(O janamejaya!) In that great battle, raNAji, the best among deva-s, fought against the son of diti, ekachakra, the one with intellect.

The highly powerful one, (raNAji), roaring and shouting, blocked the path of the chariot and showered arrows on the army of ekachakra.

The great demons, highly valiant ones, fighters fighting with spears having three points, showered darts and fire-arms on their enemies in the great battle.

That shower of great spears along with great maces and other spears, released by the sons born to diti, could not be defended by the moving and fixed beings of the universe.

The highly valiant and powerful groups of deva-s and asura-s, huge like the peaks of great mountains, were fighting against each other.

One hundred horses are yoked on his great chariot, like the chariot of great hiraNyakashipu, in the battle.

teShAM charaNapAtena chakranemisvanena cha |
tasya bANanipAtaishcha hatA vai shatashaH surAH ||3-58-7

Hundreds of deva-s were killed by their footsteps, the sound of the wheels of the chariot and by the shower of the arrows shot by him.

tataH sa laghubhishchitraiH sharaiH sannataparvabhiH |
sAyudhAnachChinotkruddhaH shatasho.atha sahasrashaH ||3-58-8

With quick moving, strange arrows having sharp tips, the angry demon cut off hundreds and thousands of armed enemies.

vadhyamAnAH sharaistIkShNai rathadviradavAjinaH |
gamitAH prakShayaM kechit tridashairdAnavA raNe ||3-58-9

In the battle field, chariots, elephants and horses were destroyed by the sharp arrows. Some sons of diti suffered decline in the battle by the deva-s.

tataH prakShIyamANAMstAnupaprekShya diteH sutAH |
tyaktvA prANAnnyavartanta pragR^ihItavarAyudhAH ||3-58-10

The sons of diti, seeing them suffering decline, attacked the deva-s, holding great weapons and abandoning their life forces.

te disho vidishashchaiva pratiyuddhaprahAriNaH |
abhyaghnannishitaiH shastrairdevAnditisutA raNe ||3-58-11

Those striking sons of diti covered all directions and sub directions. In the battle, the sons of diti killed the deva-s with sharp weapons.

raNAdvichalitaM ghoraM paramaM tigmatejasam |
mumochAstraM mahAbAhurmathanaM nAma saMyuge ||3-58-12

The one with powerful arms released a highly terrible sharp splendorous arrow named mathanaM in the battle.

tataH shastrANi shUlAni nishitAni sahasrashaH |
ativIryeNa mahatA ditijaH saMprachichChide ||3-58-13

Then the son of diti, cut off those thousands of sharp weapons and spears with high valiance.

ChitvA shUlena tAnsarvAnekachakro mahAsuraH |
abhyavidhyata taM sAdhyaM dashabhirnishitaiH sharaiH ||3-58-14
astravegena hatvaiva so.astraistasyAnusainikAn |

The great demon, ekachakra, cutting off all those darts, shot ten sharp arrows at the sAdhya, conquering his speed of arrows and many of his soldiers.

jvalitairaparaiH shIghraistAnavidhyatsahasrashaH ||3-58-15

Then he shot thousands of blazing arrows forcefully.

teShAM ChinnAni gAtrANi visR^ijanti sma shoNitam |
prAvR^iShIvAmbuvR^iShTIni shR^i~NgANi dharaNIbhR^itAm ||3-58-15

Their bodies, split by arrows, released blood, like the peaks of great mountains release showers of water during monsoon.

indrAshanisamasparshairnipatadbhirajihmagaiH |
ditijairvadhyamAnAste vitresuH surasattamAH ||3-58-17

The best among deva-s, oppressed by the arrows shot by the sons born to diti, arriving like indra's thunderbolts, trembled all over.

ekachakre rathe tiShThannapashyadgajayUthapam |
varAbharaNanirhrAdAntsamudrasvananiHsvanAn ||3-58-18

Mounted on his chariot, ekachakra saw the kings of elephants, decorated with best ornaments and roaring like ocean.

mattAntsuvihitAndR^iptAnmahAmAtrairadhiShThitAn |
kulinAnvIryasaMpannAnpratidviradaghAtinaH ||3-58-19
shikShitAngajashikShAyAmairAvatasamAnyudhi |
nyahanatsurasainyasya gajAngaja ivAsuraH |V3-58-20

