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bṛhaspatiruvāca॥
Bṛhaspati spoke:
tvamagne sarvadevānāṃ mukhaṃ tvamasi havyavāṭ। tvamantaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ gūḍhaścarasi sākṣivat ॥5-16-1॥
O Agni, you are the mouth of all gods and the carrier of offerings. You move secretly within all beings as a witness.
tvām āhur ekaṃ kavayas tvām āhus trividhaṃ punaḥ। tvayā tyaktaṃ jagac cedaṃ sadyo naśyed dhutāśana ॥5-16-2॥
The poets describe you as singular, yet also as threefold. If you were to abandon this world, O Fire, it would instantly be destroyed.
kṛtvā tubhyaṃ namo viprāḥ svakarmavijitāṃ gatim। gacchanti saha patnībhiḥ sutairapi ca śāśvatīm ॥5-16-3॥
After offering salutations to you, O brāhmaṇas, they proceed on the path earned by their own deeds, accompanied by their wives and sons, towards the eternal.
tvamevāgne havyavāhastvameva paramaṃ haviḥ। yajanti satraistvāmeva yajñaiśca paramādhvare ॥5-16-4॥
O Agni, you are the one who carries the offerings and are the ultimate offering yourself. People worship you with sacrifices and rituals in the highest form of sacrifice.
sṛṣṭvā lokāṃstrīnimānhavyavāha; prāpte kāle pacasi punaḥ samiddhaḥ। sarvasyāsya bhuvanasya prasūti; tvamevāgne bhavasi punaḥ pratiṣṭhā ॥5-16-5॥
O Agni, having created these three worlds, you are the one who, when the time comes, cooks again, being kindled. You are indeed the source and foundation of all this world once more.
tvāmagne jaladānāhurvidyutaśca tvameva hi। dahanti sarvabhūtāni tvatto niṣkramya hāyanāḥ ॥5-16-6॥
O Agni, you are said to be the clouds and the lightning. All beings are consumed by fire, emerging from you, year after year.
tvayyāpo nihitāḥ sarvāstvayi sarvamidaṃ jagat। na te'styaviditaṃ kiñcittriṣu lokeṣu pāvaka ॥5-16-7॥
O Fire, all waters are placed in you, and this entire world exists in you. There is nothing unknown to you in the three worlds.
svayoniṁ bhajate sarvo viśasvāpo'viśaṅkitaḥ। ahaṁ tvāṁ vardhayiṣyāmi brāhmairmantraiḥ sanātanaiḥ ॥5-16-8॥
Everyone worships their own origin without fear or doubt. I will elevate you with eternal Vedic mantras.
śalya uvāca॥
Shalya spoke:
evaṃ stuto havyavāho bhagavānkaviruttamaḥ। bṛhaspatimathovāca prītimānvākyamuttamam ॥ darśayiṣyāmi te śakraṃ satyametadbravīmi te ॥5-16-9॥
Thus praised, the divine Agni, supreme among sages, spoke to Bṛhaspati with pleasure, saying excellent words: "I will indeed show you Indra, this I truly say to you."
praviśyāpastato vahniḥ sasamudrāḥ sapalvalāḥ। ājagāma sarastacca gūḍho yatra śatakratuḥ ॥5-16-10॥
The fire, after entering the waters along with the oceans and marshes, came to the lake where Indra was hidden.
atha tatrāpi padmāni vicinvannbharatarṣabha। anvapaśyatsa devendraṃ bisamadhyagataṃ sthitam ॥5-16-11॥
Then, O best of the Bharatas, he saw Indra standing amidst the lotus fibers while searching for lotuses there.
āgatya ca tatastūrṇaṃ tamācaṣṭa bṛhaspateḥ। aṇumātreṇa vapuṣā padmatantvāśritaṃ prabhum ॥5-16-12॥
Having arrived quickly, Bṛhaspati addressed the lord, who was supported by a lotus-thread, with a small form.
gatvā devarṣigandharvaiḥ sahito'tha bṛhaspatiḥ। purāṇaiḥ karmabhirdevaṃ tuṣṭāva balasūdanam ॥5-16-13॥
Bṛhaspati, accompanied by divine sages and Gandharvas, went and praised the god, the destroyer of Bala, with ancient deeds.
mahāsuro hataḥ śakra namucirdāruṇastvayā। śambaraśca balaścaiva tathobhau ghoravikramau ॥5-16-14॥
O Indra, you have slain the great demon Namuci, who was fierce. Similarly, you have also defeated Śambara and Bala, both known for their terrible prowess.
