Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 8
Chapter 10
The Battle Between the Demigods and the Demons
The summary of Chapter Ten is as follows. Because of envy, the fight between the demons and the demigods continued. When the demigods were almost defeated by demoniac maneuvers and became morose, Lord Viṣṇu appeared among them.
Both the demigods and the demons are expert in activities involving the material energy, but the demigods are devotees of the Lord, whereas the demons are just the opposite. The demigods and demons churned the ocean of milk to get nectar from it, but the demons, not being devotees of the Lord, could derive no profit. After feeding nectar to the demigods, Lord Viṣṇu returned to His abode on the back of Garuḍa, but the demons, being most aggrieved, again declared war against the demigods. Bali Mahārāja, the son of Virocana, became the commander in chief of the demons. In the beginning of the battle, the demigods prepared to defeat the demons. Indra, King of heaven, fought with Bali, and other demigods, like Vāyu, Agni and Varuṇa, fought against other leaders of the demons. In this fight the demons were defeated, and to save themselves from death they began to manifest many illusions through material maneuvers, killing many soldiers on the side of the demigods. The demigods, finding no other recourse, surrendered again to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who then appeared and counteracted all the illusions presented by the jugglery of the demons. Heroes among the demons such as Kālanemi, Mālī, Sumālī and Mālyavān fought the Supreme Personality of Godhead and were all killed by the Lord. The demigods were thus freed from all dangers.
8.10.1
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Dânavas and Daityas thus with their combined efforts of churning failed to achieve the nectar, o Ruler, because they cherished another notion of liberation in relating to Vâsudeva.
8.10.2
sādhayitvāmṛtaḿ rājan
(2) After the amrit had been generated o King, and had served as a drink to the Sura's that belonged to Him, left the Lord of all living beings, who is carried by Garuda, their presence.
8.10.3
amṛṣyamāṇā utpetur
devān pratyudyatāyudhāḥ
(3) Seeing how their rivals enjoyed the best of opulence was something intolerable to all the sons of Diti, and so raised they their weapons for march against the godly.
8.10.4
sudhayā pītayaidhitāḥ
pratisaḿyuyudhuḥ śastrair
nārāyaṇa-padāśrayāḥ
(4) The godly who had found new strength from drinking the nectar, thereupon from their side, from the refuge of Nârâyana's feet, raised their weapons to defend themselves.
8.10.5
rodhasy udanvato rājaḿs
tumulo roma-harṣaṇaḥ
(5) There at the shore of the milk ocean was then by the gods and the demons to their honor fought a most fierce battle, o King, with a violence that made one's hair stand on end.
8.10.6
tatrānyonyaḿ sapatnās te
saḿrabdha-manaso raṇe
samāsādyāsibhir bāṇair
nijaghnur vividhāyudhaiḥ
(6) Very angry minded in that battle putting their abilities to an ultimate test, wielded they their swords, arrows and the rest of their weaponry.
There are always two kinds of men in this universe, not only on this planet but also in higher planetary systems. All the kings dominating planets like the sun and moon also have enemies like Rāhu. It is because of occasional attacks upon the sun and moon by Rāhu that eclipses take place. The fighting between the demons and demigods is perpetual; it cannot be stopped unless intelligent persons from both sides take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
8.10.7
(7) From the mass of conch shells, the trumpets, the drums, the bugles and kettledrums; of the elephants, the horses, the footsoldiers and chariotfighters all together was there a tumultuous noise.
8.10.8
rathino rathibhis tatra
hayā hayair ibhāś cebhaiḥ
(8) On the battlefield as chariotfighter against chariotfighter, infantry against infantry, cavalry against cavalry and elephantry against elephantry, fought the enemies one another on an equal basis.
8.10.9
uṣṭraiḥ kecid ibhaiḥ kecid
kecid gaura-mukhair ṛkṣair
dvīpibhir haribhir bhaṭāḥ
(9) Some rode elephants, some fought from the backs of camels and some others engaged as combatants with white- and red-faced monkeys, tigers and lions.
