Kārttikamāsa-māhātmya · Chapter 18
Source।। नारद उवाच ।। ।। जलंधरस्तु तच्छुत्वा कोपाकुलितविग्रहः ।। निर्जगामाऽऽशु दैत्यानां कोटिभिः परिवारितः ।। १ ।। गच्छतोऽस्याऽग्रतः शुक्रो राहुर्दृष्टिपथेऽभवत् ।। मुकुटश्चाऽपतद्भूमौ वेगात्प्रस्खलितस्तदा ।। २।। दैत्यसैन्याऽऽवृतैस्तस्य विमानानां शतैस्तदा ।। व्यराजत नभःपूर्णं प्रावृषीव यथा घनैः ।। ।। ३ ।। तस्योद्योगं तदा दृष्ट्वा देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः ।। अलक्षितास्तदा जग्मुः शूलिनं तं व्यजिज्ञपुः ।। ४ ।। ।। देवा ऊचुः ।। ।। न जानासि कथं स्वामिन्देवापत्तिमिमां विभो ।। तदस्मद्रक्षणार्थाय जहि सागरनंदनम् ।। ५ ।। ।। नारद उवाच ।। इति देववचः श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य वृषभध्वजः।। महाविष्णुं समाहूय वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्।। ६ ।। ।। ईश्वर उवाच ।। जलंधरः कथं विष्णो न हतः संगरे त्वया ।। तद्गृहं चाऽपि यातोऽसि त्यक्त्वा वैकुंठमात्मनः ।। ७ ।। ।। विष्णुरुवाच ।। ।। तवांशसंभवत्वाच्च भ्रातृत्वाच्च तथा श्रियः ।। न मया निहतः संख्ये त्वमेनं जहि दानवम् ।। ८ ।। ।। ईश्वर उवाच ।। नायमेभिर्महातेजाः शस्त्रास्त्रैर्वध्यते मया ।। देवैः सह स्वतेजोंशं शस्त्रार्थं दीयतां मम ।। ९ ।। ।। नारद उवाच ।। ।। अथ विष्णुमुखा देवाः स्वतेजांसि ददुस्तदा ।। तान्यैक्यमागतानीशो दृष्ट्वा स्वं चामुचन्महः ।। 2.4.18.१० ।। तेनाकरोन्महादेवो महसा शस्त्रमुत्तमम् ।। चक्रं सुदर्शनं नाम ज्वालामालातिभीषणम् ।। ११ ।। ततः शेषेण च तदा वज्रं च कृतवान्हरिः ।। तावज्जलंधरो दृष्टः कैलासतलभूमिषु ।। १२ ।। हस्त्यश्वरथपत्तीनां कोटिभिः परिवारितः ।। तं दृष्ट्वा लक्षिता जग्मुर्देवाः सर्वे यथागताः ।।१३।। गणाश्च समसज्जंत युद्धायाऽतित्वरान्विताः ।। नन्दीभवक्त्रसेनानीमुखाः सर्वे शिवाज्ञया ।। १४ ।। अवतेरुर्गणा वेगात्कैलासाद्युद्धदुर्मदाः ।। ततः समभवद्युद्धं कैलासोपत्यकाभुवि ।। १५ ।। प्रमथाधिपदैत्यानां घोरशस्त्रास्त्रसंकुलम् ।। भेरीमृदंगशंखौघ निःस्वनैर्वीरहर्षणैः ।। १६ ।। गजाश्वरथशब्दैश्च नादिता भूर्व्यकंपत ।। शक्तितोमरबाणौघमुसलप्रासपट्टिशैः ।।१७।। व्यराजत नभः पूर्णमुल्काभिरिव संवृतम् ।। निहतैरथनागाश्वपत्तिभिर्भूर्व्यराजत ।। १८ ।। वज्राहताचलशिरःशकलैरिव संवृता ।। प्रमथाहतदैत्यौघैर्दैत्याहतगणैस्तथा ।। १९ ।। वसासृङ्मांसपंकाढ्या भूरगम्याऽभवत्तदा ।। प्रमथाहतदैत्यौघान्भार्गवः समजीवयत् ।।2.4.18.२०।। युद्धे पुनः पुनस्तत्र मृतसंजीविनीबलात् ।। तं दृष्ट्वा व्याकुलीभूता गणाः सर्वे भयान्विताः ।। शशंसुर्देवदेवाय तत्सर्वं शुक्रचेष्टितम् ।। २१ ।। अथ रुद्रमुखात्कृत्या बभूवाऽतीवभीषणा ।। तालजंघा दरीवक्त्रा स्तनापीडितभूरुहा ।।२२।। सा युद्धभूमिमासाद्य भक्षयंती महासुरान् ।। भार्गवं स्वभगे धृत्वा जगामांतर्हिता नभः ।।२३।। विधृतं भार्गवं दृष्ट्वा दैत्यसैन्यं गणास्तदा ।। अम्लानवदना हर्षान्निजघ्नुर्युद्धदुर्मदाः ।। २४ ।। अथाभज्यत दैत्यानां सेना गणभयार्दिता ।। वायुवेगेनाहतेव प्रकीर्णा तृणसंततिः ।। भग्नां गणभयात्सेनां दृष्ट्वामर्षयुता ययुः ।। निशुंभशुंभौ सेनान्यौ कालनेमिश्च वीर्यवान् ।।