Varaha's Entry into the Ocean

Verse 1 (skanda.8.99.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । स संप्रयातो धर्मात्मा नर्दमानो यथा घनः । सर्वलोकमयो देवो वराहो नन्दिवर्धनः

sanatkumāra uvāca | sa saṁprayāto dharmātmā nardamāno yathā ghanaḥ | sarvalokamayo devo varāho nandivardhanaḥ

Sanatkumara said: That righteous-souled one set forth, roaring like a thundercloud - the god Varaha, Nandivardhana, composed of all the worlds.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.99.2)

अपश्यत् सागरञ्चैव संप्राप्यातिबलस्तदा । नर्दमानं यथा मेघं लीयमानं मृगेन्द्रवत्

apaśyat sāgarañcaiva saṁprāpyātibalastadā | nardamānaṁ yathā meghaṁ līyamānaṁ mṛgendravat

That one of great might, having reached it, beheld the ocean - now roaring like a cloud, now crouching low like a lion about to spring.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.99.3)

नर्तकीमिव नृत्यन्तं वल्गन्तं चैव योधवत् । मण्डलैर्बहुभिश्चित्रैश्चरन्तं वसुधां तथा

nartakīmiva nṛtyantaṁ valgantaṁ caiva yodhavat | maṇḍalairbahubhiścitraiścarantaṁ vasudhāṁ tathā

It seemed to dance like a dancing-girl, and leap like a warrior, moving across the earth in many wondrous circles -

Verse 4 (skanda.8.99.4)

नियुद्धकुशलं यद्वद् गदायुद्धविशारदम् । तदा तद्बहुधा चित्रमपश्यन्नन्दिवर्धनः

niyuddhakuśalaṁ yadvad gadāyuddhaviśāradam | tadā tadbahudhā citramapaśyannandivardhanaḥ

- as though skilled in wrestling, and expert in the combat of maces. Thus, in many wondrous ways, did Nandivardhana behold it then.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.99.5)

स तमर्घेण देवेशं सर्वलोकमयं विभुम् । पूजयामास देवाँश्च ऋषयो ये च संगताः

sa tamargheṇa deveśaṁ sarvalokamayaṁ vibhum | pūjayāmāsa devā~śca ṛṣayo ye ca saṁgatāḥ

That lord of the gods, all-pervading, composed of all the worlds, was honoured with ceremonial water by the gods and by the sages who had gathered there.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.99.6)

स जयाय प्रगृह्यैनमनुमान्य महोदधिम् । निवर्त्य सर्वभूतानि प्रविवेश महार्णवम्

sa jayāya pragṛhyainamanumānya mahodadhim | nivartya sarvabhūtāni praviveśa mahārṇavam

For the sake of victory, having taken hold of and paid homage to the great ocean, he sent back all the attending creatures and entered the great sea.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.99.7)

विगाहमानः सक्रीडमर्णवं विबभौ विभुः । सरः सुमहदासाद्य यथा मत्तो महागजः

vigāhamānaḥ sakrīḍamarṇavaṁ vibabhau vibhuḥ | saraḥ sumahadāsādya yathā matto mahāgajaḥ

Plunging playfully into the ocean, that mighty lord shone forth, like a rutting great elephant reaching a vast lake.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.99.8)

संप्रविश्य सुदूरञ्च सोदृश्यः समपद्यत । भूमिलेखावृतः सूर्यो यथा संपूर्णमण्डलः

saṁpraviśya sudūrañca sodṛśyaḥ samapadyata | bhūmilekhāvṛtaḥ sūryo yathā saṁpūrṇamaṇḍalaḥ

Having entered far within, he became invisible, like the full disc of the sun hidden behind the line of the horizon.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.99.9)

ततोन्तर्जलमाविश्य क्षोभयाणो महार्णवम् । जलचन्द्रकवद् व्यास अदृश्यत स लोकपैः

tatontarjalamāviśya kṣobhayāṇo mahārṇavam | jalacandrakavad vyāsa adṛśyata sa lokapaiḥ

Then, entering into the depths of the water and churning the great ocean, he became, O Vyasa, invisible to the world-guardians, like the moon's reflection in water.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.99.10)

तिमिन्तिमिङ्गिलञ्चैव तिमिङ्गलगिलानपि । तथैव तद्गिलानन्यान् गर्दभान् हस्तिनो ह्यपि

timintimiṅgilañcaiva timiṅgalagilānapi | tathaiva tadgilānanyān gardabhān hastino hyapi

He passed among timi, timingila, and the creatures that swallow the timingila, and likewise others that swallow even them, and donkeys and elephants too,

Verse 11 (skanda.8.99.11)

