The Battle of the Ganas (concluded)

Verse 1 (skanda.8.135.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । विवर्धमाने संग्रामे तस्मिन् पारिषदासुरे । गिरिव्यूहप्रपातस्थाः क्रुद्धा दानवसत्तमाः

sanatkumāra uvāca | vivardhamāne saṁgrāme tasmin pāriṣadāsure | girivyūhaprapātasthāḥ kruddhā dānavasattamāḥ

Sanatkumara said: As that battle between the attendants and the Asuras grew, the best of the Danavas, stationed at the precipices of the mountain-formation, grew enraged.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.135.2)

ते क्रोधाच्छूलशक्त्यृष्टिं गदावर्षमतन्द्रिताः । ववर्षुः प्रमथानीके वर्षं जलधरा इव

te krodhācchūlaśaktyṛṣṭiṁ gadāvarṣamatandritāḥ | vavarṣuḥ pramathānīke varṣaṁ jaladharā iva

They, out of wrath, untiringly rained down a shower of tridents, spears, javelins, and maces upon the army of Pramathas, like rain-clouds pouring rain.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.135.3)

शस्त्रवर्षण पनतात्ताड्यमाना ह्यनेकशः । अचिन्तयित्वा तत्सर्वं युद्धायैव मनो दधुः

śastravarṣaṇa panatāttāḍyamānā hyanekaśaḥ | acintayitvā tatsarvaṁ yuddhāyaiva mano dadhuḥ

Struck repeatedly by that falling shower of weapons, without regard for any of it, they set their minds only on battle.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.135.4)

मेघाः सस्यानि हि यथा द्विरदाः पादपानिव । पृषतानिव शार्दूलाः शरभा इव वारणान्

meghāḥ sasyāni hi yathā dviradāḥ pādapāniva | pṛṣatāniva śārdūlāḥ śarabhā iva vāraṇān

As clouds destroy crops, as elephants trample trees, as tigers prey upon spotted deer, as sharabhas assail elephants,

Verse 5 (skanda.8.135.5)

वज्रा इव यथा शैलान् कालदूता नरानिव । विध्नानिव च शान्त्यर्था नथानविनया इव

vajrā iva yathā śailān kāladūtā narāniva | vidhnāniva ca śāntyarthā nathānavinayā iva

as thunderbolts split mountains, as Death's messengers seize men, as obstacles thwart rites of peace, as ill-discipline undoes good order,

Verse 6 (skanda.8.135.6)

भावानिव यथा भावा दोषा दोषान्यथापि च । तथा निवातकवचान् शूलशक्त्यृष्टिवृष्टिभिः निजघ्नुः प्रमथाः शूराः शतशोथ सहस्रशः

bhāvāniva yathā bhāvā doṣā doṣānyathāpi ca | tathā nivātakavacān śūlaśaktyṛṣṭivṛṣṭibhiḥ nijaghnuḥ pramathāḥ śūrāḥ śataśotha sahasraśaḥ

as one quality overcomes another, and one fault another — so, with showers of tridents, spears, and javelins, the heroic Pramathas struck down the Nivatakavachas by the hundreds and thousands.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.135.7)

शूलनिर्दारितोरस्का मुशलैर्भिन्नमस्तकाः । वज्रावघातम्लानाङ्गा दानवाः पतिता भुवि

śūlanirdāritoraskā muśalairbhinnamastakāḥ | vajrāvaghātamlānāṅgā dānavāḥ patitā bhuvi

Their chests torn by tridents, their heads split by clubs, their limbs withered by thunderbolt-blows, the Danavas fell to the ground.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.135.8)

तेषां निनादाः श्रूयन्ते नदतामतिदारुणाः । संवर्त्तकानां मेघानां नदतामिव सर्वतः

teṣāṁ ninādāḥ śrūyante nadatāmatidāruṇāḥ | saṁvarttakānāṁ meghānāṁ nadatāmiva sarvataḥ

Their exceedingly dreadful cries, as they roared, were heard on every side, like the roaring of the clouds of dissolution.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.135.9)

इषुभिर्बहुधा विद्धा भग्नत्रिककशेरवः । चेष्टन्ते ह्यसुरा भूमौ भग्नपृष्ठा इवोरगाः

iṣubhirbahudhā viddhā bhagnatrikakaśeravaḥ | ceṣṭante hyasurā bhūmau bhagnapṛṣṭhā ivoragāḥ

Pierced in many ways by arrows, their hip-bones and spine broken, the Asuras writhed on the ground like serpents with broken backs.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.135.10)

ततोतिकदनं वीक्ष्य शूरास्तत्र महासुराः । निवृत्ताः शतशस्तत्र क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनाः

tatotikadanaṁ vīkṣya śūrāstatra mahāsurāḥ | nivṛttāḥ śataśastatra krodhasaṁraktalocanāḥ

