनुपुत्रस्य धीमतः । ध्वजेन विश्वरूपेण यदेको न्यवधीद् बहून्

tatrādbhutamapaśyante danuputrasya dhīmataḥ | dhvajena viśvarūpeṇa yadeko nyavadhīd bahūn

There they beheld a wonder concerning that wise son of Danu: how, by means of the Vishvarupa banner, he alone slew many.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.125.10)

युध्यतश्चास्य संग्रामे ध्वजमाश्रित्य मायया । न देवाः प्रहरन्त्यस्य पश्यमानास्तु मोहिताः

yudhyataścāsya saṁgrāme dhvajamāśritya māyayā | na devāḥ praharantyasya paśyamānāstu mohitāḥ

As he fought in battle, relying on the banner through magic power, the gods, though watching, could not strike him, being deluded.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.125.11)

नापश्यन्ते दनुसुतान्नापि दैत्याँस्तथा रणे । ध्वजमेवाभिपश्यन्ति सर्वे मूढा दिवौकसः

nāpaśyante danusutānnāpi daityā~stathā raṇe | dhvajamevābhipaśyanti sarve mūḍhā divaukasaḥ

They saw neither the sons of Danu nor the Daityas in that battle; all the deluded gods saw only the banner.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.125.12)

मुमुचुर्यान्यमोघानि आयुधानि दिवौकसः । तानि छन्नान्यभूवन् हि ध्वजच्छायानिलेन वै

mumucuryānyamoghāni āyudhāni divaukasaḥ | tāni channānyabhūvan hi dhvajacchāyānilena vai

Whatever unfailing weapons the gods loosed, they were all concealed by the shadow-wind cast by the banner.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.125.13)

अग्रतः पृष्ठतश्चैव पार्श्वयोरूर्ध्वमेव च । ध्वजमेवाभिपश्यन्ति न दैत्यान्नापि दानवान्

agrataḥ pṛṣṭhataścaiva pārśvayorūrdhvameva ca | dhvajamevābhipaśyanti na daityānnāpi dānavān

In front, behind, on both sides, and above too, they saw only the banner, never the Daityas or the Danavas.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.125.14)

तत्र ते सायकास्तीक्ष्णा ज्वलन्तः पावकार्चिषः । निःसृत्य तु ध्वजाद् व्यास दारयन्ति सुरोत्तमान्

tatra te sāyakāstīkṣṇā jvalantaḥ pāvakārciṣaḥ | niḥsṛtya tu dhvajād vyāsa dārayanti surottamān

There, O Vyasa, sharp arrows blazing with tongues of fire, issuing forth from the banner, tore apart the best of the gods.

Verse 15 (skanda.8.125.15)

गदाश्च परिघाश्चैव भिन्दिपालास्सतोमराः । निःसृतानि तथान्यानि दृश्यन्तेस्त्राणि वै ध्वजात्

gadāśca parighāścaiva bhindipālāssatomarāḥ | niḥsṛtāni tathānyāni dṛśyantestrāṇi vai dhvajāt

Maces, iron bars, javelins together with lances, and other weapons too were seen issuing forth from the banner.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.125.16)

ते देवास्तेन दैत्येन ध्वजमाश्रित्य सर्वशः । भग्ना विचेतसः संख्ये कृता नष्टपराक्रमाः

te devāstena daityena dhvajamāśritya sarvaśaḥ | bhagnā vicetasaḥ saṁkhye kṛtā naṣṭaparākramāḥ

Those gods were, by that Daitya relying wholly on the banner, broken in battle, made senseless, and stripped of their valor.

Verse 17 (skanda.8.125.17)

तान् भग्नान् भज्यमानाँश्च सर्वान्दृष्ट्वा सुरोत्तमान् । जगर्ज जलदो यद्वद् ध्वजमाश्रित्य दानवः

tān bhagnān bhajyamānā~śca sarvāndṛṣṭvā surottamān | jagarja jalado yadvad dhvajamāśritya dānavaḥ

Seeing all those best of gods broken and being broken, that Danava, relying on the banner, roared like a thundercloud.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.125.18)

तस्य तच्छिद्रमालक्ष्य भगवान् पाकशासनः । ध्वजमालक्ष्य चिक्षेप वज्रं परममन्युमान्

tasya tacchidramālakṣya bhagavān pākaśāsanaḥ | dhvajamālakṣya cikṣepa vajraṁ paramamanyumān

Noticing that weak point of his, the Blessed Pakashasana, taking aim at the banner, filled with supreme wrath, hurled his thunderbolt.

Verse 19 (skanda.8.125.19)

ज्वलदादित्यसंकाशं तद् वज्रं भीमशब्दवत् । सध्वज दानवेशानमकरोद्यमगोचरम्

jvaladādityasaṁkāśaṁ tad vajraṁ bhīmaśabdavat | sadhvaja dānaveśānamakarodyamagocaram

That thunderbolt, blazing like the sun, with a terrible roar, sent the lord of Danavas, together with his banner, into Yama's domain.

Verse 20 (skanda.8.125.20)

ध्वजे लक्ष्यं समाविश्य देवेन्द्रेण महात्मना । हतास्ते नानवास्सर्वे सहस्राणि चतुर्दश

dhvaje lakṣyaṁ samāviśya devendreṇa mahātmanā | hatāste nānavāssarve sahasrāṇi caturdaśa

The mark having been fixed on the banner by the great-souled lord of gods, all fourteen thousand of them, without exception, were slain.

Verse 21 (skanda.8.125.21)

ते तेन शब्देन महानुभावा हतास्समालक्ष्य सुरेन्द्रकल्पाः । ध्वजे निवेश्यैन्द्रसमानचिह्ना वज्रेण देवेन्द्रबलेन सर्वे

te tena śabdena mahānubhāvā hatāssamālakṣya surendrakalpāḥ | dhvaje niveśyaindrasamānacihnā vajreṇa devendrabalena sarve

Those illustrious ones, godlike, beholding themselves slain by that great sound — having set upon the banner a mark equal to Indra's own — were all destroyed by the thunderbolt through the power of the lord of gods.