The demon killed the elephants of deva-s army, proud elephants in rut, with their mahouts mounted on them, valiant elephants of noble birth, the killers of opponent elephants, like an elephant, giving them the training for elephants like airAvata (indra's elephant) in battle.

vikSharanto mahAnAgAnbhImavegAMstridhA madam |
meghastanitanirghoShAnmahAdrIniva chotthitAn ||3-58-21
sahasrasaMmitAndivyA~njAmbUnadapariShkR^itAn |
suvarNajAlairvitatAMstaruNAdityavarchasaH ||3-58-22

ekachakro gadApANirbalavAngadinAM varaH |
utsArayAmAsa gajAnmahAbhrANIva mArutaH ||3-58-23

Powerful ekachakra, the one holding mace in his hand, the best among the experts of maces drove away the elephants, the great elephants moving fast, the elephants in rut in three ways, elephants trumpeting like great clouds, elephants huge like huge mountains, thousands of elephants wearing golden ornaments, elephants sparkling like sun due to golden ornaments.

The oppressor of elephants, the demon ekachakra, killed the elephants with his mace. Then the powerful great demon viewed the group of horses.

The horses were having the colour of parrot, colour of antelope, horses looking like peacocks, horses with colour of dove as also the colour of swan.

There were horses with the colour and eyes of geese, horses with deformed eyes, horses with the colour of birds, horses having the speed of mind. The one with powerful arms, the powerful one having incomparable manly power, the one of high valiance, ekachakra, destroyed the army of horses, with his mace.

Seeing the valiance of the enemy of deva-s in the battle, the one of unthinkable valiance, the auspicious raNAji, sought refuge in the deva army.

The expert of battle with maces, expert of battle with chariots, the one with powerful arms, the one who lost his army, (raNAji) went near shakra (indra).

The king (indra) of the sons of diti stood in the battle field, destroying three million chariots in the battle, like the splendorous fire god devoid of smoke.

In the same battle, the great demon, highly proud, bala, fought against the great soul mR^igavyAdha, undefeatable in a battle.

The great followers of mR^igavyAdha, rudra, having splendor equal to the eater of oblations, the god of fire, seeing the demon bala, stood up.

They had elephants in rut, divine chariots and also horses with high speed. They had sharp arrows as well as arrows blazing like fire.

The valiant (followers of mR^igavyAdha, rudra) then saw the blazing great demon (bala), the one having the rays of the rising sun, the one with the auspicious splendor of rays.

They saw the one standing in the battle field, the one with high speed, the one of great nature, the highly powerful one, the one having great intellect, one of great perseverance, one having huge body and a great chariot fighter.

They saw the great fighter, engulfing all directions. Taking terrible weapons, they surrounded him all over.

mR^igavyAdha shot iron arrows sharpened on grind stones at the demon's head which was huge like a mountain.

With seven sharp arrows struck on his head, he rose up in the sky roaring, filling all the ten directions with his sound.

Then the valiant, powerful, deva mounted on a chariot, took up a bow and happily followed him in the sky.

The deva (mR^igavyAdha) covered the demon (bala) with a shower of arrows in the sky like a rain bearing cloud covers a mountain at the end of the summer season (during the rainy season).

The son of danu (bala) oppressed severely by mR^igavyAdha roared terribly like a rain bearing cloud thunders in the sky.

All of a sudden, he jumped up and ran towards the chariot of mR^igavyAdha. The one having high speed, fell on the chariot like a mountain having wings.

The son of diti broke the axle, the wooden frame on which yoke is fixed and the chariot. Abandoning the chariot, the highly powerful mR^igavyAdha stood on the earth.

Seeing rudra, devoid of the chariot, his auspicious followers, terrible with red eyes stood in the air, holding hammers (mudgara) in their hands.

They ran suddenly and surrounded the demon in the pure sky. The demon was struck with hammers like a huge tree was cut with axes.

The great chariot fighter (bala), equal in valiance to suparNa (garuDa) destroyed the speed of those having great speed and again leapt back to the earth.

The highly powerful son of danu pulled out a sal tree (Vatica Robusta) having huge branches and beat and killed all the followers of mR^igavyAdha in the battle.

The best among the sons of danu (bala) with his body wounded by them and blood flowing from the wounds, sparkled in the battle field like a rising young sun in the sky.

Plucking out the peak of a mountain along with animals and trees, the lord of the sons of danu (bala) struck and killed the followers (of mR^igavyAdha) in the battle.

