Adi Parva, Mahabharata/Book I Chapter 17
Mahabharata Book I Chapter 17:English
SECTION XIX - (Astika Parva continued)
"Sauti said, 'Then the Daityas and the Danauas equipped with first-class armours and various weapons attacked the gods. In the meantime the valiant Lord Vishnu in the form of an enchantress accompanied by Nara deceived the mighty Danavas and took away the Amrita from their hands.
"And all the gods at that time of great fright drank the Amrita with delight, receiving it from Vishnu. And while the gods were partaking of it, after which they had so much hankered, a Danava named Rahu was also drinking it among them in the guise of a god. And when the Amrita had reached Rahu's throat only, Surya and Soma (recognised him and) intimated the fact to the gods. And Narayana instantly cut off with his discus the well-adorned head of the Danava who was drinking the Amrita without permission. And the huge head of the Danava, cut off by the discus and resembling a mountain peak, then rose up to the sky and began to utter dreadful cries. And the Danava's headless trunk, falling upon the ground and rolling thereon, made the Earth tremble with her mountains, forests and islands. And from that time there is a long-standing quarrel between Rahu's head and Surya and Soma. And to this day it swalloweth Surya and Soma (during solar and lunar eclipses).
"Then Narayana quitting his enchanting female form and hurling many terrible weapons at the Danavas, made them tremble. And thus on the shores of the salt-water sea, commenced the dreadful battle of the gods and the Asuras. And sharp-pointed javelins and lances and various weapons by thousands began to be discharged on all sides. And mangled with the discus and wounded with swords, darts
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and maces, the Asuras in large numbers vomited blood and lay prostrate on the earth. Cut off from the trunks with sharp double-edged swords, heads adorned with bright gold, fell continually on the field of battle. Their bodies drenched in gore, the great Asuras lay dead everywhere. It seemed as if red-dyed mountain peaks lay scattered all around. And when the Sun rose in his splendour, thousands of warriors struck one another with weapons. And cries of distress were heard everywhere. The warriors fighting at a distance from one another brought one another down by sharp iron missiles, and those fighting at close quarters slew one another with blows of their fists. And the air was filled with shrieks of distress. Everywhere were heard the alarming sounds,--'cut', 'pierce', 'at them', 'hurl down', 'advance'.
'And when the battle was raging fiercely, Nara and Narayana entered the field. And Narayana seeing the celestial bow in the hand of Nara, called to mind his own weapon, the Danava-destroying discus. And lo! the discus, Sudarsana, destroyer of enemies, like to Agni in effulgence and dreadful in battle, came from the sky as soon as thought of. And when it came, Narayana of fierce energy, possessing arms like the trunk of an elephant, hurled with great force that weapon of extraordinary lustre, effulgent as blazing fire, dreadful and capable of destroying hostile towns. And that discus blazing like the fire that consumeth all things at the end of Yuga, hurled with force from the hands of Narayana, and falling constantly everywhere, destroyed the Daityas and the Danavas by thousands. Sometimes it blazed like fire and consumed them all; sometimes it struck them down as it coursed through the sky; and sometimes, falling on the earth, it drank their life-blood like a goblin.
"On the other hand, the Danavas, white as the clouds from which the rain hath dropped, possessing great strength and bold hearts, ascended the sky, and by hurling down thousands of mountains, continually harassed the gods. And those dreadful mountains, like masses of clouds, with their trees and flat tops, falling from the sky, collided with one another and produced a tremendous roar. And when thousands of warriors shouted without intermission in the field of battle and mountains with the woods thereon began to fall around, the earth with her forests trembled. Then the divine Nara appeared at the scene of the dreadful conflict between the Asuras and the Ganas (the followers of Rudra), and reducing to dust those rocks by means of his gold-headed arrows, he covered the heavens with dust. Thus discomfited by the gods, and seeing the furious discus scouring the fields of heaven like a blazing flame, the mighty Danavas entered the bowels of the earth, while others plunged into the sea of salt-waters.
