Chapter 19 - The Fail of Vīrabhadra

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1. On seeing Nandin, Gajānana and Ṣaṇmukha, the leaders of Gaṇas, those Dānavas rushed at them angrily to engage them in duels.

2. Kālanemi rushed at Nandin, Śuṃbha at Laṃbodara (Gajānana) and Niśuṃbha rushed hurriedly at Ṣaṇmukha. He had his armour on.

3. With five arrows Niśuṃbha hit with force the peacock of Kārttikeya in its chest and it fell down unconscious.

4. By the time the infuriated lord holding the Śakti (i.e. Kārttikeya) took up his javelin, Niśuṃbha hurriedly made him fall down by means of his own javelin.

5. With volleys of arrows, Nandīśvara struck at Kālanemi. He pierced his horses and cut the flagstaff with seven arrows and the charioteer with three arrows.

6. Kālanemi became furious and he cut off the bow of Nandin. Discarding it, that powerful one hit him on his chest with his spear.

7. With his heart pierced by the spear, with his horses and the charioteer killed, Kālanemi uprooted the peak of a mountain and made Nandin, the son of Śilāda, fall down (with it).

8. Śuṃbha and Gajānana having a chariot and a mouse respectively for their vehicles, fought and hit each other with volleys of arrows.

9. Gajānana pierced the chest of Śuṃbha with an arrow and struck down the charioteer to the ground with three arrows.

10. Then Śuṃbha became extremely infuriated. He hit Gajānana with sixty arrows and his mouse with three and roared like thunder.

11. When his body was pierced with arrows, the mouse squirmed and writhed with excessive pain. Laṃbodara (i.e. Gajānana) fell down, O king, and became a pedestrian.

12. Then Laṃbodara struck Śuṃbha on his chest with his axe and felled him down to the ground and mounted on his mouse once again.

13. Kālanemi and Śuṃbha both simultaneously hit Laṃbodara furiously with arrows as they would a great elephant with goads.

14. On seeing him harassed, Vīrabhadra of great strength rushed immediately, accompanied by crores of Bhūtas (goblins).

15. The spirits such as Kūṣmāṇḍas, Bhairavas, Vetālas, groups of Yoginīs, Piśācas (ghosts) etc. and the Gaṇas followed him.

16. With the chattering noises, roarings like thunder, leonine shouts and the sounds of Bherī and Mṛdaṅga drums and cymbals the earth shook and quaked.

17. Then the goblins and spirits rushed at the Dānavas and devoured them. They jumped up and leaped down and began to dance on the battlefield.

18. Nandin and Kārttikeya composed themselves. Regaining confidence, they hurriedly hit and killed the Daityas with uninterrupted volleys of arrows on the battlefield.

19. With the Daityas killed, fallen or devoured the entire (Daitya) army became broken and scattered. The faces of all turned pale and the whole army became bewildered.

20. On seeing the army crushed, the powerful son of the Ocean rushed against the Gaṇas in a tall bannered chariot.

21. Then a tumultuous sound arose from both the armies inclusive of the trumpeting of elephants, the neighing sounds of horses, the rumblings of chariots, the sounds of conchs and Bherī drums and leonine roars of warriors.

22. The intervening space between heaven and earth became covered by clusters of the arrows of Jalandhara as though with layers of fog and mist.

23. After hitting Gaṇeśa (Gajānana) with five arrows, Nandin with nine arrows arid Vīrabhadra with twenty, he roared like thundering clouds.

24. Kārttikeya then hurriedly pierced the Daitya with his Śakti (Javelin). Though split and rent with the Śakti, he fought on. He was only slightly agitated in his mind.

25. With eyes full of anger, Jalandhara struck Kārttikeya with his iron club and he fell on the ground.

26. Similarly he made Nandin too fall on the ground with force. Thereupon Gaṇeśvara became furious and struck his iron club with his axe.

27. With three arrows Vīrabhadra struck and pierced the Dānava in his heart and cut down his horses, flagstaff, bow and umbrella.

28. Then the Daitya king became excessively angry. He raised his terrible Śakti and struck down Gaṇeśa and got into another chariot.

29. He rushed at Vīrabhadra with great force and anger. Then both of them who shone like the Sun fought with each other.

30. Again Vīrabhadra struck down his horses with his arrows and cut down his bow. The Daitya king then leaped (forward).

31. He rushed at Vīrabhadra. The demon hit him on his head with his iron club. Vomitting blood profusely, the hero fell down on the ground with his head deeply wounded.