श्रीशुक उवाच ।
इन्द्रमेवं समादिश्य भगवान् विश्वभावनः ।
पश्यतामनिमेषाणां तत्रैवान्तर्दधे हरिः ॥ १॥
तथाभियाचितो देवैरृषिराथर्वणो महान् ।
मोदमान उवाचेदं प्रहसन्निव भारत ॥ २॥
अपि वृन्दारका यूयं न जानीथ शरीरिणाम् ।
संस्थायां यस्त्वभिद्रोहो दुःसहश्चेतनापहः ॥ ३॥
जिजीविषूणां जीवानामात्मा प्रेष्ठ इहेप्सितः ।
क उत्सहेत तं दातुं भिक्षमाणाय विष्णवे ॥ ४॥
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Śrī Śuka began again : Having thus fully instructed Indra, Lord Śrī Hari, the Protector of the universe, disappeared on that very spot, while the gods (who are noted for their unwinking eyes) kept looking on. (1)
Solicited by the gods in the aforesaid manner (as instructed by the Lord), and (greatly) rejoicing, the magnanimous sage Dadhīci (the son of Atharvā) replied as follows, as though jesting, O Paṅkṣit (a scion of Bharata) :— (2)
"O gods, have you no idea of the pain that is actually caused to embodied beings at the time of death—a pain so hard to bear that it robs them (even) of their consciousness ? (3)
The body is the dearest object in this life, (particularly) sought after by living beings that are eager to survive. Who would have the courage to part with it even for Lord Viṣṇu, should He ask for it ?" (4) (1-4)
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देवा ऊचुः ।
किं नु तद्दुस्त्यजं ब्रह्मन् पुंसां भूतानुकम्पिनाम् ।
भवद्विधानां महतां पुण्यश्लोकेड्यकर्मणाम् ॥ ५॥
न नु स्वार्थपरो लोको न वेद परसङ्कटम् ।
यदि वेद न याचेत नेति नाह यदीश्वरः ॥ ६॥
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The gods replied : Now what is that which is difficult to part with, O (holy) Brāhmaṇa, for magnanimous souls like you, who are compassionate to (all) living beings and whose (noble) deeds are extolled (even) by men of sacred renown? (5)
Surely selfish people do not realize the difficulty of the donor; if they know it, they would not ask a gift (of him). And a donor (too) would not say "No", when capable of granting their request. (6) (5-6)
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ऋषिरुवाच ।
धर्मं वः श्रोतुकामेन यूयं मे प्रत्युदाहृताः ।
एष वः प्रियमात्मानं त्यजन्तं सन्त्यजाम्यहम् ॥ ७॥
योऽध्रुवेणात्मना नाथा न धर्मं न यशः पुमान् ।
ईहेत भूतदयया स शोच्यः स्थावरैरपि ॥ ८॥
एतावानव्ययो धर्मः पुण्यश्लोकैरुपासितः ।
यो भूतशोकहर्षाभ्यामात्मा शोचति हृष्यति ॥ ९॥
अहो दैन्यमहो कष्टं पारक्यैः क्षणभङ्गुरैः ।
यन्नोपकुर्यादस्वार्थैर्मर्त्यः स्वज्ञातिविग्रहैः ॥ १०॥
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The sage (Dadhīci) said : I replied to you (as I have done) only because I wished to hear from you about Dharma (righteousness), Here do I cast off this body, which is (so) dear to you (coveted by you) and which is sure to leave me (one day). (7)
The man who fails to earn by means of his transient body, O lords, neither religious merit nor fame through kindness to living beings deserves to be pitied even by immobile creatures (trees, plants and so on, that exist for others). (8)
The everlasting virtue practised by men of sacred renown consists merely in this that a man himself grieves and rejoices in sympathy with the grief and joy of his fellow-beings. (9)
Oh, what a pity, Oh, how painful it is that a mortal should not serve others with his wealth, sons and other kinsmen and body, which besides being transitory (by nature), are not only of no use to him but (really) belong to others. (10) (7-10)
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श्रीशुक उवाच ।
एवं कृतव्यवसितो दध्यङ्ङाथर्वणस्तनुम् ।
परे भगवति ब्रह्मण्यात्मानं सन्नयन् जहौ ॥ ११॥
यताक्षासुमनोबुद्धिस्तत्त्वदृग् ध्वस्तबन्धनः ।
आस्थितः परमं योगं न देहं बुबुधे गतम् ॥ १२॥
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Śrī Śuka continued : Having thus made up his mind and merging his (individual) self in the Lord, the Supreme Reality, the sage Dadhīci, the son of Atharvā, dropped his body. (11)
