13.086
tārakavadhaḥ
The slaying of Tāraka;
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
uktāḥ pitāmaheneha suvarṇasya vidhānataḥ। vistareṇa pradānasya ye guṇāḥ śrutilakṣaṇāḥ ॥13-86-1॥
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)
yattu kāraṇamutpatteḥ suvarṇasyeha kīrtitam। sa kathaṃ tārakaḥ prāpto nidhanaṃ tadbravīhi me ॥13-86-2॥
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)
uktaḥ sa devatānāṃ hi avadhya iti pārthiva। na ca tasyeha te mṛtyur vistareṇa prakīrtitaḥ ॥13-86-3॥
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)
etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ tvattaḥ kurukulodvaha. kārtsnyena tārakavadhaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me ॥13-86-4॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
vipannakṛtyā rājeindra devatā ṛṣayas tathā। kṛttikāś codayāmāsur apatyabharaṇāya vai ॥13-86-5॥
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)
na devatānāṃ kācid dhi samarthā jātavedasaḥ। ekāpi śaktā taṃ garbhaṃ sandhārayitum ojasā ॥13-86-6॥
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)
ṣaṇṇāṃ tāsāṃ tataḥ prītaḥ pāvako garbhadhāraṇāt. svena tejovisargeṇa vīryeṇa parameṇa ca ॥13-86-7॥
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)
tāstu ṣaṭkṛttikā garbhaṃ pupuṣurjātavedasaḥ। ṣaṭsu vartmasu tejo'gneḥ sakalaṃ nihitaṃ prabho॥13-86-8॥
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)
tatastā vardhamānasya kumārasya mahātmanaḥ। tejasābhiparītāṅgyo na kvaciccharma lebhire ॥13-86-9॥
Then, those women, whose limbs were enveloped by the radiance of the great-souled prince Vardhamāna, did not find comfort anywhere. (13-86-9)
tatas tejaḥ-parītāṅgyaḥ sarvāḥ kāla upasthite। samaṃ garbhaṃ suṣuvire kṛttikās tā naraṛṣabha॥13-86-10॥
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)
tatastaṁ ṣaḍadhiṣṭhānaṁ garbhamekatvamāgatam। pṛthivī pratijagrāha kāntīpurasamīpataḥ ॥13-86-11॥
Then the earth near Kāntīpura received that embryo possessing six seats, which had become unified. (13-86-11)
sa garbho divyasaṃsthāno dīptimān pāvakaprabhaḥ. divyaṃ śaravaṇaṃ prāpya vavṛdhe priyadarśanaḥ ॥13-86-12॥
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)
dadṛśuḥ kṛttikās taṃ tu bālaṃ vahni-samad-yutim। jāta-snehāś ca sauhārdāt pupuṣuḥ stanya-visravaiḥ ॥13-86-13॥
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)
abhavatkārttikeyaḥ sa trailokye sacarācare. skannatvātskandatāṃ cāpa guhāvāsādguhō'bhavat ॥13-86-14॥
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)
tato devās trayastriṁśad diśaś ca sa-dig-īśvarāḥ। rudro dhātā ca viṣṇuś ca yajñaḥ pūṣā aryamā bhagaḥ॥13-86-15॥
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)
aṁśo mitraś ca sādhyāś ca vasavo vāsavo'śvinau। āpo vāyur nabhaścandro nakṣatrāṇi grahā raviḥ ॥13-86-16॥
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)
pṛthagbhūtāni cānyāni yāni devārpaṇāni vai. ājagmustatra taṃ draṣṭuṃ kumāraṃ jvalanātmajam ॥ ṛṣayastuṣṭuvuścaiva gandharvāśca jagustathā ॥13-86-17॥
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)
ṣaḍānanaṃ kumāraṃ taṃ dviṣaḍakṣaṃ dvijapriyam। pīnāṃsaṃ dvādaśabhujaṃ pāvakādityavarcasam ॥13-86-18॥
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)
