Sixth Skandha · Chapter 3
Sourceव्यास उवाच कृतस्वस्त्ययनो वृत्रो ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः । निर्जगाम रथारूढो हन्तुं शक्रं महाबलः ॥ १ ॥ तदैव राक्षसाः क्रूराः पुरा देवपराजिताः । समाजग्मुश्च सेवार्थं वृत्रं ज्ञात्वा महाबलम् ॥ २ ॥ इन्द्रदूतास्तु तं दृष्ट्वा युद्धाय तु समागतम् । वेगादागत्य वृत्तान्तं शशंसुस्तस्य चेष्टितम् ॥ ३ ॥ दूता ऊचुः स्वामिञ्छीघ्रमिहायाति वृत्रो नाम रिपुस्तव । बलवान्स्यन्दने रूढस्त्वष्ट्रा चोत्पादितः किल ॥ ४ ॥ अविचारेण नाशार्थं तव क्रोधान्वितेन वै । पुत्रघाताभितप्तेन दुःसहो राक्षसैर्युतः ॥ ५ ॥ यत्नं कुरु महाभाग शीघ्रमायाति साम्प्रतम् । मेरुमन्दरसंकाशो घोरशब्दोऽतिदारुणः ॥ ६ ॥ एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र भीता देवगणा भृशम् । आगत्योचुः सुरपतिं शृण्वन्तं दूतभाषितम् ॥ ७ ॥ गणाः ऊचुः मघवन् दुर्निमित्तानि भवन्ति त्रिदशालये । बहूनि भयशंसीनि पक्षिणां विरुतानि च ॥ ८ ॥ काकगृध्रास्तथा श्येनाः कङ्काद्या दारुणाः खगाः । रुदन्ति विकृतैः शब्दैरुत्कारैर्भवनोपरि ॥ ९ ॥ चीचीकूचीति निनदान् कुर्वन्ति विहगा भृशम् । वाहनानां च नेत्रेभ्यो जलधाराः पतन्त्यधः ॥ १० ॥ श्रूयतेऽतिमहाञ्छब्दो रुदतीनां निशासु च । राक्षसीनां महाभाग भवनोपरि दारुणः ॥ ११ ॥ प्रपतन्ति ध्वजास्तूर्णं विना वातेन मानद । प्रभवन्ति महोत्पाता दिवि भूम्यन्तरिक्षजाः ॥ १२ ॥ कृष्णाम्बरधरा नार्यो भ्रमन्ति च गृहे गृहे । यान्तु यान्तु गृहात्तूर्णं कुर्वन्त्यो विकृताननाः ॥ १३ ॥ रात्रौ स्वप्नेषु कान्तानां सुप्तानां निजमन्दिरे । केशाँल्लुनन्ति राक्षस्यो भीषयन्त्यो भृशातुराः ॥ १४ ॥ एवंविधानि देवेश भूकम्पोल्कादयस्तथा । गोमायवो रुदन्ति स्म निशायां भवनाङ्गणे ॥ १५ ॥ सरटानां च जालानि प्रभवन्ति गृहे गृहे । अङ्गप्रस्फुरणादीनि दुर्निमित्तानि सर्वशः ॥ १६ ॥ व्यास उवाच इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा चिन्तामाप सुरेश्वरः । बृहस्पतिं समाहूय पप्रच्छ च मनोगतम् ॥ १७ ॥ इन्द्र उवाच ब्रह्मन् किमुत घोराणि निमित्तानि भवन्ति वै । वाताश्च दारुणा वान्ति प्रपतन्त्युलकाः खतः ॥ १८ ॥ सर्वज्ञोऽसि महाभाग समर्थो विघ्ननाशने । बुद्धिमाञ्छास्त्रतत्त्वज्ञो देवतानां गुरुस्तथा ॥ १९ ॥ कुरु शान्तिं विधानज्ञ शत्रुक्षयविधायिनीम् । यथा मे न भवेद्दुःखं तथा कार्यं विधीयताम् ॥ २० ॥ बृहस्पतिरुवाच किं करोमि सहस्राक्ष त्वयाद्य दुष्कृतं कृतम् । अनागसं मुनिं हत्वा किं फलं समुपार्जितम् ॥ २१ ॥ अत्युग्रं पुण्यपापानां फलं भवति सत्वरम् । विचार्य खलु कर्तव्यं कार्यं तद्भूतिमिच्छता ॥ २२ ॥ परोपतापनं कर्म न कर्तव्यं कदाचन । न सुखं विन्दते प्राणी परपीडापरायणः ॥ २३ ॥ मोहाल्लोभाद्ब्रह्महत्या कृता शक्र त्वयाधुना । तस्य पापस्य सहसा फलमेतदुपागतम् ॥ २४ ॥ अवध्यः सर्वदेवानां जातोऽसौ वृत्रसंज्ञकः । हन्तुं त्वां स समायाति दानवैर्बहुभिर्वृतः ॥ २५ ॥ आयुधानि च सर्वाणि वज्रतुल्यानि वासव । त्वष्ट्रा दत्तानि दिव्यानि गृहीत्वा समुपस्थितः ॥ २६ ॥ समागच्छति दुर्धर्षो रथारूढः प्रतापवान् । देवेन्द्र प्रलयं कुर्वन्नास्य मृत्युर्भविष्यति ॥ २७ ॥ कोलाहलस्तदा जातस्तथा ब्रुवति वाक्पतौ । गन्धर्वाः किन्नरा यक्षा मुनयश्च तपोधनाः ॥ २८ ॥ सदनानि विहायैवामराः सर्वे पलायिताः । तद्दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्यं शक्रश्चिन्तापरायणः ॥ २९ ॥ आज्ञापयामास तदा सेनोद्योगाय सेवकान् । आनयध्वं वसून् रुद्रानश्विनौ च दिवाकरान् ॥ ३० ॥ पूषणं च भगं वायुं कुबेरं वरुणं यमम् । विमानेषु समारुह्य सायुधाः सुरसत्तमाः ॥ ३१ ॥ समागच्छन्तु तरसा शत्रुरायाति साम्प्रतम् । इत्याज्ञाप्य सुरपतिः समारुह्य गजोत्तमम् ॥ ३२ ॥ बृहस्पतिं पुरोधाय निर्गतो निजमन्दिरात् । तथैव त्रिदशाः सर्वे स्वं स्वं वाहनमास्थिताः ॥ ३३ ॥ युद्धाय कृतसंकल्पा निर्ययुः शस्त्रपाणयः । वृत्रोऽथ दानवैर्युक्तः सम्प्राप्तो मानसोत्तरम् ॥ ३४ ॥ पर्वतं देवतावासं रम्यं पादपशोभितम् । इन्द्रोऽप्यागत्य संग्रामं चकार मानसोत्तरे ॥ ३५ ॥ पर्वते देवतायुक्तो वाचस्पतिपुरःसरः । तत्राभूद्दारुणं युद्धं वृत्रवासवयोस्तदा ॥ ३६ ॥ गदासिपरिघैः पाशैर्बाणैः शक्तिपरश्वधैः । मानुषेण प्रमाणेन संग्रामः शरदां शतम् ॥ ३७ ॥ बभूव भयदो नॄणामृषीणां भावितात्मनाम् । वरुणः प्रथमं भग्नस्ततो वायुगणः किल ॥ ३८ ॥ यमो विभावसुः शक्रः सर्वे ते निर्गता रणात् । पलायनपरान् दृष्ट्वा देवानिन्द्रपुरोगमान् ॥ ३९ ॥ वृत्रोऽपि पितरं प्रागादाश्रमस्थं मुदान्वितम् । प्रणम्य प्राह त्वष्टारं पितः कार्यं मया कृतम् ॥ ४० ॥ देवा विनिर्जिताः सर्वे सेन्द्राः समरसंस्थिताः । विद्रुतास्ते गताः स्थानं यथा सिंहान्मृगा गजाः ॥ ४१ ॥ इन्द्रः पदातिरगमन्मयानीतो गजोत्तमः । ऐरावतोऽयं भगवन् गृहाण द्विरदोत्तमम् ॥ ४२ ॥ न हतास्ते मया यस्मादयुक्तं भीतमारणम् । आज्ञापय पुनस्तात किं करोमि तवेप्सितम् ॥ ४३ ॥ निर्जरा निर्गताः सर्वे भयभीता श्रमातुराः । इन्द्रोऽप्यैरावतं त्यक्त्वा भयभीतः पलायितः ॥ ४४ ॥ व्यास उवाच इति पुत्रवचः श्रुत्वा त्वष्टा प्राह मुदान्वितः । पुत्रवानद्य जातोऽस्मि सफलं मम जीवितम् ॥ ४५ ॥ त्वयाहं पावितः पुत्र गतो मे मानसो ज्वरः । निश्चलं मे मनो जातं दृष्ट्वा वीर्यं तवाद्भुतम् ॥ ४६ ॥ शृणु वक्ष्याम्यहं पुत्र हितं तेऽद्य निशामय । तपः कुरु महाभाग सावधानः स्थिरासनः ॥ ४७ ॥ विश्वासो नैव कर्तव्यः केषाञ्चित्पाकशासनः । शत्रुस्ते छलकर्तास्ति नानाभेदविशारदः ॥ ४८ ॥ तपसा प्राप्यते लक्ष्मीस्तपसा राज्यमुत्तमम् । तपसा बलवृद्धिः स्यात्संग्रामे विजयस्तथा ॥ ४९ ॥ आराध्य द्रुहिणं देवं लब्ध्वा वरमनुत्तमम् । जहि शक्रं दुराचारं ब्रह्महत्यासमावृतम् ॥ ५० ॥ सावधानः स्थिरो भूत्वा दातारं भज शङ्करम् । वाञ्छितं स वरं दद्यात्सन्तुष्टश्चतुराननः ॥ ५१ ॥ तोषयित्वा विश्वयोनिं ब्रह्माणममितौजसम् । अविनाशित्वमासाद्य जहि शक्रं कृतागसम् ॥ ५२ ॥ वैरं मनसि मे पुत्र वर्तते सुतघातजम् । न शान्तिमनुगच्छामि न स्वपामि सुखेन ह ॥ ५३ ॥ तापसो मे हतः पुत्रो निरागाः पाप्मना यतः । न विन्दामि सुखं वृत्र त्वं मामुद्धर दुःखितम् ॥ ५४ ॥ व्यास उवाच तदाकर्ण्य पितुर्वाक्यं वृत्रः क्रोधयुतस्तदा । आज्ञामादाय च पितुर्जगाम तपसे मुदा ॥ ५५ ॥ गन्धमादनमासाद्य पुण्यां देवधुनीं शुभाम् । स्नात्वा कुशासनं कृत्वा संस्थितश्च स्थिरासनः ॥ ५६ ॥ त्यक्त्वान्नं वारिपानं च योगाभ्यासपरायणः । ध्यायन्विश्वसृजं चित्ते सोपविष्टः स्थिरासने ॥ ५७ ॥ मघवा तं तपस्यन्तं ज्ञात्वा चिन्तातुरो ह्यभूत् । गन्धर्वान्प्रेषयामास विघ्नार्थं पाकशासनः ॥ ५८ ॥ यक्षांश्च पन्नगान्सर्पान्किन्नरानमितौजसः । विद्याधरानप्सरसो देवदूताननेकशः ॥ ५९ ॥ उपायास्तैः कृताः सम्यक् तपोविघ्नाय मायिभिः । न चचाल ततो ध्यानात्त्वाष्ट्रः परमतापसः ॥ ६० ॥
vyāsa uvāca kṛtasvastyayano vṛtro brāhmaṇairvedapāragaiḥ | nirjagāma rathārūḍho hantuṃ śakraṃ mahābalaḥ || 1 || tadaiva rākṣasāḥ krūrāḥ purā devaparājitāḥ | samājagmuśca sevārthaṃ vṛtraṃ jñātvā mahābalam || 2 || indradūtāstu taṃ dṛṣṭvā yuddhāya tu samāgatam | vegādāgatya vṛttāntaṃ śaśaṃsustasya ceṣṭitam || 3 || dūtā ūcuḥ svāmiñchīghramihāyāti vṛtro nāma ripustava | balavānsyandane rūḍhastvaṣṭrā cotpāditaḥ kila || 4 || avicāreṇa nāśārthaṃ tava krodhānvitena vai | putraghātābhitaptena duḥsaho rākṣasairyutaḥ || 5 || yatnaṃ kuru mahābhāga śīghramāyāti sāmpratam | merumandarasaṃkāśo ghoraśabdo'tidāruṇaḥ || 6 || etasminnantare tatra bhītā devagaṇā bhṛśam | āgatyocuḥ surapatiṃ śṛṇvantaṃ dūtabhāṣitam || 7 || gaṇāḥ ūcuḥ maghavan durnimittāni bhavanti tridaśālaye | bahūni bhayaśaṃsīni pakṣiṇāṃ virutāni ca || 8 || kākagṛdhrāstathā śyenāḥ kaṅkādyā dāruṇāḥ khagāḥ | rudanti vikṛtaiḥ śabdairutkārairbhavanopari || 9 || cīcīkūcīti ninadān kurvanti vihagā bhṛśam | vāhanānāṃ ca netrebhyo jaladhārāḥ patantyadhaḥ || 10 || śrūyate'timahāñchabdo rudatīnāṃ niśāsu ca | rākṣasīnāṃ mahābhāga bhavanopari dāruṇaḥ || 11 || prapatanti dhvajāstūrṇaṃ vinā vātena mānada | prabhavanti mahotpātā divi bhūmyantarikṣajāḥ || 12 || kṛṣṇāmbaradharā nāryo bhramanti ca gṛhe gṛhe | yāntu yāntu gṛhāttūrṇaṃ kurvantyo vikṛtānanāḥ || 13 || rātrau svapneṣu kāntānāṃ suptānāṃ nijamandire | keśā~llunanti rākṣasyo bhīṣayantyo bhṛśāturāḥ || 14 || evaṃvidhāni deveśa bhūkampolkādayastathā | gomāyavo rudanti sma niśāyāṃ bhavanāṅgaṇe || 15 || saraṭānāṃ ca jālāni prabhavanti gṛhe gṛhe | aṅgaprasphuraṇādīni durnimittāni sarvaśaḥ || 16 || vyāsa uvāca iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā cintāmāpa sureśvaraḥ | bṛhaspatiṃ samāhūya papraccha ca manogatam || 17 || indra uvāca brahman kimuta ghorāṇi nimittāni bhavanti vai | vātāśca dāruṇā