The Storm of Battle

Verse 1 (skanda.8.141.1)

शंकुकर्णं भ्रामयित्वा वृत्रस्त्यक्त्वा च भूतले । ममर्द प्रमथानीकं वनं मत्तो यथा गजः ।।

śaṁkukarṇaṁ bhrāmayitvā vṛtrastyaktvā ca bhūtale | mamarda pramathānīkaṁ vanaṁ matto yathā gajaḥ ||

Having whirled Shankukarna about and cast him down upon the ground, Vritra trampled the army of pramathas, as a rutting elephant tramples a forest.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.141.2)

स नन्दिनं नन्दिषेणं सोमनन्दिनमेव च । आहत्य द्रावयित्वा च ननर्द जलदो यथा ।।

sa nandinaṁ nandiṣeṇaṁ somanandinameva ca | āhatya drāvayitvā ca nanarda jalado yathā ||

He struck down and put to flight Nandi, Nandishena and Somanandi, and roared like a storm-cloud.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.141.3)

तस्याथ नर्दमानस्य विट्पती रुद्रसत्तमः । मुमोच वज्राग्निसमं रिपुक्षयकरं शरम् ।।

tasyātha nardamānasya viṭpatī rudrasattamaḥ | mumoca vajrāgnisamaṁ ripukṣayakaraṁ śaram ||

As he roared thus, Vitpati, greatest of the rudras, loosed at him an arrow, deadly to foes, blazing like the fire of the thunderbolt.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.141.4)

स विट्पतिविनिर्मुक्तः शरो रविकरप्रभः । विवेश वृत्रं निर्दार्य सिद्धोऽम्बुदमिवाम्बरे ।।

sa viṭpativinirmuktaḥ śaro ravikaraprabhaḥ | viveśa vṛtraṁ nirdārya siddho'mbudamivāmbare ||

Loosed by Vitpati, that arrow, bright as the sun's rays, tore into Vritra and lodged there, as a bolt of lightning drives into a cloud in the sky.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.141.5)

उच्छ्रित्य स्वकरं सोऽथ करं हस्तीव दानवः । विट्पतिं दुद्रुवे संख्ये पयोदमिव मारुतः ।।

ucchritya svakaraṁ so'tha karaṁ hastīva dānavaḥ | viṭpatiṁ dudruve saṁkhye payodamiva mārutaḥ ||

Then, raising his arm like an elephant its trunk, that demon rushed at Vitpati in battle, as the wind rushes upon a cloud.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.141.6)

तं शूलेन महाकायो नन्दी वज्रेण दानवम् । सोमनन्दी कुठारेण नन्दिषेणस्तलेन च ।।

taṁ śūlena mahākāyo nandī vajreṇa dānavam | somanandī kuṭhāreṇa nandiṣeṇastalena ca ||

Huge-bodied Nandi struck that demon with trident and thunderbolt, Somanandi with an axe, and Nandishena with the flat of his hand.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.141.7)

बाणानाञ्च सहस्रेण विट्पतिर्वृत्रमाहवे । बिभेद परमक्रुद्धः पुनश्चान्यैस्त्रिसप्तभिः ।।

bāṇānāñca sahasreṇa viṭpatirvṛtramāhave | bibheda paramakruddhaḥ punaścānyaistrisaptabhiḥ ||

Vitpati, in utmost fury, pierced Vritra in that battle with a thousand arrows, and then with twenty-one more besides.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.141.8)

सोऽर्दितो गणयूथेशैर्दानवः पर्वतोपमः । पात्यमानो ररासोच्चैस्सदैवत इव द्रुमः ।।

so'rdito gaṇayūtheśairdānavaḥ parvatopamaḥ | pātyamāno rarāsoccaissadaivata iva drumaḥ ||

Battered thus by the chiefs of the gana-hosts and toppling like a mountain, that demon roared aloud as he fell, like a great tree crashing down with its resident spirit.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.141.9)

अथ मयबलिमूकतारजम्भा नमुचिगणेल्वलबाणबाणपुत्राः । विविधशरवरायुधावतस्थुर्गणपतिवीरतमं निवारयन्तः ।।

atha mayabalimūkatārajambhā namucigaṇelvalabāṇabāṇaputrāḥ | vividhaśaravarāyudhāvatasthurgaṇapativīratamaṁ nivārayantaḥ ||

Then Maya, Bali, Muka, Tara, Jambha, Namuchi, Ilvala, Bana and Bana's sons stood forth, armed with a host of fine weapons, to block the mightiest hero among the gana-lords.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.141.10)