śayānaṃ śaragulmasthaṃ dṛṣṭvā devāḥ saharṣibhiḥ। lebhire paramaṃ harṣaṃ menire cāsuraṃ hatam ॥13-86-19॥
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)
tato devāḥ priyāṇy asya sarva eva samācaran। krīḍataḥ krīḍanīyāni daduḥ pakṣigaṇāṁś ca ha ॥13-86-20॥
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)
suparṇo'sya dadau patraṃ mayūraṃ citrabarhiṇam। rākṣasāś ca dadus tasmai varāha-mahiṣāv ubhau ॥13-86-21॥
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)
kukkuṭaṃ cāgni-saṅkāśaṃ pradadau varuṇaḥ svayam। candramāḥ pradadau meṣam ādityo rucirāṃ prabhām ॥13-86-22॥
Varuṇa himself gave a cock that resembled fire; the Moon gave a ram; the Sun gave splendid radiance. (13-86-22)
gavāṃ mātā ca gā devī dadau śata-sahasraśaḥ। chāgam agnir guṇopetam ilā puṣpaphalaṃ bahu ॥13-86-23॥
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)
sudhanvā śakaṭaṃ caiva rathaṃ cāmitakūbaram। varuṇo vāruṇān divyān bhujaṅgān pradadau śubhān॥ siṃhān surendro vyāghrāṃś ca dvīpino'nyāṃś ca daṃṣṭriṇaḥ॥13-86-24॥
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)
śvāpadāṁś ca bahūn ghorāṁś chatrāṇi vividhāni ca। rākṣasāsurasaṅghāś ca ye'anujagmus tam īśvaram॥13-86-25॥
Many terrible wild animals, various umbrellas, and assemblies of rākṣasas and asuras followed that lord. (13-86-25)
vardhamānaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā prārthayāmāsa tārakaḥ। upāyair bahubhir hantuṃ nāśakat cāpi taṃ vibhum॥13-86-26॥
But Tāraka, seeing him increasing, requested him and, even by many means, was not able to kill that mighty one. (13-86-26)
senāpatyena taṃ devāḥ pūjayitvā guhālayam। śaśaṃsurviprakāraṃ taṃ tasmai tārakakāritam ॥13-86-27॥
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)
sa vivṛddho mahāvīryo devasenāpatiḥ prabhuḥ। jaghānāmoghayā śaktyā dānavaṃ tārakaṃ guhaḥ॥13-86-28॥
Guha, the powerful and mighty leader of the divine army, killed the demon Tāraka with his unfailing spear. (13-86-28)
tena tasmin kumāreṇa krīḍatā nihate'sure. surendraḥ sthāpito rājye devānāṃ punar īśvaraḥ ॥13-86-29॥
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)
sa senāpatir evātha babhau skandaḥ pratāpavān। īśo goptā ca devānāṃ priyakṛc ca ṅkarasya ca॥13-86-30॥
Then Skanda, the powerful commander-in-chief, appeared—lord and protector of the gods, and the one dear to Śaṅkara. (13-86-30)
hiraṇyamūrtir bhagavān eṣa eva ca pāvakiḥ। sadā kumāro devānāṃ senāpatyam avāptavān ॥13-86-31॥
This golden-formed blessed one, the son of Pāvaka, always as the boy has obtained the commandership of the gods. (13-86-31)
tasmātsuvarṇaṁ maṅgalyaṁ ratnam akṣayyamutamam। sahajaṁ kārttikeyasya vahnes tejaḥ paraṁ matam ॥13-86-32॥
Therefore, gold is regarded as the supreme innate splendor of fire, the auspicious imperishable excellent jewel of Karttikeya. (13-86-32)
evaṁ rāmāya kauravya vasiṣṭho'kathayat purā। tasmāt suvarṇadānāya prayatasva narādhipa ॥13-86-33॥
Thus, Vasiṣṭha once spoke to Rāma, descendant of Kuru; therefore, O king, strive to give gold. (13-86-33)
rāmaḥ suvarṇaṃ dattvā hi vimuktaḥ sarvakilbiṣaiḥ। triviṣṭape mahats thānam avāpa asulabham naraiḥ ॥13-86-34॥
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)
