Chapter 74 - The Slaying of Tripura’s Son

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vyāsa said:

1. The son of Tripura mounted upon a chariot to which four horses were yoked and which resembled the sun in lustre and said (these) words to the lord of the Gaṇas (i.e. Gaṇeśa):

2. “O lord of the Gaṇas, since your father killed my father, therefore, I shall today take your father to Yama’s abode (i.e. shall kill him) with arrows.”

3-6a. Then Gaṇesa said to that son of Tripura: “Formerly your wicked father did a great sinful deed, detrimental to the gods. My father heard it. Knowing about your wicked father engaged in a sinful act, my father, with (i.e. using his) strength, killed him with an arrow. He has been emancipated from sin and delusion and is sent to Yama’s abode. O demon, here, in a moment, I shall send you along the same path.”

6b-7a. (The demon) struck with ten arrows resembling the fire at the end of the world, the lord of Gaṇas who spoke thus, and who was very intelligent among the gods.

7b-8. Then (Gaṇesa) hit with force the demon with thousands of arrows, with arrows like the staff of Yama, with arrows with sharp horse-shoe-shaped heads, with heron-feathered arrows, and very sharp arrows resembling the fire of the thunderbolt.

9-10a. The pot-bellied (god, i.e. Gaṇeśa) adored by gods also cut off his arrows. He again struck him with force with arrows resembling a thunderbolt. With his entire body hurt with arrows, he fell down on the ground in a swoon.

10b-11. Then (the demons) Bhadra, Saubhadra, Bhīṣaṇa and Nirjarāntaka, taking their maces rushed at Gaṇeśa. They struck the lord of the Gaṇas simultaneously with the strokes of their maces.

12-14. Smartly he rendered useless the strokes of their maces and with his axe he hit Bhadraka on his head. Then he first struck down Nirjarāntaka with a sword. Heramba (i.e. Gaṇeśa) having struck down the four heads of the (demons’) troops who resembled great mountains, also struck down other enemies.

15-16. Then the best demon, Tripura’s son, regained consciousness, mounted upon his own chariot and struck the best god (i.e. Gaṇeśa) with crescent-shaped arrows, with arrows with sharp horse-shoe-shaped heads and with spears. The virtuous one cut them off, and again struck him with arrows.

17-18. With four arrows he struck down his horses, with one arrow he struck down his charioteer, and with arrows he struck down on the grounds the chiefs of the troops. The son of Tripura quickly went to another chariot and pierced the lord of the Gaṇas with arrows resembling the thunderbolt.

19-20. With his body moistened with blood, the son of Śiva (i.e. Gaṇeśa) whose terrible power was like that of Yama, and who was very angry, pierced him on his forehead with three arrows, between his breasts with seven arrows, on the region of his navel with four (arrows), and on the top of his penis with five (arrows).

21. With his entire body injured, the demon being extremely depressed (i.e. who fainted) fell on the chariot in the battle.

22. Then his wise charioteer took him away from the battle (-field). The brave Gaṇeśa, worshipped by the gods, never attacked one who had turned away from the battle.

23. (Tripura’s son) regaining consciousness after a long time, said (these) words to his charioteer: “O charioteer, go (with me) to that timid Gaṇeśa, Śiva’s son (remaining) in the battle-field”.

24-25. Then the charioteer uttered these true, wholesome and soft words: “Who is able to bear the arrows of Śiva’s son in the battle? Therefore, O son of Prabhā, I brought you, who had fainted. Realizing this, you may now do what is proper.”

26-27a. In the meanwhile the king had employed the best one i.e. Kavi (i.e. Śukra). The elephant regained consciousness with the employment of medicines etc. He made him hundred times more powerful and indicated (the means to) victory.

27b-29. Having first given him water consecrated with sacred hymns, he checked (i.e. healed) the wounds on his body. The elephant just with his tusks broke (i.e. would break) a great mountain. In the battle, that elephant, very difficult to vanquish, struck down hundreds of thousands of troops and their guardians. The demon, seated on his back, hit and struck down on the ground principal lords of gods with arrows resembling the fire at the end of the world.

30. Then gods of great might, fell down with their bodies covered with streams of blood after being struck with his arrows resembling the staff of Yama.

31. Whichever way the demon with (i.e. seated on) the elephant went, there he put up a terrible volley of (i.e. discharged his terrible) arrows.

32-34. Some (gods) were struck down by the elephant, others by the rider. By whirling them speedily certain gods were tormented. So (also) the chiefs of the hosts of gods, not at all afraid of fighting, struck him with his elephant with various weapons and missiles and many arrows. But those very mighty gods could not subdue that elephant.

35-36a. The elephant with his tusks and Tripura’s son with his arrows quickly struck them down. Those gods who did not fall on the ground with their bodies split, being frightened, and afflicted with pain, sought the shelter of Gaṇeśa, who was fit to protect (them).

36b-39a. Seeing the havoc among gods, the brave Gaṇeśa struck him along with his elephant with arrows resembling the fire of the thunderbolt. He, along with his elephant whose speed was checked by an arrow, rose (to fight). Then the two (i.e. Gaṇeśa and Tripura’s son) broke down each other with arrows only. Both the principal warriors, the god and the demon, roaring and desiring to conquer each other had their entire bodies covered with blood.

39b-40. Then the elephant pierced the rat (the vehicle of Gaṇeśa) with his own tusks. The elephant (also) was attacked by the rat. Then there was a terrible battle between them. A wonderful fight with (i.e. among) the four (jointly) and separately, below and above, ensued.

41. The fight was noisy, fierce, and caused fear to all the worlds, in which fighting tusks with teeth and arrows with best arrows (took place).

42-43. In the war between gods and demons it was a terrible battle. The rat pierced the great, very mighty elephant. Seated on the backbone, (Gaṇeśa) again skilfully struck with his axe the mouth, chest and shoulder of the demon.

44-45. With his elephant he, vomitting blood, fell down on the ground. Sages and gods, saying, ‘Well (done), well (done)’, praised (Gaṇeśa). Here in the battle other (gods) struck the demons with infallible missiles, till the war giving victory (to one) of the two armies was not over.