From Chapter 17 of Canto 3: The Status Quo (verses 1 to 31)
SB 3.17: Victory of Hiraṇyākṣa Over All the Directions of the Universe
maitreya uvāca
niśamyātma-bhuvā gītaṁ
kāraṇaṁ śaṅkayojjhitāḥ
tataḥ sarve nyavartanta
tridivāya divaukasaḥ
Word for word:
maitreyaḥ — the sage Maitreya; uvāca — said; niśamya — upon hearing; ātma-bhuvā — by Brahmā; gītam — explanation; kāraṇam — the cause; śaṅkayā — from fear;ujjhitāḥ — freed; tataḥ — then; sarve — all; nyavartanta— returned; tri-divāya — to the heavenly planets; diva-okasaḥ — the demigods (who inhabit the higher planets).
Translation:
Śrī Maitreya said: The demigods, the inhabitants of the higher planets, were freed from all fear upon hearing the cause of the darkness explained by Brahmā, who was born from Viṣṇu. Thus they all returned to their respective planets.
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ditis tu bhartur ādeśād
apatya-pariśaṅkinī
pūrṇe varṣa-śate sādhvī
putrau prasuṣuve yamau
Word for word:
ditiḥ — Diti; tu — but; bhartuḥ — of her husband; ādeśāt— by the order; apatya — from her children; pariśaṅkinī— being apprehensive of trouble; pūrṇe — full; varṣa-śate— after one hundred years; sādhvī — the virtuous lady;putrau — two sons; prasuṣuve — begot; yamau — twins.
Translation:
The virtuous lady Diti had been very apprehensive of trouble to the gods from the children in her womb, and her husband predicted the same. She brought forth twin sons after a full one hundred years of pregnancy.
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utpātā bahavas tatra
nipetur jāyamānayoḥ
divi bhuvy antarikṣe ca
lokasyoru-bhayāvahāḥ
Word for word:
utpātāḥ — natural disturbances; bahavaḥ — many; tatra — there; nipetuḥ — occurred; jāyamānayoḥ — on their birth;divi — in the heavenly planets; bhuvi — on the earth;antarikṣe — in outer space; ca — and; lokasya — to the world; uru — greatly; bhaya-āvahāḥ — causing fear.
Translation:
On the birth of the two demons there were many natural disturbances, all very fearful and wonderful, in the heavenly planets, the earthly planets and in between them.
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sahācalā bhuvaś celur
diśaḥ sarvāḥ prajajvaluḥ
solkāś cāśanayaḥ petuḥ
ketavaś cārti-hetavaḥ
Word for word:
saha — along with; acalāḥ — the mountains; bhuvaḥ — of the earth; celuḥ — shook; diśaḥ — directions; sarvāḥ — all; prajajvaluḥ — blazed like fire; sa — with; ulkāḥ — meteors; ca — and; aśanayaḥ — thunderbolts; petuḥ — fell; ketavaḥ — comets; ca — and; ārti-hetavaḥ — the cause of all inauspiciousness.
Translation:
There were earthquakes along the mountains on the earth, and it appeared that there was fire everywhere. Many inauspicious planets like Saturn appeared, along with comets, meteors and thunderbolts.
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vavau vāyuḥ suduḥsparśaḥ
phūt-kārān īrayan muhuḥ
unmūlayan naga-patīn
vātyānīko rajo-dhvajaḥ
Word for word:
vavau — blew; vāyuḥ — the winds; su-duḥsparśaḥ — unpleasant to touch; phūt-kārān — hissing sounds; īrayan— giving out; muhuḥ — again and again; unmūlayan — uprooting; naga-patīn — gigantic trees; vātyā — cyclonic air; anīkaḥ — armies; rajaḥ — dust; dhvajaḥ — ensigns.
Translation:
There blew winds which were most uninviting to the touch, hissing again and again and uprooting gigantic trees. They had storms for their armies and clouds of dust for their ensigns.
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uddhasat-taḍid-ambhoda-
ghaṭayā naṣṭa-bhāgaṇe
vyomni praviṣṭa-tamasā
na sma vyādṛśyate padam
Word for word:
uddhasat — laughing loudly; taḍit — lightning; ambhoda— of clouds; ghaṭayā — by masses; naṣṭa — lost; bhā-gaṇe — the luminaries; vyomni — in the sky; praviṣṭa — enveloped; tamasā — by darkness; na — not; smavyādṛśyate — could be seen; padam — any place.