8.10.10-12
gṛdhraiḥ kańkair bakair anye
śyena-bhāsais timińgilaiḥ
śarabhair mahiṣaiḥ khaḍgair
go-vṛṣair gavayāruṇaiḥ
kṛkalāsaiḥ śaśair naraiḥ
sattvair vikṛta-vigrahaiḥ
senayor ubhayo rājan
viviśus te 'grato 'grataḥ
(10-12) Both parties of fighters faced one another in strange forms depending the bodies of the water, land and sea animals they took up as their vehicles: vultures, eagles, ducks, hawks, bhâsa birds; killer whales, monkeys, buffalos, rhinoceroses, cows, bulls, wild cows and red cows, jackals and rats; some took to the forms of lizards, rabbits, human beings, goats and some others entered the fight with black deer, swans and boars.
8.10.13-15
ātapatraiḥ sitāmalaiḥ
vātoddhūtottaroṣṇīṣair
arcirbhir varma-bhūṣaṇaiḥ
rejatur vīra-mālābhir
(13-15) With nicely decorated flags and canopies, o King, with spotless white parasols with precious handles full of jewels and pearls, with normal fans and peacock feather fans, with their upper and lower garments flapping in the wind, with the effulgence of their ornaments and shields and their shining, sharp and clean weapons abundantly glittering in the sunshine, looked the two bannered parties of the godly and the dânava heroes with all their garlands, o descendant of Pându, much like two oceans of aquatics.
8.10.16-18
sarva-sāńgrāmikopetaḿ
sarvāścaryamayaḿ prabho
āsthitas tad vimānāgryaḿ
sarvānīkādhipair vṛtaḥ
(16-18) Bali the son of Virocana, for the battle celebrated as the captain of the demons drove a vehicle made by Maya called Vaihâyasa ['flying in the air'] that would move wherever he desired. Fully equipped with all the necessary weapons was it inexplicably, indescribably, most wondrous, sometimes being visible and sometimes being invisible. Protected by nicely decorated umbrellas and câmaras was he, seated on that first class heavenly chariot and surrounded by all the commanders, situated as brilliant as a rising moon.
8.10.19-24
tasyāsan sarvato yānair
namuciḥ śambaro bāṇo
vipracittir ayomukhaḥ
dvimūrdhā kālanābho 'tha
prahetir hetir ilvalaḥ
śakunir bhūtasantāpo
vajradaḿṣṭro virocanaḥ
kapilo meghadundubhiḥ
tārakaś cakradṛk śumbho
niśumbho jambha utkalaḥ
ariṣṭo 'riṣṭanemiś ca
mayaś ca tripurādhipaḥ
nivātakavacādayaḥ
bahuśo nirjitāmarāḥ
(19-24) All around him there were the different vehicles of the asura commanders of the troops: Namuci, Sambara, Bâna, Vipracitti; Ayomukha, Dvimûrdhâ, Kâlanâbha and Praheti; Heti, Ilvala, S'akuni, Bhûtasantâpa, Vajradamshthra, and Virocana; Hayagrîva, S'ankus'irâ, Kapila, Meghadundubhi, Târaka, Cakradrik, S'umbha, Nis'umbha, Jambha and Utkala; Arishtha, Arishthanemi, Maya, Tripurâdhipa and the other sons of Puloma and the Kâleyas, of Nivâtakavaca and all others who were unable to get a share of the nectar. Only having had the burden were they all, taking the front with all they had, now in great trouble, roaring as lions and blowing their conch shells in the greatest tumult. When Balabhit ['fear of strength', Lord Indra] saw his ferocious rivals got he greatly incensed.
8.10.25
udayādrim ahar-patiḥ
(25) Mounted on Airâvata his carrier elephant was Indra as beautiful to behold as the sun shining over Udayagiri's cascades.
8.10.26
tasyāsan sarvato devā
lokapālāḥ saha-gaṇair
vāyv-agni-varuṇādayaḥ
(26) Around him had all the gods with banner and weapon taken positions with their carriers: all the leaders of the higher worlds and the demigods of the air, of fire and of water.
8.10.27
te 'nyonyam abhisaḿsṛtya
kṣipanto marmabhir mithaḥ
āhvayanto viśanto 'gre
(27) Having come forward chided the combatants face to face one another as painful to the heart as they could and fought they, drawing near, two by two their battle.
8.10.28
tārakeṇa guho 'syata
varuṇo hetināyudhyan
(28) Bali fought Indra, Târaka fought Kârttikeya, Varuna engaged with Heti, and Mitra, o King fought with Praheti.