vānti prapatantyulakāḥ khataḥ || 18 || sarvajño'si mahābhāga samartho vighnanāśane | buddhimāñchāstratattvajño devatānāṃ gurustathā || 19 || kuru śāntiṃ vidhānajña śatrukṣayavidhāyinīm | yathā me na bhavedduḥkhaṃ tathā kāryaṃ vidhīyatām || 20 || bṛhaspatiruvāca kiṃ karomi sahasrākṣa tvayādya duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam | anāgasaṃ muniṃ hatvā kiṃ phalaṃ samupārjitam || 21 || atyugraṃ puṇyapāpānāṃ phalaṃ bhavati satvaram | vicārya khalu kartavyaṃ kāryaṃ tadbhūtimicchatā || 22 || paropatāpanaṃ karma na kartavyaṃ kadācana | na sukhaṃ vindate prāṇī parapīḍāparāyaṇaḥ || 23 || mohāllobhādbrahmahatyā kṛtā śakra tvayādhunā | tasya pāpasya sahasā phalametadupāgatam || 24 || avadhyaḥ sarvadevānāṃ jāto'sau vṛtrasaṃjñakaḥ | hantuṃ tvāṃ sa samāyāti dānavairbahubhirvṛtaḥ || 25 || āyudhāni ca sarvāṇi vajratulyāni vāsava | tvaṣṭrā dattāni divyāni gṛhītvā samupasthitaḥ || 26 || samāgacchati durdharṣo rathārūḍhaḥ pratāpavān | devendra pralayaṃ kurvannāsya mṛtyurbhaviṣyati || 27 || kolāhalastadā jātastathā bruvati vākpatau | gandharvāḥ kinnarā yakṣā munayaśca tapodhanāḥ || 28 || sadanāni vihāyaivāmarāḥ sarve palāyitāḥ | taddṛṣṭvā mahadāścaryaṃ śakraścintāparāyaṇaḥ || 29 || ājñāpayāmāsa tadā senodyogāya sevakān | ānayadhvaṃ vasūn rudrānaśvinau ca divākarān || 30 || pūṣaṇaṃ ca bhagaṃ vāyuṃ kuberaṃ varuṇaṃ yamam | vimāneṣu samāruhya sāyudhāḥ surasattamāḥ || 31 || samāgacchantu tarasā śatrurāyāti sāmpratam | ityājñāpya surapatiḥ samāruhya gajottamam || 32 || bṛhaspatiṃ purodhāya nirgato nijamandirāt | tathaiva tridaśāḥ sarve svaṃ svaṃ vāhanamāsthitāḥ || 33 || yuddhāya kṛtasaṃkalpā niryayuḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ | vṛtro'tha dānavairyuktaḥ samprāpto mānasottaram || 34 || parvataṃ devatāvāsaṃ ramyaṃ pādapaśobhitam | indro'pyāgatya saṃgrāmaṃ cakāra mānasottare || 35 || parvate devatāyukto vācaspatipuraḥsaraḥ | tatrābhūddāruṇaṃ yuddhaṃ vṛtravāsavayostadā || 36 || gadāsiparighaiḥ pāśairbāṇaiḥ śaktiparaśvadhaiḥ | mānuṣeṇa pramāṇena saṃgrāmaḥ śaradāṃ śatam || 37 || babhūva bhayado nṝṇāmṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām | varuṇaḥ prathamaṃ bhagnastato vāyugaṇaḥ kila || 38 || yamo vibhāvasuḥ śakraḥ sarve te nirgatā raṇāt | palāyanaparān dṛṣṭvā devānindrapurogamān || 39 || vṛtro'pi pitaraṃ prāgādāśramasthaṃ mudānvitam | praṇamya prāha tvaṣṭāraṃ pitaḥ kāryaṃ mayā kṛtam || 40 || devā vinirjitāḥ sarve sendrāḥ samarasaṃsthitāḥ | vidrutāste gatāḥ sthānaṃ yathā siṃhānmṛgā gajāḥ || 41 || indraḥ padātiragamanmayānīto gajottamaḥ | airāvato'yaṃ bhagavan gṛhāṇa dviradottamam || 42 || na hatāste mayā yasmādayuktaṃ bhītamāraṇam | ājñāpaya punastāta kiṃ karomi tavepsitam || 43 || nirjarā nirgatāḥ sarve bhayabhītā śramāturāḥ | indro'pyairāvataṃ tyaktvā bhayabhītaḥ palāyitaḥ || 44 || vyāsa uvāca iti putravacaḥ śrutvā tvaṣṭā prāha mudānvitaḥ | putravānadya jāto'smi saphalaṃ mama jīvitam || 45 || tvayāhaṃ pāvitaḥ putra gato me mānaso jvaraḥ | niścalaṃ me mano jātaṃ dṛṣṭvā vīryaṃ tavādbhutam || 46 || śṛṇu vakṣyāmyahaṃ putra hitaṃ te'dya niśāmaya | tapaḥ kuru mahābhāga sāvadhānaḥ sthirāsanaḥ || 47 || viśvāso naiva kartavyaḥ keṣāñcitpākaśāsanaḥ | śatruste chalakartāsti nānābhedaviśāradaḥ || 48 || tapasā prāpyate lakṣmīstapasā rājyamuttamam | tapasā balavṛddhiḥ syātsaṃgrāme vijayastathā || 49 || ārādhya druhiṇaṃ devaṃ labdhvā varamanuttamam | jahi śakraṃ durācāraṃ brahmahatyāsamāvṛtam || 50 || sāvadhānaḥ sthiro bhūtvā dātāraṃ bhaja śaṅkaram | vāñchitaṃ sa varaṃ dadyātsantuṣṭaścaturānanaḥ || 51 || toṣayitvā viśvayoniṃ brahmāṇamamitaujasam | avināśitvamāsādya jahi śakraṃ kṛtāgasam || 52 || vairaṃ manasi me putra vartate sutaghātajam | na śāntimanugacchāmi na svapāmi sukhena ha || 53 || tāpaso me hataḥ putro nirāgāḥ pāpmanā yataḥ | na vindāmi sukhaṃ vṛtra tvaṃ māmuddhara duḥkhitam || 54 || vyāsa uvāca tadākarṇya piturvākyaṃ vṛtraḥ krodhayutastadā | ājñāmādāya ca piturjagāma tapase mudā || 55 || gandhamādanamāsādya puṇyāṃ devadhunīṃ śubhām | snātvā kuśāsanaṃ kṛtvā saṃsthitaśca sthirāsanaḥ || 56 || tyaktvānnaṃ vāripānaṃ ca yogābhyāsaparāyaṇaḥ | dhyāyanviśvasṛjaṃ citte sopaviṣṭaḥ sthirāsane || 57 || maghavā taṃ tapasyantaṃ jñātvā cintāturo hyabhūt | gandharvānpreṣayāmāsa vighnārthaṃ pākaśāsanaḥ || 58 || yakṣāṃśca pannagānsarpānkinnarānamitaujasaḥ | vidyādharānapsaraso devadūtānanekaśaḥ || 59 || upāyāstaiḥ kṛtāḥ samyak tapovighnāya māyibhiḥ | na cacāla tato dhyānāttvāṣṭraḥ paramatāpasaḥ || 60 ||
English translation
1-3. Vyasa said O King! Having the Svastyayana ceremony (a performance of rite to secure welfare or avert calamity) performed by the Brahmanas versed in the Vedas, the powerful Vritra mounted on his chariot and started to kill Indra, the King of the Gods. The Danavas that were previously defeated by the Devas now knowing Vritrasura to be powerful, came up to him to serve his cause. The messengers of Indra, when they saw him ready for battle, hurriedly came to Indra and informed him all about his doings and other matters connected with it.
