Chapter 100 - Śiva’s Attendants Fight the Demons off

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-4. Hearing that Jalandhara with his body overcome by anger went out surrounded by crores of (soldiers in the) army of the demons. Śukra went before him. Rāhu remained within (the range of) his sight. His crown quickly slipped and fell on the ground. The entire sky shone with hundreds of aeroplanes occupied by the army of the demons as with clouds in the rainy season. Then seeing his exertion, gods led by Indra and with their hurry unnoticed, respectfully said to Śiva:

The gods said:

5. O master, how do you not know that the gods are respectfully speaking to you. For our protection kill the Ocean’s son.

Nārada said:

6. Hearing these words of the gods Śiva laughed and calling the great Viṣṇu said these words to him:

The lord said:

7. O Viṣṇu, how (i.e. why) did you not kill Jalandhara in the battle? Afraid of him, you left your Vaikuṇṭha and went away.

Lord (Viṣṇu) said:

8. In the battle I did not kill the demon, since he was born from your portion, and since he is also Lakṣmī’s brother. (Now) you (please) kill that demon.

The lord said:

9. He, of a great lustre, cannot be killed by me with these weapons and missiles. All the gods should give me a portion of their lustre.

Nārada said:

10-17a. Then gods, led by Viṣṇu, gave their own lustres. The lord saw a great lustre (formed) by their coming together suddenly. Mahādeva fashioned an excellent weapon, the disc (called) Sudarśana, very fierce(-looking) because of a series of flames (issuing forth). Then Śiva fashioned the thunderbolt with the remaining lustre. (Just) then Jalandhara was seen at the region at the footof Kailāsa (mountain).

He was surrounded by crores of elephants, horses, chariots and foot-soldiers. Seeing him as he came there, the gods being delighted went (to fight). (Śiva’s) attendants hurriedly got ready to fight. All the attendants led by Nandin, Gajānana, Kārtikeya, and maddened to fight, got down from Kailāsa by Śiva’s order. Then on the land at the foot of Kailāsa a war between the lordly Pramathas (Śiva’s attendants) and the demons took place. It was fierce, and full of weapons and missiles. The earth that resounded with the sounds of multitudes of drums, tabors, conches, giving joy to the heroes, so also with the sounds of elephants, horses and chariots, trembled.

17b-26. With the multitudes of śaktis, iron clubs and arrows, with pestles, barbed missiles and sharp-edged spears, the entire sky shone, as if it was covered with meteors. The entire land shone with the chariots, elephants and horses that were struck down. (The ground) was as it were covered with the tops of mountains struck by thunderbolt. The ground was inaccessible due to the multitudes of demons killed by Pramathas (attendants), and with marrow, blood, mire of flesh etc. Bhārgava brought back to life the multitudes of demons killed by Pramathas. Seeing (Bhārgava) bringing repeatedly back to life by the power of the Sañjīvanī-vidyā those that died in the battle, all the attendants (of Śiva) were perplexed and struck by fear. They told the lord of the god of gods all that Śukra had done. Then from Rudra’s mouth a destructive, very fearful deity was produced. Having shanks like tāla (trees), fat, crooked, and pressing the trees with her breasts, she reached the battlefield, and ate the great demons. Seizing Bhārgava in her hand she went and vanished. Seeing Bhārgava seized the divisions of the demon-army had their faces dejected; (but) maddened for fighting, they struck through pride. Struck by the fear of (Śiva’s) attendants, the demon army was dispersed like the scattered heap of grass struck by the speed of wind. (Śiva’s) attendants seeing the demon army broken, rejoiced.

27-32. The three very powerful ones—the two generals viz. Niśumbha and Śumbha and the brave Kālanemi—warded off the army of the attendants. They discharged arrows as clouds (discharge water) in the rainy season. Then the volleys of arrows of (i.e. discharged by) the demons, like swarms of locusts, blocked the sky and all directions, and they made the entire army of (Śiva’s) attendants tremble. The attendants pierced by hundreds of arrows and shedding showers of blood appeared like kiṃśuka (trees) in spring season. Nothing could be clearly seen. Then (Śiva’s) attendants fell, were knocked down, cut off and pierced. Leaving the battlefield, they all turned back. Then Gajānana, lordly Nandin and Kārtikeya, overpowered for long, seeing their army broken and unable to stand (the demon-force) forcibly warded off the excellent demons.