How Indra Was Purified by the Horse-Sacrifice

Shloka 1 (uttara.86.1)

तदा वृत्रवधं सर्वमखिलेन स लक्ष्मणः । कथयित्वा नरश्रेष्ठः कथाशेषं प्रचक्रमे ।। ७.८६.१ ।।

tadā vṛtravadhaṃ sarvam akhilena sa lakṣmaṇaḥ | kathayitvā naraśreṣṭhaḥ kathāśeṣam pracakrame || 7.86.1 ||

Then Lakshmana, best of men, having told in full the entire story of Vritra's slaying, began the rest of the tale.

Shloka 2 (uttara.86.2)

ततो हते महावीर्ये वृत्रे देवभयङ्करे । ब्रह्महत्यावृतः शक्रः सञ्ज्ञां लेभे न वृत्रहा ।। ७.८६.२ ।।

tato hate mahāvīrye vṛtre devabhayaṅkare | brahmahatyāvṛtaḥ śakraḥ saṃjñāṃ lebhe na vṛtrahā || 7.86.2 ||

Then, when the mighty Vritra, terror of the gods, was slain, Shakra, the slayer of Vritra, enveloped by the sin of Brahmin-slaying, did not regain his senses.

Shloka 3 (uttara.86.3)

सो ऽन्तमाश्रित्य लोकानां नष्टसञ्ज्ञो विचेतनः । कालं तत्रावसत्कञ्चिद्वेष्टमान इवोरगः ।। ७.८६.३ ।।

so 'ntam āśritya lokānāṃ naṣṭasaṃjño vicetanaḥ | kālaṃ tatrāvasat kañcid veṣṭamāna ivoragaḥ || 7.86.3 ||

Taking refuge at the very edge of the worlds, senseless and bereft of consciousness, he dwelt there for some time, like a serpent coiled upon itself.

Shloka 4 (uttara.86.4)

अथ नष्टे सहस्राक्षे उद्विग्नमभवज्जगत् । भूमिश्च ध्वस्तसङ्काशा निःस्नेहा शुष्ककानना ।। ७.८६.४ ।।

atha naṣṭe sahasrākṣe udvignam abhavaj jagat | bhūmiś ca dhvastasaṅkāśā niḥsnehā śuṣkakānanā || 7.86.4 ||

Then, with the Thousand-eyed one vanished, the world grew troubled; the earth appeared as if ruined, bereft of moisture, its forests parched.

Shloka 5 (uttara.86.5)

निःस्रोतसश्च ते सर्वे तु ह्रदाश्च सरितस्तथा । सङ्क्षोभश्चैव सत्त्वानामनावृष्टिकृतो ऽभवत् ।। ७.८६.५ ।।

niḥsrotasaś ca te sarve tu hradāś ca saritas tathā | saṅkṣobhaś caiva sattvānām anāvṛṣṭikṛto 'bhavat || 7.86.5 ||

All the lakes and rivers alike became without current, and the failure of rain brought turmoil upon all living creatures.

Shloka 6 (uttara.86.6)

क्षीयमाणे तु लोके ऽस्मिन्सम्भ्रान्तमनसः सुराः । यदुक्तं विष्णुना पूर्वं तं यज्ञं समुपानयन् ।। ७.८६.६ ।।

kṣīyamāṇe tu loke 'smin sambhrāntamanasaḥ surāḥ | yad uktaṃ viṣṇunā pūrvaṃ taṃ yajñaṃ samupānayan || 7.86.6 ||

As this world thus wasted away, the gods, their minds distraught, brought forth that sacrifice which Vishnu had earlier prescribed.

Shloka 7 (uttara.86.7)

ततः सर्वे सुरगणाः सोपाध्यायाः सहर्षिभिः । तं देशं समुपाजग्मुर्यत्रेन्द्रो भयमोहितः ।। ७.८६.७ ।।

tataḥ sarve suragaṇāḥ sopādhyāyāḥ saharṣibhiḥ | taṃ deśaṃ samupājagmur yatrendro bhayamohitaḥ || 7.86.7 ||

Then all the hosts of gods, together with their preceptors and the sages, came to that place where Indra sat, overcome with fear.