śatakrato vivardhasva sarvāñśatrūnniṣūdaya। uttiṣṭha vajrinsampaśya devarṣīṃśca samāgatān ॥5-16-15॥
O Indra, increase in strength and vanquish all foes. Rise, O thunderbolt holder, and behold the gathered divine sages.
mahendra dānavānhatvā lokāstrātāstvayā vibho। apāṁ phenaṁ samāsādya viṣṇutejopabṛṁhitam ॥ tvayā vṛtro hataḥ pūrvaṁ devarāja jagatpate ॥5-16-16॥
O great Indra, you protected the worlds by slaying the demons, O lord. You reached the foam of waters, empowered by Vishnu's energy, and formerly slew Vritra, O king of gods, O lord of the world.
tvaṁ sarvabhūteṣu vareṇya īḍya; stvayā samaṁ vidyate neha bhūtam। tvayā dhāryante sarvabhūtāni śakra; tvaṁ devānāṁ mahimānaṁ cakartha ॥5-16-17॥
You are the most excellent and praiseworthy among all beings; nothing equal to you exists here. You support all beings, O Indra, and you have demonstrated the greatness of the gods.
pāhi devānslokāṃśca mahendra balamāpnuhi। evaṃ saṃstūyamānaśca so'vardhata śanaiḥ śanaiḥ ॥5-16-18॥
O great Indra, protect the gods and the worlds and attain strength. Thus praised, he gradually grew stronger.
svaṁ caiva vapurāsthāya babhūva sa balānvitaḥ। abravīcca guruṁ devo bṛhaspatimupasthitam ॥5-16-19॥
He assumed his own form, became powerful, and spoke to the teacher, the god Bṛhaspati, who was present.
kiṁ kāryamavaśiṣṭaṁ vo hatastvāṣṭro mahāsuraḥ। vṛtraśca sumahākāyo grastuṁ lokāniyeṣa yaḥ ॥5-16-20॥
What task is left for you now that Tvashta's great demon Vritra, who sought to consume the worlds, has been slain?
bṛhaspatiruvāca॥
Bṛhaspati spoke:
mānuṣo nahuṣo rājā devarṣigaṇatejasā। devarājyamanuprāptaḥ sarvānno bādhate bhṛśam ॥5-16-21॥
King Nahuṣa, a human, empowered by the divine sages, has taken over the kingdom of the gods and is causing great distress to all of us.
indra uvāca॥
Indra spoke:
kathaṁ nu nahuṣo rājyaṁ devānāṁ prāpa durlabham। tapasā kena vā yuktaḥ kiṁvīryo vā bṛhaspate ॥5-16-22॥
O Brihaspati, how did Nahusha, endowed with penance or prowess, manage to obtain the rare kingdom of the gods?
bṛhaspatiruvāca॥
Bṛhaspati spoke:
devā bhītāḥ śakramakāmayanta; tvayā tyaktaṃ mahadaindraṃ padaṃ tat. tadā devāḥ pitaro'tharṣayaśca; gandharvasaṅghāśca sametya sarve ॥5-16-23॥
The gods, being afraid, desired Indra's great position that was abandoned by you. Then all the gods, ancestors, sages, and groups of celestial musicians assembled together.
gatvābruvannahuṣaṃ śakra tatra; tvaṃ no rājā bhava bhuvanasya goptā। tānabravīnnahuṣo nāsmi śakta; āpyāyadhvaṃ tapasā tejasā ca ॥5-16-24॥
After going there, they addressed Nahusha, saying, "O Indra, become our king and protector of the world." Nahusha replied to them, "I am not capable; strengthen yourselves through penance and energy."
