Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 8 Chapter 10:18-37

Book 8: Chapter 10

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 8: Chapter 10: Verses 18-37 Outbreak of hostilities between the gods and the Asuras he shone in the midst of a pair of chowries (which were being waved on his rlght and left) and under an exquisite umbrella like the moon on the eastern hill (while rising). On all his sides appeared in (their respective) aerial cars (other) Asuras, the commanders of the (various) squadrons-Namuci, Sambara, Bana, Vipracitti, Ayomukha (steel-mouthed), Dwimurdha (possessed of a pair of heads), Kalanabha and Praheti, Heti, Ilwala, Sakuni, Bhutasantapa (the torment of created beings), Vajradamstra (possessed of adamantine teeth), Virocana (shining brightly), Hayagriva (having the head and neck of a horse), Sankusira (spear-headed), Kapila (tawny of hue), Meghadundubhi, Taraka, Cakradrk (having wheel-like eyes), Sumbha, Nisumbha, Jambha, Utkala, Arista, Aristanemi, Maya, the lord of the three (flying) cities, and others, viz., the Paulomas and Kaleyas, the Nivatakavacas and so on. Having not received any share in the nectar (churned out of the ocean of milk), they had only suffered hardship (in toiling for the nactar). All these (however) had on many an occasion utterly defeated the immortals at the very commencement of the operations. Sending forth the roars of a lion, they blew loud-sounding conchs. Seeing his foes puffed up with pride, Indra (the destroyer of the demon Bala), got highly enraged. Mounted on Airavata, an elephant guarding the (eastern) quarter (with the temple-juice streaming from its temples), lndra shone like the sun (lit., the ruler of the day) appearing on the eastern hill with cascades falling down (its sloping sides). All round him stood the (other) gods, mounted on their diverse mounts and carrying different ensigns and weapons, as well as the guardians of the (various) worlds--Vayu (the wind-god), Agni (the god of fire), Varuna (the god of water) and others-with their retinue. Rushing violently towards and reproaching one another with words that cut to the quick, (nay,) challenging one another and rushing forward, they fought in pairs. Bali contended with Indra; Guha (the younger son of Lord Siva) cast his lot with Taraka; Varuna fought with Heti and Mitra with Praheti, O Pariksit ! Similarly Yama tried his strength with Kalanabha; Viswakarma (the architect of heaven), indeed with Maya (the architect of the demons); Sambara, with Twasta (a lord of created beings) and Virocana (Bali's father and son of Prahrada) with Savita. Namuci crossed arms with Aparajita, the Aswins (the twin-born physicians of the gods) with Vrsaparva, and the god Surya (the sun-god) with the hundred sons of Bali, of whom the eldest was Bana. Soma (the moon-god) likewise fought with Rahu; Anila (the wind-god) with Puloma, and the powerful Goddess Bhadrakali with Nisumbha and Sumbha. Vrsakapi (Lord Siva) for His part closed with Jambha; Vibhavasu (the god of fire), with Mahisa and Ilwala, accompanied by Vatapi, with the sage Marici and others (the sons of Brahma), O chastiser of foes ! Durmarsa (one hard to withstand) had an encounter with Kamadeva (the god of love); Utkala with the Matrkas (the divine mothers or personified energies of the principal deities); the sage Brhaspati (the preceptor of the gods), with Usana (Sukracarya, the preceptor of the demons) and Sanaiscara (the deity presiding over the planet Saturn and a son of the sun-god) with Naraka (the demon born of the union of the Lord manifested in the form of the divine Boar with Mother Earth). The (forty-nine) Maruts (wind-gods) entered into a conflict with the Nivatakavacas; the (group of the eight) gods known as the Vasus with the Kaleyas; the (gods called) Viswedevas, with the Paulomas and the (eleven) Rudras (the gods of destruction), with the Krodhavasas (a class of serpents, extremely ferocious by nature, residing in the lower regions). Fighting in pairs as well as collectively on the battle-field in the aforesaid manner and approaching one another, the Asuras as well as the leaders of the gods violently struck one another with sharp arrows, swords and iron clubs in their eagerness to win. And they lopped off the heads of one another with Bhusundis (a kind of weapon perhaps of the nature of fire-arms), discuses, maces, lances and sharp-edged spears, darts and firebrands, Prasas (a barbed missile) and axes, scimitars and Bhallas (a kind of arrow with a point of a particular shape), bludgeons as well as with Mudgaras (a kind of hammer-shaped weapon) and Bhindipalas (catapults). Elephants and horses (as well as those riding on them), car-warriors and footmen and various (other) mounts with (their) riders were cut to pieces. They had (their) arms, thighs, necks and feet chopped off; while their ensigns, bows, coats of mail and ornaments were torn in pieces.