The Iron Mace of Jambha

Verse 1 (skanda.8.139.1)

कुजम्भं निहतं दृष्ट्वा नन्दिना देवनन्दिना । निनादं चक्रिरे देवाश्चारणाश्च महोरगाः ।।

kujambhaṁ nihataṁ dṛṣṭvā nandinā devanandinā | ninādaṁ cakrire devāścāraṇāśca mahoragāḥ ||

Seeing Kujambha slain by Nandi, beloved of the gods, the gods, charanas, and great serpents raised a shout of triumph.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.139.2)

तेन देवनिनादेन कुजम्भनिधनेन च । जम्भो दानवशार्दूलः क्रोधमाहारयन्महत् ।।

tena devaninādena kujambhanidhanena ca | jambho dānavaśārdūlaḥ krodhamāhārayanmahat ||

At that shout of the gods, and at Kujambha's death, Jambha, tiger among the demons, was seized with mighty rage.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.139.3)

तस्य क्रुद्धस्य गात्रेभ्यो निष्पेतुः पावकार्चिषः । मेरोर्वज्राहतस्येव विस्फुलिङ्गाः समन्ततः ।।

tasya kruddhasya gātrebhyo niṣpetuḥ pāvakārciṣaḥ | merorvajrāhatasyeva visphuliṅgāḥ samantataḥ ||

From his enraged body, flames of fire burst forth on every side, like sparks flying from Mount Meru struck by a thunderbolt.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.139.4)

सोल्काम्बुदनिभाभासो जम्भः क्रोधसमावृतः । द्रुद्राव नन्दिनं हन्तुं कुञ्जरं सिंहराडिव ।।

solkāmbudanibhābhāso jambhaḥ krodhasamāvṛtaḥ | drudrāva nandinaṁ hantuṁ kuñjaraṁ siṁharāḍiva ||

Blazing like a cloud shot through with meteors, wrapped in fury, Jambha rushed to kill Nandi, as the king of lions charges a great elephant.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.139.5)

सोऽर्धभारसहस्रस्य कृतं सैक्यायसं महत् । उद्वहन् परिघं घोरं दैत्यो दुद्राव नन्दिनम् ।।

so'rdhabhārasahasrasya kṛtaṁ saikyāyasaṁ mahat | udvahan parighaṁ ghoraṁ daityo dudrāva nandinam ||

Wielding a huge, dreadful iron mace forged from five hundred measures of solid iron, the daitya rushed at Nandi.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.139.6)

तिष्ठेदानीं दुराचार मया दृष्टः क्व यास्यसि । एष त्वं वज्रसंकाशः परिघश्चूर्णयिष्यति ।।

tiṣṭhedānīṁ durācāra mayā dṛṣṭaḥ kva yāsyasi | eṣa tvaṁ vajrasaṁkāśaḥ parighaścūrṇayiṣyati ||

'Stand now, you evildoer! Now that I have sighted you, where will you flee? This mace, hard as a thunderbolt, shall grind you to dust!'

Verse 7 (skanda.8.139.7)

इत्युक्त्वा घोरया वाचा जंभो नन्दिनमग्रतः । परिघं तस्य चिक्षेप दण्डं यम इवापरः ।।

ityuktvā ghorayā vācā jaṁbho nandinamagrataḥ | parighaṁ tasya cikṣepa daṇḍaṁ yama ivāparaḥ ||

So saying in a terrible voice, Jambha hurled the mace at Nandi before him, like Yama flinging a second staff of death.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.139.8)

स तस्य करनिर्मुक्तो निर्मुक्तोरगसन्निभः । परिघो नन्दिनं याति हन्तुं कालानलोपमः ।।

sa tasya karanirmukto nirmuktoragasannibhaḥ | parigho nandinaṁ yāti hantuṁ kālānalopamaḥ ||

Released from his hand, that mace, like a serpent freed of its slough, sped toward Nandi to kill him, terrible as the fire that ends an age.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.139.9)

तं वासुकिभुजङ्गाभं ब्रह्मदण्डनिभं महत् । वज्रेणाभ्यह्नन्नन्दी देवराजो यथा बलम् ।।

taṁ vāsukibhujaṅgābhaṁ brahmadaṇḍanibhaṁ mahat | vajreṇābhyahnannandī devarājo yathā balam ||

Nandi struck that great mace — huge as the serpent Vasuki, terrible as the very rod of Brahma — with his thunderbolt, as the king of the gods once struck mighty Bala.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.139.10)