After the great followers (of mR^igavyAdha) were killed, the valiant (bala) destroyed the remaining army.

The son of danu killed horses with horses, elephants with elephants and destroyed chariots with chariots, like the god of death destroys the beings at the end of the era.

With the bodies of the slain deva-s, horses, elephants and broken great chariots, the entire earth became one with blocked paths.

In this way, both the powerful bala, the king (indra) of the sons of diti and the valiant mR^igavyAdha fought the battle like two elephants in rut.

(O janamejaya!) There the second rudra, the angry soul, famous in all three worlds as ajaekapAt, was battling with rAhu.

There was a great battle, tumultuous, causing the hair to bristle, great, terrible, fearful, battle between the valiant, both desiring for victory.

A stream of blood with the bodies of deva-s and the sons of danu, difficult to cross, having the weeds of hair, with rafts of bodies was flowing in the battle field.

The lord rudra, becoming angry, taking up a terrible form, struck rAhu, the destroyer of enemies armies, having hundred faces, in the battle.

Auspicious rudra, becoming angry, broke the chariot of the son of diti, decorated with gold along with horses and charioteer, by shooting arrows, in the battle.

In the battle, one of his followers, highly powerful and happy, split the son of danu in the middle of his chest with a spear.

rAhu, the best among the sons of danu, whose body was cut by rudra and his followers, reached near the chariot of rudra,

and becoming confused by anger, suddenly struck forcefully with his palm and split the limbs of rudra, who was shooting sharp arrows, like the sun was shooting blazing rays at the mountain meru.

rudra with unlimited splendor struck at the best one among the sons of danu. The great demon, rAhu, killed all the followers of rudra.

In the battle, with arrows having sharp tips, rudra split the body of the son of danu, terrible to see, who was shooting a shower of arrows.

As the highly terrible battle, causing the hair to bristle (exciting due to terror) was proceeding, many great rivers of blood were flowing with high speed.

In the battle, rudra tore the body of the son of danu, comparable to a mountain of dark blue-black stone, with sharp arrows, like the sun tears the mountain meru with his blazing rays.

The best among the sons of danu, having the splendor of mountains, capable of taking forms as they desire, killed by spears (shakti), darts (shUla) and hatchets (parashvadha), fell down.

As the highly terrible battle, causing the hair to bristle (exciting due to terror) was proceeding, the sons of diti sparkled highly like Butea frondosa (kiMshuka) trees with flowers.

The sounds of large kettle drums (bherI), mR^ida~Nga, cymbals (paNava) mingled with the sounds of conches and flutes were heard from the battle field, like a wonder.

Great, terrible sounds of the sons of diti and deva-s, being killed and struck by weapons, could be heard from the battle field.

The dust of earth rising up from the hooves of the horses and the wheels of the chariots blocked the paths and the eyes of the fighters.

The battle field became decorated with the flowers of weapons, terrible to see and difficult to approach, scattered with meat, blood and dirt.

Broken swords, maces, spears, lances (tomara) and spears with sharp edges, broken and discarded chariots, lost instruments of war,

dead elephants in rut, dead deva-s and sons of danu, broken and fallen wheels, axles, yokes, and weapons - The battle field became terrible with all these along with meat eating creatures.

Headless bodies fell all around in all directions in the battle field

anyonyabaddhavairANAM daityAnAM jayagR^iddhinAm ||3-58-73
saMprahArastathA yuddhe vartate.atibhaya~NkaraH |

A highly terrible battle between the deva-s and sons of diti, having utmost hatred against each other, and desiring victory, took place in the battle field.

sainyAnAM saMprayuddhAnAM shUrANAmanivartinAm ||3-58-74
ajasya chAikapAdasya rAhoshchaiva mahAtmanaH |

A terrible battle took place in the battle field between the valiant soldiers who fight without retreating and between the great souls ajaekapAt and rAhu.

teShAM tu tatra patatAM kruddhAnAmatiniHsvanaH ||3-58-75
udvarta iva bhUtAnAM samudrANAM tu shushruve |

The loud sound made by both of them running with anger could be heard aloud by all the beings like the roar of the oceans.

tatraikastu sudhUmrAkShaH shrImAnrudro munIshvaraH ||3-58-76
bibheda keshinaM shaktyA gadAparighashUlabhR^it |

One of them, named the auspicious one with dark red eyes, the auspicious rudra, the lord of sages, holding the mace, iron club (parigha) and darts (shUla) split keshi with a spear.