Having controlled his senses, vital airs, mind and intellect, his eyes fixed on the (absolute) Truth and (all) fetters (in the form of virtue and sin) broken, he established himself in supreme Yoga (perfect identity with Brahma), so that he did not know when the body (actually) fell. (12) (11-12)
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अथेन्द्रो वज्रमुद्यम्य निर्मितं विश्वकर्मणा ।
मुनेः शुक्तिभिरुत्सिक्तो भगवत्तेजसान्वितः ॥ १३॥
वृतो देवगणैः सर्वैर्गजेन्द्रोपर्यशोभत ।
स्तूयमानो मुनिगणैस्त्रैलोक्यं हर्षयन्निव ॥ १४॥
वृत्रमभ्यद्रवच्छत्रुमसुरानीकयूथपैः ।
पर्यस्तमोजसा राजन् क्रुद्धो रुद्र इवान्तकम् ॥ १५॥
ततः सुराणामसुरै रणः परमदारुणः ।
त्रेतामुखे नर्मदायामभवत्प्रथमे युगे ॥ १६॥
रुद्रैर्वसुभिरादित्यैरश्विभ्यां पितृवह्निभिः ।
मरुद्भिरृभुभिः साध्यैर्विश्वेदेवैर्मरुत्पतिम् ॥ १७॥
दृष्ट्वा वज्रधरं शक्रं रोचमानं स्वया श्रिया ।
नामृष्यन्नसुरा राजन् मृधे वृत्रपुरःसराः ॥ १८॥
नमुचिः शम्बरोऽनर्वा द्विमूर्धा ऋषभोऽसुरः ।
हयग्रीवः शङ्कुशिरा विप्रचित्तिरयोमुखः ॥ १९॥
पुलोमा वृषपर्वा च प्रहेतिर्हेतिरुत्कलः ।
दैतेया दानवा यक्षा रक्षांसि च सहस्रशः ॥ २०॥
सुमालिमालिप्रमुखाः कार्तस्वरपरिच्छदाः ।
प्रतिषिध्येन्द्रसेनाग्रं मृत्योरपि दुरासदम् ॥ २१॥
अभ्यर्दयन्नसम्भ्रान्ताः सिंहनादेन दुर्मदाः ।
गदाभिः परिघैर्बाणैः प्रासमुद्गरतोमरैः ॥ २२॥
शूलैः परश्वधैः खड्गैः शतघ्नीभिर्भुशुण्डिभिः ।
सर्वतोऽवाकिरन् शस्त्रैरस्त्रैश्च विबुधर्षभान् ॥ २३॥
न तेऽदृश्यन्त सञ्छन्नाः शरजालैः समन्ततः ।
पुङ्खानुपुङ्खपतितैर्ज्योतींषीव नभोघनैः ॥ २४॥
न ते शस्त्रास्त्रवर्षौघा ह्यासेदुः सुरसैनिकान् ।
छिन्नाः सिद्धपथे देवैर्लघुहस्तैः सहस्रधा ॥ २५॥
अथ क्षीणास्त्रशस्त्रौघा गिरिशृङ्गद्रुमोपलैः ।
अभ्यवर्षन् सुरबलं चिच्छिदुस्तांश्च पूर्ववत् ॥ २६॥
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Now, taking up the thunderbolt, forged by Viśwakarmā (the heavenly artisan) out of the bones of the sage Dadhīci, and endowed with the Lord's energy, Indra felt very strong. (13)
Surrounded by all the hosts of gods, he was being extolled by crowds of sages and shone on (the back of) Airāvata (the king of the elephants), as though delighting (all) the three worlds (heaven, earth and the intermediate region). (14)
In order to cut down Vṛtra, who was surrounded by generals of demon cohorts, he assailed the demon with (great) impetuosity and full of wrath, O Parikṣit, even as Rudra (the god presiding over destruction) rushes against Death (at the time of universal destruction). (15)
Thereupon ensued a most fierce conflict of the gods with the demons on the bank of the (holy) Narmadā (river) at the beginning of Tretā during the very first round of the four Yugas (of the current Manvantara, the Vaivaswata Manvantara). (16)
The demons headed by Vṛtra, O king (Parikṣit), could not bear to see Śakra (Indra), the king of the gods, armed with the thunderbolt and resplendent in his native glory on the field of battle and accompanied by the Rudras (the gods presiding over destruction), the Vasus, the Ādityas (the sons of Aditi), the two Aświnikumāras (the celestial physicians), the manes, the gods of fire, the Maruts (the wind-gods), the Rbhus, the Sādhyas and the Viśwedevas. (17-18)
Namuci, Śambara, Anarvā, Dwimūrdhā (who had a pair of heads), Rṣabha, Ambara, Hayagrīva (so-called because he was endowed with a horse's head), Śaṅkuśirā (lit., spear-headed), Vipracitti, Ayomukha (who was endowed with a snout of iron), Pulomā, Vṛṣaparvā, Praheti, Heti and Utkala, and (other) Daityas (sons of Diti) and Dānavas (sons of Danu), Yakṣas and Rākṣasas (ogres)—led by Sumālī and Mālī—who numbered several thousand and were adorned with gold ornaments resisted and harassed the vanguard of Indra's army, which was difficult to approach even for Death. With a lion's roar the furious demons, who were not the least agitated, (virtually) covered the generals of the celestial army on all sides with showers of maces, iron bludgeons, arrows, barbed darts, Mudgaras (a kind of hammer-like weapon), lances, pikes, axes, swords, Śataghnis* (a cylindrical piece of wood four cubits long and studded with iron spikes), Bhuśuṇḍis (another similar weapon with iron spikes one exceeding the other in length) and other weapons and missiles. (19—23)
