Chapter 3: The Yaksha humbles Agni, Vayu and Indra

ब्रह्म ह देवेभ्यो विजिग्ये तस्य ह ब्रह्मणो
विजये देवा अमहीयन्त

brahma ha devebhyo vijigye tasya ha brahmaṇo
vijaye devā amahīyanta

Brahman once won a victory for the devas. In that victory of Brahman the devas grew proud and exalted.

त ऐक्षन्तास्माकमेवायं विजयोऽस्माकमेवायं महिमेति ।
तद्धैषां विजज्ञौ तेभ्यो ह प्रादुर्बभूव तन्न व्यजानत
किमिदं यक्षमिति

ta aikṣantāsmākamevāyaṃ vijayo'smākamevāyaṃ mahimeti |
taddhaiṣāṃ vijajñau tebhyo ha prādurbabhūva tanna vyajānata
kimidaṃ yakṣamiti

They thought, 'This victory is ours alone, this greatness is ours alone.' Brahman knew their thought and appeared before them. They did not know what this Yaksha, this wondrous being, was.

तेऽग्निमब्रुवन् जातवेद एतद्विजानीहि
किमिदं यक्षमिति तथेति

te'gnimabruvan jātaveda etadvijānīhi
kimidaṃ yakṣamiti tatheti

They said to Agni, 'O Jataveda, knower of all born things, find out what this Yaksha is.' He said, 'So be it.'

तदभ्यद्रवत्तमभ्यवदत्कोऽसीत्यग्निर्वा
अहमस्मीत्यब्रवीज्जातवेदा वा अहमस्मीति

tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko'sītyagnirvā
ahamasmītyabravījjātavedā vā ahamasmīti

He ran towards it. It asked him, 'Who are you?' He replied, 'I am Agni. I am Jataveda.'

तस्मिँस्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदँ सर्वं
दहेयं यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति

tasmim̐stvayi kiṃ vīryamityapīdam̐ sarvaṃ
daheyaṃ yadidaṃ pṛthivyāmiti

'What power is in you, being such?' 'I can burn all this, whatever is on the earth.'

तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतद्दहेति ।
तदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाक दग्धुं स तत एव
निववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति

tasmai tṛṇaṃ nidadhāvetaddaheti |
tadupapreyāya sarvajavena tanna śaśāka dagdhuṃ sa tata eva
nivavṛte naitadaśakaṃ vijñātuṃ yadetadyakṣamiti

It placed a blade of grass before him: 'Burn this.' He rushed at it with all his speed but could not burn it. He turned back from there and said to the devas, 'I could not find out what this Yaksha is.'

अथ वायुमब्रुवन्वायवेतद्विजानीहि
किमेतद्यक्षमिति तथेति

atha vāyumabruvanvāyavetadvijānīhi
kimetadyakṣamiti tatheti

Then they said to Vayu, 'O Vayu, find out what this Yaksha is.' He said, 'So be it.'

तदभ्यद्रवत्तमभ्यवदत्कोऽसीति वायुर्वा
अहमस्मीत्यब्रवीन्मातरिश्वा वा अहमस्मीति

tadabhyadravattamabhyavadatko'sīti vāyurvā
ahamasmītyabravīnmātariśvā vā ahamasmīti

He ran towards it. It asked him, 'Who are you?' He replied, 'I am Vayu. I am Matarishvan, who moves in space.'

तस्मिँस्त्वयि किं वीर्यमित्यपीदँ
सर्वमाददीय यदिदं पृथिव्यामिति

tasmim̐stvayi kiṃ vīryamityapīdam̐
sarvamādadīya yadidaṃ pṛthivyāmiti

'What power is in you, being such?' 'I can carry off all this, whatever is on the earth.'

तस्मै तृणं निदधावेतदादत्स्वेति
तदुपप्रेयाय सर्वजवेन तन्न शशाकादतुम् |
स तत एव निववृते नैतदशकं विज्ञातुं यदेतद्यक्षमिति

tasmai tṛṇaṃ nidadhāvetadādatsveti
tadupapreyāya sarvajavena tanna śaśākādatum |
sa tata eva nivavṛte naitadaśakaṃ vijñātuṃ yadetadyakṣamiti

It placed a blade of grass before him: 'Carry this off.' He rushed at it with all his speed but could not move it. He turned back from there and said, 'I could not find out what this Yaksha is.'

अथेन्द्रमब्रुवन्मघवन्नेतद्विजानीहि किमेतद्यक्षमिति तथेति
तदभ्यद्रवत्तस्मात्तिरोदधे

athendramabruvanmaghavannetadvijānīhi kimetadyakṣamiti tatheti
tadabhyadravattasmāttirodadhe

Then they said to Indra, 'O Maghavan, find out what this Yaksha is.' He said, 'So be it,' and ran towards it. But it vanished from before him.

स तस्मिन्नेवाकाशे स्त्रियमाजगाम बहुशोभमानामुमाँ
हैमवतीं ताँहोवाच किमेतद्यक्षमिति

sa tasminnevākāśe striyamājagāma bahuśobhamānāmumām̐
haimavatīṃ tām̐hovāca kimetadyakṣamiti

In that very sky he came upon a woman of great radiance, Uma, daughter of Himavat. He asked her, 'What is this Yaksha?'