# Bāla Kāṇḍa 39 — Story of Sagara: Kapila’s anger and the sons’ destruction *The sons pass the elephants supporting the earth and find the horse beside Kapila, they accuse him of theft and his “huṃ” reduces them to ashes* Portion: Story of Sagara · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 1.39. ## Sequence - Brahmā explains that Vāsudeva sustains the earth in Kapila's form and that both its excavation and the princes' destruction have long been foreseen → reassured, the Devas depart (39.1–4) - after searching and digging without finding the horse, the sons return to Sagara → he angrily sends them back to dig farther (39.5–10) - descending again, they encounter Virūpākṣa, the eastern elephant supporting the earth, whose movements cause earthquakes → they honor and circle him (39.11–15) - continuing through the quarters, they similarly honor Mahāpadma in the south, Saumanasa in the west, and the snow-white Bhadra in the north (39.16–22) - digging northeast, they find Kapila with the horse grazing nearby (39.23–24) - assuming that he stole it, they rush at him and demand that he stand and face Sagara's sons (39.25–26) - Kapila utters an angry “huṃ” → all sixty thousand are reduced to ashes (39.27–28). ## Verses **1.39.1** devatānāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā bhagavān vai pitāmahaḥ pratyuvāca susaṃtrastān kṛtāntabalamohitān Hearing the words of the deities, the venerable Grandsire replied to those sorely frightened ones, deluded by the power of fate: **1.39.2** yasyeyaṃ vasudhā kṛtsnā vāsudevasya dhīmataḥ kāpilaṃ rūpam āsthāya dhārayaty aniśaṃ dharām This whole earth belongs to the wise Vāsudeva, who, assuming the form of Kapila, unceasingly upholds the earth. **1.39.3** pṛthivyāś cāpi nirbhedo dṛṣṭa eva sanātanaḥ sagarasya ca putrāṇāṃ vināśo 'dīrghajīvinām And the breaking-open of the earth has long been foreseen as inevitable, as has the destruction of Sagara's sons, who are not to be long-lived. **1.39.4** pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā trayas triṃśad ariṃdamaḥ devāḥ paramasaṃhṛṣṭāḥ punar jagmur yathāgatam Hearing the Grandsire's word, the thirty-three foe-subduing gods, greatly delighted, went back the way they had come. **1.39.5** sagarasya ca putrāṇāṃ prādur āsīn mahātmanām pṛthivyāṃ bhidyamānāyāṃ nirghāta sama niḥsvanaḥ And as the earth was being torn open by the great-souled sons of Sagara, there arose a din like a thunderclap. **1.39.6** tato bhittvā mahīṃ sarvāṃ kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam sahitāḥ sagarāḥ sarve pitaraṃ vākyam abruvan Then, having broken open the whole earth and circumambulated it, all Sagara's sons together spoke this word to their father: **1.39.7** parikrāntā mahī sarvā sattvavantaś ca sūditāḥ devadānavarakṣāṃsi piśācoragakiṃnarāḥ “The whole earth has been traversed, and mighty creatures slain — gods, dānavas and rākṣasas, piśācas, serpents and kiṃnaras. **1.39.8** na ca paśyāmahe 'śvaṃ tam aśvahartāram eva ca kiṃ kariṣyāma bhadraṃ te buddhir atra vicāryatām But we do not see that horse, nor the horse-thief. What shall we do? Bless you — let a plan be deliberated on this.” **1.39.9** teṣāṃ tad vacanaṃ śrutvā putrāṇāṃ rājasattamaḥ samanyur abravīd vākyaṃ sagaro raghunandana Hearing that word of his sons, the best of kings, Sagara, in anger spoke this word, O joy of the Raghus: **1.39.10** bhūyaḥ khanata bhadraṃ vo nirbhidya vasudhātalam aśvahartāram āsādya kṛtārthāś ca nivartatha “Dig again — blessings on you — breaking through the surface of the earth; and having found the horse-thief and gained your object, return.” **1.39.11** pitur vacanam āsthāya sagarasya mahātmanaḥ ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi rasātalam abhidravan Abiding by the word of their father, the great-souled Sagara, the sixty thousand sons rushed down toward Rasātala. **1.39.12** khanyamāne tatas tasmin dadṛśuḥ parvatopamam diśāgajaṃ virūpākṣaṃ dhārayantaṃ mahītalam As it was being dug, they then beheld a mountain-like elephant of the quarter, Virūpākṣa, upholding the surface of the earth. **1.39.13** saparvatavanāṃ kṛtsnāṃ pṛthivīṃ raghunandana śirasā dhārayām āsa virūpākṣo mahāgajaḥ O joy of the Raghus, the great elephant Virūpākṣa bore upon his head the whole earth, with its mountains and forests. **1.39.14** yadā parvaṇi kākutstha viśramārthaṃ mahāgajaḥ khedāc cālayate śīrṣaṃ bhūmikampas tadhā bhavet Whenever, O Kākutstha, at the turn (of the ages) the great elephant, from weariness, shakes his head for rest, then there comes an earthquake. **1.39.15** taṃ te pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā diśāpālaṃ mahāgajam mānayanto hi te rāma jagmur bhittvā rasātalam Circumambulating that great elephant, the guardian of the quarter, and honouring him, O Rāma, they went on, breaking through toward Rasātala. **1.39.16** tataḥ pūrvāṃ diśaṃ bhittvā dakṣiṇāṃ bibhiduḥ punaḥ dakṣiṇasyām api diśi dadṛśus te mahāgajam Then, having broken open the eastern quarter, they dug through the southern one; and in the southern quarter too they beheld a great elephant — **1.39.17** mahāpadmaṃ mahātmānaṃ sumahāparvatopamam śirasā dhārayantaṃ te vismayaṃ jagmur uttamam Mahāpadma, the great one, resembling a huge mountain, bearing (the earth) upon his head — and they were struck with the utmost wonder. **1.39.18** tataḥ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā sagarasya mahātmanaḥ ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi paścimāṃ bibhidur diśam Then, circumambulating him, the sixty thousand sons of the great-souled Sagara broke open the western quarter. **1.39.19** paścimāyām api diśi mahāntam acalopamam diśāgajaṃ saumanasaṃ dadṛśus te mahābalāḥ In the western quarter too, those mighty ones beheld the great quarter-elephant Saumanasa, resembling a mountain. **1.39.20** taṃ te pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā pṛṣṭvā cāpi nirāmayam khanantaḥ samupakrāntā diśaṃ somavatīṃ tadā Circumambulating him and asking after his well-being, they then set about digging toward the northern, moon-blessed quarter. **1.39.21** uttarasyāṃ raghuśreṣṭha dadṛśur himapāṇḍuram bhadraṃ bhadreṇa vapuṣā dhārayantaṃ mahīm imām In the north, O best of the Raghus, they beheld Bhadra, white as snow, upholding this earth with his auspicious body. **1.39.22** samālabhya tataḥ sarve kṛtvā cainaṃ pradakṣiṇam ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi bibhidur vasudhātalam Then all of them, having touched him and circumambulated him, the sixty thousand sons broke through the earth's surface. **1.39.23** tataḥ prāguttarāṃ gatvā sāgarāḥ prathitāṃ diśam roṣād abhyakhanan sarve pṛthivīṃ sagarātmajāḥ Then, going to the famed north-eastern quarter, all the sons of Sagara in their fury dug up the earth. **1.39.24** dadṛśuḥ kapilaṃ tatra vāsudevaṃ sanātanam hayaṃ ca tasya devasya carantam avidūrataḥ There they beheld Kapila, the eternal Vāsudeva, and that god's horse grazing not far off. **1.39.25** te taṃ yajñahanaṃ jñātvā krodhaparyākulekṣaṇāḥ abhyadhāvanta saṃkruddhās tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābruvan Taking him for the wrecker of the sacrifice, their eyes rolling with rage, they charged at him in fury, crying, “Stand! Stand!” **1.39.26** asmākaṃ tvaṃ hi turagaṃ yajñiyaṃ hṛtavān asi durmedhas tvaṃ hi saṃprāptān viddhi naḥ sagarātmajān “You have stolen our sacrificial horse! Know, O dull-witted one, that we who have come upon you are the sons of Sagara!” **1.39.27** śrutvā tad vacanaṃ teṣāṃ kapilo raghunandana roṣeṇa mahatāviṣṭo huṃkāram akarot tadā Hearing that word of theirs, O joy of the Raghus, Kapila, seized with great fury, then uttered a roar (huṃ). **1.39.28** tatas tenāprameyena kapilena mahātmanā bhasmarāśīkṛtāḥ sarve kākutstha sagarātmajāḥ Then by that immeasurable, great-souled Kapila all the sons of Sagara were reduced to a heap of ashes, O Kākutstha.