8.10.29
yamas tu kālanābhena
(29) Yamarâja did so with Kâlanâbha, Vis'vakarmâ tried Maya, Tvashthâ fought Sambara, and Savitrâ contested Virocana.
8.10.30-31
aparājitena namucir
sūryo bali-sutair devo
(30-31) Aparâjita fought Namuci, the two As'vinî-kumâras fought with Vrishaparvâ, the demigod Surya fought the hundred sons of Bali who were lead by Bâna, Soma [the moongod] fought Râhu, Anila [god of the air] fought Puloma and the extremely powerful goddess Bhadra Kâlî [Durgâ] waged against S'umbha and Nis'umbha.
8.10.32-34
utkalo mātṛbhiḥ saha
bṛhaspatiś cośanasā
maruto nivātakavacaiḥ
kāleyair vasavo 'marāḥ
viśvedevās tu paulomai
(32-34) Vrishâkapi [S'iva] fought with Jambha and Vibhâvasu, the fire god, fought with Mahishâsura and Ilvala with his brother Vâtâpi fought the sons of Brahmâ, o suppressor of the enemies. Durmarsha fought with Kâmadeva [Cupid], Utkala with the Mâtrikâ goddesses, Brihaspati opposed S'ukrâcârya and S'ani [Saturn] fought with Narakâsura. De Maruts fought with Nivâtakavaca, the Vasus contested the Kâlakeyas, the Vis'vedevas tried the Paulomas and the Rudras waged against the Krodhavas'as.
8.10.35
(35) All of the ruling Sura's and Asuras this way mixed in pairs engaged in fighting on the battlefield and waging with great strength they slashed one another earnestly with their sharp arrows, metal and lances in desiring the victory.
8.10.36
bhuśuṇḍibhiś cakra-gadarṣṭi-paṭṭiśaiḥ
(36) With fire weapons, discs, clubs, spears, pikes, firebrands, barbed missiles, mystic curses, swords, lances, iron bludgeons, mallets and slings were they cutting off each other's heads.
8.10.37
gajās turańgāḥ sarathāḥ padātayaḥ
nikṛtta-bāhūru-śirodharāńghrayaś
(37) The elephants, horses and chariots, foot soldiers and all the types of riders with their carriers were slashed to pieces. Arms, thighs, necks and legs were severed, and flags, bows, armor and ornaments were shredded.
8.10.38
nyavartatāsṛk-srutibhiḥ pariplutāt
(38) Of their violent trampling and rambling rose the dust of the field high in the sky up to the sun in every direction and rained its particles down heavy of the blood splattered all over.
The cloud of dust covered the entire horizon, but when drops of blood sprayed up as far as the sun, the dust cloud could no longer float in the sky. A point to be observed here is that although the blood is stated to have reached the sun, it is not said to have reached the moon. Apparently, therefore, as stated elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the sun, not the moon, is the planet nearest the earth. We have already discussed this point in many places. The sun is first, then the moon, then Mars, Jupiter and so on. The sun is supposed to be 93,000,000 miles above the surface of the earth, and from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the sun. Therefore the distance between the earth and the moon would be about 95,000,000 miles. So if a space capsule were traveling at the speed of 18,000 miles per hour, how could it reach the moon in four days? At that speed, going to the moon would take at least seven months. That a space capsule on a moon excursion has reached the moon in four days is therefore impossible.
8.10.39
(39) And so was the field there strewn with severed heads complete with helmets and earrings, angry eyes and bitten lips and lay scattered like elephant trunks legs and ornamented arms which severed still held the weapons.
8.10.40
kabandhās tatra cotpetuḥ
udyatāyudha-dordaṇḍair
(40) With the eyes of their own heads could the soldiers fallen there still see the trunks and raised arms with weapons coming after them on the battlefield.
It appears that the heroes who died on the battlefield immediately became ghosts, and although their heads had been severed from their bodies, new trunks were generated, and these new trunks, seeing with the eyes in the severed heads, began to attack the enemy. In other words, many ghosts were generated to join the fight, and thus new trunks appeared on the battlefield.
8.10.41
balir mahendraḿ daśabhis
tribhir airāvataḿ śaraiḥ
caturbhiś caturo vāhān
ekenāroham ārcchayat
(41) Bali attacked the great Indra with ten arrows, Airâvata, his carrier with three arrows, his four guardians [soldiers on horseback] with four arrows and the driver of the elephant with one.
