इति श्रीपाद्मपुराणे प्रथमे सृष्टिखंडे मुचिवधोनामाष्टषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-eighth chapter, called 'The Slaying of Muci,' in the first section, Creation, of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
व्यास उवाच- तारेयो बलसंपन्नः शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमः। जघान विशिखैस्स्कन्दं पितृघातिनमाहवे
Vyāsa said: Tāreya, endowed with strength and valor equal to Indra, struck Skanda, the slayer of his father, with arrows in battle.
ततस्स्कन्दो महाबाहुर्हरितुल्यपराक्रमः। विचकर्त शरांस्तांस्तान्निर्बिभेद शरोत्तमैः
Then Skanda, mighty-armed and possessing prowess equal to Hari, cut down those arrows with excellent shafts.
स दैत्यस्सहसा स्कंदं छादयामास मार्गणैः। असंभ्रान्तः प्रचिच्छेद विशाखो विशिखैस्तदा
That demon suddenly covered Skanda with arrows, but Viśākha, undisturbed, cut them down with his own arrows.
तारेयोग्निशरैः स्कंदं जघान रणमूर्धनि। विशिखं भिदुरप्रख्यं चखान हरनंदने
Tāreya struck Skanda on the battlefield with fiery arrows, and wounded Viśākha, fierce as the thunderbolt.
वैश्वानरेण सेनानीस्तत्र संपर्यवारयत्। रौद्रमस्त्रं पुनर्दैत्यः प्रेषयामास तं प्रति
Then the commander, with the Vaiśvānara weapon, blocked them there; but again the demon sent a terrible missile at him.
तन्निरस्तं कृतं तेन बाणेनास्फालितेन च। अघोरं प्राक्षिपद्दैत्यो घोररूपं सुदारुणं
That missile was repelled by Skanda with an unbroken arrow; then the demon hurled the dreadful and terrifying Aghora weapon.
भूधरा विटपास्सिंहास्तथा सर्पादयः शराः। धावंति पार्वतीपुत्रं कोटिकोटिसहस्रशः
Mountains, trees, lions, and serpents—such arrows by the crore and hundred-thousand rushed at the son of Pārvatī.
छित्वा तांस्तुशरान्स्कंदो बिभेद दैत्यपुंगवं। आपादं शीर्षपर्यंतं शरैरग्न्यर्कसन्निभैः
Having cut down those arrows, Skanda pierced the foremost of the Daityas from foot to head with arrows blazing like fire and the sun.
स्वर्णपुंखाः शरा लग्ना देहे दैत्यपतेर्भृशं। रेजुस्ते स्वर्णशकला यथा कृष्णशिलोच्चये
Golden-feathered arrows lodged deeply in the Daitya lord’s body, shining like fragments of gold upon a mass of black stone.
तस्य देहात्ततश्चैव बहु सुस्राव शोणितं। यथा च माधवे मासि पुरुपुष्पश्शमी तरुः
From his body there then flowed much blood, just as in the month of Madhu the śamī tree exudes abundant sap.
स्यंदनाधश्चराश्वाश्च शिश्यिरे भूमिलग्नकाः। अथ क्रुद्धो महादैत्यः शूलं भीमं च दारुणं
The horses, fallen from the chariot, lay motionless on the ground; then the great Daitya, enraged, seized a dreadful and terrible spear.
धृत्वा तं प्रतिचिक्षेप कालमृत्युसमप्रभं। पार्वतीनंदनेनापि शूलं पाशुपतेन ह
Grasping it, he hurled it—resplendent as Death at the end of time; but the son of Pārvatī countered with the Pāśupata spear.
क्षिप्तं तेन कृतं दग्धं मुहूर्तेन रणाजिरे। पुनः शक्तिं मुमोचाथ ब्रह्मदत्तान्तु दानवः
The spear thrown by him was instantly burned up in the midst of battle; then the Dānava released a spear bestowed by Brahmā.
शूलं प्रतिजघानाथ शतकूटसमप्रभम्। ततोऽस्त्रे वज्रसंकाशे जघटाते वियत्यपि
He struck down the spear, shining like a hundred-peaked mountain; then, in the sky, the two weapons, resembling thunderbolts, clashed.
