01.026
Library: Gods take positions to protect amrita from Garuda.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
spṛṣṭamātrā tu padbhyāṃ sā garuḍena balīyasā। abhajyata taroḥ śākhā bhagnāṃ caināmadhārayat ॥1-26-1॥
As soon as the mighty Garuda touched it with his feet, the branch of the tree broke, and he held the broken branch.
tāṃ bhagnāṃ sa mahāśākhāṃ smayansamavalokayan. athātra lambato'paśyadvālakhilyānadhomukhān ॥1-26-2॥
He smiled as he looked around and saw the great broken branch. Then, he noticed the Valakhilyas hanging upside down here.
sa tadvināśasantrāsādanupatya khagādhipaḥ| śākhāmāsyena jagrāha teṣāmevānvavekṣayā ॥ śanaiḥ paryapatatpakṣī parvatānpraviśātayan ॥1-26-3॥
The lord of birds, fearing destruction, carefully seized a branch with his beak and slowly flew towards the mountains, ensuring their safety.
evaṃ so'bhyapataddeśānbahūnsagajakacchapaḥ। dayārthaṃ vālakhilyānāṃ na ca sthānamavindata ॥1-26-4॥
Thus, he traveled through many regions inhabited by elephants and turtles, seeking to help the Vālakhilyas, but he could not find a suitable place.
sa gatvā parvataśreṣṭhaṃ gandhamādanamavyayam। dadarśa kaśyapaṃ tatra pitaraṃ tapasi sthitam ॥1-26-5॥
He went to the best of mountains, the imperishable Gandhamadana, and saw his father Kashyapa there, engaged in penance.
dadarśa taṃ pitā cāpi divyarūpaṃ vihaṅgamam। tejo vīrya balopetaṃ manomārutaraṃhasam ॥1-26-6॥
The father saw the divine bird, radiant and powerful, swift as the mind and wind.
śailaśṛṅgapratīkāśaṃ brahmadaṇḍamivodyatam। acintyam anabhijñeyaṃ sarvabhūtabhayaṅkaram ॥1-26-7॥
It stood like a mountain peak, raised like the staff of Brahma; it was inconceivable, unknowable, and terrifying to all beings.
māyāvīryadharaṃ sākṣādagnimiddhamivodyatam। apradhṛṣyamajeyaṃ ca devadānavarākṣasaiḥ ॥1-26-8॥
He who bears magical power, directly like a kindled fire raised, is invincible and unconquerable by gods, demons, and demons.
bhettāraṃ giriśṛṅgāṇāṃ nadījalaviśoṣaṇam। lokasaṃloḍanaṃ ghoraṃ kṛtāntasamadarśanam ॥1-26-9॥
The one who can break mountain peaks, dry up river waters, shake the world, and is as terrible as death itself.
tamāgatam abhiprekṣya bhagavān kaśyapas tadā। viditvā cāsya saṅkalpam idaṃ vacanam abravīt ॥1-26-10॥
Upon seeing him arrive, the venerable Kaśyapa, understanding his intention, spoke these words.
putra mā sāhasaṃ kārṣīrmā sadyo lapsyase vyathām। mā tvā daheyuḥ saṅkruddhā vālakhilyā marīcipāḥ ॥1-26-11॥
Son, do not act rashly, or you will soon find yourself in pain. Do not let the angry Valakhilyas and Maricipas harm you.
prasādayāmāsa sa tān kaśyapaḥ putrakāraṇāt। vālakhilyāṃs tapaḥsiddhān idam uddiśya kāraṇam ॥1-26-12॥
Kaśyapa appeased the Vālakhilyas, who were perfected in penance, addressing them for the reason of obtaining a son.
prajāhitārthamārambho garuḍasya tapodhanāḥ। cikīrṣati mahatkarma tadanujñātumarhatha ॥1-26-13॥
O ascetics, Garuda wishes to undertake a great task for the welfare of the people; you should grant him permission.
evamuktā bhagavatā munayaste samabhyayuḥ। muktvā śākhāṃ giriṃ puṇyaṃ himavantaṃ taporthinaḥ ॥1-26-14॥
Having been addressed by the Lord, the sages left the sacred branch of the Himalaya mountain, seeking penance.
tatasteṣvapayāteṣu pitaraṃ vinatātmajaḥ। śākhāvyākṣiptavadanaḥ paryapṛcchat kaśyapam ॥1-26-15॥
After they had left, Vinata's son, looking disturbed, questioned his father Kaśyapa.
bhagavankva vimuñcāmi taruśākhāmimāmaham। varjitaṃ brāhmaṇairdeśamākhyātu bhagavānmama ॥1-26-16॥
O Lord, please tell me where I should release this tree branch, and which place is forbidden by the Brahmins.