Translation:
The luminaries in the heavens were screened by masses of clouds, in which lightning sometimes flashed as though laughing. Darkness reigned everywhere, and nothing could be seen.
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cukrośa vimanā vārdhir
udūrmiḥ kṣubhitodaraḥ
sodapānāś ca saritaś
cukṣubhuḥ śuṣka-paṅkajāḥ
Word for word:
cukrośa — wailed aloud; vimanāḥ — stricken with sorrow;vārdhiḥ — the ocean; udūrmiḥ — high waves; kṣubhita — agitated; udaraḥ — the creatures inside; sa-udapānāḥ — with the drinking water of the lakes and the wells; ca — and; saritaḥ — the rivers; cukṣubhuḥ — were agitated;śuṣka — withered; paṅkajāḥ — lotus flowers.
Translation:
The ocean with its high waves wailed aloud as if stricken with sorrow, and there was a commotion among the creatures inhabiting the ocean. The rivers and lakes were also agitated, and lotuses withered.
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muhuḥ paridhayo ’bhūvan
sarāhvoḥ śaśi-sūryayoḥ
nirghātā ratha-nirhrādā
vivarebhyaḥ prajajñire
Word for word:
muhuḥ — again and again; paridhayaḥ — misty halos;abhūvan — appeared; sa-rāhvoḥ — during eclipses; śaśi — of the moon; sūryayoḥ — of the sun; nirghātāḥ — claps of thunder; ratha-nirhrādāḥ — sounds like those of rattling chariots; vivarebhyaḥ — from the mountain caves;prajajñire — were produced.
Translation:
Misty halos appeared around the sun and the moon during solar and lunar eclipses again and again. Claps of thunder were heard even without clouds, and sounds like those of rattling chariots emerged from the mountain caves.
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antar-grāmeṣu mukhato
vamantyo vahnim ulbaṇam
sṛgālolūka-ṭaṅkāraiḥ
praṇedur aśivaṁ śivāḥ
Word for word:
antaḥ — in the interior; grāmeṣu — in the villages;mukhataḥ — from their mouths; vamantyaḥ — vomiting;vahnim — fire; ulbaṇam — fearful; sṛgāla — jackals; ulūka— owls; ṭaṅkāraiḥ — with their cries; praṇeduḥ — created their respective vibrations; aśivam — portentously; śivāḥ — the she-jackals.
Translation:
In the interior of the villages she-jackals yelled portentously, vomiting strong fire from their mouths, and jackals and owls also joined them with their cries.
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saṅgītavad rodanavad
unnamayya śirodharām
vyamuñcan vividhā vāco
grāma-siṁhās tatas tataḥ
Word for word:
saṅgīta-vat — like singing; rodana-vat — like wailing;unnamayya — raising; śirodharām — the neck; vyamuñcan— uttered; vividhāḥ — various; vācaḥ — cries; grāma-siṁhāḥ — the dogs; tataḥ tataḥ — here and there.
Translation:
Raising their necks, dogs cried here and there, now in the manner of singing and now of wailing.
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kharāś ca karkaśaiḥ kṣattaḥ
khurair ghnanto dharā-talam
khārkāra-rabhasā mattāḥ
paryadhāvan varūthaśaḥ
Word for word:
kharāḥ — asses; ca — and; karkaśaiḥ — hard; kṣattaḥ — O Vidura; khuraiḥ — with their hooves; ghnantaḥ — striking; dharā-talam — the surface of the earth; khāḥ-kāra— braying; rabhasāḥ — wildly engaged in; mattāḥ — mad;paryadhāvan — ran hither and thither; varūthaśaḥ — in herds.
Translation:
O Vidura, the asses ran hither and thither in herds, striking the earth with their hard hooves and wildly braying.
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rudanto rāsabha-trastā
nīḍād udapatan khagāḥ
ghoṣe ’raṇye ca paśavaḥ
śakṛn-mūtram akurvata
Word for word:
rudantaḥ — shrieking; rāsabha — by the asses; trastāḥ — frightened; nīḍāt — from the nest; udapatan — flew up;khagāḥ — birds; ghoṣe — in the cowshed; araṇye — in the woods; ca — and; paśavaḥ — the cattle; śakṛt — dung;mūtram — urine; akurvata — passed.
