Brahmashira (Divine Weapon)

Seeing this missile

assembled and aimed,

With the dreadful white-mouth

drawn and ready,

All living things

of every kind,

All animals and plants

between Earth and Heaven

Grew terrified

and turned their backs,

And fled with loud cries

into the foliage to hide.

Trees with their boughs

trembled and tossed,

The winds ran wild

and whirled about.

It touched the world’s helm

with terrible flames

And blazed in a sphere

of blinding splendor.

All furred and feathered

were filled with dread;

All green and growing

groaned in terror.

All the Heavens blazed

for our heroes’ sake,

All the roads were alight

for the rescuers’ discomfort:

Clouds rang out countless clamors;

Stones fell from Heaven,

and the star-road trembled.

The three worlds

were lit by a thousand suns;

All the welkin filled

with woeful noise.

The breeze-way

was hidden by a blinding blaze, 

and linden-light shone

over land and wave.

The winds’-way trembled,

the wide-path shook;

Streams churned,

stones shuddered.

The weeds of the hills

were warped out of shape;

Branches quivered,

boles were broken.

Thunder crashed,

winds thrown together;

The broad ground blazed

with a blinding radiance.

The canopy shook,

and canted awry;

Willowy boughs

tossed wildly in the whirl. 

Birds and beasts

fled blindly away;

Earth and air filled

with echoes of their cries.

All creatures cowered

from that crackling light,

The fiery javelin,

fearsome to all.