tato niṣpuruṣaṃ śailaṃ himasaṃruddhakandaram। agamyaṃ manasāpyanyaistasyaācakhyau sa kaśyapaḥ ॥1-26-17॥
Then, Kaśyapa described to him the mountain with snow-blocked caves, which was devoid of people and inaccessible even to the minds of others.
taṃ parvatamahākukṣimāviśya manasā khagaḥ। javenābhyapatattārkṣyaḥ saśākhāgajakacchapaḥ ॥1-26-18॥
The bird Tarkshya, focusing its mind, entered the vast interior of the mountain swiftly, accompanied by branches, elephants, and turtles.
na tāṃ vadhraḥ pariṇahecchatacarmā mahānaṇuḥ। śākhino mahatīṃ śākhāṃ yāṃ pragṛhya yayau khagaḥ ॥1-26-19॥
The impotent one with a hundred skins, known as the great atom, should not marry that which the bird, having seized the great branch of the tree, flew away with.
tataḥ sa śatasāhasraṃ yojanāntaram āgataḥ। kālena nātimahatā garuḍaḥ patatāṃ varaḥ ॥1-26-20॥
Then Garuda, the best of the birds, swiftly covered a distance of a hundred thousand yojanas.
sa taṃ gatvā kṣaṇenaiva parvataṃ vacanātpituḥ| amuñcanmahatīṃ śākhāṃ sasvanāṃ tatra khecaraḥ ॥1-26-21॥
Following his father's words, he swiftly went to the mountain and there, the bird released a large, resonant branch.
pakṣānilahataścāsya prākampata sa śailarāṭ. mumoca puṣpavarṣaṃ ca samāgalitapādapaḥ ॥1-26-22॥
The mighty mountain king trembled as the wind from the wings struck him, releasing a shower of flowers as the trees around him fell.
śṛṅgāṇi ca vyaśīryanta girestasya samantataḥ। maṇikāñcanacitrāṇi śobhayanti mahāgirim ॥1-26-23॥
The peaks of the mountain were scattered all around, and jewelled and golden images adorned the great mountain.
śākhino bahavaś cāpi śākhayābhihatās tayā। kāñcanaiḥ kusumair bhānti vidyutvanta ivāmbudāḥ ॥1-26-24॥
The many trees, struck by the branch, shine with golden flowers like clouds illuminated by lightning.
te hemavikacā bhūyo yuktāḥ parvatadhātubhiḥ। vyarājañśākhinas tatra sūryāṃśupratirañjitāḥ ॥1-26-25॥
The trees, adorned with golden blossoms and mountain minerals, shone brightly there, illuminated by the rays of the sun.
tatas tasya gireḥ śṛṅgam āsthāya sa khagottamaḥ। bhakṣayām āsa garuḍas tāv ubhau gajakacchapau ॥1-26-26॥
Then Garuda, the best of birds, ascended the mountain peak and devoured both the elephant and the tortoise.
tataḥ parvatakūṭāgrādutpapāta manojavaḥ। prāvartantātha devānāmutpātā bhayavedinaḥ ॥1-26-27॥
Then, from the mountain peak, a being as swift as the mind leaped forth. Then, ominous signs appeared among the gods, foretelling fear.
indrasya vajraṃ dayitaṃ prajajvāla vyathānvitam। sadhūmā cāpatatsārcirdivolkā nabhasaścyutā ॥1-26-28॥
Indra's cherished thunderbolt blazed fiercely, afflicted with distress. Accompanied by smoke and flames, the meteor descended from the sky.
tathā vasūnāṃ rudrāṇāmādityānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ| sādhyānāṃ marutāṃ caiva ye cānye devatāgaṇāḥ ॥ svaṃ svaṃ praharaṇaṃ teṣāṃ parasparamupādravat ॥1-26-29॥
Thus, all the groups of deities, including the Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, Sādhyas, and Maruts, attacked each other with their respective weapons.
abhūtapūrvaṃ saṅgrāme tadā devāsure'pi ca। vavurvātāḥ sanirghātāḥ peturulkāḥ samantataḥ ॥1-26-30॥
Then, in the unprecedented battle, even the gods and demons witnessed fierce winds blowing with thunder, and meteors falling all around.
nirabhramapi cākāśaṃ prajagarja mahāsvanam। devānāmapi yo devaḥ so'pyavarṣadasṛktadā ॥1-26-31॥
Even the clear sky roared with a mighty sound, and the supreme god also caused blood to rain down at that time.
mamlurmālyāni devānāṃ śemustejāṃsi caiva hi। utpātameghā raudrāśca vavarṣuḥ śoṇitaṃ bahu ॥ rajāṃsi mukuṭānyeṣām utthitāni vyadharṣayan ॥1-26-32॥
The garlands of the gods withered, and their splendors dimmed. Ominous clouds fiercely rained a lot of blood. The dust from their crowns rose and attacked.