Translation:
Frightened by the braying of the asses, birds flew shrieking from their nests, while cattle in the cowsheds as well as in the woods passed dung and urine.
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gāvo ’trasann asṛg-dohās
toyadāḥ pūya-varṣiṇaḥ
vyarudan deva-liṅgāni
drumāḥ petur vinānilam
Word for word:
gāvaḥ — the cows; atrasan — were frightened; asṛk — blood; dohāḥ — yielding; toyadāḥ — clouds; pūya — pus;varṣiṇaḥ — raining; vyarudan — shed tears; deva-liṅgāni— the images of the gods; drumāḥ — trees; petuḥ — fell down; vinā — without; anilam — a blast of wind.
Translation:
Cows, terrified, yielded blood in place of milk, clouds rained pus, the images of the gods in the temples shed tears, and trees fell down without a blast of wind.
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grahān puṇyatamān anye
bhagaṇāṁś cāpi dīpitāḥ
aticerur vakra-gatyā
yuyudhuś ca parasparam
Word for word:
grahān — planets; puṇya-tamān — most auspicious; anye— others (the ominous planets); bha-gaṇān — luminaries;ca — and; api — also; dīpitāḥ — illuminating; aticeruḥ — overlapped; vakra-gatyā — taking retrograde courses;yuyudhuḥ — came into conflict; ca — and; paraḥ-param — with one another.
Translation:
Ominous planets such as Mars and Saturn shone brighter and surpassed the auspicious ones such as Mercury, Jupiter and Venus as well as a number of lunar mansions. Taking seemingly retrograde courses, the planets came in conflict with one another.
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dṛṣṭvānyāṁś ca mahotpātān
atat-tattva-vidaḥ prajāḥ
brahma-putrān ṛte bhītā
menire viśva-samplavam
Word for word:
dṛṣṭvā — having seen; anyān — others; ca — and; mahā— great; utpātān — evil omens; a-tat-tattva-vidaḥ — not knowing the secret (of the portents); prajāḥ — people;brahma-putrān — the sons of Brahmā (the four Kumāras);ṛte — except; bhītāḥ — being fearful; menire — thought;viśva-samplavam — the dissolution of the universe.
Translation:
Marking these and many other omens of evil times, everyone but the four sage sons of Brahmā, who were aware of the fall of Jaya and Vijaya and of their birth as Diti’s sons, was seized with fear. They did not know the secrets of these portents and thought that the dissolution of the universe was at hand.
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tāv ādi-daityau sahasā
vyajyamānātma-pauruṣau
vavṛdhāte ’śma-sāreṇa
kāyenādri-patī iva
Word for word:
tau — those two; ādi-daityau — demons in the beginning of creation; sahasā — quickly; vyajyamāna — being manifest; ātma — own; pauruṣau — prowess; vavṛdhāte— grew; aśma-sāreṇa — steel-like; kāyena — with bodily frames; adri-patī — two great mountains; iva — like.
Translation:
These two demons who appeared in ancient times soon began to exhibit uncommon bodily features; they had steel-like frames which began to grow just like two great mountains.
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divi-spṛśau hema-kirīṭa-koṭibhir
niruddha-kāṣṭhau sphurad-aṅgadā-bhujau
gāṁ kampayantau caraṇaiḥ pade pade
kaṭyā sukāñcyārkam atītya tasthatuḥ
Word for word:
divi-spṛśau — touching the sky; hema — golden; kirīṭa — of their helmets; koṭibhiḥ — with the crests; niruddha — blocked; kāṣṭhau — the directions; sphurat — brilliant;aṅgadā — bracelets; bhujau — on whose arms; gām — the earth; kampayantau — shaking; caraṇaiḥ — with their feet;pade pade — at every step; kaṭyā — with their waists; su-kāñcyā — with beautiful decorated belts; arkam — the sun;atītya — surpassing; tasthatuḥ — they stood.
