तत्रैव मातलिस् तूर्णं निपत्य पृथिवीतले ॥
नादयन् रथघोषेण तत् पुरं समुपाद्रवत् ॥
रथघोषं तु तं श्रुत्वा स्तनयित्नोर् इवाम्बरे ॥
मन्वाना देवराजं मां संविग्ना दानवाभवन् ॥
सर्वे संभ्रान्तमनसः शरचापधराः स्थिताः ॥
तथा शूलासिपरशुगदामुसलपाणयः ॥
ततो द्वाराणि पिदधुर् दानवास् त्रस्तचेतसः ॥
संविधाय पुरे रक्षां न स्म कश् चन दृश्यते ॥
ततः शङ्खम् उपादाय देवदत्तं महास्वनम् ॥
पुरम् आसुरम् आश्लिष्य प्राधमं तं शनैर् अहम् ॥
स तु शब्दो दिवं स्तब्ध्वा प्रतिशब्दम् अजीजनत् ॥
वित्रेसुश् च निलिल्युश् च भूतानि सुमहान्त्य् अपि ॥
ततो निवातकवचाः सर्व एव समन्ततः ॥
दंशिता विविधैस् त्राणैर् विविधायुधपाणयः ॥
आयसैश् च महाशूलैर् गदाभिर् मुसलैर् अपि ॥
पट्टिशैः करवालैश् च रथचक्रैश् च भारत ॥
शतघ्नीभिर् भुशुण्डीभिः खड्गैश् चित्रैः स्वलंकृतैः ॥
प्रगृहीतैर् दितेः पुत्राः प्रादुरासन् सहस्रशः ॥
tatraiva mātalis tūrṇaṃ nipatya pṛthivītale ||
nādayan rathaghoṣeṇa tat puraṃ samupādravat ||
rathaghoṣaṃ tu taṃ śrutvā stanayitnor ivāmbare ||
manvānā devarājaṃ māṃ saṃvignā dānavābhavan ||
sarve saṃbhrāntamanasaḥ śaracāpadharāḥ sthitāḥ ||
tathā śūlāsiparaśugadāmusalapāṇayaḥ ||
tato dvārāṇi pidadhur dānavās trastacetasaḥ ||
saṃvidhāya pure rakṣāṃ na sma kaś cana dṛśyate ||
tataḥ śaṅkham upādāya devadattaṃ mahāsvanam ||
puram āsuram āśliṣya prādhamaṃ taṃ śanair aham ||
sa tu śabdo divaṃ stabdhvā pratiśabdam ajījanat ||
vitresuś ca nililyuś ca bhūtāni sumahānty api ||
tato nivātakavacāḥ sarva eva samantataḥ ||
daṃśitā vividhais trāṇair vividhāyudhapāṇayaḥ ||
āyasaiś ca mahāśūlair gadābhir musalair api ||
paṭṭiśaiḥ karavālaiś ca rathacakraiś ca bhārata ||
śataghnībhir bhuśuṇḍībhiḥ khaḍgaiś citraiḥ svalaṃkṛtaiḥ ||
pragṛhītair diteḥ putrāḥ prādurāsan sahasraśaḥ ||
"Then Mātali swiftly descended to the ground and, filling everything with the thunder of his chariot, drove up to that city. Hearing this sound, like heavenly thunder, the dānavas grew alarmed, thinking that the king of the gods had arrived. All of them, their minds confounded, stood ready with bows and arrows, with spears, swords, axes, maces and clubs. Then, frightened, they shut the gates, set up defenses in the city, and no one could be seen any longer. Then I took up the thunderous Devadatta and, drawing near the city of the asuras, blew it slowly. That sound, filling the sky, produced an answering echo; even great beings trembled and hid themselves. Then the Nivātakavacas appeared from every side by the thousands: in various armor, bearing various weapons — with iron spears, maces, clubs, paṭṭiśas, swords, chariot wheels, śataghnīs, bhuśuṇḍīs, and beautifully adorned blades."
d6ed6a7a99b7 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:13:49 PM UTC
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The sound of Devadatta announces not merely the arrival of a warrior but the coming of an end appointed by Time. The dānavas' fear arises even before the arrows fly, because they recognize the power standing behind Indra's charge.