66-69. The infuriated Daitya, Mahisa rushed at Varuna. On seeing him about to fall into the jaws of Death, the Moon-god discharged a weapon in the form of a thick boulder of ice. The Moon-god sent a second matchless missile presided over by the Wind-god. The limbs of the armies of Asuras burned all round because of the dry fierce wind, the cold and huge boulder of ice and the weapons wielded by the Moon-god. All the Danavas were distressed much because their manliness and courage was chilled (and frozen).
70-71. They were unable to take up any weapon. They were unable to move too. With his mouth quaking with chillness, Mahi$a remained inactive. He sat with his face turned downwards and the hands clasping the shoulders. All those Daityas who could not take any counter-move were conquered by the Moon-god.
72. They abandoned altogether all their desire for battle. They stood there eagerly trying to save their lives. Thereupon Kalanemi who blazed with anger, spoke to the Daityas:
73. “O impassioned ones, you have mastered all missiles and weapons; you are cruel. Each of you is competent to hold aloft the entire universe by means of your arms.
74. Each of you is competent to swallow the entire universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings. The entire horde of heaven-dwellers is no match unto each of you severally.
75. Why are you then frightened with your eyes indicating the excess of fear you have? Why have you been defeated in the battle? This is not proper on the part of heroes especially of those born as (i-e. in the family of) Daityas.
76. What face will you show to our king Taraka? With his fury aroused, he will do away with your lives as you have desisted from fighting.”
77-81. Though addressed thus, those great Asuras did not say anything. On account of chillness, they had lost the power of hearing and the ability to utter words. The Daityas had become dumb and almost dead in the course of the great battle. On seeing those Daityas absent-minded and utterly afflicted with chillness, and thinking about his duty befitting the occasion, Kalanemi, the great Asura, resorted to Manavi Maya. He expanded his huge body and filled the sky, the quarters and the intervening spaces. The great Danava created ten thousand suns in his body. He filled the quarters and the intermediate spaces with fires. Then within a moment the entire region of the three worlds became filled with flames.
82. On account of that cluster of flames, the Snow-rayed Lord (Moon) went away quickly. Then gradually the chilly, bad (climate of the) day vanished. It shone brightly.
83. Thanks to the Maya of Kalamemi, that army of the great Danavas, shone brightly and splendidly.
On seeing that the army of the Danavas had regained consciousness, the Sun-god was so furious that the extremities of his eyes became excessively red. He spoke to Aruna: .
The Sun-god said :
84-87. Take the chariot quickly to the place where Kalanemi has his chariot. In the fierce conflict there, all the living beings will be destroyed. The Moon has been defeated—the Moon whose strength we had relied upon. On being told thus, the elder brother of Garuda, though seated within the chariot itself, drove the horses that had white Camaras (i.e. streamers adorning the heads) over their heads. The Lord of the light of the universe, seized a well-strung bow, O son of Pap^u. The groups of arrows had immediately a lustre like that of poison.
88. He fixed a missile presided over by Sambara (the demon juggler) and discharged an arrow. He discharged a second arrow too combined with Indrajala (Magic).
89. The Sambara missile created an interchange in their forms within a moment. Devas were given the form of Danavas and Danavas were given the form of Devas.
90. Overwhelmed by anger like Kftanta (‘god of Death*) at the time of the annihilation of the world, Kalanemi killed his own people the Rak § asas(?), through the awful dexterity in the use of missiles, because he thought them to be Suras.
91 He killed some of them with the sword with a very Wlth Sh0WCrS of iron-tipped arrows; some with terrible non clubs; and some with terrific axes.
92. He made the heads of some, the arms of some and the charioteers of great energy (of others) fall down from the chariot. Some he pounded by the speed of the chariot. Some he thrashed by the fierce blows of his fists.
Narada said:
1-2. The infuriated Kalanemi did not recognize their (real) forms. He thought Nimi, the great Daitya to be a Deva. Hence with great dexterity and rapidity he caught hold of that hero by the hair and dragged him and roared. Thereupon Nimi said thus to the extremely powerful Kalanemi.
3-4. I am Nimi, O Kalanemi, do not kill me thinking me to be a Sura. Know that deluded as you are in the course of this battle, ten crores of Asuras, your own people, who were unvanquishable to Suras, have been killed by you mistaking them to be Devas. Hence hurry up. Discharge the Brahmastra that foils all other missiles.”
5. On being enlightened by him, that Daitya became agitated and let him off. Hurriedly he duly discharged an arrow charged with Brahmastra.
6. Thereupon, that Brahmastra blazed in the sky in an extremely miraculous manner. The entire array of Devas became frightened and excited.
7. Counteracted by the Brahmastra, the Sambara missile became ineffective. When his missile was repulsed, the Sun-god became angry.
8 ouwcnrfed to a great Indrajdla (Magic) and made his the wheel of the three means of his exploding, dazzling, mass of rays, worids by mhed the army of Danavas whose marrows, bones and blood began to melt away.
9 He made the eyes of the rhe b fat d ofthe elephants triekled down; chariots fell on the ground.
10 The horses and the charioteers who were distressed by the scorching heat, heaved deep sighs.
11 Suffering from himt they went about here add there in search of water.
12 They roamed over valleys and chasms between mountains, the ridges of mountains and the forests.
13 Even as they sought water hovering round one another, an extremely fierce forest-lire raged there burning down all the trees (around).
14 The seekers of water saw in front of them waves of water Though it was in front of them, they could not reach it or get at it. Here and there the great Daityas were seen lying down dead on the ground, without getting water quickly very near them, on the ground.
15. Chariots and elephants fell down. Horses became excessively tired. They ran about here and there. They vomited (blood). Fats got melted. Blood trickled down.
16-18 Crores and crores of Danavas were seen dead. When such a huge destruction of the Danavas occurred, Kalanemi became afflicted with fury. Excessive anger made his eyes copper- coloured. He assumed the form of a black cloud. Hundreds ot his shining hair were like streaks of lightening. The majestic sound that he produced by striking his arms was like the thunder clap through which he made the hearts in the universe tremble. Covering the entire sky he destroyed the lustre of the Sun completely.
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