evamuktairvardhitaścāpi devai; rājābhavannahuṣo ghoravīryaḥ। trailokye ca prāpya rājyaṃ tapasvinaḥ; kṛtvā vāhānyāti lokāndurātmā ॥5-16-25॥
Encouraged by the gods, King Nahuṣa, known for his terrible strength, became the ruler of the three worlds. After obtaining the kingdom of the ascetic, his wicked nature led him to travel to different worlds using vehicles.
tejo-haraṁ dṛṣṭi-viṣaṁ sughoraṁ; mā tvaṁ paśyer-nahuṣaṁ vai kadācit। devāś-ca sarve nahuṣaṁ bhayārtā; na paśyanto gūḍha-rūpāś-caranti ॥5-16-26॥
The remover of brilliance and poison to the sight, Nahusha, is very terrible; do not ever look at him. All the gods, afflicted by fear of Nahusha, move about in hidden forms, avoiding his sight.
śalya uvāca॥
Shalya spoke:
evaṃ vadaty aṅgirasāṃ variṣṭhe; bṛhaspatau lokapālaḥ kuberaḥ। vaivasvataś caiva yamaḥ purāṇo; devaś ca somo varuṇaś cājagāma ॥5-16-27॥
Thus spoke Brihaspati, the chief of the Angiras; Kubera, the guardian of the world; Vaivasvata, Yama the ancient god; and Soma and Varuna also arrived.
te vai samāgamya mahendramūcu; rdiṣṭyā tvāṣṭro nihataścaiva vṛtraḥ। diṣṭyā ca tvāṃ kuśalinamakṣataṃ ca; paśyāmo vai nihatāriṃ ca śakra ॥5-16-28॥
Having gathered, they said to Mahendra: "It is fortunate that Tvaṣṭra and Vritra are slain. We are glad to see you safe and unharmed, and the enemy defeated, O Shakra."
sa tānyathāvatpratibhāṣya śakraḥ; sañcodayannahuṣasyāntareṇa। rājā devānāṃ nahuṣo ghorarūpa; tatra sāhyaṃ dīyatāṃ me bhavadbhiḥ ॥5-16-29॥
Indra, having properly addressed those, urged in the absence of Nahusha. The king of the gods, Nahusha, in his terrible form, may receive assistance there from you all.
te cābruvannahuṣo ghorarūpo; dṛṣṭīviṣastasya bibhīma deva। tvaṃ cedrājannahuṣaṃ parājaye; stadvai vayaṃ bhāgamarhāma śakra ॥5-16-30॥
They said, "Nahusha has a terrifying form and his gaze is poisonous; we are afraid, O god. If you, O king, can defeat Nahusha, then we indeed deserve a share, O Indra."
indro'bravīdbhavatu bhavānapāṃ pati; ryamaḥ kuberaśca mahābhiṣekam। samprāpnuvantvadya sahaiva tena; ripuṃ jayāmo nahuṣaṃ ghoradṛṣṭim ॥5-16-31॥
Indra declared, "You shall become the lord of waters; Yama and Kubera will receive the great consecration today alongside him; together, let us defeat the enemy Nahusha, who is fierce-eyed."
tataḥ śakraṃ jvalano'pyāha bhāgaṃ; prayaccha mahyaṃ tava sāhyaṃ kariṣye. tamāha śakro bhavitāgne tavāpi; aindrāgno vai bhāga eko mahākratau ॥5-16-32॥
Then Agni requested Indra for a share, promising his assistance. Indra assured Agni that he would indeed have a share in the great sacrifice, signifying the collaboration between Indra and Agni.
evaṃ sañcintya bhagavānmahendraḥ pākaśāsanaḥ। kuberaṃ sarvayakṣāṇāṃ dhanānāṃ ca prabhuṃ tathā ॥5-16-33॥
Thus, having contemplated, the blessed great Indra, the subduer of Paka, also considered Kubera, the lord of all Yakshas and wealth.
vaivasvataṁ pitṝṇāṁ ca varuṇaṁ cāpyapāṁ tathā। ādhipatyaṁ dadau śakraḥ satkṛtya varadastadā ॥5-16-34॥
Shakra, the boon-giver, honored Vaivasvata and Varuna, granting them sovereignty over the ancestors and the waters.
