Chapter 11 - Śiva’s Attendants Fight the Demons Off

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-4a. Then valorous Jālandhara, having heard the words of his messenger, called his entire army, and made a march (against Śiva). Then the sound of the armies that had gathered (there) was heard. It awakened the kinnaras resting, along with their wives, in the caves of Mandara. It made rise the elephants having echoes in the caves of Meru and Mandara. The flocks of lions lost their way ahead. Thus the din of the great army deafened the three worlds. Then, O king, in the seat of Jālandhara there was the sound of drums. Due to that great sound, dear to the brave, the high mountains trembled and the palaces shook.

4b-8a. From the interior of the seven oceans the daityas and dānavas (i.e. the demons) moved out. They being ready and endowed with various vehicles roared. The neighings of the horses and great sounds were (heard) outside and in front. The earth (as it were) pleased with the wheels (of the chariot) moved. With the herds of elephants that were driven the earth along with the forest was blocked up by the myriads of fierce (warriors) urged on by Jālandhara and remaining in the chariots. There were two thousand hundred millions of horses and one hundred millions of elephants. An army consisting of one lakh chariot-warriors shone (there) and ninety crore parārdhas of chief leaders were seen.

8b-13a. The huge army, covering the sun with umbrellas moved out. At places the lotus-ponds were yellowish like gold. At places blue lotuses appeared due to the peacocks’ keeping off the sun. At places the clouds appeared to rise due to the masses of dust when he marched. At places due to the cloths of the banners the sky was full of banners and umbrellas; the quarters were full of chowries when the army of the demons moved on. Then the demon Jālandhara was eager to march. Putting the (missile called) Śakti, decorated with many gems, he came to great Viṣṇu, living in the Ocean, to inquire (i.e. to take his leave). Having saluted Viṣṇu, Jālandhara said these words: “O my sister’s husband, what should I give you for enjoyment? Tell me (that)”

13b-16a. Hearing these words of Oceans’s son, Viṣṇu, being delighted, said: “What should I do as desired by and dear to the Ocean’s son?” Thus addressed, he, being delighted, quickly replied to Viṣṇu: “I am going to the battlefield. You live here happily in the Ocean.” There he was given sacred grains by Lakṣmī, and was honoured by Viṣṇu. Moving out from Viṣṇu’s place, he came to the Ocean to inquire (i.e. to take his leave).

16b-22. Having saluted the Ocean, he said: “O father, I am going away to conquer Śiva in the battle. Please allow me.” Hearing the words of his son who was going to (march against) Śiva, the lord of oceans also said to him: “O son, leave that ascetic (alone). Enjoy the kingdom given by me, and leave the ascetic away. Your valour is very wonderful; there is no king like you. You have made the earth superior to heaven. The earth shines in your kingdom as in Vaikuṇṭha. The god, unconquerable by demons, whom you have brought (lives here) with Lakṣmī. O child, live by me. Leave alone that mendicant, Śiva.” (Though) told like this by the Ocean, he (i.e. Jālandhara), having attachment for Pārvatī, disregarded his father’s words, and came to his own -soldiers. Vṛndā spoke to Jālandhara who was ready to fight.

Vṛndā said:

23-28. O lord of kings, you should not fight with the condemned meditating saint. Turning away your mind going to Pārvatī, look at (i.e. think of) her. Why do you long for Pārvatī? Is Pārvatī superior to me? The poor one is without any support. She is always attached to Śiva. She longs for a son. She is barren. So she is a doll. In vain was she praised by Nārada. Give up (thoughts about) her, and enjoy me.”

Hearing these words ofVṛndā, the Ocean’s son (i.e. Jālandhara) replied: “Without seeing Pārvatī’s beauty my mind will not turn back. O Vṛndā, you look after the country and the capital. O angry woman, you should always remember me, if Śiva kills me.” Hearing these words of her husband, Vṛndā, laughing, went, after getting into a palanquin, to the seat of Jālandhara.

Nārada said:

