Andhaka Storms the Field

Verse 1 (skanda.8.149.1)

निगीर्णो ब्राह्मणः सोऽथ चन्द्रावयवधारिणा । किं चक्रे कोष्ठगस्तस्य देवदेवस्य भार्गवः ।।

nigīrṇo brāhmaṇaḥ so'tha candrāvayavadhāriṇā | kiṁ cakre koṣṭhagastasya devadevasya bhārgavaḥ ||

Vyasa said: Once swallowed by the crescent-moon-crowned god of gods, what did the brahmin Bhargava do, lodged within his belly?

Verse 2 (skanda.8.149.2)

कथं च तपतां श्रेष्ठो योगी योगेन स द्विजः । न निःसृतो योगबलाद्देवदेहान्महातपाः ।।

kathaṁ ca tapatāṁ śreṣṭho yogī yogena sa dvijaḥ | na niḥsṛto yogabalāddevadehānmahātapāḥ ||

How is it that he — greatest of ascetics, a master yogi of immense austerity — could not, by the power of his yoga, escape from the god's body?

Verse 3 (skanda.8.149.3)

अन्धकश्चासुरश्रेष्ठः स तदा भार्गवं विना । चकार कथमावापं गणेशैः समभिद्रुतः ।।

andhakaścāsuraśreṣṭhaḥ sa tadā bhārgavaṁ vinā | cakāra kathamāvāpaṁ gaṇeśaiḥ samabhidrutaḥ ||

And how did Andhaka, foremost of the asuras, beset by the gana-lords, wage that war without Bhargava at his side?

Verse 4 (skanda.8.149.4)

एतन्मे सर्वमखिलं खिलवेदविदां वर । कथयस्व न मे तृप्तिः शृण्वानस्येशचेष्टितम् ।।

etanme sarvamakhilaṁ khilavedavidāṁ vara | kathayasva na me tṛptiḥ śṛṇvānasyeśaceṣṭitam ||

O foremost among knowers of the supplementary Vedas, tell me all of this in full — I never tire of hearing the doings of the Lord.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.149.5)

अथैवं पृच्छतस्तस्य व्यासस्य मुनिसत्तमः । सनत्कुमारोऽकथयच्छुक्रस्याथ विचेष्टितम् ।।

athaivaṁ pṛcchatastasya vyāsasya munisattamaḥ | sanatkumāro'kathayacchukrasyātha viceṣṭitam ||

Suta said: When Vyasa asked thus, the great sage Sanatkumara related the subsequent doings of Shukra.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.149.6)

निगीर्णे भार्गवे तेन भूतोमादेवबन्धुना । अन्धको निष्प्रभो जज्ञे घनरुद्धो यथा रविः ।।

nigīrṇe bhārgave tena bhūtomādevabandhunā | andhako niṣprabho jajñe ghanaruddho yathā raviḥ ||

Sanatkumara said: When Bhargava was swallowed by that lord of Uma and all beings, Andhaka's light dimmed, like the sun obscured by clouds.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.149.7)

दृष्ट्वा स्वसैन्यं प्रमथैर्भज्यमानं पुनः पुनः । दुद्राव रथमास्थाय स्वयमेवान्धको गणान् ।।

dṛṣṭvā svasainyaṁ pramathairbhajyamānaṁ punaḥ punaḥ | dudrāva rathamāsthāya svayamevāndhako gaṇān ||

Seeing his own army broken again and again by the pramathas, Andhaka himself mounted his chariot and charged at the ganas.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.149.8)

शरवज्रप्रहारैस्तैर्वज्राघातैर्धरा इव । प्रमथाः पेतुरेवोर्व्यां निस्तोया इव तोयदाः ।।

śaravajraprahāraistairvajrāghātairdharā iva | pramathāḥ peturevorvyāṁ nistoyā iva toyadāḥ ||

Struck by those thunderbolt-like arrows, as mountains crumble beneath thunderbolt-blows, the pramathas fell to the ground like rainless clouds.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.149.9)

क्रोडेषूरुकपोलेषु पृष्ठबाहूदरेषु च । रुरुवुर्बाणनिर्भिन्नाः प्रमथाः कुञ्जरा यथा ।।

kroḍeṣūrukapoleṣu pṛṣṭhabāhūdareṣu ca | ruruvurbāṇanirbhinnāḥ pramathāḥ kuñjarā yathā ||

Pierced through chest, thigh, cheek, back, arm and belly by arrows, the pramathas screamed like wounded elephants.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.149.10)