२६ ।। त्रयस्ते वारयामासुर्गणसेनां महाबलाः ।। मुञ्चतः शरवर्षाणि प्रावृषीव बलाहकाः ।। २७ ।। ततो दैत्यशरौघास्ते शलभानामिव व्रजाः ।। रुरुधुः खं दिशः सर्वा गणसेनामकंपयन् ।। २८ ।। गणाः शरशतैर्भिन्ना रुधिरासारवर्षिणः ।। वसंते किंशुकाभासा न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ।। ।। २९ ।। पतिताः पात्यमानाश्च भिन्नाश्छिन्नास्तदा गणाः ।। त्यक्त्वा संग्रामभूमिं ते सर्वेपि विमुखाऽभवन् ।। 2.4.18.३० ।। ततः प्रभग्नं स्वबलं विलोक्य शैलादिलंबोदरकार्तिकेयाः ।। त्वरान्विता दैत्यवरान्प्रसह्य निवारयामासुरमर्षिणस्ते ।। ३१ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे कार्तिकमासमाहात्म्ये जलंधरोपाख्याने रुद्रसेनापराभवोनामाऽष्टादशोऽध्यायः ।। १८ ।।
|| nārada uvāca || || jalaṃdharastu tacchutvā kopākulitavigrahaḥ || nirjagāmā''śu daityānāṃ koṭibhiḥ parivāritaḥ || 1 || gacchato'syā'grataḥ śukro rāhurdṛṣṭipathe'bhavat || mukuṭaścā'patadbhūmau vegātpraskhalitastadā || 2|| daityasainyā''vṛtaistasya vimānānāṃ śataistadā || vyarājata nabhaḥpūrṇaṃ prāvṛṣīva yathā ghanaiḥ || || 3 || tasyodyogaṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā devāḥ śakrapurogamāḥ || alakṣitāstadā jagmuḥ śūlinaṃ taṃ vyajijñapuḥ || 4 || || devā ūcuḥ || || na jānāsi kathaṃ svāmindevāpattimimāṃ vibho || tadasmadrakṣaṇārthāya jahi sāgaranaṃdanam || 5 || || nārada uvāca || iti devavacaḥ śrutvā prahasya vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ|| mahāviṣṇuṃ samāhūya vacanaṃ cedamabravīt|| 6 || || īśvara uvāca || jalaṃdharaḥ kathaṃ viṣṇo na hataḥ saṃgare tvayā || tadgṛhaṃ cā'pi yāto'si tyaktvā vaikuṃṭhamātmanaḥ || 7 || || viṣṇuruvāca || || tavāṃśasaṃbhavatvācca bhrātṛtvācca tathā śriyaḥ || na mayā nihataḥ saṃkhye tvamenaṃ jahi dānavam || 8 || || īśvara uvāca || nāyamebhirmahātejāḥ śastrāstrairvadhyate mayā || devaiḥ saha svatejoṃśaṃ śastrārthaṃ dīyatāṃ mama || 9 || || nārada uvāca || || atha viṣṇumukhā devāḥ svatejāṃsi dadustadā || tānyaikyamāgatānīśo dṛṣṭvā svaṃ cāmucanmahaḥ || 2.4.18.10 || tenākaronmahādevo mahasā śastramuttamam || cakraṃ sudarśanaṃ nāma jvālāmālātibhīṣaṇam || 11 || tataḥ śeṣeṇa ca tadā vajraṃ ca kṛtavānhariḥ || tāvajjalaṃdharo dṛṣṭaḥ kailāsatalabhūmiṣu || 12 || hastyaśvarathapattīnāṃ koṭibhiḥ parivāritaḥ || taṃ dṛṣṭvā lakṣitā jagmurdevāḥ sarve yathāgatāḥ ||13|| gaṇāśca samasajjaṃta yuddhāyā'titvarānvitāḥ || nandībhavaktrasenānīmukhāḥ sarve śivājñayā || 14 || avaterurgaṇā vegātkailāsādyuddhadurmadāḥ || tataḥ samabhavadyuddhaṃ kailāsopatyakābhuvi || 15 || pramathādhipadaityānāṃ ghoraśastrāstrasaṃkulam || bherīmṛdaṃgaśaṃkhaugha niḥsvanairvīraharṣaṇaiḥ || 16 || gajāśvarathaśabdaiśca nāditā bhūrvyakaṃpata || śaktitomarabāṇaughamusalaprāsapaṭṭiśaiḥ ||17|| vyarājata nabhaḥ pūrṇamulkābhiriva saṃvṛtam || nihatairathanāgāśvapattibhirbhūrvyarājata || 18 || vajrāhatācalaśiraḥśakalairiva saṃvṛtā || pramathāhatadaityaughairdaityāhatagaṇaistathā || 19 || vasāsṛṅmāṃsapaṃkāḍhyā bhūragamyā'bhavattadā || pramathāhatadaityaughānbhārgavaḥ samajīvayat ||2.4.18.20|| yuddhe punaḥ punastatra mṛtasaṃjīvinībalāt || taṃ dṛṣṭvā vyākulībhūtā gaṇāḥ sarve bhayānvitāḥ || śaśaṃsurdevadevāya tatsarvaṃ śukraceṣṭitam || 21 || atha rudramukhātkṛtyā babhūvā'tīvabhīṣaṇā || tālajaṃghā darīvaktrā stanāpīḍitabhūruhā ||22|| sā yuddhabhūmimāsādya bhakṣayaṃtī mahāsurān || bhārgavaṃ svabhage dhṛtvā jagāmāṃtarhitā nabhaḥ ||23|| vidhṛtaṃ bhārgavaṃ dṛṣṭvā daityasainyaṃ gaṇāstadā || amlānavadanā harṣānnijaghnuryuddhadurmadāḥ || 24 || athābhajyata daityānāṃ senā gaṇabhayārditā || vāyuvegenāhateva prakīrṇā tṛṇasaṃtatiḥ || bhagnāṃ gaṇabhayātsenāṃ dṛṣṭvāmarṣayutā yayuḥ || niśuṃbhaśuṃbhau senānyau kālanemiśca vīryavān ||26 || trayaste vārayāmāsurgaṇasenāṃ mahābalāḥ || muñcataḥ śaravarṣāṇi prāvṛṣīva balāhakāḥ || 27 || tato daityaśaraughāste śalabhānāmiva vrajāḥ || rurudhuḥ khaṃ diśaḥ sarvā gaṇasenāmakaṃpayan || 28 || gaṇāḥ śaraśatairbhinnā rudhirāsāravarṣiṇaḥ || vasaṃte kiṃśukābhāsā na prājñāyata kiṃcana || || 29 || patitāḥ pātyamānāśca bhinnāśchinnāstadā gaṇāḥ || tyaktvā saṃgrāmabhūmiṃ te sarvepi vimukhā'bhavan || 2.4.18.30 || tataḥ prabhagnaṃ svabalaṃ vilokya śailādilaṃbodarakārtikeyāḥ || tvarānvitā daityavarānprasahya nivārayāmāsuramarṣiṇaste || 31 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe kārtikamāsamāhātmye jalaṃdharopākhyāne rudrasenāparābhavonāmā'ṣṭādaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 18 ||
English translation
Nārada said :
1. On hearing it, the whole body of Jalandhara became agitated with anger. Surrounded by a crore of Daityas , he quickly marched out (of his abode).
2. As he was going, Śukra and Rāhu came within the range of his vision in front. [1] His crown fell on the ground as he faltered in his steps due to the speed.
3. The sky was completely covered with hundreds of his aerial chariots filled with the army of Daityas. It shone as though covered with clouds during the rainy season.
4. On seeing his army, Devas with Śakra as their leader went to the Trident-bearing Lord without being noticed by anyone and informed him entreatingly.