वज्रप्रहारं तृणवद्विचिन्त्य परिघः स तु । शक्राग्निरिव दुर्दृश्यः प्रधावन्नन्दिनं प्रति ।।

vajraprahāraṁ tṛṇavadvicintya parighaḥ sa tu | śakrāgniriva durdṛśyaḥ pradhāvannandinaṁ prati ||

Reckoning the thunderbolt's blow as light as a straw, that mace, blinding as Indra's own fire, rushed on toward Nandi undeterred.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.139.11)

कृतो निनादः सुमहान् प्रमथेश्च सहस्रशः । श्रुत्वा निनादं देवानां परिघं वीक्ष्य चागतम् ।।

kṛto ninādaḥ sumahān pramatheśca sahasraśaḥ | śrutvā ninādaṁ devānāṁ parighaṁ vīkṣya cāgatam ||

The pramathas by the thousand raised a mighty cry. Hearing that cry of the gods, and seeing the mace bearing down —

Verse 12 (skanda.8.139.12)

शंकुकर्णोऽभिदुद्राव परिघं प्रति वेगितः । स तं कर्कोटकप्रख्यं दुर्निवार्यं महास्त्रवत् ।।

śaṁkukarṇo'bhidudrāva parighaṁ prati vegitaḥ | sa taṁ karkoṭakaprakhyaṁ durnivāryaṁ mahāstravat ||

— Shankukarna sped swiftly toward the mace, which, like the serpent Karkotaka, was as irresistible as a great weapon.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.139.13)

शंकुकर्णेन परिघं गृह्णीतं वीक्ष्य तद्बलात् । विनेदुर्मुदिता देवाः शंकुकर्णश्च तुष्टुवुः ।।

śaṁkukarṇena parighaṁ gṛhṇītaṁ vīkṣya tadbalāt | vinedurmuditā devāḥ śaṁkukarṇaśca tuṣṭuvuḥ ||

Seeing Shankukarna seize the mace by main force, the gods cried out in joy and sang his praises.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.139.14)

शंकुकर्णोऽपि परिघं गृहीत्वा बलवान् पुनः । ररास जम्भमुद्दिश्य ससार च रणप्रियः ।।

śaṁkukarṇo'pi parighaṁ gṛhītvā balavān punaḥ | rarāsa jambhamuddiśya sasāra ca raṇapriyaḥ ||

Mighty Shankukarna, seizing that same mace, roared again and, battle-loving, charged straight at Jambha.

Verse 15 (skanda.8.139.15)

ततो दानवशार्दूलः ससार रणलालसः ।

tato dānavaśārdūlaḥ sasāra raṇalālasaḥ |

Then that tiger among the demons too, eager for battle, rushed forward to meet him.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.139.16)

ततो गणेश्वरबले दानवानां बले तथा । जज्ञे वादित्रनिनदः सिंहनादविमिश्रितः ।।

tato gaṇeśvarabale dānavānāṁ bale tathā | jajñe vāditraninadaḥ siṁhanādavimiśritaḥ ||

Then, in the army of the gana-lords and in the army of the demons alike, arose the blare of instruments mingled with lion-roars.

Verse 17 (skanda.8.139.17)

अथ गगनतले बभूव शब्दः क्षुभितसमुद्रपयोदनादकल्पः । दनुतनयगणाधिपेशयुद्धं तदुपनिशाम्य दिवौकसां तदानीम् ।।

atha gaganatale babhūva śabdaḥ kṣubhitasamudrapayodanādakalpaḥ | danutanayagaṇādhipeśayuddhaṁ tadupaniśāmya divaukasāṁ tadānīm ||

Then a sound arose in the vault of heaven like the roar of a raging ocean and thundering clouds together, as the gods watched that battle between the sons of Danu and the lords of the ganas.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.139.18)

प्रमथगणवरास्सनागरुद्रा ह्यसुरवराश्च सहान्धका रणस्थाः । व्युपरतकलहास्तदावतस्थुर्गणपतिदानवयुद्धमीक्षमाणाः ।।

pramathagaṇavarāssanāgarudrā hyasuravarāśca sahāndhakā raṇasthāḥ | vyuparatakalahāstadāvatasthurgaṇapatidānavayuddhamīkṣamāṇāḥ ||

The finest of the pramathas, together with the nagas and rudras, and the finest of the asuras, together with Andhaka, all standing on the field, ceased their own private quarrels for the moment and stood watching the battle between the lords of the ganas and the demons.