यान्तमायान्तमप्राप्तं प्राप्तं दूरस्थमेव च । अपश्यद्यं यतस्तं तं निर्बिभेद शरैर्भृशम् ।।

yāntamāyāntamaprāptaṁ prāptaṁ dūrasthameva ca | apaśyadyaṁ yatastaṁ taṁ nirbibheda śarairbhṛśam ||

Whichever one he sighted — going or coming, far off or near — that one he pierced through mercilessly with his arrows.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.149.11)

बिभेद शतमेकेन शतेन च शतं पुनः । सहस्रं च सहस्रेण कोटिं कोट्या तथैव च ।।

bibheda śatamekena śatena ca śataṁ punaḥ | sahasraṁ ca sahasreṇa koṭiṁ koṭyā tathaiva ca ||

With a single arrow he pierced a hundred; with a hundred, a hundred more; with a thousand, a thousand; and with ten million, ten million more.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.149.12)

ध्वजाः पताकाश्छत्राणि वैजयन्त्योऽङ्कुशाः कुथाः । चामराणि किरीटानि कुण्डलान्यम्बराणि च ।।

dhvajāḥ patākāśchatrāṇi vaijayantyo'ṅkuśāḥ kuthāḥ | cāmarāṇi kirīṭāni kuṇḍalānyambarāṇi ca ||

Banners, flags, parasols, victory-standards, elephant-goads, saddle-cloths, chowries, crowns, earrings and garments —

Verse 13 (skanda.8.149.13)

प्रमथानां बले यच्च कम्पते धावतेऽपि वा । तत्सर्वं चिच्छिदे तूर्णं शरैरन्धकदानवः ।।

pramathānāṁ bale yacca kampate dhāvate'pi vā | tatsarvaṁ cicchide tūrṇaṁ śarairandhakadānavaḥ ||

— whatever moved or ran in the pramatha army, the demon Andhaka instantly cut down with his arrows.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.149.14)

विस्फुलिङ्गान् यथैवाग्निर्धारासारान् यथाम्बुदः । सिन्धुराजो यथोद्गारान् करानिव दिवाकरः ।।

visphuliṅgān yathaivāgnirdhārāsārān yathāmbudaḥ | sindhurājo yathodgārān karāniva divākaraḥ ||

As fire scatters sparks, as clouds pour torrents, as the lord of oceans throws up its swells, as the sun casts its rays,

Verse 15 (skanda.8.149.15)

नादान् सिंहा इवारण्ये सीकरानिव कुञ्जराः । मुमोच बाणाँस्तीक्ष्णाग्रान् परसैन्यविमर्दनान् ।।

nādān siṁhā ivāraṇye sīkarāniva kuñjarāḥ | mumoca bāṇā~stīkṣṇāgrān parasainyavimardanān ||

as lions roar in the forest, as elephants spray droplets of water — so Andhaka loosed sharp-tipped arrows, crushing the enemy host.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.149.16)

अन्धके युध्यमाने तु निश्चयेनासुरोत्तमे । असुरा अप्ययुध्यन्त निश्चयेनान्धकादनु ।।

andhake yudhyamāne tu niścayenāsurottame | asurā apyayudhyanta niścayenāndhakādanu ||

As Andhaka, foremost of asuras, fought on with unwavering resolve, the other asuras too fought on with equal resolve, following his lead.

Verse 17 (skanda.8.149.17)

निवातकवचा ये ते अन्योन्यसदृशा भृशम् । चक्रुस्ते बहवो युद्धं रुद्रैश्च बहुभिः सह ।।

nivātakavacā ye te anyonyasadṛśā bhṛśam | cakruste bahavo yuddhaṁ rudraiśca bahubhiḥ saha ||

The Nivatakavacha demons, all closely alike to one another, fought many in number against many rudras.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.149.18)

कालेयाः षष्टिसाहस्राः कालकल्पा महासुराः । बाहुजैः षष्टिसाहस्रैः प्रमथैर्युयुधुः सह ।।

kāleyāḥ ṣaṣṭisāhasrāḥ kālakalpā mahāsurāḥ | bāhujaiḥ ṣaṣṭisāhasraiḥ pramathairyuyudhuḥ saha ||

Sixty thousand Kaleya demons, terrible as Death, fought against sixty thousand pramathas born from the arms of Kartikeya.