Then, seeing that extreme carnage, the heroic great Asuras there turned back by the hundreds, their eyes red with rage.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.135.11)

तैर्भृशं प्रमथास्तेपि विद्धा व्यास त्रपान्विताः । संमीलिताक्षा वृषभा वर्षं निपतितं यथा

tairbhṛśaṁ pramathāstepi viddhā vyāsa trapānvitāḥ | saṁmīlitākṣā vṛṣabhā varṣaṁ nipatitaṁ yathā

By them, the Pramathas too, O Vyasa, greatly wounded, filled with shame, stood with eyes half-closed like bulls under falling rain—

Verse 12 (skanda.8.135.12)

सहन्ते तत्तथा वर्षं प्रमथा दानवेरितम् । ते चापि युद्धं तुमुलं कृत्वान्ते पीडितास्तदा

sahante tattathā varṣaṁ pramathā dānaveritam | te cāpi yuddhaṁ tumulaṁ kṛtvānte pīḍitāstadā

—thus enduring that shower unleashed by the Danavas. They too, having waged a tumultuous battle, were then at last afflicted.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.135.13)

भग्नाः पराङमुखा जाताश्छिन्नभिन्नांगसन्धयः । तस्मिन् भग्नेथ सैन्ये तु प्रामथे प्रमथोत्तमाः

bhagnāḥ parāṅamukhā jātāśchinnabhinnāṁgasandhayaḥ | tasmin bhagnetha sainye tu prāmathe pramathottamāḥ

Broken, they turned their backs, their limb-joints cut and pierced. When that Pramatha army had thus broken, the best of the Pramathas—

Verse 14 (skanda.8.135.14)

दश चक्रुर्महावेगं दशनागशतोपमाः । शंकुकर्णश्च बलवान् घण्टाकर्णश्च वीर्यवान्

daśa cakrurmahāvegaṁ daśanāgaśatopamāḥ | śaṁkukarṇaśca balavān ghaṇṭākarṇaśca vīryavān

—ten of them, each equal to a hundred lordly elephants, made a great charge: the mighty Shankukarna, and the valiant Ghantakarna,

Verse 15 (skanda.8.135.15)

महाकालश्च कालाभो नन्दिषेणश्च विश्रुतः । पिङ्गलो लोहिताक्षश्च सोमनन्दी च वीर्यवान्

mahākālaśca kālābho nandiṣeṇaśca viśrutaḥ | piṅgalo lohitākṣaśca somanandī ca vīryavān

Mahakala, dark as death, and the renowned Nandishena; Pingala, and Lohitaksha, and the valiant Somanandi.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.135.16)

विनायकश्च नन्दी च । छागः कुण्डोदरः स्कन्दो मयूरवरमास्थितः

vināyakaśca nandī ca | chāgaḥ kuṇḍodaraḥ skando mayūravaramāsthitaḥ

And Vinayaka, and Nandi — [a portion of the original text describing these two is lost here] — Chaga, Kundodara, and Skanda, mounted on his splendid peacock.

Verse 17 (skanda.8.135.17)

एते सह समुन्नेदुः पयोदा इव साम्भसः । विविशुश्चासुरं सैन्यं समुद्रं मकरा इव

ete saha samunneduḥ payodā iva sāmbhasaḥ | viviśuścāsuraṁ sainyaṁ samudraṁ makarā iva

These roared together like water-laden clouds, and entered the Asura army like sea-monsters entering the ocean.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.135.18)

शंकुकर्णहता दैत्या घण्टाकर्णविदारिताः । नन्दिषेणशराभ्यस्ता महाकालप्रकालिताः

śaṁkukarṇahatā daityā ghaṇṭākarṇavidāritāḥ | nandiṣeṇaśarābhyastā mahākālaprakālitāḥ

Daityas slain by Shankukarna, torn apart by Ghantakarna, overwhelmed by Nandishena's arrows, and consumed by Mahakala,

Verse 19 (skanda.8.135.19)

कुण्डोदरगदावेगैश्चूणितास्त्रविभूषणाः । पिङ्गलालोडिता नेशुः स्कन्दशक्तिविदारिताः

kuṇḍodaragadāvegaiścūṇitāstravibhūṣaṇāḥ | piṅgalāloḍitā neśuḥ skandaśaktividāritāḥ

their weapons and ornaments crushed by the force of Kundodara's mace, churned by Pingala, they perished, torn apart by Skanda's spear.