"And having gained the victory, the gods offered due respect to Mandara and placed him again on his own base. And the nectar-bearing gods made the heavens resound with their shouts, and went to their own abodes. And the gods, on returning to the heavens, rejoiced greatly, and Indra
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and the other deities made over to Narayana the vessel of Amrita for careful keeping.'"
And so ends the nineteenth section in the Astika Parva of the Adi Parva.
Mahabharata Book I Chapter 17:Sanskrit
1 [स] अदावरण मुख्यानि नानाप्रहरणानि च परगृह्याभ्यथ्रवन थेवान सहिता थैत्यथानवाः 2 ततस तथ अमृतं थेवॊ विष्णुर आथाय वीर्यवान जहार थानवेन्थ्रेभ्यॊ नरेण सहितः परभुः 3 ततॊ थेवगणाः सर्वे पपुस तथ अमृतं तथा विष्णॊः सकाशात संप्राप्य संभ्रमे तुमुले सति 4 ततः पिबत्सु तत कालं थेवेष्व अमृतम ईप्सितम राहुर विबुधरूपेण थानवः परापिबत तथा 5 तस्य कण्ठम अनुप्राप्ते थानवस्यामृते तथा आख्यातं चन्थ्रसूर्याभ्यां सुराणां हितकाम्यया 6 ततॊ भगवता तस्य शिरश छिन्नम अलंकृतम चक्रायुधेन चक्रेण पिबतॊ ऽमृतम ओजसा 7 तच छैलशृङ्गप्रतिमं थानवस्य शिरॊमहत चक्रेणॊत्कृत्तम अपतच चालयथ वसुधातलम 8 ततॊ वैरविनिर्बन्धः कृतॊ राहुमुखेन वै शाश्वतश चन्थ्रसूर्याभ्यां गरसत्य अथ्यापि चैव तौ 9 विहाय भगवांश चापि सत्री रूपम अतुलं हरिः नानाप्रहरणैर भीमैर थानवान समकम्पयत 10 ततः परवृत्तः संग्रामः समीपे लवणाम्भसः सुराणाम असुराणां च सर्वघॊरतरॊ महान 11 परासाः सुविपुलास तीक्ष्णा नयपतन्त सहस्रशः तॊमराश च सुतीक्ष्णाग्राः शस्त्राणि विविधानि च 12 ततॊ ऽसुराश चक्रभिन्ना वमन्तॊ रुधिरं बहु असि शक्तिगथा रुग्णा निपेतुर धरणीतले 13 छिन्नानि पट्टिशैश चापि शिरांसि युधि थारुणे तप्तकाञ्चनजालानि निपेतुर अनिशं तथा 14 रुधिरेणावलिप्ताङ्गा निहताश च महासुराः अथ्रीणाम इव कूटानि धातुरक्तानि शेरते 15 हाहाकारः समभवत तत्र तत्र सहस्रशः अन्यॊन्यं छिन्थतां शस्त्रैर आथित्ये लॊहितायति 16 परिघैश चायसैः पीतैः संनिकर्षे च मुष्टिभिः निघ्नतां समरे ऽनयॊन्यं शब्थॊ थिवम इवास्पृशत 17 छिन्धि भिन्धि परधावध्वं पातयाभिसरेति च वयश्रूयन्त महाघॊराः शब्थास तत्र समन्ततः 18 एवं सुतुमुले युथ्धे वर्तमाने भयावहे नरनारायणौ थेवौ समाजग्मतुर आहवम 19 तत्र थिव्यं धनुर थृष्ट्वा नरस्य भगवान अपि चिन्तयाम आस वै चक्रं विष्णुर थानव सूथनम 20 ततॊ ऽमबराच चिन्तित मात्रम आगतं; महाप्रभं चक्रम अमित्रतापनम विभावसॊस तुल्यम अकुण्ठमण्डलं; सुथर्शनं भीमम अजय्यम उत्तमम 21 तथ आगतं जवलितहुताशनप्रभं; भयंकरं