13.086
तारकवधः
The slaying of Tāraka;
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
उक्ताः पितामहेनेह सुवर्णस्य विधानतः। विस्तरेण प्रदानस्य ये गुणाः श्रुतिलक्षणाः ॥१३-८६-१॥
Here, the qualities of donating gold in the prescribed manner, which are described in detail and characterized by the śruti, have been stated by the grandsire (Brahmā). (13-86-1)
यत्तु कारणमुत्पत्तेः सुवर्णस्येह कीर्तितम्। स कथं तारकः प्राप्तो निधनं तद्ब्रवीहि मे ॥१३-८६-२॥
But as to the cause of the origin of gold which is described here, how did Tāraka meet his death—tell that to me. (13-86-2)
उक्तः स देवतानां हि अवध्य इति पार्थिव। न च तस्येह ते मृत्युर्विस्तरेण प्रकीर्तितः ॥१३-८६-३॥
It was stated that he, belonging to the gods, is indeed not to be slain, O king. And his death here, by you, was not described in detail. (13-86-3)
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं त्वत्तः कुरुकुलोद्वह। कार्त्स्न्येन तारकवधं परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥१३-८६-४॥
O uplifter of the Kuru lineage, I desire to hear this from you: the story of the slaying of Tāraka in its entirety. I am indeed greatly curious about it. (13-86-4)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
विपन्नकृत्या राजेन्द्र देवता ऋषयस्तथा। कृत्तिकाश्चोदयामासुरपत्यभरणाय वै ॥१३-८६-५॥
O king, when their purpose had failed, the deities, sages, and the Kṛttikā stars caused (the child) to arise for the nourishment of their offspring indeed. (13-86-5)
न देवतानां काचिद्धि समर्था जातवेदसः। एकापि शक्ता तं गर्भं सन्धारयितुमोजसा ॥१३-८६-६॥
Indeed, none among the gods is capable of supporting the offspring of Jātavedas; even a single one cannot sustain that embryo by strength. (13-86-6)
षण्णां तासां ततः प्रीतः पावको गर्भधारणात्। स्वेन तेजोविसर्गेण वीर्येण परमेण च ॥१३-८६-७॥
Then, of those six, Agni, being satisfied from their conception, by his own, by the emission of his supreme energy and vigor, (acted thus). (13-86-7)
तास्तु षट्कृत्तिका गर्भं पुपुषुर्जातवेदसः। षट्सु वर्त्मसु तेजोऽग्नेः सकलं निहितं प्रभो ॥१३-८६-८॥
O Lord, those six Kṛttikā stars indeed nourished the embryo of Jātavedas; in the six paths, all the splendor of Agni is established. (13-86-8)
ततस्ता वर्धमानस्य कुमारस्य महात्मनः। तेजसाभिपरीताङ्ग्यो न क्वचिच्छर्म लेभिरे ॥१३-८६-९॥
Then, those women, whose limbs were enveloped by the radiance of the great-souled prince Vardhamāna, did not find comfort anywhere. (13-86-9)
ततस्तेजःपरीताङ्ग्यः सर्वाः काल उपस्थिते। समं गर्भं सुषुविरे कृत्तिकास्ता नरर्षभ ॥१३-८६-१०॥
Then, O bull among men, as the appointed time arrived, all the Kṛttikās, whose bodies were filled with brilliance, together gave birth to the child. (13-86-10)
ततस्तं षडधिष्ठानं गर्भमेकत्वमागतम्। पृथिवी प्रतिजग्राह कान्तीपुरसमीपतः ॥१३-८६-११॥
Then the earth near Kāntīpura received that embryo possessing six seats, which had become unified. (13-86-11)