4-7. The messengers said O Lord! VisVakarma, having been very much grieved his son being slain, got very angry and by Abhichara process (an incantation with a design to injure or magic spells or charms used for a malevolent purpose) has created a son in order to kill you. That indomitable Vritrasura is now your powerful enemy; mounting on his chariot he is coming here to fight with you, surrounded by other Asuras. O highly Fortunate One! This enemy of yours is as high as the mountain Meru; he is now coming hurriedly to you, making a terrible noise; guard yourself carefully. O King! While Indra was hearing the messengers, the Devas came there panic- stricken and terrified and said:--
8-16. The Ganas said O Lord of the Suras! Ominous signs are being seen in the houses of the Gods; the birds are making sounds, very inauspicious and foreboding a great calamity. Crows, vultures, herons, falcons, and other ugly inauspicious birds are crying and making hoarse sounds on the tops of houses. Other birds are making incessantly harsh sounds like chichi koochy. The carriers of
the several Devas are weeping and shedding tears always. O highly Fortunate One! On the tops of houses are heard very loud and very dreadful sounds of the crying Raksasis at dead of night. O Giver of honour! The flags on the chariots are falling to the ground without any trace of wind. Thus ominous signs are being visible on earth and in the air. O King of the Devas! The ugly faced women, wearing black clothes, are roaming from house to house and always repeating “Leave the house, and go away at once.” The Deva women while sleeping in their own temples are seeing in their dreams that terrible Raksasis, coming to them are cutting away their hairs on their heads and are frightening them. O Indra of the Devas! The inauspicious signs like these and earthquakes and the falling of the meteors are taking place. The jackals come in the courtyard of houses at night and yell horrible heartrending sounds. Lizards are moving always in the rooms and the several limbs of our bodies are shaking and thus making very inauspicious signs.
17. Vyasa said O King! Hearing their words, Indra became very anxious and called Brihaspati, the Deva Guru, and asked him
18-20. Indra spoke O Brahmana! Very inauspicious signs are being visible; dreadful winds are blowing and stars are falling from the skies what are all these? O Intelligent One! You are very wise and versed in the S'astras and the Guru of the Devas; you are omniscient and know very well how to remedy the evils. Therefore perform the rites by which enemies can be killed; do such as our miseries be all averted.
21-31. Brihaspati said “O Thousand-eyed! What shall I do? You have committed shortly a heinous crime; you killed that innocent Muni and so you have earned a very bad Karmic effect. Very violent sins and good deeds produce their effects very quickly. It is.
therefore, highly incumbent on those that desire for their own welfare, to take up any work with great discretion. It is never advisible to do any action that leads to the tormenting of others. Never do they find happiness who give pains to others. O Indra! You have committed Brahmahattya under the influence of greed and delusion; now suddenly has appeared the fruit of that act. O King of the Suras! This Vritra Asura is born invulnerable to all the Devas. That powerful indomitable Asura chief is now coming, mounted on a chariot, to kill you, surrounded by the other Danavas and taking with him the VisVakarma-made divine arms and weapons equal to thunderbolt. He is coming like a second Kala, as it were, to destroy the whole Universe. There is none in this Triloka, capable kill him; and his death will not also take place. While Brihaspati was thus speaking, a great tumultuous uproar rose at once. The Gandharbas, Kinnaras, Yaksas, Munis and other Immortals began to fly away from their quarters. Indra seeing the Devas flying away became very anxious and gave orders at once that all subservient to him must be ready at once for battle; they must go and call the Vasus, the Rudras, the twin AsVins, the Adityas, Pusa, Bhaga, Vayu, Kuvera, Varuna, Yama and the other Devas to come there at once. The enemy is well nigh; so let all the Devas come on their Vimanas quickly there.”