The Devas said :
5. How is it that you are not aware of this calamity of the Devas, O Lord? Therefore, kill the son of the Ocean for the sake of protecting
Nārada said :
6. On hearing these words of the Devas, the Bull-emblemed Lord laughed. He called Mahāviṣṇu and spoke these words:
Īśvara said :
1. O Viṣṇu , how is it that Jalandhara was not killed by you in battle? Further you have gone over to his house after leaving off your own Vaikuṇṭha ?
Viṣṇu said :
8. He is not killed in battle by me because he is born of a part of yours and because he is the brother of Śrī. You do kill this Dānava .
Īśvara said :
9. He is exceedingly refulgent. He cannot be killed by me through these (ordinary) weapons and missiles. Let a part of their splendour be given by the Devas for making my weapon. Let a part of your splendour too be given to me.
Nārada said :
10. Then the Devas including Viṣṇu gave their respective refulgences. On seeing them united together, Īśa released his own refulgence too.
11. With that (combined) splendour, Mahādeva created an excellent weapon, a discus named Sudarśana [2] which was extremely terrible with its clusters of flames.
12. With the remaining (splendour), Hari (? Hara ) made the thunderbolt. By that time Jalandhara was seen on the grounds at the foot of Kailāsa .
13. He was surrounded by crores of elephants, horses, chariots and foot-soldiers. On seeing him, all the Devas slipped away unobserved in the manner they had come.
14. The Gaṇas (attendants of Śiva ) got ready for the battle in a hurry. All of them with, Nandin , Gajānana and Kārttikeya as leaders made preparations for the battle at the behest of Śiva.
15. Proud of their ability to fight, the Gaṇas descended from Kailāsa. Then a fight ensued on the lower slopes of Kaiīāsa between the chieftains of Pramathas and Daityas.
16-18a. The battle was tumultuous with (the sound) of terrible weapons and missiles. The whole of the earth reverberated with the sounds of Bherī and Mṛdaṅga drums, multitudes of conchs, shrill and joyous shouts of heroes and the sounds produced by elephants, horses and chariots. The whole earth shook. The sky filled with javelins, iron clubs, arrows, pestles, spears, lances having sharp edges etc. shone as though with firebrands.
18b-21. With the chariots, elephants, horses and foot-soldiers struck down or killed, the earth shone as though scattered with pieces of the tops of mountains struck by thunderbolts.
The ground became impassable because of the suet, blood and flesh that formed a mass of muddy heap with the groups of Daityas struck down by Pramathas and Gaṇas killed by the Daityas.
Śukra resuscitated the groups of Daityas killed by Pramathas in the battle by the power of the Mṛtasañjīvinī Vidyā . This happened frequently. On seeing this all the Gaṇas became bewildered and frightened. They reported all the activities of Śukra to the Lord of the Devas.
22-23. Then an extremely terrible Kṛtyā (female Ogress) came out of the mouth of Rudra . Her calves were as huge as palm trees. Her mouth resembled a huge cave. With her breasts she crushed tall trees.
She came to the battleground and began to devour the great Asuras . She put Bhārgava (Śukra) within her vaginal passage and vanished in the sky.
24. On seeing that Bhārgava had been abducted, the Gaṇas became delighted. Their faces ceased to be faded and pallid. Proud of their ability to fight, they killed the army of Daityas.
25. The army of Daityas frightened by the Gaṇas broke lose like a cluster of grasses scattered and tossed about by stormy winds.
26. On seeing that their army was being crushed due to the fear of the Gaṇas, Niśuṃbha and Śuṃbha, the generals, and Kālanemi , the powerful one, became furious and rushed (into the battlefield).
27. Showering volleys of arrows like clouds showering heavy rain in the rainy season, those three (Daityas) of great strength thwarted the army of Gaṇas.
28. Then the volleys of arrows of the Daityas overcast the sky and enveloped the quarters like swarms of locusts and made the army of Gaṇas tremble.
29. The Gaṇas were split by hundreds of arrows. Blood began to gush out from their bodies and they resembled Kiṃśukas ( Butea frondosa ). They were not aware of anything.
30. The Gaṇas who had dropped down or who were being struck down, those who were split and cut—all these abandoned the battlefield and turned their backs.
31. On seeing their army shattered Nandin, Gajānana and Kārttikeya hurriedly attacked the Daityas furiously and restrained them.
[1]: [1] : VV 2-3 indicate the ill omens predicting Jalandhara’s defeat.
[2]: [2] : This explains the extraordinary power of the discus Sudarśana. Originally it belonged to Śiva who used it against demon Jalandhara. He gave it to Viṣṇu later.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 22996, revision 71261 (2016-06-14T08:45:11Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371660.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.