स गर्भो दिव्यसंस्थानो दीप्तिमान्पावकप्रभः। दिव्यं शरवणं प्राप्य ववृधे प्रियदर्शनः ॥१३-८६-१२॥
That offspring, possessing a divine form, radiant, and having the splendor of fire, having reached the divine Sara-vana, grew, pleasing to behold. (13-86-12)
ददृशुः कृत्तिकास्तं तु बालं वह्निसमद्युतिम्। जातस्नेहाश्च सौहार्दात्पुपुषुः स्तन्यविस्रवैः ॥१३-८६-१३॥
But the Kṛttikā stars saw the boy, radiant like fire, and, out of affection and friendship, nourished him with streams of milk. (13-86-13)
अभवत्कार्त्तिकेयः स त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। स्कन्नत्वात्स्कन्दतां चाप गुहावासाद्गुहोऽभवत् ॥१३-८६-१४॥
He became Kārttikeya, renowned among all beings in the three worlds, both moving and unmoving. Because he was dropped (or flowed), he became known as Skanda; and since he dwelled in a cave, he became Guha. (13-86-14)
ततो देवास्त्रयस्त्रिंशद्दिशश्च सदिगीश्वराः। रुद्रो धाता च विष्णुश्च यज्ञः पूषार्यमा भगः ॥१३-८६-१५॥
Then the thirty-three gods, together with the directions and their lords—Rudra, Dhātṛ, Viṣṇu, Yajña (the personification of sacrifice), Pūṣan, Aryaman, and Bhaga—(were present). (13-86-15)
अंशो मित्रश्च साध्याश्च वसवो वासवोऽश्विनौ। आपो वायुर्नभश्चन्द्रो नक्षत्राणि ग्रहा रविः ॥१३-८६-१६॥
A portion, Mitra, the Sādhyas, the Vasus, Vāsava (Indra), the Aśvins, the waters, Wind, the sky, the Moon, the stars, the planets, and the Sun. (13-86-16)
पृथग्भूतानि चान्यानि यानि देवार्पणानि वै। आजग्मुस्तत्र तं द्रष्टुं कुमारं ज्वलनात्मजम् ॥ ऋषयस्तुष्टुवुश्चैव गन्धर्वाश्च जगुस्तथा ॥१३-८६-१७॥
The distinct groups, and other beings that were indeed offerings to the gods, came there to see the youth, the son of Fire. The ṛṣis praised him, and the Gandharvas likewise sang. (13-86-17)
षडाननं कुमारं तं द्विषडक्षं द्विजप्रियम्। पीनांसं द्वादशभुजं पावकादित्यवर्चसम् ॥१३-८६-१८॥
That six-faced youth, with twelve eyes, dear to the twice-born, broad-chested, twelve-armed, shining with the brilliance of fire and the sun. (13-86-18)
शयानं शरगुल्मस्थं दृष्ट्वा देवाः सहर्षिभिः। लेभिरे परमं हर्षं मेनिरे चासुरं हतम् ॥१३-८६-१९॥
When the gods, along with the sages, saw (him) lying in the thicket of arrows, they felt great joy and thought the asura was slain. (13-86-19)
ततो देवाः प्रियाण्यस्य सर्व एव समाचरन्। क्रीडतः क्रीडनीयानि ददुः पक्षिगणांश्च ह ॥१३-८६-२०॥
Then the gods did everything dear to him; while he was playing, they gave him playthings and groups of birds as well. (13-86-20)
सुपर्णोऽस्य ददौ पत्रं मयूरं चित्रबर्हिणम्। राक्षसाश्च ददुस्तस्मै वराहमहिषावुभौ ॥१३-८६-२१॥
Suparṇa gave him a feather and a peacock with variegated plumes. The rākṣasas also gave him both a boar and a buffalo. (13-86-21)
कुक्कुटं चाग्निसङ्काशं प्रददौ वरुणः स्वयम्। चन्द्रमाः प्रददौ मेषमादित्यो रुचिरां प्रभाम् ॥१३-८६-२२॥
Varuṇa himself gave a cock that resembled fire; the Moon gave a ram; the Sun gave splendid radiance. (13-86-22)