रुचिरकनकचारुहारशोभाश्चलवलायाभरणा महेन्द्रकल्पाः । दितिवरतनयातिहृष्टरूपाः प्रमथबलेषु चरन्ति कालरूपाः ।।

rucirakanakacāruhāraśobhāścalavalāyābharaṇā mahendrakalpāḥ | ditivaratanayātihṛṣṭarūpāḥ pramathabaleṣu caranti kālarūpāḥ ||

Resplendent with fine golden garlands, adorned with swaying bracelets, magnificent as great Indra, the noble sons of Diti moved through the pramatha ranks, their faces bright with joy, like figures of Death itself.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.141.11)

मुशलहलशरावदारितास्या गिरिशिखराशनिवज्रचूर्णिताङ्गाः । गिरय इव च वज्रताडिता गणपतयः क्षितिमापुरातुराः ।।

muśalahalaśarāvadāritāsyā giriśikharāśanivajracūrṇitāṅgāḥ | giraya iva ca vajratāḍitā gaṇapatayaḥ kṣitimāpurāturāḥ ||

Their faces torn open by maces, ploughshares and arrows, their limbs crushed by mountain-peaks and thunderbolt-blows — one line of the source text is illegible/lost at this point — the gana-lords, struck down like thunder-riven mountains, fell to the earth in anguish.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.141.12)

व्रणजपृषतविप्रुषोक्षिताश्च्युतसितहारविभूषणस्रजः । भयचकितमुखाः प्रदुद्रुवुस्ते प्रमथगणा रिपुभिर्भृशार्दिताः ।।

vraṇajapṛṣatavipruṣokṣitāścyutasitahāravibhūṣaṇasrajaḥ | bhayacakitamukhāḥ pradudruvuste pramathagaṇā ripubhirbhṛśārditāḥ ||

Spattered with drops of blood from their wounds, their white garlands and ornaments fallen away, their faces struck with fear, those hosts of pramathas, sorely battered by the foe, fled.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.141.13)

दिवि सितविरजा यथोच्छ्रिता नवजलदा नवतोयवृष्टयः । विससृजुरुरुवेगदारुणा दितितनयाः शरवृष्टिमर्दनीम् ।।

divi sitavirajā yathocchritā navajaladā navatoyavṛṣṭayaḥ | visasṛjururuvegadāruṇā dititanayāḥ śaravṛṣṭimardanīm ||

As fresh, spotless clouds massing in the sky pour down their first rains, so the sons of Diti loosed a fierce, crushing rain of arrows, dreadful in its violent force.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.141.14)

अथ करिगिरिमेघसन्निभा ज्वलनदिवाकरतुल्यतेजसः । विमलशितविसृष्टबाणजालाः प्रमथगणान् प्रहरन्ति दैत्यमुख्याः ।।

atha karigirimeghasannibhā jvalanadivākaratulyatejasaḥ | vimalaśitavisṛṣṭabāṇajālāḥ pramathagaṇān praharanti daityamukhyāḥ ||

Then, huge as elephants, mountains and clouds, blazing with the brilliance of fire and sun, the foremost daityas struck at the pramatha hosts, loosing nets of bright, sharp arrows.

Verse 15 (skanda.8.141.15)

अथ परिघशरासिपट्टिशैः करवरयन्त्रशतप्रनिःसृतैः । त्रिदशरिपुभयप्रदा रणे समरमुपेत्य विचक्रमुर्गणाः ।।

atha parighaśarāsipaṭṭiśaiḥ karavarayantraśatapraniḥsṛtaiḥ | tridaśaripubhayapradā raṇe samaramupetya vicakramurgaṇāḥ ||

Then, with maces, arrows, swords and spears loosed by hand and by the hundred war-engines, the ganas — a terror to the enemies of the gods — advanced into the fray and showed their valour.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.141.16)

गिरिशिखरनिभाश्च दन्तिवर्या द्रुतगमना बहवश्च वाजिमुख्याः । सुरसदननिभा रथाश्च भीमाः समरमुखे निपतन्ति भग्नदग्धाः ।।

giriśikharanibhāśca dantivaryā drutagamanā bahavaśca vājimukhyāḥ | surasadananibhā rathāśca bhīmāḥ samaramukhe nipatanti bhagnadagdhāḥ ||

Fine elephants huge as mountain-peaks, swift and numerous fine horses, and terrible chariots splendid as the mansions of the gods, fell shattered and burnt at the very front of the fray.

