Description of the Battlefield

Verse 1 (skanda.8.153.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । ततोन्धको वियत्स्थितो महाम्बुदौघसन्निभः । विरज्य वर्षमौपलं यथैव वर्षमम्बुदः

sanatkumāra uvāca | tatondhako viyatsthito mahāmbudaughasannibhaḥ | virajya varṣamaupalaṁ yathaiva varṣamambudaḥ

Sanatkumara said: Then Andhaka, stationed in the sky, resembling a vast mass of clouds, poured down a hailstorm of stones, as a cloud pours down rain.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.153.2)

पुनः प्रगृह्य कार्मुकं महेन्द्रकार्मुकोपमम् । मुमोच बाणदुर्दिनं बभूव चातिदुर्दिनम्

punaḥ pragṛhya kārmukaṁ mahendrakārmukopamam | mumoca bāṇadurdinaṁ babhūva cātidurdinam

Again taking up his bow, like Indra's own rainbow-bow, he unleashed a downpour of arrows, and a terrible storm-darkness fell over all.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.153.3)

ततः सुपर्णपुंखिनां सुपर्णपत्रपत्रिणाम् । सुपर्णतुल्यपातिनां सुपर्णतुङ्गतुण्डिनाम्

tataḥ suparṇapuṁkhināṁ suparṇapatrapatriṇām | suparṇatulyapātināṁ suparṇatuṅgatuṇḍinām

Then, golden-feathered, fitted with golden vanes, swooping with the speed of Garuda, tipped like Garuda's soaring beak -

Verse 4 (skanda.8.153.4)

शतं शरीरभेदिनां शरीरसारभोजिनाम् । ससर्ज दानवाधिपो जगर्ज चापि दर्पितः

śataṁ śarīrabhedināṁ śarīrasārabhojinām | sasarja dānavādhipo jagarja cāpi darpitaḥ

a hundred arrows, body-piercing and body's-marrow-devouring, that lord of danavas loosed, and roared out in pride.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.153.5)

धनुः प्रपूरितेरिता रणप्रचारितैवृताः । स्वमार्गयानदेशिका जवे मनोनिलोपमाः

dhanuḥ prapūriteritā raṇapracāritaivṛtāḥ | svamārgayānadeśikā jave manonilopamāḥ

Loosed with the bow drawn to its fullest, ranging everywhere in that battle, self-guided upon their own path, swift as thought and wind.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.153.6)

महेषवोन्धकस्य ते पतन्ति देवतोपरि । यथा दिवाकरेरिताः करा महाचलेष्विव

maheṣavondhakasya te patanti devatopari | yathā divākareritāḥ karā mahācaleṣviva

Andhaka's great arrows fell upon the gods, as the rays cast by the sun fall upon great mountains.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.153.7)

शराहताश्च कुञ्जराः शराहताश्च वाजिनः । शराहताश्च देवता गणेश्वराश्च सर्वतः

śarāhatāśca kuñjarāḥ śarāhatāśca vājinaḥ | śarāhatāśca devatā gaṇeśvarāśca sarvataḥ

Elephants struck by arrows, horses struck by arrows, and gods and lords of the ganas struck by arrows lay strewn on every side.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.153.8)

विनिर्गतान्त्रशेणिता विकीर्णहारभूषणाः । विमुक्तकेशबन्धनाः पतन्ति गाढवेदनाः

vinirgatāntraśeṇitā vikīrṇahārabhūṣaṇāḥ | vimuktakeśabandhanāḥ patanti gāḍhavedanāḥ

Their entrails spilling out, their necklaces and ornaments scattered, their hair come loose from its bindings, they fell in agony.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.153.9)

स्थितं चलन्तमुत्थितं प्रधावितं प्रवल्गितम् । हयं गजं सुरं यथा प्रपश्यते हि यं यतः

sthitaṁ calantamutthitaṁ pradhāvitaṁ pravalgitam | hayaṁ gajaṁ suraṁ yathā prapaśyate hi yaṁ yataḥ

Whether standing, moving, rising, running, or leaping - whatever horse, elephant, or god he saw, wherever it was -

Verse 10 (skanda.8.153.10)

तमन्धकस्तदा रिपुं शरैस्तमोरिविग्रहैः । बलान्निपात्य नर्द्दते जलागमे यथाम्बुदः

tamandhakastadā ripuṁ śaraistamorivigrahaiḥ | balānnipātya narddate jalāgame yathāmbudaḥ

that foe Andhaka would fell by force with shafts bright as the sun that slays darkness, and then roar like a cloud at the coming of the rains.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.153.11)

