The Battle of the Ganas

Verse 1 (skanda.8.133.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । तौ दृष्टवा निर्मितौ व्यूहौ प्रमथासुरयोः सुराः । विमानकोटिभिः शीघ्रं रुरुधुः सर्वतो नभः

sanatkumāra uvāca | tau dṛṣṭavā nirmitau vyūhau pramathāsurayoḥ surāḥ | vimānakoṭibhiḥ śīghraṁ rurudhuḥ sarvato nabhaḥ

Sanatkumara said: Seeing those two formations constructed, of the Pramathas and the Asuras, the gods quickly filled the entire sky on every side with crores of celestial cars.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.133.2)

सर्वं तेजोभिराकीर्णं तदम्बरतलं बभौ । मेरुकूटवनं रम्यं दह्यमानमिवाग्निना

sarvaṁ tejobhirākīrṇaṁ tadambaratalaṁ babhau | merukūṭavanaṁ ramyaṁ dahyamānamivāgninā

That whole expanse of sky, filled entirely with radiance, shone like the lovely forest of Meru's peak, as if being burnt by fire.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.133.3)

देवदुन्दुभिशब्दाढ्यं दिव्यस्त्रीशतसंकुलम् । तद्देवमण्डलं भाति यथैवादित्यमण्डलम्

devadundubhiśabdāḍhyaṁ divyastrīśatasaṁkulam | taddevamaṇḍalaṁ bhāti yathaivādityamaṇḍalam

That assembly of gods, rich with the sound of divine kettledrums, thronged with hundreds of divine women, shone just like the orb of the sun.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.133.4)

दिव्यपुष्पसमाकीर्णं दिव्यगन्धाधिवासितम् । प्रेक्षकैः शतशः पूर्णं खतलं दिव्यमाबभौ

divyapuṣpasamākīrṇaṁ divyagandhādhivāsitam | prekṣakaiḥ śataśaḥ pūrṇaṁ khatalaṁ divyamābabhau

Strewn with divine flowers, perfumed with divine fragrance, filled with hundreds of onlookers, the expanse of sky shone divinely.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.133.5)

वादित्राण्यभ्यहन्यन्त जगुश्च सुरगायनाः । रम्भाद्या ननृतुश्चापि शुभापाङ्गाः सुराङ्गनाः

vāditrāṇyabhyahanyanta jaguśca suragāyanāḥ | rambhādyā nanṛtuścāpi śubhāpāṅgāḥ surāṅganāḥ

Musical instruments were struck, and the divine singers sang; and Rambha and the others, celestial women with lovely side-glances, danced.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.133.6)

अथ वज्रगिरिव्यूहौ परस्परजयैषिणौ । समीयतुर्महानादैर्वातोद्धूतौ यथार्णवौ

atha vajragirivyūhau parasparajayaiṣiṇau | samīyaturmahānādairvātoddhūtau yathārṇavau

Then the thunderbolt-formation and the mountain-formation, each seeking victory over the other, met with great roars, like two oceans stirred up by the wind.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.133.7)

मा त्वरध्वमिति प्रोक्ताः शुक्रेण सुमहात्मना । योधा निवार्यमाणापि चक्रुर्युद्धमसंहतम्

mā tvaradhvamiti proktāḥ śukreṇa sumahātmanā | yodhā nivāryamāṇāpi cakruryuddhamasaṁhatam

Though the warriors were told 'Do not be hasty' by the great-souled Shukra, and though restrained, they fought a disordered battle.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.133.8)

ततः शंखाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवा गोविषाणिकाः । आडम्बरा डिण्डिमाश्व मण्डूकाः पणवा ह्यपि

tataḥ śaṁkhāśca bheryaśca paṇavā goviṣāṇikāḥ | āḍambarā ḍiṇḍimāśva maṇḍūkāḥ paṇavā hyapi

Then conches, kettledrums, small drums, horns; large drums, small kettledrums, and Mandukas, and small drums too —

Verse 9 (skanda.8.133.9)

भेर्यो दुन्दुभयश्चापि मृदङ्गाः किंखरानकाः । उभयत्र बले गाढं प्रावाद्यन्त सहस्रशः

bheryo dundubhayaścāpi mṛdaṅgāḥ kiṁkharānakāḥ | ubhayatra bale gāḍhaṁ prāvādyanta sahasraśaḥ

—kettledrums and dundubhis, mridangas, kimkharanakas — in both armies, thousands of them were loudly played.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.133.10)

ततः सुरगणैर्नादाः सह गन्धर्वचारणैः । कृतास्तूर्यरवं श्रुत्वा प्रमथासुरसैन्ययोः

tataḥ suragaṇairnādāḥ saha gandharvacāraṇaiḥ | kṛtāstūryaravaṁ śrutvā pramathāsurasainyayoḥ

Then, hearing the sound of the instruments made by the hosts of gods together with Gandharvas and Charanas, in both the armies of the Pramathas and Asuras—

Verse 11 (skanda.8.133.11)

बलयोस्तूर्यशब्देन देवसिंहरवेण च । मन्दरे रुरुवुर्घोरं सिंहशार्दूलकुञ्जराः

balayostūryaśabdena devasiṁharaveṇa ca | mandare ruruvurghoraṁ siṁhaśārdūlakuñjarāḥ

—by the sound of the instruments of both armies and by the lion-roar of the gods, the lions, tigers, and elephants on Mandara roared terribly.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.133.12)

तूर्यारसितब्देन तेन तेमितविक्रमाः । अभिन्दन्तः स्वकं व्यूहं युयुधुः प्रमथासुराः

tūryārasitabdena tena temitavikramāḥ | abhindantaḥ svakaṁ vyūhaṁ yuyudhuḥ pramathāsurāḥ

By that sound of instruments and roars, their valor stirred to the full, the Pramathas and Asuras, breaking their own formation, fought.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.133.13)

प्रथमे सन्निपाते तु तेषां युद्धे कृतात्मनाम् । अभवद् दारुणो रावो हस्तिनामिव गर्जताम्

prathame sannipāte tu teṣāṁ yuddhe kṛtātmanām | abhavad dāruṇo rāvo hastināmiva garjatām

At the first clash, in the battle of those disciplined ones, there arose a dreadful roar, like that of trumpeting elephants.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.133.14)

देवासुराः करस्थैस्तु आयुधैस्ते सहस्रशः । विशेषयन्ति युद्धे स्म परस्परजिघांसवः

devāsurāḥ karasthaistu āyudhaiste sahasraśaḥ | viśeṣayanti yuddhe sma parasparajighāṁsavaḥ

The gods and Asuras, with weapons in hand, by the thousands, distinguished themselves in battle, each side desiring to slay the other.

Verse 15 (skanda.8.133.15)

तच्छूलवज्रोपलवृक्षबाणदृढप्रहारातिशयातिहर्षम् । विवर्धते पारिषदासुराणां युद्धं युगं तिष्यमिवातिघोरम्

tacchūlavajropalavṛkṣabāṇadṛḍhaprahārātiśayātiharṣam | vivardhate pāriṣadāsurāṇāṁ yuddhaṁ yugaṁ tiṣyamivātighoram

That battle of the attendants and the Asuras, with its extreme intensity of firm blows from tridents, thunderbolts, boulders, trees, and arrows, grew ever more terrible, like the age of doomsday itself.