Andhaka Seeks Shukra

Verse 1 (skanda.8.145.1)

विनायकेन हुण्डे च तुहुण्डे च प्रमापिते । गणेश्वरासुराणां तद्युद्धं संकुलमाबभौ ।।

vināyakena huṇḍe ca tuhuṇḍe ca pramāpite | gaṇeśvarāsurāṇāṁ tadyuddhaṁ saṁkulamābabhau ||

With Hunda and Tuhunda slain by Vinayaka, the battle between the gana-lords and the demons grew even more furious and tangled.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.145.2)

ते नदित्वा यथा मेघा जलमत्ता जलागमे । संसाधयन्ते युध्यन्तस्त्वरयैव परस्परम् ।।

te naditvā yathā meghā jalamattā jalāgame | saṁsādhayante yudhyantastvarayaiva parasparam ||

Roaring like clouds swollen with rain at the onset of the monsoon, they pressed on, fighting one another with headlong haste.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.145.3)

असृक्स्रवैस्सुरक्ताङ्गास्सन्दष्टदशनच्छदाः । अन्योन्यमभिसंजघ्नुः शूलशक्त्यृष्टिपट्टिशैः ।।

asṛksravaissuraktāṅgāssandaṣṭadaśanacchadāḥ | anyonyamabhisaṁjaghnuḥ śūlaśaktyṛṣṭipaṭṭiśaiḥ ||

Their bodies drenched in blood, their lips clamped between their teeth, they struck at one another with tridents, spears, lances and pikes.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.145.4)

शक्तीनां क्षिप्यमाणानामसीनाञ्च निपात्यताम् । श्राव्यतां नामधेयानां धनुषां कूजतामपि ।।

śaktīnāṁ kṣipyamāṇānāmasīnāñca nipātyatām | śrāvyatāṁ nāmadheyānāṁ dhanuṣāṁ kūjatāmapi ||

The sounds of spears being hurled, of swords falling, of names being shouted out, and of bows twanging — all could be heard together.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.145.5)

श्रोत्रायासकराञ्छब्दान् निशम्य बलिनां वरः । जम्भो भ्रातृवधामर्षी प्रविष्टः प्रामथं बलम् ।।

śrotrāyāsakarāñchabdān niśamya balināṁ varaḥ | jambho bhrātṛvadhāmarṣī praviṣṭaḥ prāmathaṁ balam ||

Hearing those ear-wearying sounds, Jambha, mightiest of the strong, enraged at his brother's death, plunged into the pramatha army.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.145.6)

व्याघ्रपूर्वं त्रिशूलेन जम्भो भित्त्वा गणेश्वरम् । ननर्द महिषं हत्त्वा वने वनपतिर्यथा ।।

vyāghrapūrvaṁ triśūlena jambho bhittvā gaṇeśvaram | nanarda mahiṣaṁ hattvā vane vanapatiryathā ||

Jambha pierced the gana-lord named Vyaghrapurva with his trident and roared, as the lord of the forest roars after slaying a buffalo.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.145.7)

नर्दमानस्य तस्याथ प्रथमो गणपूर्वकः । शिरोऽभिहत्य शक्त्या तु शेषान्दैत्यान् प्रदुद्रुवे ।।

nardamānasya tasyātha prathamo gaṇapūrvakaḥ | śiro'bhihatya śaktyā tu śeṣāndaityān pradudruve ||

As Jambha roared thus, a foremost leader among the ganas struck his head with a spear, and then rushed on toward the remaining daityas.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.145.8)

गणपापि ततः ख्याताः ख्यातवीर्ययशःश्रुताः । प्रतीयुरसुरान् युद्धे शरभाः कुञ्जरानिव ।।

gaṇapāpi tataḥ khyātāḥ khyātavīryayaśaḥśrutāḥ | pratīyurasurān yuddhe śarabhāḥ kuñjarāniva ||

Then those gana-lords, renowned for their fame and valour, advanced upon the demons in that battle, as sharabhas advance upon elephants.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.145.9)

ततोऽसुरगणेशानां सन्निपातोऽभवन्महान् । संघट्ट इव वज्राणां सह काञ्चनपर्वतैः ।।

tato'suragaṇeśānāṁ sannipāto'bhavanmahān | saṁghaṭṭa iva vajrāṇāṁ saha kāñcanaparvataiḥ ||

Then a great clash broke out between the demons and the gana-lords, as though thunderbolts were crashing against mountains of gold.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.145.10)

विरोचनश्चान्धकश्च ववर्षतुरमर्षणौ । शरवृष्टीस्सुसंरब्धौ जलवृष्टीरिवाम्बुदौ ।।

virocanaścāndhakaśca vavarṣaturamarṣaṇau | śaravṛṣṭīssusaṁrabdhau jalavṛṣṭīrivāmbudau ||

Virochana and Andhaka, both incensed and violently roused, rained down arrows, as two storm-clouds rain down torrents of water.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.145.11)

स्वयंप्रभेण तौ दैत्यौ शरवर्षविसर्जनौ । विमुखौ संयुगमुखे कृतौ शरवरार्दितौ ।।

svayaṁprabheṇa tau daityau śaravarṣavisarjanau | vimukhau saṁyugamukhe kṛtau śaravarārditau ||

Though pouring down showers of arrows, those two daityas were driven back at the front of the fray, wounded by the fine shafts of Svayamprabha.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.145.12)

स्वयंप्रभो दानवसैन्यसागरं शरैरनेकैर्धनुयन्त्रनिःसृतैः । सशोषयद्दीप्तमरीचिमण्डलो यथा विवस्वान् जगतः क्षयेऽर्णवम् ।।

svayaṁprabho dānavasainyasāgaraṁ śarairanekairdhanuyantraniḥsṛtaiḥ | saśoṣayaddīptamarīcimaṇḍalo yathā vivasvān jagataḥ kṣaye'rṇavam ||

With countless arrows loosed from his bow, Svayamprabha dried up the ocean of the demon army, as the blazing, ray-crowned sun dries up the sea at the world's dissolution.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.145.13)

ततोऽन्धको दानवलोकसारथिः स्वसारथिं प्राह विवृत्तलोचनः । शुक्रं प्रति प्रापय सारथे मां स नः सदा दुःखहरो गुरुश्च ।।

tato'ndhako dānavalokasārathiḥ svasārathiṁ prāha vivṛttalocanaḥ | śukraṁ prati prāpaya sārathe māṁ sa naḥ sadā duḥkhaharo guruśca ||

Then Andhaka, guiding-hand of the demon world, his eyes rolling wildly, said to his charioteer: 'Charioteer, take me to Shukra — for he alone is ever our guru and the remover of our sorrows.'

Verse 14 (skanda.8.145.14)

स तं रथं दानवयूथपास्थितं तथेति च प्रोच्य सदश्वसंयुतम् । सं प्रापयामास पयोदनिस्वनं स यत्र शुक्रो ग्रहसत्तमो द्विज ।।

sa taṁ rathaṁ dānavayūthapāsthitaṁ tatheti ca procya sadaśvasaṁyutam | saṁ prāpayāmāsa payodanisvanaṁ sa yatra śukro grahasattamo dvija ||

Saying 'So be it,' the charioteer drove that chariot, thundering like a cloud with its swift horses, bearing the leader of the demon host, to the very place, O brahmin, where Shukra, greatest of planetary sages, dwelt.