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Shiva Purana

by J. L. Shastri | 1950 | 616,585 words

This page relates “description of the special war� as found in the Shiva-purana, which, in Hinduism, represents one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. This work eulogizes Lord Shiva as the supreme deity, besides topics such as cosmology and philosophy. It is written in Sanskrit and claims to be a redaction of an original text consisting of 100,000 metrical verses.

Disclaimer: These are translations of Sanskrit texts and are not necessarily approved by everyone associated with the traditions connected to these texts. Consult the source and original scripture in case of doubt.

Chapter 21 - Description of the Special War

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sanatkumāra said:�

1. On seeing the leaders of the Ҳṇa, Nandin, Ҳṇeś and ٳپⲹ, the Բ rushed at them for a duel combat.

2. Ա𳾾 clashed with Nandin; Śܳ fought Ҳṇeś and śܳ hesitatingly rushed at ٳپⲹ.

3. With five arrows śܳ hit the peacock of ٳپⲹ in the chest and it fell unconscious.

4. Then the infuriated ٳپⲹ discharged five arrows at his chariot and pierced the horses and the charioteer.

5. The invincible hero hit śܳ with another sharp arrow quickly and roared.

6. The Asura śܳ of great prowess and heroism hit ٳپⲹ in the battle with his arrow as he roared.

7. By the time the furious ٳپⲹ seized his spear, śܳ struck him with it.

8. Thus, O ղ, a great fight between ٳپⲹ and śܳ ensued as they shouted heroically.

9. Then Nandin hit Ա𳾾 with seven arrows and pierced his horses, banner, chariot and charioteer.

10. With very sharp shafts discharged from his bow, the infuriated Ա𳾾 cut the bow of Nandin.

11. Defying the great demon Ա𳾾 the heroic Իīś hit him in the chest with his spear.

12. With his horses and charioteer killed and himself wounded in the chest, he broke the top of a mountain and hit Nandin.

13. Then Śܳ and Ҳṇeś seated respectively in a chariot and on a mouse fought each other with volleys of arrows.

14. Ҳṇeś hit Śܳ in his chest with an arrow and felled his charioteer with three arrows on the ground.

15. Then the infuriated Śܳ covered Ҳṇeś with a shower of arrows. Hitting the mouse with three arrows he roared like thunder.

16. The mouse pierced by the arrows, shook with acute pain. Ҳṇeś was thrown off (his vehicle) and he became a foot soldier (as it were).

17. Then Ҳṇeś hit Śܳ in his chest with his axe and felled him to the ground. Thereafter he mounted his mouse again.

18. Lord Ҳṇeś of elephantine face got ready for the fight. He hit him mockingly and angrily as if hitting a great elephant with a goad.

19. Ա𳾾 and Śܳ simultaneously attacked Ҳṇeś furiously with arrows as ruthless as serpents.

20. On seeing him afflicted, the powerful ī󲹻 accompanied by a crore goblins rushed in.

21. The ūṣmṇḍ, Bhairavas, ձ, ۴Dzī, ʾś峦, Ḍākī and Ҳṇa came there with him.

22. The Earth, resonant with various kinds of noise, shouts of joy, leonine roars and the sounds of Ḍaܰ첹, quaked.

23. Then the ūٲ ran here and there devouring the Բ. They jumped up and danced in the battle field and threw the Asura on the ground.

24. In the meantime, O ղ, Nandin and Guha regained their consciousness and got up. They roared in the battlefield again.

25. Nandin and ٳپⲹ came hurriedly and struck the Daityas in the battle ground with incessant volleys of arrows.

26. Then the army of the Daityas became agitated and dejected with many Daityas wounded, split, killed, felled to the ground and devoured.

27. Thus Nandin, ٳپⲹ the formidable and valorous, ī󲹻 and the other Ҳṇa roared much in the battle.

28. Then those two generals of the son of the ocean, śܳ and Śܳ, the great Daitya Ա𳾾 and the other Asuras were defeated.

29. On seeing the army destroyed, the powerful son of the ocean rushed at the Ҳṇa in his chariot of waving and wafting colours.

30. Thereat even the defeated Daityas became jubilant. O ղ, they roared much and got ready for the fray.

31. The victorious Ҳṇa of Ś too roared, led by Nandin, ٳپⲹ, Ҳṇeś and Vīrabhadara, O sage.

32. The trumpets of the elephants, the neighing of the horses, the rumbling of the chariots, the sounds of the conches and war-drums and the leonine roars of the armies rose up.

33. The space between heaven and the earth became enveloped by the many arrows discharged by Jalandhara as if by floating masses of mist.

34. Hitting Nandin and Ҳṇeś with five arrows each and ī󲹻 with twenty he roared like thunder.

35. ٳپⲹ the heroic son of Ś then swiftly hit the Daitya Jalandhara with his spear and roared.

36. With the body pierced through by the spear, the Daitya fell on the ground with eyes rolling. But the powerful Asura swiftly stood up.

37. Then Jalandhara the infuriated leader of the Daityas hit ٳپⲹ in his chest with his mace.

38. O ղ, plainly exhibiting the successful efficiency of the Mace secured as a favour from ٳپⲹ fell on the ground suddenly.

39. Similarly, struck by the mace Nandin too fell on the ground, He was distressed a little although he was a great hero and a destroyer of enemies.

40. Then the infuriated hero Ҳṇeś came there after remembering the lotus like feet of Ś and split the mace of the Daitya with his axe.

41. ī󲹻 then hit the Բ in his chest with three arrows. He cut off the banner, umbrella, bow and the horses of the Daitya with seven arrows.

42. Then the infuriated leader of the Daityas lifted up his terrible Śپ and felled Ҳṇeś. He mounted another chariot then.

43. The powerful leader of the Daityas did not mind ī󲹻 at all. Angrily he rushed at him.

44. Jalandhara, the heroic king of Daityas, hit ī󲹻 with a fierce arrow and roared.

45. The infuriated ī󲹻 split that arrow with a sharp-edged arrow. With another great arrow he hit him too.

46. Then both of them, the most excellent of heroes refulgent like the sun, fought each other with different kinds of weapons and missiles.

47. ī󲹻 then felled his horses with his arrows. He forcefully cut off him bow and flags too.

48. Then the king of the Daityas leapt up to him with a great iron club. That powerful warrior reached very near ī󲹻 very quickly.

49. The heroic and powerful son of the ocean hit ī󲹻 on his head with his great iron club. He then roared.

50. ī󲹻, the leader of the Ҳṇa, fell on the ground with his head shattered by the iron club and shed much blood.

51. On seeing ī󲹻 fallen, the terrified Ҳṇa abandoned the battle ground shrieking and fled to lord Ś.

52. On hearing the tumultuous uproar of the Ҳṇa, the moon-crested lord asked the excellent Ҳṇa, the heroes standing near him.

Ś said:�

53. How is this tumultuous uproar among my Ҳṇa? O heroes, let this be enquired into. Peace shall be established by me, of course.

54. Even as the lord of the gods was conducting the enquiry, the leaders of the Ҳṇa approached the lord.

55. On seeing them dejected, the lord enquired after their health. The Ҳṇa then intimated to him everything in detail.

56. On hearing it, lord Ś, the expert in divine sports assured them of freedom from fear increasing their enthusiasm.

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