व्रणार्त्तमुक्तनिस्वनं समुद्भ्रमत्तुरङ्गमम् । बलं नदीनवद्बभौ प्रशान्ततूर्यनिस्वनम्

vraṇārttamuktanisvanaṁ samudbhramatturaṅgamam | balaṁ nadīnavadbabhau praśāntatūryanisvanam

Crying out in the agony of wounds, its horses careering wildly, its trumpet-blasts now stilled, that army seemed like a river in flood.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.153.12)

विभिन्नछिन्नदारितं प्रदग्धजग्धनिर्धुतम् । यथा मदान्धकुञ्जर प्रणष्टपादपं वनम्

vibhinnachinnadāritaṁ pradagdhajagdhanirdhutam | yathā madāndhakuñjara praṇaṣṭapādapaṁ vanam

Broken, hacked, torn, scorched, crushed, and trampled, it looked like a forest whose trees have been laid waste by rutting elephants gone wild.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.153.13)

मुखेषु केचिदाहता निरीक्षणेषु चापरे । उरोदरेषु चापरे तथा हताश्च पृष्ठतः

mukheṣu kecidāhatā nirīkṣaṇeṣu cāpare | urodareṣu cāpare tathā hatāśca pṛṣṭhataḥ

Some were struck in the face, others in the eyes, others in chest and belly, and others were struck in the back.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.153.14)

शतघ्नयो यथाचिताः शरैस्तथा मरुद्गणाः । गणाश्च भीमविक्रमा नभूमिमापुराहताः

śataghnayo yathācitāḥ śaraistathā marudgaṇāḥ | gaṇāśca bhīmavikramā nabhūmimāpurāhatāḥ

As shataghni-weapons lie heaped up, so the Marut-hosts too were heaped with arrows, and the ganas of fearsome valour, wounded, sank down to the earth.

Verse 15 (skanda.8.153.15)

सुरासुरैः प्रवर्तिता ततो व्रणाम्बुवाहिनी । गजेन्द्रनक्रसंकुला रथाङ्गचारुकच्छपा

surāsuraiḥ pravartitā tato vraṇāmbuvāhinī | gajendranakrasaṁkulā rathāṅgacārukacchapā

Set flowing by gods and asuras alike, a river of wounds' blood began to course, thronged with elephants for crocodiles, its chariot-wheels like graceful turtles.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.153.16)

निकृत्तहस्तपन्नगा धनुर्ध्वजोत्तमद्रुमा । किरीटकूटदर्दुरा धनुर्गुणाभितन्तुका

nikṛttahastapannagā dhanurdhvajottamadrumā | kirīṭakūṭadardurā dhanurguṇābhitantukā

Its severed hands were serpents, bows and banners its splendid trees, its crowns were frogs, and bowstrings its trailing waterweeds.

Verse 17 (skanda.8.153.17)

विकीर्णहारशर्करा सिताम्बरातिफेनिनी । सुरासुरैः प्रवर्तिता सुरासुरातिदुस्तरा

vikīrṇahāraśarkarā sitāmbarātipheninī | surāsuraiḥ pravartitā surāsurātidustarā

Scattered necklaces were its sand-grains, white cloth its foam - that river, set in motion by gods and asuras, became hard even for gods and asuras to cross.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.153.18)

ततोञ्जनास्तुदत्विषस्तडित्प्रहासहासिनः । पिशाचयक्षराक्षसाः पिपासयातिकर्षिताः

tatoñjanāstudatviṣastaḍitprahāsahāsinaḥ | piśācayakṣarākṣasāḥ pipāsayātikarṣitāḥ

Then, their lustre dark as collyrium, laughing with a laughter like flashing lightning, the pishachas, yakshas, and rakshasas, tormented by thirst -

Verse 19 (skanda.8.153.19)

सुरा यथा वरामृतं पपुस्तथैव शोणितम् । ततः पुनः समाकुलं बभूव युद्धमद्भुतम् । तदान्धके शराहते महेषुणाथ नन्दिने

surā yathā varāmṛtaṁ papustathaiva śoṇitam | tataḥ punaḥ samākulaṁ babhūva yuddhamadbhutam | tadāndhake śarāhate maheṣuṇātha nandine

drank that blood as the gods drink choicest nectar. Then, when Andhaka was struck by a mighty shaft and Nandi too lay wounded, that wondrous battle again grew into wild confusion.