Sarga 40: Kapila Burns Sagara's Sons
Kapila Krodha
Brahma reveals that the world-sustaining sage Kapila will destroy Sagara's sons; digging onward past the four guardian elephants of the quarters, the princes find Kapila with the horse and, mistaking him for the thief, rush at him in fury and are reduced to ashes by his wrath.
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पितुर्वचनमासाद्य सगरस्य महात्मन:।।1.40.11।। षष्टि: पुत्रसहस्राणि रसातलमभिद्रवन्।
Meaning
Obeying the word of the great-souled Sagara their father, the sixty thousand sons rushed toward the netherworld.
खन्यमाने ततस्तस्मिन् ददृशु: पर्वतोपमम्।।1.40.12।। दिशागजं विरूपाक्षं धारयन्तं महीतलम्।
Meaning
As it was being dug, they saw, mountain-like, the elephant of that quarter, Virupaksha, sustaining the surface of the earth.
सपर्वतवनां कृत्स्नां पृथिवीं रघुनन्दन।।1.40.13।। शिरसा धारयामास विरूपाक्षो महागज:।
Meaning
Delight of Raghu, the great elephant Virupaksha bears the whole earth, with its mountains and forests, upon his head.
यदा पर्वणि काकुत्स्थ विश्रमार्थं महागज:।।1.40.14।। खेदाच्चालयते शीर्षं भूमिकम्पस्तदाभवेत्।
Meaning
Kakutstha, whenever that great elephant, wearied, shakes his head to rest, an earthquake occurs.
तं ते प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा दिशापालं महागजम्।।1.40.15।। मानयन्तो हि ते राम जग्मुर्भित्त्वा रसातलम्।
Meaning
Having circumambulated that great guardian-elephant of the quarter in reverence, Rama, they went on, cleaving through the netherworld.
तत: पूर्वां दिशं भित्त्वा दक्षिणां बिभिदु: पुन:।।1.40.16।। दक्षिणस्यामपि दिशि ददृशुस्ते महागजम्। महापद्मं महात्मानं सुमहत्पर्वतोपमम्।।1.40.17।। शिरसा धारयन्तं ते विस्मयं जग्मुरुत्तमम्।
Meaning
Then, having cloven the eastern quarter, they cleft the southern quarter again; there too, in the south, they saw a great elephant, the great-souled Mahapadma, resembling a huge mountain, bearing the earth upon his head; they were filled with supreme wonder.
तत: प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा सगरस्य महात्मन:।।1.40.18।। षष्टि: पुत्रसहस्राणि पश्चिमां बिभिदुर्दिशम्।
Meaning
Then, having circumambulated him in reverence, the great-souled Sagara's sixty thousand sons cleft the western quarter.
पश्चिमायामपि दिशि महान्तमचलोपमम्।।1.40.19।। दिशागजं सौमनसं ददृशुस्ते महाबला:।
Meaning
In the western quarter too, those greatly powerful ones saw a great mountain-like elephant of that quarter, Saumanasa.
तं ते प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा पृष्ट्वा चापि निरामयम्। खनन्त स्समुपक्रान्ता दिशं हैमवतीं तत:।।1.40.20।।
Meaning
Having circumambulated him and asked after his wellbeing, they then set out digging toward the snow-clad northern quarter.
उत्तरस्यां रघुश्रेष्ठ ददृशुर्हिमपाण्डुरम्।।1.40.21।। भद्रं भद्रेण वपुषा धारयन्तं महीमिमाम्।
Meaning
Best of Raghu's line, in the north they saw one white as snow, Bhadra, of auspicious form, bearing this earth.