Verse 17 (skanda.8.141.17)

इषुवदनदृढावतक्षिता व्रणजसमुक्षितसूक्ष्मवाससः । प्रसृतनयनसत्वजीविता दनुतनयाः शतशोवपोथिताः ।।

iṣuvadanadṛḍhāvatakṣitā vraṇajasamukṣitasūkṣmavāsasaḥ | prasṛtanayanasatvajīvitā danutanayāḥ śataśovapothitāḥ ||

Gashed deep by the tips of arrows, their fine garments drenched with the blood of their wounds, their eyes staring, their vitality ebbing, the sons of Danu were crushed by the hundred.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.141.18)

च्युतसितवरहारकुण्डलैर्मुकुटकिरीटमणिस्रगम्बरैः । समरमुखमही विराजते रुचिरवराभरणैरिवोर्वशी ।।

cyutasitavarahārakuṇḍalairmukuṭakirīṭamaṇisragambaraiḥ | samaramukhamahī virājate ruciravarābharaṇairivorvaśī ||

Strewn with fallen white garlands, earrings, diadems, crowns, jewels, garlands and fine cloth, the battlefield's earth glittered as though it were Urvashi herself, adorned with lovely, precious ornaments.

Verse 19 (skanda.8.141.19)

क्षुभित इव यथा महार्णवो जलसमये च यथा नभो महत् । असुरगणबलं तथाभवत् प्रजवितवारणवाजिदानवम् ।।

kṣubhita iva yathā mahārṇavo jalasamaye ca yathā nabho mahat | asuragaṇabalaṁ tathābhavat prajavitavāraṇavājidānavam ||

Like a great ocean churned into turmoil, or like the vast sky at the height of the rains, so was the army of the demons — a mass of galloping elephants, horses and demons in headlong motion.

Verse 20 (skanda.8.141.20)

यमवरुणधनेशवासवा भगवसुसूर्यशशाङ्कमारुताः । हृषितनयनवक्त्रपङ्कजा रुरुधू रणमित्रगणार्दनोद्धताः ।।

yamavaruṇadhaneśavāsavā bhagavasusūryaśaśāṅkamārutāḥ | hṛṣitanayanavaktrapaṅkajā rurudhū raṇamitragaṇārdanoddhatāḥ ||

Yama, Varuna, Kubera, Indra, Bhaga, the Vasus, the Sun, the Moon and the Wind, their lotus-faces bright with delighted eyes, rose up in fury and held back those who harried their friends the ganas in the fight.

Verse 21 (skanda.8.141.21)

प्रविचरितगजेन्द्रतोयदं तुरगविधावितवायुसञ्चरम् । अशनिशरशतह्रदाविलं न तु विरराम रणान्तदुर्दिनम् ।।

pravicaritagajendratoyadaṁ turagavidhāvitavāyusañcaram | aśaniśaraśatahradāvilaṁ na tu virarāma raṇāntadurdinam ||

That storm-dark day of battle — thick with the cloud-like tread of elephant-lords, stirred by winds raised in the rush of galloping horses, muddied by hundreds of streaming, thunderbolt-like arrows — showed no sign of ending.

Verse 22 (skanda.8.141.22)

कमलदलनिकाशलोचनैः कमलदिवाकरचन्द्रसन्निभैः । दनुतनयवराननैर्मही प्रतिविबभौ कमलैरिवावृता ।।

kamaladalanikāśalocanaiḥ kamaladivākaracandrasannibhaiḥ | danutanayavarānanairmahī prativibabhau kamalairivāvṛtā ||

Strewn with the noble faces of Danu's sons — their eyes like lotus-petals, radiant as lotuses, suns and moons — the earth shone as though it lay carpeted with lotus-blooms.

Verse 23 (skanda.8.141.23)

विमथितगणदानवेश्वरं रुधिरवपामदसेकरूषितम् । समरमतिसुरौद्रदारुणं गरुडपिशाचबलावलोकितम् ।।

vimathitagaṇadānaveśvaraṁ rudhiravapāmadasekarūṣitam | samaramatisuraudradāruṇaṁ garuḍapiśācabalāvalokitam ||

Churned by the clashing of the ganas and the demon-lords, splashed with a spray of blood, fat and rutting fluid, that battle — utterly fierce, utterly dreadful — was watched over by hosts of garudas and pishachas.