nAnApraharaNA ghorA bhImAkhyA bhImavikramAH ||3-58-77
niShpetU rudradayitA mahApAriShadAstathA |

The terrible, huge bodied, great followers of rudra, those who act as per the wish of rudra, those who perform highly valiant acts proceeded to the battle field, taking up variety of weapons.

rathamAsthAya cha shrImAMstaptakA~NchanakuNDalaH ||3-58-78
dAnavaiH saMvR^itaH keshI yudhyate yuddhadurjayaiH |

Mounting on a chariot, auspicious keshi, wearing ear rings sparkling like molten gold, fought the battle, surrounded by the sons of danu who are difficult to conquer in the battle.

tasya sa~NgrAmashauNDasya sa~NgrAmeShu yuyutsataH ||3-58-79
nipeturugravIryasya jvAlA hi prasR^itA mukhAt |

Then flames started blazing from the mouth of the highly valiant son of danu who was intoxicated with the battle and about to fight.

sa tu siMharShabhaskandhaH shArdUlasamavikramaH ||3-58-80
mahAjaladasa~NkAsho mR^ida~NgadhvaniniHsvanaH |

[see 3-58-90]

The one having huge shoulders like a foremost lion, who is valiant like a tiger, who is like a great water bearing cloud, whose sound is like the sound of mR^ida~Nga,

tasya niShpatamAnasya dAnavaiH saMvR^itasya cha ||3-58-81
babhUva sumahAnAdaH kShobhayaMstridivaM yathA |

the one who is surrounded by the sons of danu - As he came down to the battle field, there was a great sound as if the heaven was agitated.

tena shabdena vitrastA tridashAnAM mahAchamUH ||3-58-82
drumashailapraharaNA yoddhumevAbhyavartata |

The great army of the deva-s became terrified due to the sound and they went to fight carrying the weapons of trees and rocks.

teShAM cha devadaityAnAM yuyutsUnAM parasparam |
sannipAtaH sutumulo raudro lokabhayAvahaH ||3-58-83

There was a tumultuous, terrible battle, fearful to the world, among the deva-s and the sons of diti who were ready to fight each other.

teShAM yuddhaM mahAghoraM saMjaj~ne lomaharShaNam |
devadAnavasa~NghAnAM prANAMstyaktvA mahAhave |

A highly terrible great battle, causing the hair to bristle (exciting due to terror) took place between the groups of deva-s and the sons of danu, abandoning their life forces.

sarve hyatibalAH shUrAH sarve parvatasaMnibhAH ||3-58-84
sarve sarvAstravidvAMsaH sarve sarvAyudhodyatAH |

All were highly powerful and valiant. All were huge like mountains. All were experts of all arrows. All were proficient in all weapons.

tridishA dAnavAshchaiva parasparajighAMsavaH |

The deva-s and the sons of danu were intent to kill each other.

teShAM vai nadatAM shabdaH saMyuge meghaniHsvanaH ||3-58-85
shushruve.atimahAghorashcharasthAvarakampanaH |

Their sound was heard in the battle field like the sound of thunder of clouds. A highly terrible sound, trembling the fixed and moving beings was heard from the battle field.

reNushchAruNasa~NkAsho bhImaH sa samapadyata ||3-58-86
udbhUto devadaityaughaiH saMrurodha disho dasha |

A huge, terrible red dust produced by the battle between the deva-s and the sons of diti, blocked all the ten directions.

anyonyaM rajasA tena kausheyAruNapANDunA ||3-58-87
saMvR^itA bahurUpeNa dadR^ishurna cha ki~nchana |

Covered by the many varieties of brown, red and white dust, they could not see each other.

na dhvajo na patAkAshcha na varma turago.api vA ||3-58-88
AyudhaM syandano vApi dR^ishyate naiva sArathiH |

Neither the flagstaff nor the flag or shield or horses or weapons or chariot or charioteer - Nothing could be seen in the battle field.

sa shabdastumulasteShAmanyonyaM samadhAvatAm ||3-58-89

The sound was highly tumultuous for those who were running and fighting against each other.

nipeturugravIryasya jvAlA hi prasR^itA mukhAt |
sa tu siMharshabhaskandhaH shArdUlasamavikramaH ||3-58-90

[see 3-58-80]