32-44. Thus ordering, Indra mounted on the Airavata elephant and taking the Sura Guru in front started from his own temple. The other Devas mounted on their respective carriers and, firmly resolved to fight, started with all their arms and weapons. On the other hand, Vritrasura surrounded by the Demons, came up to the beautiful mountain, adorned with trees, on the north side of the Manasarovara Lake. Indra, too, came there with Brihaspati in front and attended by all the other Devas to that mountain, north of the Manasa Lake and began to fight. A dreadful fight, then, ensued between Vritra and Indra with clubs, swords, Parighas, Pas'as, arrows, S'aktis, Parsus and other weapons. The terrible fight lasted for full one hundred
human years, terrifying to the self-controlled Risis and all the human beings. Varuna first turned his back; then Vayu, then Yama, the Sun and Moon and then Indra fled from the battle-field. Seeing Indra and the other Devas flying away, Vritrasura came to the hermitage and there bowed down to his father who looked very glad; and he said O Father! I have carried out your orders; Indra and all the other Devas are defeated in the battle; as elephants and deer fly away seeing a lion, so the Devas all fled away to their respective abodes. I have taken the Airavata, the best of elephants, away from Indra who fled away on foot. O Bhagavan! I have brought the elephant here. Kindly accept it. O Father! It is not advisable to kill a man who is terrified, therefore I did not kill them. Now kindly order anything else that I may fulfil your desires. All the Devas fled away from the battle¬ field, very much tired and terrified; and what more to say than this that Indra, too, fled, leaving his elephant on the field.
45-54. Vyasa said O King! VisVakarma became very glad to hear his son's words and said “Today I can rightly say that I have got my son and that my life is successful. O son! To-day you have sanctified me; my cares and worries are abated; my mind is also calm to see your wonderful prowess. O Child! Now hear attentively what I say. O highly intelligent One! Now carefully sit in your steady posture (Sthirasan) and practise Tapasya. Never trust anybody;
Indra is now your enemy, ever ready to find your faults, and clever in sowing dissensions between you and your well-wishers. O Son! Tapasya is not an ordinary thing; Laksmi (prosperity) is obtained thereby; excellent kingdoms, increase of vigour, and victories in battles are obtained. Therefore worship Hiranyagarbha and get excellent boons from him; then kill this vicious Indra, guilty of the sin Brahmahattya. Worship the auspicious Creator calmly and carefully. The four-faced Brahma then will be pleased and grant you your desired boon. First please the Creator of indomitable prowess, from Whose womb has sprung all this Universe, and get, then, immortality from Him. Then kill that guilty Indra, my enemy. O Son! My feeling of
enmity due to the killing of my son reigns always in my mind; I cannot go to sleep peacefully nor do I get peace in any way. The vicious Indra killed my son; O Vritra! What more shall I say to you; I am merged in the ocean of sorrows; save me.”
55-60. Vyasa said O King! Thus hearing his father's words, Vritrasura became inflamed with anger and, getting his permission, set out gladly to practise Tapasya. He then went to the Gandhamadan mountain and performed his bath in the holy and auspicious river Manda Kini, and, preparing a Sthirasan, took his seat in the Kus'a grass, to practise the tapasya. He left off gradually taking his food, then subsisted on water only and remained engaged in Yoga; and, seated in Sthirasan meditated incessantly on Prajapati, the Creator of this Universe. Indra, on the other hand, knowing Vritrasura engaged in tapasya became very anxious and sent to him Gandharvas, Yaksas, Pannagas, Kinnaras, Vidyadharas, Apsaras and other Deva messengers, all of unbounded vigour to create obstacles in his austerities. These Gandharvas and other Deva Yonies, expert in exercising magical spells, tried many ways and means and various gestures and postures to create disturbances in his penance; but that great ascetic Vritra, the son of Vis'vakarma did not swerve a bit from his meditative state.
Here ends the Third Chapter of the Sixth Book on the defeat of the Deva army and on Vritra's tapasya in the Mahapuranam S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25318, revision 76776 (2016-08-27T22:17:38Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk06ch03.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.