Adhyaya 70

Verse 1

व्यास उवाच । ततो देवांतको दैत्यो व्यनदत्समरं प्रति । रणं चकार धर्मेण संदष्टौष्ठपुटो बली

Vyāsa said: Then the demon Devāntaka roared toward the battle; the mighty one, clenching his lips, engaged in combat according to the rules of righteous warfare.

Verse 2

स गत्वा चाब्रवीद्वाक्यं सर्वलोकविगर्हितं । न जानासि महद्धर्मं दुष्ट मोहाद्यथाक्रमम्

Having gone there, he spoke words condemned by all the worlds: “Through wicked delusion, you do not understand the great dharma, as it truly stands in due order.”

Verse 3

पापपुण्यप्रयोगेण निग्रहानुग्रहे प्रभुः । अहं च निर्मितो धात्रा करोमि तव शासनम्

O Lord, through the working of sin and merit You bestow punishment and favor. I too, fashioned by the Creator, carry out Your command.

Verse 4

न जानासि यतो धर्मं कालमृत्यु पुरःसरः । न रोगो न जरा कालो न मृत्युर्न च किंकरः

Since you do not understand dharma, Time and Death stand before you as your forerunners. There is no disease, no old age, no Time, no death—nor any servant to carry out your will.

Verse 5

धर्मात्प्रचलितः कर्मी कष्टं याति दिवानिशम् । उक्तं वसुं महावीर्यं यमं धर्मैकसाक्षिकम्

A doer of deeds who strays from dharma falls into misery day and night. Thus is Yama spoken of—Vasu of great prowess—as the sole witness of dharma.

Verse 6

स जघान त्रिभिर्बाणैः कालमृत्युसमप्रभैः । प्रचिच्छेद स धर्मात्मा ते त्वन्यैर्विशिखैस्त्रिभिः

He struck him with three arrows, blazing like Time and Death; then that righteous-souled one severed him. But they, in turn, struck with three other sharp missiles.

Verse 7

ततस्तूच्चैः शरैः प्राज्यैर्युगांतानलसप्रभैः । निजघान यमं संख्ये स चिच्छेद शरैः शरान्

Then, with abundant arrows shot high, blazing like the fire at the end of an age, he struck Yama in the battle; and Yama, in turn, cut down those arrows with his own arrows.

Verse 8

एतस्मिन्नंतरे क्रुद्धौ परस्परजयैषिणौ । जघ्नतुः समरेन्योन्यं महाबलपराक्रमौ

Meanwhile, the two—angered and eager to defeat one another—struck each other down in battle, both possessing great strength and valor.

Verse 9

अहोरात्रं तयोर्युद्धमवर्त्तत सुदारुणम् । एतस्मिन्नन्तरे क्रुद्धः शक्त्या प्रशमनं रुषा

Day and night their battle continued—most dreadful. In the midst of that, one, enraged, sought to quell the other in wrath by means of his spear-power.

Verse 10

बिभेद दैत्यशार्दूलो ह्यहंकारयुतो बली । तामेवाथ रुषा धर्मो गृहीत्वा शक्तिकां द्रुतं

The tiger among demons, mighty and filled with pride, struck. Then Dharma, in anger, quickly seized that very spear.

Verse 11

निजघान तयैवामुंस्तनयोरंतरे भृशम् । स विह्वलित सर्वांगो मुखादागतशोणितः

With that very act she struck him violently between the breasts; his whole body reeled in shock, and blood came forth from his mouth.

Verse 12

ततः क्रुद्धो महातेजा धृत्वा दंडं सुदारुणम् । अमोघं पातयामास तस्य दैत्यस्य विग्रहे

Then, enraged, the mighty and radiant one seized a terribly fierce staff and struck it—unfailing—upon the body of that demon.

Verse 13

साश्वं रथं तथा सूतं योद्धारं शस्त्रसंचयम् । चकार भस्मसात्तं च शमनः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः

Overcome by wrath, Śamana reduced to ashes the chariot with its horses, the charioteer, the warrior, and the entire store of weapons.

Verse 14

पतिते च तथा दैत्ये दुर्धर्षो नाम दानवः । शमनं शूलहस्तस्तु प्रदुद्राव जिघांसया

And when that Daitya had fallen, a Dānava named Durdharṣa—hard to overcome—rushed at Śamana, who held a spear in his hand, with the intent to kill.

Verse 15

शूलहस्तं समायांतं बडवानलसन्निभम् । आससाद रणे मृत्युः शक्तिहस्तोतिनिर्भयः

Then Death—utterly fearless and holding a spear—rushed in battle upon the trident-bearer who advanced, blazing like the submarine fire.

Verse 16

स च दृष्ट्वाऽसुरो मृत्युं शूलेनैव जघान ह । शक्तिं चैव ततो मृत्युः प्रचिक्षेप रणाजिरे

And that asura, seeing Death, struck him with a trident. Then Death, on the battlefield, hurled his spear-weapon in return.

Verse 17

संदह्य सहसा शूलं वह्निकूटसमप्रभम् । दैत्यस्य हृदयं भित्वा गता सा च धरातलम्

In an instant, the blazing trident—radiant like a heap of fire—burned through and pierced the demon’s heart, and then it fell down to the surface of the earth.

Verse 18

सरथः स पपातोर्व्यां शक्तिजर्जरविग्रहः । अथान्यो दुर्मुखो मृत्युं कृष्टचापो महाबलः

He, together with his chariot, fell to the ground—his body shattered by the spear. Then another, Durmukha, mighty in strength, drew his bow and advanced toward death.

Verse 19

खड्गचर्मधरः कालो रथ एव गतोभवत् । दृष्ट्वा तं विशिखैः प्राज्यैर्जघान स यमं रणे

Kāla (Time/Death), bearing a sword and shield, became as it were a chariot-warrior. Seeing him, Yama struck him in battle with many powerful arrows.

Verse 20

स चाप्लत्य रथाद्देवो ह्यसिना च सकुंडलम् । शिरश्चिच्छेद सहसा पातयित्वा च भूतले

And that deity, leaping down from the chariot, swiftly cut off (his) head—still adorned with earrings—with a sword, and caused it to fall upon the ground.

Verse 21

हतशेषं बलं सर्वं प्रदुद्राव दिशो दश

With only a remnant left after the slaughter, the entire force fled in all ten directions.

Verse 70

इति श्रीपाद्मपुराणे प्रथमे सृष्टिखंडे देवांतकर्दुर्धर्षदुर्मुखवधोनाम सप्ततिमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the seventieth chapter of the first section (Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa) of the sacred Padma Purāṇa, entitled “The Slaying of Devāntaka, Durdharṣa, and Durmukha.”