करिकरबाहुर अच्युतः मुमॊच वै चपलम उथग्रवेगवन; महाप्रभं परनगरावथारणम 22 तथ अन्तकज्वलनसमानवर्चसं; पुनः पुनर नयपतत वेगवत तथा विथारयथ थितिथनुजान सहस्रशः; करेरितं पुरुषवरेण संयुगे 23 थहत कव चिज जवलन इवावलेलिहत; परसह्य तान असुरगणान नयकृन्तत परवेरितं वियति मुहुः कषितौ तथा; पपौ रणे रुधिरम अदॊ पिशाचवत 24 अदासुरा गिरिभिर अथीनचेतसॊ; मुहुर मुहुः सुरगणम अर्थयंस तथा महाबला विगलितमेघवर्चसः; सहस्रशॊ गगनम अभिप्रपथ्य ह 25 अदाम्बराथ भयजननाः परपेथिरे; सपाथपा बहुविध मेघरूपिणः महाथ्रयः परविगलिताग्र सानवः; परस्परं थरुतम अभिहत्य सस्वनाः 26 ततॊ मही परविचलिता सकानना; महाथ्रिपाताभिहता समन्ततः परस्परं भृशम अभिगर्जतां मुहू; रणाजिरे भृशम अभिसंप्रवर्तिते 27 नरस ततॊ वरकनकाग्र भूषणैर; महेषुभिर गगनपदं समावृणॊत विथारयन गिरिशिखराणि पत्रिभिर; महाभये ऽसुर गणविग्रहे तथा 28 ततॊ महीं लवणजलं च सागरं; महासुराः परविविशुर अर्थिताः सुरैः वियथ गतं जवलितहुताशनप्रभं; सुथर्शनं परिकुपितं निशाम्य च 29 ततः सुरैर विजयम अवाप्य मन्थरः; सवम एव थेशं गमितः सुपूजितः विनाथ्य खं थिवम अपि चैव सर्वशस; ततॊ गताः सलिलधरा यदागतम 30 ततॊ ऽमृतं सुनिहितम एव चक्रिरे; सुराः परां मुथम अभिगम्य पुष्कलाम थथौ च तं निधिम अमृतस्य रक्षितुं; किरीटिने बलभिथ अदामरैः सह
Mahabharata Book I Chapter 17:Transliteration
1 [s] athāvaraṇa mukhyāni nānāpraharaṇāni ca pragṛhyābhyadravan devān sahitā daityadānavāḥ 2 tatas tad amṛtaṃ devo viṣṇur ādāya vīryavān jahāra dānavendrebhyo nareṇa sahitaḥ prabhuḥ 3 tato devagaṇāḥ sarve papus tad amṛtaṃ tadā viṣṇoḥ sakāśāt saṃprāpya saṃbhrame tumule sati 4 tataḥ pibatsu tat kālaṃ deveṣv amṛtam īpsitam rāhur vibudharūpeṇa dānavaḥ prāpibat tadā 5 tasya kaṇṭham anuprāpte dānavasyāmṛte tadā ākhyātaṃ candrasūryābhyāṃ surāṇāṃ hitakāmyayā 6 tato bhagavatā tasya śiraś chinnam alaṃkṛtam cakrāyudhena cakreṇa pibato 'mṛtam ojasā 7 tac chailaśṛṅgapratimaṃ dānavasya śiromahat cakreṇotkṛttam apatac cālayad vasudhātalam 8 tato vairavinirbandhaḥ kṛto rāhumukhena vai śāśvataś candrasūryābhyāṃ grasaty adyāpi caiva tau 9 vihāya bhagavāṃś cāpi strī rūpam atulaṃ hariḥ nānāpraharaṇair bhīmair dānavān samakampayat 10 tataḥ pravṛttaḥ saṃgrāmaḥ samīpe lavaṇāmbhasaḥ surāṇām asurāṇāṃ ca sarvaghorataro mahān 11 prāsāḥ suvipulās tīkṣṇā nyapatanta sahasraśaḥ tomarāś ca sutīkṣṇāgrāḥ śastrāṇi vividhāni ca 12 tato 'surāś cakrabhinnā vamanto rudhiraṃ bahu asi śaktigadā