Shloka 8 (uttara.86.8)

ते तु दृष्ट्वा सहस्राक्षमावृतं ब्रह्महत्यया । तं पुरस्कृत्य देवेशमश्वमेधमुपाक्रमन् ।। ७.८६.८ ।।

te tu dṛṣṭvā sahasrākṣam āvṛtaṃ brahmahatyayā | taṃ puraskṛtya deveśam aśvamedham upākraman || 7.86.8 ||

Seeing the Thousand-eyed one enveloped by the sin of Brahmin-slaying, they placed that lord of gods at the fore and began the horse-sacrifice.

Shloka 9 (uttara.86.9)

ततो ऽश्वमेधः सुमहान्महेन्द्रस्य महात्मनः । ववृधे ब्रह्महत्ययाः पावनार्थं नरेश्वर ।। ७.८६.९ ।।

tato 'śvamedhaḥ sumahān mahendrasya mahātmanaḥ | vavṛdhe brahmahatyayāḥ pāvanārthaṃ nareśvara || 7.86.9 ||

Then, O lord of men, that supremely great horse-sacrifice grew, for the purification of the great Mahendra from the sin of Brahmin-slaying.

Shloka 10 (uttara.86.10)

ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ब्रह्महत्या महात्मनः । अभिगम्याब्रवीद्वाक्यं क्व मे स्थानं विधास्यथ ।। ७.८६.१० ।।

tato yajñe samāpte tu brahmahatyā mahātmanaḥ | abhigamyābravīd vākyaṃ kva me sthānaṃ vidhāsyatha || 7.86.10 ||

Then, when the sacrifice was concluded, the personified sin of Brahmin-slaying that had beset the great one came forward and said these words: "Where will you now assign my dwelling place?"

Shloka 11 (uttara.86.11)

ते तामूचुस्तदा देवास्तुष्टाः प्रीतिसमन्विताः । चतुर्धा विभजात्मानमात्मनैव दुरासदे ।। ७.८६.११ ।।

te tām ūcus tadā devās tuṣṭāḥ prītisamanvitāḥ | caturdhā vibhajātmānam ātmanaiva durāsade || 7.86.11 ||

Then the gods, satisfied and filled with joy, said to her: "O you who are hard to withstand, divide yourself, of your own accord, into four parts."

Shloka 12 (uttara.86.12)

देवानां भाषितं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्महत्या महात्मनाम् । सन्निधौ स्थानमन्यत्र वरयामास दुर्वसा ।। ७.८६.१२ ।।

devānāṃ bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā brahmahatyā mahātmanām | sannidhau sthānam anyatra varayām āsa durvasā || 7.86.12 ||

Hearing the words of those great gods, Brahmin-slaying, hard to find lodging for, chose, there in their presence, separate dwelling-places.

Shloka 13 (uttara.86.13)

एकेनांशेन वत्स्यामि पूर्णोदासु नदीषु वै । चतुरो वार्षिकान्मासान्दर्पघ्नी कामवारिणी ।। ७.८६.१३ ।।

ekenāṃśena vatsyāmi pūrṇodāsu nadīṣu vai | caturo vārṣikān māsān darpaghnī kāmavāriṇī || 7.86.13 ||

"With one part I shall dwell, for the four months of the rainy season, in the rivers brimming with water — destroyer of pride, roaming as I please."

Shloka 14 (uttara.86.14)

भूम्यामहं सर्वकालमेकेनांशेन सर्वदा । वसिष्यामि न सन्देहः सत्येनैतद्ब्रवीमि वः ।। ७.८६.१४ ।।

bhūmyām ahaṃ sarvakālam ekenāṃśena sarvadā | vasiṣyāmi na sandehaḥ satyenaitad bravīmi vaḥ || 7.86.14 ||

"On the earth I shall dwell for all time, always, with one part — of this there is no doubt; I tell you this in truth."