29-40. Then the very mighty son of the Ocean proceeded to Kailāsa. He was surrounded by sixty thousand mahāpadma soldiers. In the meanwhile, Śiva, leaving Kailāsa, went, along with his attendants, his sons and his dear wife, to (that part of) Kailāsa to the north of the Mānasa (lake). Then on the first day Jālandhara reached Kailāsa. Setting his army there, he was eager to see Kailāsa. There the breezes to which the masses of the divine filaments and the pollen of mandāra (flowers) had resorted, and which were broken by the showers of the sprays of cold drops, blew. Charming breezes, high like the stout breasts of the siddha women, and rich with the honey of mandāra, blew there. Seeing there the planting of their feet by ladies bright and glossy like the aśoka(-flowers), the lord of the demons became full of the sexual desire. The gods there delighted at seeing their own reflections were pleased. There, the mandāra (trees) with their sprouts withered, shone everywhere, after having manifested the coitus of the kinnara lovers. There the groves of many trees were occupied by the attendants of Śambhu. They appeared to be as it were well sustained by king Cupid. There the swarms of bees intoxicated by the fragrance of sandal and musk appeared like the charcoals of the burnt Cupid, that were put out. There, I think, having seen the entire beauty of the charming ladies, the friend of (i.e. resembling) excellent beauty, musk gave up the amusement of its mind, and plunged into blackness. At places there were lotuses shining like excellent red chalk. At places there were buds moving from their stems resembling the cloveshoot. At places there were bracelets shining like rafts on the mountain-streams. At places there were bees bowing through the humility of the nicula (a kind of reed) blossoms. At places there were fresh mango blossoms, burst and affected by cuckoos. At places there were the strong roots of the śāli rice, resorted to by herds of deer. At places there were groves sanctified by the extremely beautiful young married divine ladies, which caused a change even in the minds of sages.

41-45. On seeing the abode of Śiva, having these qualities, and the beautiful Kailāsa, the abode of all gems, the demon who was extremely amazed, said to Śukra (the son of Bhṛgu): “O dear one, why do (people) like you call him a sage whose wife is (so beautiful) like that and whose house is so charming?” Not seeing Śiva there, he asked (Śukra): “O Śukra, where has Śiva gone? How is it that he has gone due to my fear? (i.e. has he gone through my fear)?” Thus asked, Śukra said: “The great god, lord Śiva, has gone to that (part of the) great mountain to the north of Mānasa. Others cannot go there.” Hearing these words of Śukra, the very mighty demon said:

Jālandhara said:

46-49. I shall go to the lord of gods. You go first, O Śukra.

Saying so he went where Śiva himself remained. The son of the Ocean saw that excellent (part of) the mountain to the north of the Mānasa (lake). Its height was sixty thousand yojanas. That (part of) the mountain called Mānasa was, O king, surrounded by the army of the demon (Jālandhara). Many lordly demons quickly went up the mountain. There was, all round, darkness due to the umbrellas. There was a tremor due to the sound of the musical instruments. The din of their army filled the heaven and the earth.

Nārada said:

50-60. Seeing the huge army that came there, the lord kept Pārvatī, surrounded by her friends, on a very high peak of the mountain. Lord Śiva was surrounded by all his attendants who were ready (to fight) and were maddened by the fighting (spirit), so also by pramathas (i.e. the goblins attending upon Śiva) numbering thirty thousand mahābjas. Śiva said to Nandin, the chief of the attendants: “You should kill the brave, great demon Jālandhara, in the battle. Being surrounded by brave (warriors) like Mahākāla and others you go (to the battlefield). In the battle, you should fight very bravely as long as my enemy is not conquered, O hero.” Hearing these words of Śiva, he said to his charioteer: “O very intelligent Kākatuṇḍa, bring my chariot today (i.e. now).” Hearing the words of Nandin, he too brought the chariot. That chariot used in battles, to which thirty-two horses were yoked, which had sixteen wheels, which had sixty flags, which was thirty yojanas long, which was full of all weapons, came (there). Śiva ordered his two sons, Kārtikeya and Gajānana to protect Nandin’s troops. They were ready with their vehicles. Nandin was surrounded by the attendants. Nandin, having honoured the lord with words, got into his chariot, and went out to (fight with) the demons. On his head shone an umbrella (of the measure) of twelve yojanas. When that Nandin went out, the demons first climbed up the mountain. The fierce-looking demons, fell on the ground.

61-68. The demons, being struck by the attendants left the mountain (and went) far away. Then coming down like smoke from the mountain the attendants struck the very powerful demons with sharp weapons. Seeing the (mountain) filled with the divinities, the demon-soldiers blocked it up. Then a great war of the attendants took place with the demons. A fierce shower of arrows was (sent by) the demons and gods. Then, the very mighty Kākatuṇḍa and others, with fire-like faces, killed all the elephants in the battle, so also (they destroyed) chariots and (killed) horses and footsoldiers. With the loudly laughing and fearful heads of the hosts of very deceitful demons killed (in the battle), the sky was filled. So also with lions, with hair let loose, having tawny faces, fierce fangs and eyes, and cutting off trunks, shanks, thighs, waists and backs. Everywhere the earth was filled with trunks tawny due to blood. Then, a very great noise was made by the lordly demons who were running in chariots, and whose soldiers were knocked down, like that of the oceans roaring at the time of the end of a yuga (i.e. the end of the world).