मकराँश्चैव शंखाँश्च तथैवाश्वमुखानपि । तथा वै पक्षिसंकाशान् मानुषानपि चापरान्

makarā~ścaiva śaṁkhā~śca tathaivāśvamukhānapi | tathā vai pakṣisaṁkāśān mānuṣānapi cāparān

and crocodiles and conches, and likewise horse-faced creatures, and yet others resembling birds, and still others resembling men,

Verse 12 (skanda.8.99.12)

रथचक्रप्रकाराँश्च सिंहव्याघ्रमुखानपि । शरभर्क्षविडालास्यान् मत्स्यान्बहुविधाँस्तथा

rathacakraprakārā~śca siṁhavyāghramukhānapi | śarabharkṣaviḍālāsyān matsyānbahuvidhā~stathā

and creatures shaped like chariot-wheels, and lion- and tiger-faced ones, and fish of many kinds with the faces of sharabhas, bears, and cats,

Verse 13 (skanda.8.99.13)

भ्रामयन्सुमहातेजा जगाम सुमहाबलः । कुतूहलात्तमाविश्य केचिदाघ्राय चैव हि

bhrāmayansumahātejā jagāma sumahābalaḥ | kutūhalāttamāviśya kecidāghrāya caiva hi

- whirling them all about as he went, that being of very great splendour and very great strength moved on; some, out of curiosity, drew near and sniffed at him,

Verse 14 (skanda.8.99.14)

दशन्ति मत्स्या दीप्तास्याः शतशोथ सहस्रशः । स प्रदक्षिणमावृत्य दिव्यं हयशिरः शुभम्

daśanti matsyā dīptāsyāḥ śataśotha sahasraśaḥ | sa pradakṣiṇamāvṛtya divyaṁ hayaśiraḥ śubham

and blazing-mouthed fish bit at him by the hundreds and thousands. Circling round in reverence, he came to the divine and auspicious Hayashiras (the horse-headed one),

Verse 15 (skanda.8.99.15)

क्षणान्मैनाकमध्येन गत्वा भोगवतीमपि । वरुणस्य पुरीं गत्वा पयोनाथस्य धीमतः

kṣaṇānmainākamadhyena gatvā bhogavatīmapi | varuṇasya purīṁ gatvā payonāthasya dhīmataḥ

and in a moment, passing through the midst of Mount Mainaka, went on even to Bhogavati, and reached the city of Varuna, the wise lord of the waters.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.99.16)

पर्जन्यं दिग्गजं प्राप्य कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् । सुरभीपुरमासाद्य गा दृष्ट्वा चैव सुप्रभाः

parjanyaṁ diggajaṁ prāpya kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam | surabhīpuramāsādya gā dṛṣṭvā caiva suprabhāḥ

Having reached Parjanya, the elephant of that quarter, and having circled him in reverence, he came to Surabhipura, and beheld there the radiant cows,

Verse 17 (skanda.8.99.17)

याः क्षरन्ति सदा व्यास सुधाममृतमेव च । क्षीरोदं तत्सरो दिव्यं फेनपा यत्र ते द्विजाः

yāḥ kṣaranti sadā vyāsa sudhāmamṛtameva ca | kṣīrodaṁ tatsaro divyaṁ phenapā yatra te dvijāḥ

who, O Vyasa, ever stream forth nectar and ambrosia - that divine lake, the Ocean of Milk, where those brahmins called the Phenapas ('foam-drinkers') dwell.

Verse 18 (skanda.8.99.18)

तस्मिन् सरसि तत् पीत्वा यशोमृतसमप्रभम् । पूजितः फेनपैः सम्यक् तां रात्रिं तत्र सोवसत्

tasmin sarasi tat pītvā yaśomṛtasamaprabham | pūjitaḥ phenapaiḥ samyak tāṁ rātriṁ tatra sovasat

In that lake, having drunk that water, radiant as glory itself, and being duly honoured by the Phenapas, he dwelt there that night.

Verse 19 (skanda.8.99.19)

उषित्वा तत्र सोगच्छत् कङ्कस्य पुरमव्ययम् । वासुकेश्च पुरं प्राप्य तक्षकस्य च धीमतः

uṣitvā tatra sogacchat kaṅkasya puramavyayam | vāsukeśca puraṁ prāpya takṣakasya ca dhīmataḥ

Having stayed there, he went on to the imperishable city of Kanka; and, reaching the city of Vasuki, and of the wise Takshaka,

Verse 20 (skanda.8.99.20)

तत्र शेषस्य देवेशो विन्दतामरतामिति । रम्यां मनोज्ञां दिव्याञ्च स्वर्गादपि च तां वराम्

tatra śeṣasya deveśo vindatāmaratāmiti | ramyāṁ manojñāṁ divyāñca svargādapi ca tāṁ varām

and that of Shesha as well - that lord of the gods beheld it, deeming it delightful, charming, divine, and finer even than heaven, as though it had itself attained immortality.

