01.028
Library: Battle rages on between Gods and Garuda, where Garuda clearly has the upper-hand.
sūta uvāca॥
Sūta said:
tatastasmin dvijaśreṣṭha samudīrṇe tathāvidhe। garutmān pakṣirāṭ tūrṇaṃ samprāpto vibudhān prati ॥1-28-1॥
Then, in that situation, Garuda, the king of birds, swiftly arrived towards the gods, as the best of the twice-born had arisen.
taṁ dṛṣṭvāti-balaṁ caiva prākampanta samantataḥ। parasparaṁ ca pratyaghnan sarva-praharaṇānyapi ॥1-28-2॥
Seeing him very strong, they trembled all around and began to strike each other back with all their weapons.
tatra cāsīdameyātmā vidyudagnisamaprabhaḥ। bhauvanaḥ sumahāvīryaḥ somasya parirakṣitā ॥1-28-3॥
There was an immeasurable soul, shining like lightning and fire, a great and valiant protector of Soma, belonging to the earth.
sa tena patagendreṇa pakṣatuṇḍanakhaiḥ kṣataḥ। muhūrtamatulaṃ yuddhaṃ kṛtvā vinihato yudhi ॥1-28-4॥
He was wounded by the mighty bird with its wings, beak, and claws, and after a brief but intense battle, he was killed.
rajaścoddhūya sumahatpakṣavātena khecaraḥ| kṛtvā lokānnirālokāṃstena devānavākirat ॥1-28-5॥
The bird, with the powerful wind of its wings, scattered dust, plunging the worlds into darkness and covering the gods.
tenāvakīrṇā rajasā devā mohamupāgaman। na cainaṃ dadṛśuśchannā rajasāmṛtarakṣiṇaḥ ॥1-28-6॥
Covered in dust, the gods fell into confusion. They could not see him, as the protectors of nectar were obscured by the dust.
evaṃ saṃloḍayāmāsa garuḍastridivālayam। pakṣatuṇḍaprahāraiśca devānsa vidadāra ha ॥1-28-7॥
In this way, Garuda shook the heavenly abode and with the strikes of his wings and beak, he tore apart the gods.
tato devaḥ sahasrākṣastūrṇaṃ vāyumacodayat। vikṣipemāṃ rajovṛṣṭiṃ tavaitatkarma māruta ॥1-28-8॥
Then the thousand-eyed god, Indra, quickly commanded the wind to scatter the dust storm, saying it is your duty, O Wind.
atha vāyurapovāha tadrajastarasa balī। tato vitimire jāte devāḥ śakunimārdayan ॥1-28-9॥
Then the powerful wind swept away the dust with great force. In the ensuing darkness, the gods emerged and slew the bird.
nanāda coccairbalavānmahāmegharavaḥ khagaḥ| vadhyamānaḥ suragaṇaiḥ sarvabhūtāni bhīṣayan ॥ utpapāta mahāvīryaḥ pakṣirāṭparavīrahā ॥1-28-10॥
The mighty bird, with a roar like a great cloud, was attacked by the hosts of gods, frightening all beings. The king of birds, strong and a destroyer of enemy heroes, ascended into the sky.
tam utpatyāntarikṣasthaṃ devānām upari sthitam। varmiṇo vibudhāḥ sarve nānāśastrair avākiran ॥1-28-11॥
Having risen into the sky, he stood above the gods, and all the armored wise ones showered him with various weapons.
paṭṭiśaiḥ parighaiḥ śūlairgadābhiśca savāsavāḥ| kṣurāntairjvalitaiścāpi cakrairādityarūpibhiḥ ॥1-28-12॥
Armed with spears, clubs, pikes, and maces, resembling Indra; also equipped with razor-edged, blazing, sun-like discs.
nānāśastravisargaiśca vadhyamānaḥ samantataḥ| kurvansutumulaṃ yuddhaṃ pakṣirāṇna vyakampata ॥1-28-13॥
Despite being attacked from all directions by various weapons, the bird engaged in a fierce battle and did not waver.