rugṇā nipetur dharaṇītale 13 chinnāni paṭṭiśaiś cāpi śirāṃsi yudhi dāruṇe taptakāñcanajālāni nipetur aniśaṃ tadā 14 rudhireṇāvaliptāṅgā nihatāś ca mahāsurāḥ adrīṇām iva kūṭāni dhāturaktāni śerate 15 hāhākāraḥ samabhavat tatra tatra sahasraśaḥ anyonyaṃ chindatāṃ śastrair āditye lohitāyati 16 parighaiś cāyasaiḥ pītaiḥ saṃnikarṣe ca muṣṭibhiḥ nighnatāṃ samare 'nyonyaṃ śabdo divam ivāspṛśat 17 chindhi bhindhi pradhāvadhvaṃ pātayābhisareti ca vyaśrūyanta mahāghorāḥ śabdās tatra samantataḥ 18 evaṃ sutumule yuddhe vartamāne bhayāvahe naranārāyaṇau devau samājagmatur āhavam 19 tatra divyaṃ dhanur dṛṣṭvā narasya bhagavān api cintayām āsa vai cakraṃ viṣṇur dānava sūdanam 20 tato 'mbarāc cintita mātram āgataṃ; mahāprabhaṃ cakram amitratāpanam vibhāvasos tulyam akuṇṭhamaṇḍalaṃ; sudarśanaṃ bhīmam ajayyam uttamam 21 tad āgataṃ jvalitahutāśanaprabhaṃ; bhayaṃkaraṃ karikarabāhur acyutaḥ mumoca vai capalam udagravegavan; mahāprabhaṃ paranagarāvadāraṇam 22 tad antakajvalanasamānavarcasaṃ; punaḥ punar nyapatata vegavat tadā vidārayad ditidanujān sahasraśaḥ; kareritaṃ puruṣavareṇa saṃyuge 23 dahat kva cij jvalana ivāvalelihat; prasahya tān asuragaṇān nyakṛntata praveritaṃ viyati muhuḥ kṣitau tadā; papau raṇe rudhiram atho piśācavat 24 athāsurā giribhir adīnacetaso; muhur muhuḥ suragaṇam ardayaṃs tadā mahābalā vigalitameghavarcasaḥ; sahasraśo gaganam abhiprapadya ha 25 athāmbarād bhayajananāḥ prapedire; sapādapā bahuvidha megharūpiṇaḥ mahādrayaḥ pravigalitāgra sānavaḥ; parasparaṃ drutam abhihatya sasvanāḥ 26 tato mahī pravicalitā sakānanā; mahādripātābhihatā samantataḥ parasparaṃ bhṛśam abhigarjatāṃ muhū; raṇājire bhṛśam abhisaṃpravartite 27 naras tato varakanakāgra bhūṣaṇair; maheṣubhir gaganapathaṃ samāvṛṇot vidārayan giriśikharāṇi patribhir; mahābhaye 'sura gaṇavigrahe tadā 28 tato mahīṃ lavaṇajalaṃ ca sāgaraṃ; mahāsurāḥ praviviśur arditāḥ suraiḥ viyad gataṃ jvalitahutāśanaprabhaṃ; sudarśanaṃ parikupitaṃ niśāmya ca 29 tataḥ surair vijayam avāpya mandaraḥ; svam eva deśaṃ gamitaḥ supūjitaḥ vinādya khaṃ divam api caiva sarvaśas; tato gatāḥ saliladharā yathāgatam 30 tato 'mṛtaṃ sunihitam eva cakrire; surāḥ parāṃ mudam abhigamya puṣkalām dadau ca taṃ nidhim amṛtasya rakṣituṃ; kirīṭine balabhid athāmaraiḥ saha