Verse 21 (skanda.8.99.21)

श्रुत्वानन्तश्च तं राजा अर्घेण समपूजयत् । प्रणम्य बहुमानाच्च उपामन्त्रयदव्ययः

śrutvānantaśca taṁ rājā argheṇa samapūjayat | praṇamya bahumānācca upāmantrayadavyayaḥ

And Ananta (Shesha), the serpent-king, hearing of him, honoured him with ceremonial water; and, bowing with great reverence, that imperishable one welcomed him with words.

Verse 22 (skanda.8.99.22)

तं पूजयानं मधुहा प्रीत्या परमया युतः । उवाच लोककार्यस्य न विघ्नं कर्तुमर्हसि

taṁ pūjayānaṁ madhuhā prītyā paramayā yutaḥ | uvāca lokakāryasya na vighnaṁ kartumarhasi

To him as he was paying homage, the Slayer of Madhu, filled with the deepest affection, said, "You should not create any obstacle to this business of the world."

Verse 23 (skanda.8.99.23)

महत्कार्यमिदं देव कर्तव्यं त्रिदिवौकसाम् । भूयो वयं त्वया सार्धं करिष्याम यदीच्छसि । मा च कालोयमुद्युक्तो दैत्यस्य न भवेदिति

mahatkāryamidaṁ deva kartavyaṁ tridivaukasām | bhūyo vayaṁ tvayā sārdhaṁ kariṣyāma yadīcchasi | mā ca kāloyamudyukto daityasya na bhavediti

"This is a great task, O god, one that must be accomplished for the sake of the dwellers of the three worlds; we shall act together with you again, should you so wish - only let not this pressing hour pass without effect upon the Daitya."

Verse 24 (skanda.8.99.24)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । ततो विसृज्य तं नागं रसातलमुपागमत् । तत्र सागरपो दैत्यः सुप्रभोन्तर्जलेचरः

sanatkumāra uvāca | tato visṛjya taṁ nāgaṁ rasātalamupāgamat | tatra sāgarapo daityaḥ suprabhontarjalecaraḥ

Sanatkumara said: Then, taking leave of that serpent, he arrived at Rasatala; there the radiant Daitya, guardian of the ocean, who moved within the waters -

Verse 25 (skanda.8.99.25)

अपश्यत्तं तदायान्तं हिरण्याक्षपुरं प्रति । गात्रेषु देवान्सूक्ष्माँश्च वराहस्यान्ववैक्षत

apaśyattaṁ tadāyāntaṁ hiraṇyākṣapuraṁ prati | gātreṣu devānsūkṣmā~śca varāhasyānvavaikṣata

- beheld him coming there, toward the city of Hiranyaksha, and perceived the subtle gods dwelling within the limbs of the Boar.

Verse 26 (skanda.8.99.26)

तस्मिन्तच्चास्य रूपेण भयान्नैनमुपागमत् । तेजसा चापि विष्टब्धो दुरात्मा तस्य सोसुरः

tasmintaccāsya rūpeṇa bhayānnainamupāgamat | tejasā cāpi viṣṭabdho durātmā tasya sosuraḥ

Fearing that form of his, and overwhelmed also by his splendour, that evil-souled Asura did not approach him.

Verse 27 (skanda.8.99.27)

आवेदयिष्यन्तस्मै हि हिरण्याक्षाय सत्वरम् । चक्रे वेगं प्रतिपुरं वराहस्य तदाग्रतः

āvedayiṣyantasmai hi hiraṇyākṣāya satvaram | cakre vegaṁ pratipuraṁ varāhasya tadāgrataḥ

In order to report at once to Hiranyaksha, he then hastened swiftly back to the city, ahead of the Boar.

Verse 28 (skanda.8.99.28)

स यातुकामो दितिजाधिराजं वराहरूपं तमनन्तमन्तकम् । जगाम दैत्याय स जीवितान्तं यथानिलः प्रद्युतदानमाल्यवान्

sa yātukāmo ditijādhirājaṁ varāharūpaṁ tamanantamantakam | jagāma daityāya sa jīvitāntaṁ yathānilaḥ pradyutadānamālyavān

That limitless, boar-formed god, the ender, desiring to go to the overlord of the sons of Diti, advanced to end that Daitya's life, like the wind rushing toward a garlanded elephant streaming with musth.