गवां माता च गा देवी ददौ शतसहस्रशः। छागमग्निर्गुणोपेतमिला पुष्पफलं बहु ॥१३-८६-२३॥
The mother of cows and Gādevī gave hundreds of thousands of cows. Agni gave the goat, and Ilā, endowed with good qualities, gave abundant flowers and fruits. (13-86-23)
सुधन्वा शकटं चैव रथं चामितकूबरम्। वरुणो वारुणान्दिव्यान्भुजङ्गान्प्रददौ शुभान् ॥ सिंहान्सुरेन्द्रो व्याघ्रांश्च द्वीपिनोऽन्यांश्च दंष्ट्रिणः ॥१३-८६-२४॥
Sudhanvan received a cart and also a chariot with a great axle; Varuṇa gave auspicious divine serpents belonging to himself; Indra, the lord of the gods, gave lions, tigers, panthers, and other fanged beasts. (13-86-24)
श्वापदांश्च बहून्घोरांश्छत्राणि विविधानि च। राक्षसासुरसङ्घाश्च येऽनुजग्मुस्तमीश्वरम् ॥१३-८६-२५॥
Many terrible wild animals, various umbrellas, and assemblies of rākṣasas and asuras followed that lord. (13-86-25)
वर्धमानं तु तं दृष्ट्वा प्रार्थयामास तारकः। उपायैर्बहुभिर्हन्तुं नाशकच्चापि तं विभुम् ॥१३-८६-२६॥
But Tāraka, seeing him increasing, requested him and, even by many means, was not able to kill that mighty one. (13-86-26)
सेनापत्येन तं देवाः पूजयित्वा गुहालयम्। शशंसुर्विप्रकारं तं तस्मै तारककारितम् ॥१३-८६-२७॥
After honoring him with the commander’s rank at Guha’s abode, the gods told him about the extraordinary event caused by Tāraka. (13-86-27)
स विवृद्धो महावीर्यो देवसेनापतिः प्रभुः। जघानामोघया शक्त्या दानवं तारकं गुहः ॥१३-८६-२८॥
Guha, the powerful and mighty leader of the divine army, killed the demon Tāraka with his unfailing spear. (13-86-28)
तेन तस्मिन्कुमारेण क्रीडता निहतेऽसुरे। सुरेन्द्रः स्थापितो राज्ये देवानां पुनरीश्वरः ॥१३-८६-२९॥
By that prince, while playing, when the asura was slain, the lord of the gods was once again established as ruler among the gods. (13-86-29)
स सेनापतिरेवाथ बभौ स्कन्दः प्रतापवान्। ईशो गोप्ता च देवानां प्रियकृच्छङ्करस्य च ॥१३-८६-३०॥
Then Skanda, the powerful commander-in-chief, appeared—lord and protector of the gods, and the one dear to Śaṅkara. (13-86-30)
हिरण्यमूर्तिर्भगवानेष एव च पावकिः। सदा कुमारो देवानां सेनापत्यमवाप्तवान् ॥१३-८६-३१॥
This golden-formed blessed one, the son of Pāvaka, always as the boy has obtained the commandership of the gods. (13-86-31)
तस्मात्सुवर्णं मङ्गल्यं रत्नमक्षय्यमुत्तमम्। सहजं कार्त्तिकेयस्य वह्नेस्तेजः परं मतम् ॥१३-८६-३२॥
Therefore, gold is regarded as the supreme innate splendor of fire, the auspicious imperishable excellent jewel of Karttikeya. (13-86-32)
एवं रामाय कौरव्य वसिष्ठोऽकथयत्पुरा। तस्मात्सुवर्णदानाय प्रयतस्व नराधिप ॥१३-८६-३३॥
Thus, Vasiṣṭha once spoke to Rāma, descendant of Kuru; therefore, O king, strive to give gold. (13-86-33)
रामः सुवर्णं दत्त्वा हि विमुक्तः सर्वकिल्बिषैः। त्रिविष्टपे महत्स्थानमवापासुलभं नरैः ॥१३-८६-३४॥
Rama, having given gold, was indeed freed from all sins; in heaven, he attained a great place which is difficult for men to obtain. (13-86-34)