Translation:
Their bodies became so tall that they seemed to kiss the sky with the crests of their gold crowns. They blocked the view of all directions and while walking shook the earth at every step. Their arms were adorned with brilliant bracelets, and they stood as if covering the sun with their waists, which were bound with excellent and beautiful girdles.
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prajāpatir nāma tayor akārṣīd
yaḥ prāk sva-dehād yamayor ajāyata
taṁ vai hiraṇyakaśipuṁ viduḥ prajā
yaṁ taṁ hiraṇyākṣam asūta sāgrataḥ
Word for word:
prajāpatiḥ — Kaśyapa; nāma — names; tayoḥ — of the two; akārṣīt — gave; yaḥ — who; prāk — first; sva-dehāt— from his body; yamayoḥ — of the twins; ajāyata — was delivered; tam — him; vai — indeed; hiraṇyakaśipum — Hiraṇyakaśipu; viduḥ — know; prajāḥ — people; yam — whom; tam — him; hiraṇyākṣam — Hiraṇyākṣa; asūta — gave birth to; sā — she (Diti); agrataḥ — first.
Translation:
Prajāpati Kaśyapa, the creator of the living entities, gave his twin sons their names; the one who was born first he named Hiraṇyākṣa, and the one who was first conceived by Diti he named Hiraṇyakaśipu.
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cakre hiraṇyakaśipur
dorbhyāṁ brahma-vareṇa ca
vaśe sa-pālāḻ lokāṁs trīn
akuto-mṛtyur uddhataḥ
Word for word:
cakre — made; hiraṇyakaśipuḥ — Hiraṇyakaśipu;dorbhyām — by his two arms; brahma-vareṇa — by the benediction of Brahmā; ca — and; vaśe — under his control; sa-pālān — along with their protectors; lokān — the worlds; trīn — three; akutaḥ-mṛtyuḥ — fearing death from no one; uddhataḥ — puffed up.
Translation:
The elder child, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was unafraid of death from anyone within the three worlds because he received a benediction from Lord Brahmā. He was proud and puffed up due to this benediction and was able to bring all three planetary systems under his control.
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hiraṇyākṣo ’nujas tasya
priyaḥ prīti-kṛd anvaham
gadā-pāṇir divaṁ yāto
yuyutsur mṛgayan raṇam
Word for word:
hiraṇyākṣaḥ — Hiraṇyākṣa; anujaḥ — younger brother;tasya — his; priyaḥ — beloved; prīti-kṛt — ready to please;anu-aham — every day; gadā-pāṇiḥ — with a club in hand;divam — to the higher planets; yātaḥ — traveled; yuyutsuḥ— desirous to fight; mṛgayan — seeking; raṇam — combat.
Translation:
His younger brother, Hiraṇyākṣa, was always ready to satisfy his elder brother by his activities. Hiraṇyākṣa took a club on his shoulder and traveled all over the universe with a fighting spirit just to satisfy Hiraṇyakaśipu.
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taṁ vīkṣya duḥsaha-javaṁ
raṇat-kāñcana-nūpuram
vaijayantyā srajā juṣṭam
aṁsa-nyasta-mahā-gadam
Word for word:
tam — him; vīkṣya — having seen; duḥsaha — difficult to control; javam — temper; raṇat — tinkling; kāñcana — gold; nūpuram — anklets; vaijayantyā srajā — with a vaijayantī garland; juṣṭam — adorned; aṁsa — on his shoulder; nyasta — rested; mahā-gadam — a huge mace.
Translation:
Hiraṇyākṣa’s temper was difficult to control. He had anklets of gold tinkling about his feet, he was adorned with a gigantic garland, and he rested his huge mace on one of his shoulders.
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mano-vīrya-varotsiktam
asṛṇyam akuto-bhayam
bhītā nililyire devās
tārkṣya-trastā ivāhayaḥ
Word for word:
manaḥ-vīrya — by mental and bodily strength; vara — by the boon; utsiktam — proud; asṛṇyam — not able to be checked; akutaḥ-bhayam — fearing no one; bhītāḥ — frightened; nililyire — hid themselves; devāḥ — the demigods; tārkṣya — Garuḍa; trastāḥ — frightened of; iva— like; ahayaḥ — snakes.
Translation:
His mental and bodily strength as well as the boon conferred upon him had made him proud. He feared death at the hands of no one, and there was no checking him. The gods, therefore, were seized with fear at his very sight, and they hid themselves even as snakes hide themselves for fear of Garuḍa.