Then flames started blazing from the mouth of the highly valiant son of danu. The one having huge shoulders like a foremost lion, who is valiant like a tiger,

tasya niShpatamAnasya dAnavaiH saMvR^itasya cha |
shrUyate tumulaH shabdo na rUpANi chakAshire ||3-58-91

the one who is surrounded by the sons of danu - As he came down to the battle field, there was a tumultuous sound. No form was visible in the battle field.

dAnavAstatra sa~NkruddhA dAnavAneva jaghnire |
tridashAstridashAMshchaiva nijaghnustumulo tadA ||3-58-92

In the battle field, the angry sons of danu killed the sons of danu. In the tumultuous battle the deva-s killed deva-s.

na parAMshcha vinighnantaH svAMshcha yuddhe mahAsurAn |
rudhirArdrAM tathA chakrurmedinIM cha mahAsurAH ||3-58-93

The great demons (and deva-s) killed their enemies as well as their own in the battle field. The great demons (and deva-s) made the earth wet with blood.

tatastu rudhiraugheNa saMsiktamuditaM rajaH |
sharIrashatasa~NkIrNaM babhUva dharaNItalam ||3-58-94

The oozing blood wetted the rising dust. The face of earth was filled with hundreds of scattered bodies.

shUlashaktigadAkhaDgaparighaprAsatomaraiH |
tridashA dAnavAshchaiva jaghnuranyonyamAhave ||3-58-95

In the battle field, the deva-s and the sons of danu killed each other with darts (shUla), spears (shakti), maces (gada), swords (khaDga), iron clubs (parigha) and lances (tomara).

bAhubhiH parighAkArairnighnataH parighaistathA |
rudrapAriShadAnsarvAnsUdayanti sma dAnavAH |

The sons of danu destroyed all the followers of rudra using groups of iron clubs (parigha) and iron clubs held in their hands.

rudrapAriShadhAshchaiva mahAdrumamahAshmabhiH ||3-58-96
vyadArayannatikramya shastraishchAdityasaMnibhaiH |

The followers of rudra also attacked the sons of danu with huge trees, large rocks and weapons sparkling like the sun.

etasminnantare kruddhaH keshI dAnavasattamaH ||3-58-97

Meanwhile, keshi, the best among the sons of danu became angry.

sa~NgrAmamarShI ghoraH sa svAnyanIkAni harshayan |
teShAM paramasa~Nkruddho vajramastramudIrayat ||3-58-98

The terrible one who became impatient in the battle, became most angry and shot the vajra arrow, generating happiness to his army.

vajreNAstreNa divyena shastreNa cha mahAtmanA |
mahApAriShadAH sarve nihatA yudhi durjayAH ||3-58-99

In the battle, the one with great soul, killed all the great followers of rudra, who are difficult to conquer, with the divine weapon of vajra arrow.

vajrAstrapIDitA bhrAntA rudrapAriShadA yudhi |
viprakIrNadrumAH petuH shailA vajrahatA iva ||3-58-100

The followers of rudra, tormented and confused by the vajra arrow, fell down in the battle, like a mountain split by vajra falls down with its trees scattered all over.

sa~NgrAmamarShI ghoraH sa svAnyanIkAni harshayan |

The terrible one who became impatient in the battle, thus generated happiness to his army.

evaM sutumulaM yuddhamabhavallomaharShaNam |
keshinaH saha rudreNa tadadbhutamivAbhavat ||3-58-101

Thus a highly tumultuous battle of keshi with rudra took place, causing the hair to bristle (exciting due to terror). This became a wonderful battle.

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi vAmanaprAdurbhAve devAsurayuddhe keshirudrayuddhakathane aShTapa~nchAshattamo.adhyAyaH

This is the fifty-eighth lesson of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahAbhArata, in the manifestation of vAmana, in the fight of deva-s and asura-s, rudra engages keshi in battle

nIlakaNTha commentary

3-58-1 tatraiveti | raNAjiH | sAdhyavisheShaH ||
3-58-21 tridhA kaNThakarakumbhadesheShu madam kSharantaH | dvitIyArthe prathamA ||
3-58-25 R^iShyaH dUsaro mR^igavisheShastadvarNAn ||
3-58-27 vyasya vyaktvA |

iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi TIkAyAmaShTapa~nchAshattamo.adhyAyaH ||

##Itranslated by G. Schaufelberger schaufel, @ wanadoo.fr November 29, 2008
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath
August 18,2012 ##