{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk09ch22.htm","path":"hin/db/bk09ch22.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch22.htm","text":"THE NINTH BOOK\nChapter XXII\nOn the fight between the Devas and S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda\n1-75. S\u2019r\u00ee N\u00e2r\u00e2yana spoke :-- Then the King of the D\u00e2navas, very powerful, bowed down to Mah\u00e2deva and ascended on the chariot with his ministers. Mah\u00e2deva gave orders to His army to be ready at once. So S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda did. Terrible fight then ensued between Mahendra and Vrisaparv\u00e2, Bh\u00e2skara and Viprachitti, Nis\u2019\u00e2kara and Dambha, between K\u00e2la and K\u00e2les\u2019vara, between Fire and Gokarna, Kuvera and K\u00e2lakeya, between Vis\u2019vakarm\u00e2 and M\u00e2y\u00e2, between Mrityu and Bhayamkar, between Yama and Samh\u00e2ra, between Varuna and Vikamka, between Budha and Dhritapristha, between S\u2019ani and Rakt\u00e2ksa, Jayanta and Ratnas\u00e2ra, between the Vasus and Varchasas, between the two As\u2019vin Kum\u00e2ras and D\u00eeptim\u00e2n, between Nalak\u00fbbara and Dh\u00fbmra, between Dharma and Dhurandhara, between Mangala and Us\u00e2ksa, Bh\u00e2nu and S\u2019ov\u00e2kara, between Kandarpa and P\u00eethara, between the eleven \u00c2dityas and Godh\u00e2mukha, Ch\u00fbrna and Khadgadhvaja, Ka\u00f1ch\u00eemukha and Pinda, Dh\u00fbmra and Nand\u00ee, between Vis\u2019va and Pal\u00e2s\u2019a, between the eleven Rudras and the eleven Bhayamkaras, between Ugrachand\u00e2 and the other Mah\u00e2m\u00e2r\u00ees and Nand\u00ees\u2019vara and the other D\u00e2navas. The battlefield, then, assumed a grim aspect, as if the time of Dissolution had come. Bhagav\u00e2n Mah\u00e2deva sat under the Vata (peepul) tree with K\u00e2rtikeya and Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee. S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda, decked with his jewel ornaments, sat on the jewel throne, surrounded by kotis and kotis of D\u00e2navas. The S\u2019ankara\u2019s army got defeated at the hands of the D\u00e2navas. The Devas, with cuts and wounds on\ntheir bodies, fled from the battlefield, terrified. K\u00e2rtikeya gave words \u201cDon't fear\u201d to the Devas and excited them. Only Skanda resisted the D\u00e2nava forces. In one moment he slew one hundred Aksauhin\u00ee D\u00e2nava forces. The lotus eyed K\u00e2l\u00ee also engaged in killing the Asuras. She became very angry and no sooner did She slay the Asura forces, than She began to drink their blood. She easily slew with Her one hand and at every time put into Her mouth ten lakhs, and hundred lakhs and Kotis and Kotis of elephants. Thousands and thousands of headless bodies (Kavandhas) came to be witnessed in the field. The bodies of the D\u00e2navas were all cut and wounded by the arrows of K\u00e2rtikeya. They were all terrified and fled away. Only Vrisaparv\u00e2, Viprachitti, Dambha, and Vikamkanah remained fighting with Skanda with an heroic valour. Mah\u00e2m\u00e2r\u00ee, too, did not shew his back and he fought out vigorously. By and by they all became very much confused and distressed; but they did not turn their backs. Seeing this terrible fight of Skanda, the Devas began to shower flowers. The killing of the D\u00e2navas looked like a Prakritik Dissolution. S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda, then, began to shoot arrows from his chariot.\nThe shooting of arrows by the king seemed as if rains were being poured in by the clouds. Everything became pitch dark. Fires only were seen emitting their golden tongues. The Devas, Nand\u00ees\u2019vara and others, fled away, terrified. Only K\u00e2rtikeya remained in the battlefield. Then S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda began to throw terribly showers and showers of mountains, snakes, stones, and trees. So much so, that K\u00e2rtikeya was covered by them as the Sun becomes obscured by fog. The Demon King cut off the weighty quiver and the pedestal of Skanda and broke His chariot. By the divine weapons of the D\u00e2nava, the peacock (the vehicle) of K\u00e2rtikeya became exhausted. K\u00e2rtikeya threw one S\u2019akti (weapon) on the breast of the D\u00e2nava; but before it fell, the D\u00e2nava cut off that, lustrous like the Sun and, in return, darted his S\u2019akti. By that stroke, K\u00e2rtikeya became stunned for a moment; but he immediately regained his consciousness. He then took up the quiver that Bhagav\u00e2n Visnu gave him before and many other weapons; and ascending on another chariot, built of jewels, began to fight out violently and valiantly. Getting angry, he resisted all those showers of snakes, mountains and trees by his divine weapons. He resisted fire by his watery (P\u00e2ryannya) weapon. Then He cut off easily S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda\u2019s chariot, bow, armour, charioteer, and his bright crown and he threw on his breast one blazing S\u2019akti of white colour. The D\u00e2navendra fell unconscious; but, at the next moment, he regained his consciousness quickly, mounted on another chariot and took a fresh quiver. The D\u00e2nava was the foremost in his magic powers. He, by his power of M\u00e2y\u00e2, made a shower of arrows so much so that\nK\u00e2rtikeya became completely covered by that multitude of arrows. Then the D\u00e2nava took one invincible S\u2019akti, lustrous like one hundred Suns. It seemed that flames of fire were licking high as if the Dissolution Time had come aright. Inflamed by anger, the D\u00e2nava threw that S\u2019akti on K\u00e2rtikeya. It seemed, then, that a burning mass of fire fell on him. The powerful K\u00e2rtikeya became senseless. Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee immediately took Him on Her lap and carried him before S\u2019iva. S\u2019iva easily restored him to his life by his knowledge-power and gave him the indomitable strength. He then got up in full vigour. Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee went to the field to see the K\u00e2rtikeya\u2019s forces. Nand\u00ees\u2019vara and other heroes, the Devas, Gandharbas, Yaksas, R\u00e2ksasas and Kinnaras followed Her. Hundreds of war drums were sounded and hundreds of persons carried Madhu (wine). Going to the battle-ground, She gave a war-cry. The D\u00e2nava forces got fainted by that cry. Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee shouted aloud inauspicious peals after peals of laughter. Then She drank Madhu and danced in the battlefield. Ugra Damstr\u00e2, Ugrachand\u00e2, Kotav\u00ee, the Yogin\u00ees, D\u00e2kin\u00ees, and the Devas all drank Madhu (wine). Seeing K\u00e2l\u00ee in the battlefield, S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda came up again and imparted the spirit of Fearlessness to the Daityas, trembling with fear. Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee projected, then, the Fire weapon, flaming like the Great Dissolution Fire; but the king quickly put out that by the Watery weapon. K\u00e2l\u00ee then projected the very violent and wonderful Varun\u00e2stra. The D\u00e2nava cut off that easily with Gandharb\u00e2stra. K\u00e2l\u00ee then threw the flame-like Mahes\u2019var\u00e2stra. The king made it futile by the Vaisnav\u00e2stra. Then the Dev\u00ee purifying the N\u00e2r\u00e2yan\u00e2stra with the mantra, threw it on the king. At this the king instantly alighted from his chariot and bowed down to it. The N\u00e2r\u00e2yan\u00e2stra rose high up like the Dissolution Fire. S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda fell prostrate on the ground with devotion. The Dev\u00ee threw, then, the Brahm\u00e2stra, purifying it with Mantra. But it was rendered futile by the D\u00e2nava\u2019s Brahm\u00e2stra. The Dev\u00ee again shot the divine weapons purifying them with mantras; but they also were nullified by the divine weapons of the D\u00e2nava. Then Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee threw one S\u2019akti extending to one Yojana. The Daitya cut it to pieces by his divine weapon. The Dev\u00ee, then, being very much enraged, became ready to throw P\u00e2s\u2019upata \u00c2stra, when the Incorporeal Voice was heard from the Heavens, prohibiting Her, and saying, \u201cO Dev\u00ee! The high-souled D\u00e2nava would not be killed by the P\u00e2s\u2019upata weapon. For Brahm\u00e2 granted him this boon that until the Visnu\u2019s Kavacha will remain on his neck and until his wife\u2019s chastity be not violated, old age and death will not be able to touch him.\u201d Hearing this Celestial Voice, the Dev\u00ee at once desisted. But She, out of hunger, devoured hundreds and lakhs of D\u00e2navas. The terrible Dev\u00ee K\u00e2l\u00ee, then, went with great speed to devour S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda but the D\u00e2nava resisted Her by his sharp\ndivine weapons. The Dev\u00ee then threw on him a powerful axe, lustrous like a summer Sun; but the D\u00e2nava cut it to pieces by his divine weapon. The Dev\u00ee seeing this, became very angry and proceeded to devour him; but the D\u00e2nava King, the Lord of all Siddhis, expanded his body. At this, K\u00e2l\u00ee became violently angry and assuming a terrific appearance, went quickly and with the blow of one fist, broke his chariot and dropped down the charioteer. Then she hurled on the Asura one S\u2019\u00fbla weapon, blazing like a Pralaya Fire. S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda easily held that by his left hand. The Dev\u00ee became angry and struck the D\u00e2nava with Her fist; the Daitya\u2019s head reeled, and, rolling, he fell unconscious for a moment. Next moment regaining his consciousness he got up. But he did not fight hand to hand with the Dev\u00ee. Rather he bowed down to Her. The weapons that the Dev\u00ee threw afterwards were partly cut down by the D\u00e2nava and partly taken up by him and absorbed in him and thus rendered futile. Then Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee caught bold of the D\u00e2nava and whirling him round and round threw him aloft. Then the powerful S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda fell down on the ground from high with great force; he immediately\ngot up and bowed down to Her. He then gladly ascended on his beautiful chariot, built of excellent jewels. He did not feel any fatigue with the war and went on fighting. Then the Dev\u00ee Bhadrak\u00e2l\u00ee, feeling hungry began to drink the blood of the D\u00e2navas and ate the fat and flesh. She came before Mah\u00e2deva and described to Him the whole history of the warfare from beginning to end. Hearing the killing of the D\u00e2navas, Mah\u00e2deva began to laugh. She went on saying, \u201cThe D\u00e2navas that get out of my mouth while I was chewing them, are the only ones that are living. This number will be about one lakh. And when I took up the P\u00e2s\u2019upata weapon to kill the D\u00e2nava, the Incorporeal Celestial Voice spoke :-- He is invulnerable by you. But the very powerful D\u00e2nava did no more fling any weapon on Me. He simply cut to pieces those that I threw on him.\u201d\nHere ends the Twenty-Second Chapter in the Ninth Book on the fight between the Devas and S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda in the Mah\u00e2pur\u00e2nam S\u2019r\u00ee Mad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The Ninth Book: Chapter 22","type":"page"}