03.166
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said.
tato'haṃ stūyamānastu tatra tatra maharṣibhiḥ। apaśyamudadhiṃ bhīmam apāmpatim athāvyayam॥03-166-1॥
Then, as I was being praised here and there by the great sages, I saw the dreadful, imperishable lord of waters—the ocean. (03-166-1)
phenavatyaḥ prakīrṇāś ca saṃhatāś ca samucchritāḥ। ūrmayaś cātra dṛśyante calanta iva parvatāḥ ॥ nāvaḥ sahasraśas tatra ratnapūrṇāḥ samantataḥ ॥03-166-2॥
Here, foam-crested, scattered, compact, and lofty waves are seen, moving like mountains. There, thousands of boats filled with jewels are all around. (03-166-2)
timiṅgilāḥ kacchapāś ca tathā timitimiṅgilāḥ। makarāś cātra dṛśyante jale magnā ivādrayaḥ॥03-166-3॥
Huge timiṅgila fishes, tortoises, and gigantic whales, as well as crocodiles, are seen here in the water, submerged like mountains. (03-166-3)
śaṅkhānāṃ ca sahasrāṇi magnāny apsu samantataḥ। dṛśyante sma yathā rātrau tārās tanv-abhrasaṃvṛtāḥ ॥03-166-4॥
Thousands of conch-shells, sunken in water all around, were seen, just as stars are seen at night covered by thin clouds. (03-166-4)
tathā sahasraśas tatra ratnasaṅghāḥ plavanty uta। vāyuś ca ghūrṇate bhīmas tad adbhutam ivābhavat॥03-166-5॥
Thus, by the thousands, assemblies of jewels floated there. The wind also swirled fiercely, and it all appeared truly wondrous (03-166-5).
tam atītya mahā-vegaṃ sarva-ambho-nidhim uttamam। apaśyaṃ dānava-ākīrṇaṃ tat daitya-pura-antikāt॥03-166-6॥
Having passed him with great speed and crossed the best of all oceans, I saw that place crowded with Dānavas near the city of the Daityas. (03-166-6)
tatraiva mātalis tūrṇaṃ nipatya pṛthivī-tale। nādayan ratha-ghoṣeṇa tat-puraṃ samupādravat ॥03-166-7॥
Mātali, right there, swiftly descended to the earth's surface and, making the city resound with the noise of his chariot, quickly approached that city. (03-166-7)
rathaghoṣaṃ tu taṃ śrutvā stanayitnor ivāmbare। manvānā devarājaṃ māṃ saṃvignā dānavābhavan ॥03-166-8॥
When they heard that chariot-sound, which was like thunder in the sky, the Dānavas, thinking I was the king of the gods, became alarmed. (03-166-8)
sarve sambhrāntamanasaḥ śaracāpadharāḥ sthitāḥ। tathā śūlāsiparaśugadāmusalapāṇayaḥ॥03-166-9॥
All, with disturbed minds, stood bearing arrows and bows; similarly, others held spears, swords, axes, maces, and clubs in their hands. (03-166-9)
tato dvārāṇi pidadhur dānavās trasta-cetasaḥ। saṃvidhāya pure rakṣāṃ na sma kaścana dṛśyate॥03-166-10॥
Then the Dānavas, their minds full of fear, closed the doors and arranged defenses in the city; not a single person was seen. (3-166-10)
tataḥ śaṅkham upādāya devadattaṃ mahāsvanam। puram āsuram āśliṣya prādhamaṃ taṃ śanair aham ॥03-166-11॥
Thereupon, I slowly took up the great-sounding conch Devadatta, encircled the city of the Asura, and first approached it. (03-166-11)
sa tu śabdo divaṃ stabdhvā pratiśabdam ajījanat। vitresuś ca nililyuś ca bhūtāni sumahānty api॥03-166-12॥
But that sound, having reached the sky, produced an echo. The creatures, even the very great ones, became terrified and hid. (03-166-12)
tato nivātakavacāḥ sarva eva samantataḥ। daṃśitā vividhāistrāṇairvividhāyudhapāṇayaḥ ॥03-166-13॥
Then all the Nivātakavacas, on all sides, were armed with various protections and holding various weapons. (03-166-13)
āyasaiś ca mahāśūlair gadābhir musalair api. paṭṭiśaiḥ karavālaiś ca rathacakraiś ca bhārata ॥03-166-14॥
O Bhārata, (they fought) with iron weapons and great spears, with clubs, pestles, lances, swords, and chariot wheels.
śataghnībhiḥ bhuśuṇḍībhiḥ khaḍgaiḥ citraiḥ swalaṅkṛtaiḥ। pragṛhītaiḥ diteḥ putrāḥ prādurāsan sahasraśaḥ॥03-166-15॥
Holding battering weapons, maces, and ornamented, varied swords, the sons of Diti appeared by thousands. (03-166-15)
tato vicārya bahudhā rathamārgeṣu tānhayān। prācodayatsame deśe mātalirbharatarṣabha ॥03-166-16॥
Then, O best of the Bharatas, Mātali, after considering in many ways upon the chariot-paths, urged the horses forward in the level region. (03-166-16)
tena teṣāṃ praṇunnānām āśutvāt śīghragāminām। nānvapaśyaṃ tadā kiñcit tan me'dbhutam ivābhavat ॥03-166-17॥
By that, I saw nothing at all of those who had been set in motion and were moving quickly, due to their speed; to me, that seemed astonishing. (03-166-17)
tatas te dānavās tatra yodha-vrātāni anekaśaḥ। vikṛta-svara-rūpāṇi bhṛśam sarvāṇi acodayan ॥03-166-18॥
Then those Dānavas, there, roused all the bands of warriors in many ways, using forms of strange and intense cries. (03-166-18)
tena śabdena mahatā samudre parvatopamāḥ। āplavanta gataiḥ sattvair matsyāḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ ॥03-166-19॥
By that great sound, mountain-like fishes numbering in hundreds of thousands, along with moving beings, leaped in the ocean. (03-166-19)
tato vegena mahatā dānavā mām-upādravan। vimuñcantaḥ śitān bāṇān śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ॥03-166-20॥
Then, with great speed, the Dānavas attacked me, releasing sharp arrows in hundreds and thousands. (03-166-20)
sa samprahāras tumulas teṣāṃ mama ca bhārata। avartata mahāghoro nivātakavacāntakaḥ ॥03-166-21॥
That tumultuous encounter, O Bhārata, very dreadful and destructive of the Nivātakavacas, took place between them and me. (03-166-21)
tato devarṣayaścaiva dānavarṣigaṇāśca ye। brahmarṣayaśca siddhāśca samājagmur mahāmṛdhe॥03-166-22॥
Then the divine sages, the groups of Dānava sages, the brahma sages, and the perfected beings all assembled in the great battle. (03-166-22)
te vai mām-anurūpābhir-madhurābhir-jayaiṣiṇaḥ। astuvan munayo vāgbhir-yathendraṃ tārakāmaye॥03-166-23॥
Those sages indeed praised me with fitting and sweet words desiring victory, just as they praised Indra in the war against Tāraka. (03-166-23)