Shloka 15 (uttara.86.15)

यो ऽयमंशस्तृतीयो मे स्त्रीषु यौवनशालिषु । त्रिरात्रं दर्पपूर्णासु वशिष्ये दर्पघातिनी ।। ७.८६.१५ ।।

yo 'yam aṃśas tṛtīyo me strīṣu yauvanaśāliṣu | trirātraṃ darpapūrṇāsu vaśiṣye darpaghātinī || 7.86.15 ||

"This third part of mine, I, destroyer of pride, shall dwell for three nights in young women full of pride."

Shloka 16 (uttara.86.16)

हन्तारो ब्राह्मणान्ये तु मृषापूर्वमदूषकान् । तांश्चतुर्थेन भागेन संश्रयिष्ये सुरर्षभाः ।। ७.८६.१६ ।।

hantāro brāhmaṇān ye tu mṛṣāpūrvam adūṣakān | tāṃś caturthena bhāgena saṃśrayiṣye surarṣabhāḥ || 7.86.16 ||

"And those who slay blameless Brahmins through prior deceit — O bulls among gods, in them I shall take refuge with my fourth part."

Shloka 17 (uttara.86.17)

प्रत्यूचुस्तां ततो देवा यथा वदसि दुर्वसे । तथा भवतु तत्सर्वं साधयस्व यदीप्सितम् ।। ७.८६.१७ ।।

pratyūcus tāṃ tato devā yathā vadasi durvase | tathā bhavatu tat sarvaṃ sādhayasva yad īpsitam || 7.86.17 ||

Then the gods replied to her: "O you hard to house, let all be as you say; accomplish whatever you desire."

Shloka 18 (uttara.86.18)

ततः प्रीत्या ऽन्विता देवाः सहस्राक्षं ववन्दिरे । विज्वरः स च पूतात्मा वासवः समपद्यत ।। ७.८६.१८ ।।

tataḥ prītyānvitā devāḥ sahasrākṣaṃ vavandire | vijvaraḥ sa ca pūtātmā vāsavaḥ samapadyata || 7.86.18 ||

Then the gods, filled with joy, bowed before the Thousand-eyed one, and Vasava became free of anguish, his soul made pure.

Shloka 19 (uttara.86.19)

प्रशान्तं च जगत्सर्वं सहस्राक्षे प्रतिष्ठिते । यज्ञं चाद्भुतसङ्काशं तदा शक्रो ऽभ्यपूजयत् ।। ७.८६.१९ ।।

praśāntaṃ ca jagat sarvaṃ sahasrākṣe pratiṣṭhite | yajñaṃ cādbhutasaṅkāśaṃ tadā śakro 'bhyapūjayat || 7.86.19 ||

With the Thousand-eyed one thus restored, the whole world grew tranquil, and Shakra then paid great honor to that wondrous sacrifice.

Shloka 20 (uttara.86.20)

ईदृशो ह्यश्वमेधस्य प्रसादो रघुनन्दन । यजस्व सुमहाभाग हयमेधेन पार्थिव ।। ७.८६.२० ।।

īdṛśo hy aśvamedhasya prasādo raghunandana | yajasva sumahābhāga hayamedhena pārthiva || 7.86.20 ||

"Such, O joy of the Raghus, is the grace bestowed by the horse-sacrifice. Perform it too, O most fortunate king, with the sacrifice of the horse."

Shloka 21 (uttara.86.21)

इति लक्ष्मणवाक्यमुत्तमं नृपतिरतीव मनोहरं महात्मा । परितोषमवाप हृष्टचेता निशमय्येन्द्रसमानविक्रमौजाः ।। ७.८६.२१ ।।

iti lakṣmaṇavākyam uttamaṃ nṛpatir atīva manoharaṃ mahātmā | paritoṣam avāpa hṛṣṭacetā niśamayyendrasamānavikramaujāḥ || 7.86.21 ||

Hearing this excellent and most delightful speech of Lakshmana's, that great-souled king, whose might and splendor equalled Indra's, was filled with joy and attained deep contentment.