vinardanniva cākāśe vainateyaḥ pratāpavān। pakṣābhyāmurasā caiva samantādvyākṣipatsurān ॥1-28-14॥
The mighty son of Vinata, roaring as if in the sky, scattered the gods all around with his wings and chest.
te vikṣiptāstato devāḥ prajagmurgaruḍārditāḥ। nakhatuṇḍakṣatāścaiva susruvuḥ śoṇitaṃ bahu ॥1-28-15॥
The gods, scattered and afflicted by Garuda, went away. Wounded by claws and beaks, they bled profusely.
sādhyāḥ prācīṃ sagandharvā vasavo dakṣiṇāṃ diśam। prajagmuḥ sahitā rudraiḥ patagendrapradharṣitāḥ ॥1-28-16॥
The Sādhyas, accompanied by the Gandharvas, proceeded to the east, while the Vasus, along with the Rudras, moved towards the south, all being overcome by the king of birds.
diśaṃ pratīcīmādityā nāsatyā uttarāṃ diśam। muhurmuhuḥ prekṣamāṇā yudhyamānā mahaujasam ॥1-28-17॥
The Ādityas and Aśvins repeatedly looked towards the western and northern directions as they engaged in battle with the mighty.
aśvakrandena vīreṇa reṇukena ca pakṣiṇā। krathanena ca śūreṇa tapanena ca khecaraḥ ॥1-28-18॥
The sky-roamer was accompanied by Aśvakranda, the hero, Reṇuka, the bird, Krathana, the brave one, and Tapana.
ulūkaśvasanābhyāṃ ca nimeṣeṇa ca pakṣiṇā। prarujena ca saṃyuddhaṃ cakāra praliḥena ca ॥1-28-19॥
An owl engaged in a battle with the breath and a blink of a bird, with pain and a licking.
tān pakṣanakha tuṇḍāgrair abhinad vinatāsutaḥ। yugāntakāle saṅkruddhaḥ pinākīva mahābalaḥ ॥1-28-20॥
At the end of the age, the mighty son of Vinata, enraged like Lord Shiva, pierced them with the tips of his wings, nails, and beak.
mahāvīryā mahotsāhāstena te bahudhā kṣatāḥ। rejurabhraghanaprakhyā rudhiraughapravarṣiṇaḥ ॥1-28-21॥
The great heroes, filled with immense enthusiasm, were wounded in many ways by him. They appeared like dense clouds, pouring streams of blood.
tān kṛtvā patagaśreṣṭhaḥ sarvān utkrāntajīvitān। atikrānto'mṛtasyārthe sarvato'gnimapaśyata ॥1-28-22॥
Having accomplished his task, the best of birds, Garuda, crossed over all the departed souls and saw fire everywhere in search of the nectar.
āvṛṇvānaṃ mahājvālamarcirbhiḥ sarvato'mbaram। dahantamiva tīkṣṇāṃśuṃ ghoraṃ vāyusamīritam ॥1-28-23॥
The sky was enveloped in great flames and rays, burning fiercely like a sharp-rayed sun, stirred by the wind.
tato navatyā navatīrmukhānāṃ; kṛtvā tarasvī garuḍo mahātmā. nadīḥ samāpīya mukhaistatastaiḥ; suśīghramāgamya punarjavena ॥1-28-24॥
Then, the mighty Garuda, with his great power, created ninety times ninety mouths, drank up the rivers with those mouths, and swiftly returned again.
jvalantamagniṃ tamamitratāpanaḥ; samāstaratpatraratho nadībhiḥ. tataḥ pracakre vapuranyadalpaṃ; praveṣṭukāmo'gnimabhipraśāmya ॥1-28-25॥
The blazing fire, which scorches enemies, was spread by the chariot of leaves with rivers. Then, wishing to enter the fire and extinguish it, he created another smaller form.