Completely screened all round with volleys of arrows, each of which got stuck into the shaft of another, they (the celestial generals) could not be seen like luminaries hidden by clouds in the sky. (24)
Torn in thousands of pieces (even) in the air by the gods, who were skilled archers, those volleys of missiles and weapons surely did not reach (touch) the celestial troops at all. (25)
Their stock of missiles and weapons being depleted, they now showered mountainpeaks, trees and stones on the celestial host and the gods split them as before. (26) (13-26)
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तानक्षतान् स्वस्तिमतो निशाम्य
शस्त्रास्त्रपूगैरथ वृत्रनाथाः ।
द्रुमैर्दृषद्भिर्विविधाद्रिशृङ्गै-
रविक्षतांस्तत्रसुरिन्द्रसैनिकान् ॥ २७॥
सर्वे प्रयासा अभवन् विमोघाः
कृताः कृता देवगणेषु दैत्यैः ।
कृष्णानुकूलेषु यथा महत्सु
क्षुद्रैः प्रयुक्ता रुशती रूक्षवाचः ॥ २८॥
ते स्वप्रयासं वितथं निरीक्ष्य
हरावभक्ता हतयुद्धदर्पाः ।
पलायनायाजिमुखे विसृज्य
पतिं मनस्ते दधुरात्तसाराः ॥ २९॥
वृत्रोऽसुरांस्ताननुगान् मनस्वी
प्रधावतः प्रेक्ष्य बभाष एतत् ।
पलायितं प्रेक्ष्य बलं च भग्नं
भयेन तीव्रेण विहस्य वीरः ॥ ३०॥
कालोपपन्नां रुचिरां मनस्विनां
उवाच वाचं पुरुषप्रवीरः ।
हे विप्रचित्ते नमुचे पुलोमन्
मयानर्वञ्छम्बर मे शृणुध्वम् ॥ ३१॥
जातस्य मृत्युर्ध्रुव एव सर्वतः
प्रतिक्रिया यस्य न चेह कॢप्ता ।
लोको यशश्चाथ ततो यदि ह्यमुं
को नाम मृत्युं न वृणीत युक्तम् ॥ ३२॥
द्वौ सम्मताविह मृत्यू दुरापौ
यद्ब्रह्मसन्धारणया जितासुः ।
कलेवरं योगरतो विजह्या-
द्यदग्रणीर्वीरशयेऽनिवृत्तः ॥ ३३॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
षष्ठस्कन्धे इन्द्रवृत्रासुरयुद्धवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः ॥ १०॥
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Finding the aforesaid warriors of Indra secure and unhurt by their volleys of weapons and missiles and unscathed even by the trees, stones and peaks of mountains of every description (hurled by them), the demons led by Vṛtra were filled with dismay. (27)
All the efforts repeatedly made by the demons (the sons of Diti) against the gods, to whom the all-blissful Lord was favourably disposed, proved entirely infructuous even as the maledictory and harsh words employed by the vile against exalted souls fail to provoke them. (28)
Finding their efforts fruitless, the aforesaid demons, who cherished no devotion to Śrī Hari and had their pride crushed in battle, nay, who had been robbed of their energy (by their enemies), resorted to (the expedient of) fleeing away (from the battle-field) deserting their leader (Vṛtra) in the very initial stages of the conflict. (29)
Seeing those Asuras—who had (till then) followed his lead—fleeing away, and (further) observing his ranks (too) broken and run away through intense fear, the valiant and self-possessed Vṛtra heartily laughed and spoke as follows. (30)
That heroic personage made the following speech, which was not only appropriate to the occasion but thrilling to the brave—"Hullo Vipraciti, Namuci, Pulomā, Maya, Anarvā and Śambara, (just) listen to me. (31)
This death (which is so abhorrent to you) is sure to befall everyone that is born, wherever one may be; and no means (whatsoever) of avoiding it in this world (of matter) has been devised (by the creator). If, therefore, (an abode in) heaven (hereafter) and fame (in this world) could be had from it, who as a matter of fact would not actually court such a desirable death ? (32)
The following two modes of death are approved of in the scriptures and do not easily fall to one's lot. viz., (i) that he who is devoted to the practice of Yoga should, after controlling his vital airs and senses, cast off his body through deep concentration of mind on Brahma (the Absolute) and (ii) that, placed in the forefront of a battle, a man should give up the ghost on the battle-field, taking care not to turn his back on the enemy." (33) (27-33)
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