Verse 19 (skanda.8.149.19)

प्रह्रादश्चानुह्रादश्च संह्रादः शिनिबाष्कलौ । विरोचनो बलिर्बाणः कुजम्भोऽथावनिञ्जयः ।।

prahrādaścānuhrādaśca saṁhrādaḥ śinibāṣkalau | virocano balirbāṇaḥ kujambho'thāvaniñjayaḥ ||

Prahlada, Anuhrada, Samhrada, Shini and Bashkala, Virochana, Bali, Bana, Kujambha and Avaninjaya,

Verse 20 (skanda.8.149.20)

अञ्जकः कालनेमिश्च नमुचिर्व्यंस एव च । एकादशैते प्रख्याता एकादशरविप्रभाः ।।

añjakaḥ kālanemiśca namucirvyaṁsa eva ca | ekādaśaite prakhyātā ekādaśaraviprabhāḥ ||

Anjaka, Kalanemi, Namuchi and Vyamsa — these eleven renowned demons, radiant as eleven suns,

Verse 21 (skanda.8.149.21)

एकादशैव प्रमथानर्दयन् कलहैषिणः । प्रभामयं वीरभद्रं विट्पतिं पिङ्गलं तथा ।।

ekādaśaiva pramathānardayan kalahaiṣiṇaḥ | prabhāmayaṁ vīrabhadraṁ viṭpatiṁ piṅgalaṁ tathā ||

— those eleven, eager for battle, roared their challenge at the pramathas: Prabhamaya, Virabhadra, Vitpati and Pingala,

Verse 22 (skanda.8.149.22)

वेगपं पवनादं च सोमार्काप्यायनावपि । संवर्त्तकानलञ्चैव पावकाप्यायनावपि ।।

vegapaṁ pavanādaṁ ca somārkāpyāyanāvapi | saṁvarttakānalañcaiva pāvakāpyāyanāvapi ||

Vegapa, Pavanada, and Somapyayana and Suryapyayana together, Samvartaka, Anala, and Pavakapyayana as well —

Verse 23 (skanda.8.149.23)

यक्षोन्नदश्च बलवान् विद्युत्केशश्च राक्षसः । प्रह्रादप्रमुखैरेतैर्दानवैर्देवपुङ्गवाः ।।

yakṣonnadaśca balavān vidyutkeśaśca rākṣasaḥ | prahrādapramukhairetairdānavairdevapuṅgavāḥ ||

— and mighty Unnada the yaksha, and Vidyutkesha the rakshasa. Against these demons headed by Prahlada, those bulls among the gods —

Verse 24 (skanda.8.149.24)

विहस्तशस्त्रकवचावृताः शस्त्रशताचिताः । द्वारपालाश्च रुद्रणां रुद्राणां ये च सूनवः ।।

vihastaśastrakavacāvṛtāḥ śastraśatācitāḥ | dvārapālāśca rudraṇāṁ rudrāṇāṁ ye ca sūnavaḥ ||

— weapons in hand, clad in armour, arrayed with a hundred weapons, the gate-keepers of the rudras and the sons of the rudras —

Verse 25 (skanda.8.149.25)

स्कन्दपारिषदा ये च ये च शक्तिगणेश्वराः । ते दनोस्तनयैस्सार्धं दनोः पुत्रान्वयाश्च ये । चक्रुः कृतान्तसदृशाः कलहं कलहप्रियाः ।।

skandapāriṣadā ye ca ye ca śaktigaṇeśvarāḥ | te danostanayaissārdhaṁ danoḥ putrānvayāśca ye | cakruḥ kṛtāntasadṛśāḥ kalahaṁ kalahapriyāḥ ||

— Skanda's attendants, and the gana-lords armed with spears — all these, battle-loving and terrible as Death himself, fought against the sons of Danu and Danu's whole lineage.

Verse 26 (skanda.8.149.26)

तस्मिन् तथा वर्तति संप्रहारे विशीर्णहाराभरणस्रगस्त्रैः । व्याविद्धवस्त्रा विकसत्सुनेत्रा नेदुः सुराः सिद्धगणाश्च खस्थाः ।।

tasmin tathā vartati saṁprahāre viśīrṇahārābharaṇasragastraiḥ | vyāviddhavastrā vikasatsunetrā neduḥ surāḥ siddhagaṇāśca khasthāḥ ||

As that clash raged on, the gods and hosts of siddhas, poised in the sky, their garlands, ornaments and wreaths scattered by the flying weapons, their garments streaming, their fine eyes wide with excitement, raised a great shout.