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sa vai tirohitān dṛṣṭvā
mahasā svena daitya-rāṭ
sendrān deva-gaṇān kṣībān
apaśyan vyanadad bhṛśam
Word for word:
saḥ — he; vai — indeed; tirohitān — vanished; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; mahasā — by might; svena — his own;daitya-rāṭ — the chief of the Daityas (demons); sa-indrān— along with Indra; deva-gaṇān — the demigods; kṣībān— intoxicated; apaśyan — not finding; vyanadat — roared;bhṛśam — loudly.
Translation:
On not finding Indra and the other demigods, who had previously been intoxicated with power, the chief of the Daityas, seeing that they had all vanished before his might, roared loudly.
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tato nivṛttaḥ krīḍiṣyan
gambhīraṁ bhīma-nisvanam
vijagāhe mahā-sattvo
vārdhiṁ matta iva dvipaḥ
Word for word:
tataḥ — then; nivṛttaḥ — returned; krīḍiṣyan — for the sake of sport; gambhīram — deep; bhīma-nisvanam — making a terrible sound; vijagāhe — dived; mahā-sattvaḥ— the mighty being; vārdhim — in the ocean; mattaḥ — in wrath; iva — like; dvipaḥ — an elephant.
Translation:
After returning from the heavenly kingdom, the mighty demon, who was like an elephant in wrath, for the sake of sport dived into the deep ocean, which was roaring terribly.
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tasmin praviṣṭe varuṇasya sainikā
yādo-gaṇāḥ sanna-dhiyaḥ sasādhvasāḥ
ahanyamānā api tasya varcasā
pradharṣitā dūrataraṁ pradudruvuḥ
Word for word:
tasmin praviṣṭe — when he entered the ocean; varuṇasya— of Varuṇa; sainikāḥ — the defenders; yādaḥ-gaṇāḥ — the aquatic animals; sanna-dhiyaḥ — depressed; sa-sādhvasāḥ — with fear; ahanyamānāḥ — not being hit; api— even; tasya — his; varcasā — by splendor;pradharṣitāḥ — stricken; dūra-taram — far away;pradudruvuḥ — they ran fast.
Translation:
On his entering the ocean, the aquatic animals who formed the host of Varuṇa were stricken with fear and ran far away. Thus Hiraṇyākṣa showed his splendor without dealing a blow.
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sa varṣa-pūgān udadhau mahā-balaś
caran mahormīñ chvasaneritān muhuḥ
maurvyābhijaghne gadayā vibhāvarīm
āsedivāṁs tāta purīṁ pracetasaḥ
Word for word:
saḥ — he; varṣa-pūgān — for many years; udadhau — in the ocean; mahā-balaḥ — mighty; caran — moving; mahā-ūrmīn — gigantic waves; śvasana — by the wind; īritān — tossed; muhuḥ — again and again; maurvyā — iron;abhijaghne — he struck; gadayā — with his mace;vibhāvarīm — Vibhāvarī; āsedivān — reached; tāta — O dear Vidura; purīm — the capital; pracetasaḥ — of Varuṇa.
Translation:
Moving about in the ocean for many, many years, the mighty Hiraṇyākṣa smote the gigantic wind-tossed waves again and again with his iron mace and reached Vibhāvarī, the capital of Varuṇa.
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tatropalabhyāsura-loka-pālakaṁ
yādo-gaṇānām ṛṣabhaṁ pracetasam
smayan pralabdhuṁ praṇipatya nīcavaj
jagāda me dehy adhirāja saṁyugam
Word for word:
tatra — there; upalabhya — having reached; asura-loka — of the regions where the demons reside; pālakam — the guardian; yādaḥ-gaṇānām — of the aquatic creatures;ṛṣabham — the lord; pracetasam — Varuṇa; smayan — smiling; pralabdhum — to make fun; praṇipatya — having bowed down; nīca-vat — like a lowborn man; jagāda — he said; me — to me; dehi — give; adhirāja — O great lord;saṁyugam — battle.