The word vāhān refers to the soldiers on horseback who protected the legs of the carrier elephants. According to the system of military arrangement, the legs of the elephant bearing the commander were also protected.
8.10.42
ciccheda niśitair bhallair
asamprāptān hasann iva
(42) Indra skilled, in a quick response, immediately cut the arrows rushing towards him in pieces with a different type of very sharp arrows and smiled about the enemy not reaching him.
8.10.43
tāḿ jvalantīḿ maholkābhāḿ
(43) Observing what a martial expert he was took he enraged the s'akti weapon up but with the torch of blazing fire still in his hand was it shattered by Indra.
8.10.44
tatas tomaram ṛṣṭayaḥ
yad yac chastraḿ samādadyāt
(44) When next the lance, the barbed missile, the javelin, the sword and whatever more was tried, were they all cut to pieces by the mighty one.
8.10.45
sasarjāthāsurīḿ māyām
antardhāna-gato 'suraḥ
tataḥ prādurabhūc chailaḥ
surānīkopari prabho
(45) O master of men, now was released a demoniac illusion to which the Asura vanished from sight and a huge mountain appeared towering over the heads of the sura warriors.
8.10.46
tato nipetus taravo
dahyamānā davāgninā
śilāḥ saṭańka-śikharāś
cūrṇayantyo dviṣad-balam
(46) Big snakes, scorpions and other poisonous creatures came down to crush them as also lions, tigers, boars and great elephants.
8.10.47
mahoragāḥ samutpetur
dandaśūkāḥ savṛścikāḥ
(47) Big trees ablaze in a forest fire came down from it and sharp pointed stones to destroy the enemy army.
8.10.48
chindhi bhindhīti vādinyas
(48) Hundreds and hundreds of stark naked carnivorous demonesses, o Ruler, each holding a trident, yelled 'Pierce them, cut them to pieces' and such.
8.10.49
ańgārān mumucur vātair
(49) Next were big, deeply rumbling clouds seen in the sky releasing embers, accompanied by strong tormenting winds and claps of thunder.
8.10.50
sṛṣṭo daityena sumahān
sāḿvartaka ivātyugro
(50) The Daitya created a huge terrifying conflagration resembling Sâmvartaka [the fire at the end of time] that was carried by the blasting wind to burn the warriors of wisdom.
8.10.51
pracaṇḍa-vātair uddhūta-
tarańgāvarta-bhīṣaṇaḥ
(51) Thereafter appeared, for everyone to see, a sea agitated all over with waves blown up by the wind into a formidable whirlpool.
8.10.52
(52) Thus lost the sura warriors, daunted by the creation of the illusory atmosphere as was presented by the invisible Daityas, those experts in the illusion, their courage to fight.
8.10.53
vidur indrādayo nṛpa
(53) Empty-handed not knowing how to respond to that countering force, o King, meditated the followers of Indra for the Supreme Lord, the Creator of the Universe, to appear there.
8.10.54
adṛśyatāṣṭāyudha-bāhur ullasac-
chrī-kaustubhānarghya-kirīṭa-kuṇḍalaḥ
(54) He with the yellow dress and the lotuspetal eyes, whose feet rest upon the shoulders of Garuda, then became visible with His eight arms and weapons, the Goddess of Fortune and His invaluable Kaustubha gem, His helmet and His earrings brilliantly exhibited.
8.10.55
(55) The moment He appeared were, by the superior power of the Greatest of the Great, immediately the illusory manifestations from the false works of the Asura curbed, indeed the way it happens with dreams when one wakes up; all dangers are vanquished when the remembrance of the Lord has returned.
8.10.56
(56) When the demon Kâlanemi who engaged with the enemy of the elephants [the lion] saw Him on the battlefield who was carried by Garuda, threw he a whirling trident at Him, but just as easy was it, as it came down upon Garuda's head, seized and was the enemy together with his carrier with the same weapon killed by the Lord of the Three Worlds.
8.10.57
tāvac chiro 'cchinad arer nadato 'riṇādyaḥ
(57) The very powerful Mâlî and Sumâlî fell in the battle with their heads severed by His cakra after which the enemy Mâlyavân followed the same fate of having his head severed by the disc of the Original Personality the moment he, with a pointy club and roaring like a lion, tried to attack the king of the birds [Garuda].
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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