tatastrāsasamudvignaḥ saha devaiḥ śatakratuḥ| utpātāndāruṇānpāśyannityuvāca bṛhaspatim ॥1-26-33॥
Then, Indra, troubled by fear and accompanied by the gods, constantly witnessing dreadful omens, spoke to Brihaspati.
kimarthaṃ bhagavanghorā mahotpātāḥ samutthitāḥ। na ca śatruṃ prapaśyāmi yudhi yo naḥ pradharṣayet ॥1-26-34॥
O Lord, why have these terrible omens appeared? I see no enemy in battle who could threaten us.
bṛhaspatiruvāca॥
Bṛhaspati spoke.
tavāparādhāddevendra pramādācca śatakrato। tapasā vālakhilyānāṃ bhūtamutpannamadbhutam ॥1-26-35॥
O Indra, due to your mistake and carelessness, a miraculous being has been created by the penance of the Vālakhilyas.
kaśyapasya muneḥ putro vinatāyāśca khecaraḥ। hartuṃ somamanuprāpto balavānkāmarūpavān ॥1-26-36॥
The son of the sage Kaśyapa and Vinatā, who dwells in the sky, arrived with the intent to steal Soma, possessing great strength and the ability to change his form.
samartho balināṃ śreṣṭho hartuṃ somaṃ vihaṅgamaḥ। sarvaṃ sambhāvayāmyasminnasādhyamapi sādhayet ॥1-26-37॥
The bird, being the most capable and strongest, can take the Soma. I believe that even the impossible can be achieved in this context.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said.
śrutvaitadvacanaṃ śakraḥ provācāmṛtarakṣiṇaḥ। mahāvīryabalaḥ pakṣī hartuṃ somamihodyataḥ ॥1-26-38॥
Upon hearing these words, Indra addressed the protectors of nectar, saying that the mighty bird is ready here to take the Soma.
yuṣmān sambodhayāmy eṣa yathā sa na hared balāt. atulaṃ hi balaṃ tasya bṛhaspatir uvāca me ॥1-26-39॥
Bṛhaspati said to me that I am addressing you so that he may not forcibly take away anything, as his strength is indeed incomparable.
tacchrutvā vibudhā vākyaṃ vismitā yatnamāsthitāḥ। parivāryāmṛtaṃ tasthurvajrī cendraḥ śatakratuḥ ॥1-26-40॥
Upon hearing that speech, the wise ones were astonished and made efforts. Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt and performer of a hundred sacrifices, stood surrounding the nectar.
dhārayanto mahārhāṇi kavacāni manasvinaḥ। kāñcanāni vicitrāṇi vaiḍūryavikṛtāni ca ॥1-26-41॥
The high-minded ones wore very precious armors that were golden, variegated, and adorned with cat's eye gems.
vividhāni ca śastrāṇi ghorarūpāṇyanekaśaḥ। śitatīkṣṇāgradhārāṇi samudyamya sahasraśaḥ ॥1-26-42॥
There are various and numerous weapons with terrible forms and sharp edges, wielded in thousands.
savispuliṅgajvālāni sadhūmāni ca sarvaśaḥ। cakrāṇi parighāṃścaiva triśūlāni paraśvadhān ॥1-26-43॥
There were sparks and flames everywhere, accompanied by smoke; there were discs, clubs, tridents, and battle-axes all around.
śaktīśca vividhāstīkṣṇāḥ karavālāṃśca nirmalān। svadeharūpāṇyādāya gadāścograpradarśanāḥ ॥1-26-44॥
They wielded various sharp spears and spotless swords, having assumed their own bodily forms, and displayed fierce maces.
taiḥ śastrairbhānumadbhiste divyābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ। bhānumantaḥ suragaṇāstasthurvigatakalmaṣāḥ ॥1-26-45॥
The radiant groups of gods, adorned with divine ornaments and armed with radiant weapons, stood free from impurities.
anupamabalavīryatejaso; dhṛtamanasaḥ parirakṣaṇe'mṛtasya। asurapuravidāraṇāḥ surā; jvalanasamiddhavapuḥprakāśinaḥ ॥1-26-46॥
The gods, with incomparable strength, valor, and brilliance, and firm minds dedicated to protecting the nectar, are the destroyers of the demon city, shining with bodies kindled like fire.
iti samaravaraṃ surāsthitaṃ; parighasahasraśataiḥ samākulam। vigalitāmiva cāmbarāntare; tapanamarīcivibhāsitaṃ babhau ॥1-26-47॥
Thus, the excellent battlefield, where the gods were present and crowded with thousands of barriers, appeared as if it was melting in the sky, illuminated by the sun's rays, and shone brilliantly.