Translation:
Vibhāvarī is the home of Varuṇa, lord of the aquatic creatures and guardian of the lower regions of the universe, where the demons generally reside. There Hiraṇyākṣa fell at Varuṇa’s feet like a lowborn man, and to make fun of him he said with a smile, “Give me battle, O Supreme Lord!”
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tvaṁ loka-pālo ’dhipatir bṛhac-chravā
vīryāpaho durmada-vīra-māninām
vijitya loke ’khila-daitya-dānavān
yad rājasūyena purāyajat prabho
Word for word:
tvam — you (Varuṇa); loka-pālaḥ — guardian of the planet; adhipatiḥ — a ruler; bṛhat-śravāḥ — of wide fame;vīrya — the power; apahaḥ — diminished; durmada — of the proud; vīra-māninām — thinking themselves very big heroes; vijitya — having conquered; loke — in the world;akhila — all; daitya — the demons; dānavān — the Dānavas; yat — whence; rāja-sūyena — with a Rājasūya sacrifice; purā — formerly; ayajat — worshiped; prabho — O lord.
Translation:
You are the guardian of an entire sphere and a ruler of wide fame. Having crushed the might of arrogant and conceited warriors and having conquered all the Daityas and Dānavas in the world, you once performed a Rājasūya sacrifice to the Lord.
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sa evam utsikta-madena vidviṣā
dṛḍhaṁ pralabdho bhagavān apāṁ patiḥ
roṣaṁ samutthaṁ śamayan svayā dhiyā
vyavocad aṅgopaśamaṁ gatā vayam
Word for word:
saḥ — Varuṇa; evam — thus; utsikta — puffed up; madena— with vanity; vidviṣā — by the enemy; dṛḍham — deeply;pralabdhaḥ — mocked; bhagavān — worshipful; apām — of the waters; patiḥ — the lord; roṣam — anger; samuttham— sprung up; śamayan — controlling; svayā dhiyā — by his reason; vyavocat — he replied; aṅga — O dear one;upaśamam — desisting from warfare; gatāḥ — gone;vayam — we.
Translation:
Thus mocked by an enemy whose vanity knew no bounds, the worshipful lord of the waters waxed angry, but by dint of his reason he managed to curb the anger that had sprung up in him, and he replied: O dear one, we have now desisted from warfare, having grown too old for combat.
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paśyāmi nānyaṁ puruṣāt purātanād
yaḥ saṁyuge tvāṁ raṇa-mārga-kovidam
ārādhayiṣyaty asurarṣabhehi taṁ
manasvino yaṁ gṛṇate bhavādṛśāḥ
Word for word:
paśyāmi — I see; na — not; anyam — other; puruṣāt — than the person; purātanāt — most ancient; yaḥ — who;saṁyuge — in battle; tvām — to you; raṇa-mārga — in the tactics of war; kovidam — very much skilled; ārādhayiṣyati— will give satisfaction; asura-ṛṣabha — O chief of the asuras; ihi — approach; tam — Him; manasvinaḥ — heroes; yam — whom; gṛṇate — praise; bhavādṛśāḥ — like you.
Translation:
You are so skilled in war that I do not see anyone else but the most ancient person, Lord Viṣṇu, who can give satisfaction in battle to you. Therefore, O chief of the asuras, approach Him, whom even heroes like you mention with praise.
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taṁ vīram ārād abhipadya vismayaḥ
śayiṣyase vīra-śaye śvabhir vṛtaḥ
yas tvad-vidhānām asatāṁ praśāntaye
rūpāṇi dhatte sad-anugrahecchayā
Word for word:
tam — Him; vīram — the great hero; ārāt — quickly;abhipadya — on reaching; vismayaḥ — rid of pride;śayiṣyase — you will lie down; vīraśaye — on the battlefield; śvabhiḥ — by dogs; vṛtaḥ — surrounded; yaḥ— He who; tvat-vidhānām — like you; asatām — of wicked persons; praśāntaye — for the extermination;rūpāṇi — forms; dhatte — He assumes; sat — to the virtuous; anugraha — to show His grace; icchayā — with a desire.
Translation:
Varuṇa continued: On reaching Him you will be rid of your pride at once and will lie down on the field of battle, surrounded by dogs, for eternal sleep. It is in order to exterminate wicked fellows like you and to show His grace to the virtuous that He assumes His various incarnations like Varāha.
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