अथापश्यन्त ते वीराः पृथिवीम् अवदारिताम् ॥
समासाद्य बिलं तच् च खनन्तः सगरात्मजाः ॥
कुद्दालैर् ह्रेषुकैश् चैव समुद्रम् अखनंस् तदा ॥
स खन्यमानः सहितैः सागरैर् वरुणालयः ॥
अगच्छत् परमाम् आर्तिं दार्यमाणः समन्ततः ॥
असुरोरगरक्षांसि सत्त्वानि विविधानि च ॥
आर्तनादम् अकुर्वन्त वध्यमानानि सागरैः ॥
छिन्नशीर्षा विदेहाश् च भिन्नजान्वस्थिमस्तकाः ॥
प्राणिनः समदृश्यन्त शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः ॥
एवं हि खनतां तेषां समुद्रं मकरालयम् ॥
व्यतीतः सुमहान् कालो न चाश्वः समदृश्यत ॥
ततः पूर्वोत्तरे देशे समुद्रस्य महीपते ॥
विदार्य पातालम् अथ संक्रुद्धाः सगरात्मजाः ॥
अपश्यन्त हयं तत्र विचरन्तं महीतले ॥
कपिलं च महात्मानं तेजोराशिम् अनुत्तमम् ॥
तपसा दीप्यमानं तं ज्वालाभिर् इव पावकम् ॥
athāpaśyanta te vīrāḥ pṛthivīm avadāritām ||
samāsādya bilaṃ tac ca khanantaḥ sagarātmajāḥ ||
kuddālair hreṣukaiś caiva samudram akhanaṃs tadā ||
sa khanyamānaḥ sahitaiḥ sāgarair varuṇālayaḥ ||
agacchat paramām ārtiṃ dāryamāṇaḥ samantataḥ ||
asuroragarakṣāṃsi sattvāni vividhāni ca ||
ārtanādam akurvanta vadhyamānāni sāgaraiḥ ||
chinnaśīrṣā videhāś ca bhinnajānvasthimastakāḥ ||
prāṇinaḥ samadṛśyanta śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
evaṃ hi khanatāṃ teṣāṃ samudraṃ makarālayam ||
vyatītaḥ sumahān kālo na cāśvaḥ samadṛśyata ||
tataḥ pūrvottare deśe samudrasya mahīpate ||
vidārya pātālam atha saṃkruddhāḥ sagarātmajāḥ ||
apaśyanta hayaṃ tatra vicarantaṃ mahītale ||
kapilaṃ ca mahātmānaṃ tejorāśim anuttamam ||
tapasā dīpyamānaṃ taṃ jvālābhir iva pāvakam ||
Then these heroes saw the earth split open. Reaching the chasm, the sons of Sagara began to dig, tearing into the ocean with mattocks. The abode of Varuna, rent on every side by the assembled Sagaras, fell into the deepest anguish. Asuras, nagas, rakshasas, and various beings, slain by the Sagaras, cried out in pain. Hundreds and thousands of living creatures were seen with severed heads, without bodies, with shattered knees, bones, and skulls. Thus, while they dug the ocean, the abode of sea-monsters, a very long time passed, and still the horse was not found. Then, in the northeastern quarter of the ocean, O lord of the earth, the enraged sons of Sagara, having torn through Patala, saw there the horse wandering upon the ground, and the great-souled Kapila, a supreme mass of splendor, blazing with tapas like fire with its flames."
e31a4de5027d · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:02:54 PM UTC
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In their search for the horse the Sagaras lay waste to the world around them. Even a sacred goal turns dangerous when pursued without humility before living beings.