Verse 20 (skanda.8.135.20)

मुष्टिप्रहारभिन्नास्यैस्तलताडितमस्तकैः । अपाहस्तप्रहारैश्च क्षिप्यमाणेरितस्ततः

muṣṭiprahārabhinnāsyaistalatāḍitamastakaiḥ | apāhastaprahāraiśca kṣipyamāṇeritastataḥ

With faces split by fist-blows, heads struck by palm-blows, and by blows from the back of the hand, they were flung here and there.

Verse 21 (skanda.8.135.21)

विशस्त्रवस्त्रकवचैर्मुक्तमुर्द्धजबन्धनैः । प्रभग्नैर्दानवैस्तूर्णं व्यूहभेदो बभूव ह

viśastravastrakavacairmuktamurddhajabandhanaiḥ | prabhagnairdānavaistūrṇaṁ vyūhabhedo babhūva ha

With the Danavas, their weapons, garments, and armor stripped away, their hair-bonds loosed, and utterly broken, the breaking of the formation swiftly came about.

Verse 22 (skanda.8.135.22)

भिद्यमानो गिरिव्यूहो विबभौ घोरदर्शनः । इन्द्रवज्राहतः पूर्वं यथा विन्ध्यो महागिरिः

bhidyamāno girivyūho vibabhau ghoradarśanaḥ | indravajrāhataḥ pūrvaṁ yathā vindhyo mahāgiriḥ

The mountain-formation, being broken, appeared terrible to behold, like the great mountain Vindhya once struck by Indra's thunderbolt.

Verse 23 (skanda.8.135.23)

भिन्नव्यूहाँस्ततो दैत्यान् प्रमथा जितकाशिनः । द्रुद्रुवुः शतशो वृक्षान् पक्वाञ्छकुनयो यथा

bhinnavyūhā~stato daityān pramathā jitakāśinaḥ | drudruvuḥ śataśo vṛkṣān pakvāñchakunayo yathā

Then the triumphant Pramathas pursued the Daityas of the broken formation by the hundreds, as birds pursue ripe, fruit-laden trees.

Verse 24 (skanda.8.135.24)

ततः पुनरभूद्युद्धं कोलाहलसमाकुलम् । प्रमथानाञ्च शूराणामसुराणाञ्च दारुणम्

tataḥ punarabhūdyuddhaṁ kolāhalasamākulam | pramathānāñca śūrāṇāmasurāṇāñca dāruṇam

Then again there arose a battle, full of tumult, dreadful, between the heroic Pramathas and the Asuras.

Verse 25 (skanda.8.135.25)

सन्निपाते पुनस्तेषां गजानामिव दारुणे । नेदुर्देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च दिवि हर्षिताः

sannipāte punasteṣāṁ gajānāmiva dāruṇe | nedurdevāḥ sagandharvāḥ siddhāśca divi harṣitāḥ

At that dreadful clash of theirs, again like that of elephants, the gods together with the Gandharvas and Siddhas, delighted, roared in the sky.

Verse 26 (skanda.8.135.26)

नानाविधास्तूर्यरवास्ततो दानवपार्षदैः । अश्रूयन्त कृता घोरा मेघानां नदतामिव

nānāvidhāstūryaravāstato dānavapārṣadaiḥ | aśrūyanta kṛtā ghorā meghānāṁ nadatāmiva

Then various kinds of instrument-sounds, made by the Danavas' attendants, were heard, terrible, like the roaring of clouds.

Verse 27 (skanda.8.135.27)

गजैश्च नीलाचलसन्निकाशै रथैश्च गन्धर्वविमानकल्पैः । हयैश्च वायुप्रतिमानवेगैश्चरन्ति दैत्याः समरे ह्यभीताः

gajaiśca nīlācalasannikāśai rathaiśca gandharvavimānakalpaiḥ | hayaiśca vāyupratimānavegaiścaranti daityāḥ samare hyabhītāḥ

With elephants resembling dark mountains, with chariots like the celestial cars of the Gandharvas, and with horses of speed equal to the wind, the Daityas moved about fearlessly in the battle.

Verse 28 (skanda.8.135.28)

ते शूलशक्त्यृष्टिभुशुण्डिबाणैः शैलोपलैश्चक्रसशूलवज्रैः । अन्योन्यमुत्सादयितुं प्रवृत्ता गणेश्वरा दानवपुंगवाश्च

te śūlaśaktyṛṣṭibhuśuṇḍibāṇaiḥ śailopalaiścakrasaśūlavajraiḥ | anyonyamutsādayituṁ pravṛttā gaṇeśvarā dānavapuṁgavāśca

With tridents, spears, javelins, sling-stones, and arrows, with mountain-boulders, discuses, and thunderbolt-tridents, the lords of the gaṇas and the bulls among the Danavas set about destroying one another.