तयोस्सवीर्ययोरस्त्रे धरण्यां प्रणिपेततुः। ततो दैत्यपतिः स्कंदं शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः
Those two mighty weapons, falling to the earth, displayed their power; then the Daitya lord assailed Skanda with arrows like blazing flames.
अर्दयामास सहसा घनधारेव पर्वतं। तांस्तु च्छित्वा महाबाहुः सेनानीश्चापमस्य वै
He struck him suddenly, as a torrent batters a mountain; but the mighty-armed commander, cutting down those arrows with his bow—
विचकर्तार्धचंद्रेण तथा यंतुः शिरोमहत्। तथाश्वान्बहुभिर्बाणैः पातयामास भूतले
—then severed the great head of the charioteer with a crescent-tipped arrow, and with many arrows brought down the horses to the ground.
गृहीत्वा मुसलं वेगात्स दुद्राव स्थले गुहं। जघान तेन दैत्येन्द्रः शिखिनं शिखिवाहनं
Seizing a mace with speed, the Daitya rushed at Guha on the field; with it, the Daitya lord struck the peacock, the mount of the Peacock-Bearer.
ततो मोहं गतो बर्ही प्रचकंपे मुहुर्मुहुः। ततः स्कंदः पुनस्तं च जघानासुरपुंगवं
Then the peacock, bewildered, trembled again and again; but Skanda once more struck down that foremost of Asuras.
प्रचिच्छेदासिना वेगान्मुसलं चातिदारुणं। तारेयः शक्तिमादाय जघान क्रौंचदारणम्
With swift sword, he cut apart the dreadful mace; Tāraka’s son, taking up a spear, struck the one who split the Krauncha mountain.
सोपि शक्तिं मुमोचाथ अमोघां दुष्टघातिनीम्। ततः संदह्य सा शक्तिर्विश्वप्रलयकारिणी
He too released an unfailing spear, destroyer of the wicked; that spear, burning fiercely, capable of bringing about universal dissolution—
यमदंडसमानं च भित्वा पुनर्गुहं गता। स गतासुः पपातोर्व्यां चालयंश्च वसुंधरां
—and equal to the staff of Yama, pierced him and returned again to Guha; he, life departed, fell to the earth, shaking the ground.
पुष्पधूपादिभिः स्कंदः सर्वदेवैः प्रपूजितः
Skanda was then worshipped by all the gods with flowers, incense, and other offerings.
इति श्रीपाद्मपुराणे प्रथमे सृष्टिखंडे तारेयवधोनामैकोनसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Purāṇa, in the first section on creation, ends the sixty-ninth chapter entitled 'The Slaying of Tāreya.'
व्यास उवाच- ततो देवांतको दैत्यो व्यनदत्समरं प्रति। रणं चकार धर्मेण संदष्टौष्ठपुटो बली
Vyāsa said: Then the Daitya named Devāntaka roared towards the battle; biting his lower lip in wrath, the mighty one engaged in combat according to dharma.
स गत्वा चाब्रवीद्वाक्यं सर्वलोकविगर्हितं। न जानासि महद्धर्मं दुष्ट मोहाद्यथाक्रमम्
He went and spoke words condemned by all the worlds: 'You do not know the great dharma, corrupted by delusion as is fitting.'
पापपुण्यप्रयोगेण निग्रहानुग्रहे प्रभुः। अहं च निर्मितो धात्रा करोमि तव शासनम्
By the operation of merit and sin, the Lord is the one who restrains and grants favor; and I, created by the Creator, carry out your command.
न जानासि यतो धर्मं कालमृत्यु पुरःसरः। न रोगो न जरा कालो न मृत्युर्न च किंकरः
Because you do not know dharma, with Time and Death leading the way: there is neither disease nor old age, neither Time nor Death nor any servant.
धर्मात्प्रचलितः कर्मी कष्टं याति दिवानिशम्। उक्तं वसुं महावीर्यं यमं धर्मैकसाक्षिकम्
One who has deviated from dharma, acting wrongly, suffers day and night; it is said that the mighty Vasus and Yama are sole witnesses to dharma.