strī-ratnair āvṛtaḥ krīḍan

lokeṣu pavano yathā

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The best of the kṣatriyas, Kārtavīryārjuna, the King of the Haihayas, received one thousand arms by worshiping Dattātreya, a portion of a portion of Nārāyaṇa. He also became undefeatable by enemies and received unobstructed sensory power, beauty, influence, strength, fame and the mystic power by which to achieve all the perfections of yoga, such as aṇimā and laghimā. He roamed all over the world without opposition, just like the wind.

|| 9.15.20 ||

strī-ratnair āvṛtaḥ krīḍan

revāmbhasi madotkaṭaḥ

vaijayantīṁ srajaṁ bibhrad

rurodha saritaṁ bhujaiḥ

Once while enjoying in the water of the River Narmadā, Kārtavīryārjuna, extremely proud, surrounded by beautiful women and garlanded with a garland of victory, stopped the flow of the water with his arms.

|| 9.15.21 ||

viplāvitaṁ sva-śibiraṁ

pratisrotaḥ-sarij-jalaiḥ

nāmṛṣyat tasya tad vīryaṁ

vīramānī daśānanaḥ

Because Kārtavīryārjuna made the water flow in the opposite direction, the camp of Rāvaṇa, which was set up on the bank of the Narmadā near the city of Māhiṣmatī, was inundated. Rāvaṇa, considering himself a great hero, could not tolerate Kārtavīryārjuna's power.

Rāvaṇa, conquering the directions, was worshipping devatās at Māhiṣmatī. The river flowed back because of the obstruction created by Kārtavīryārjuna. Seeing his encampment flooded by the water of the Revā River, he could not tolerate his strength. He went to fight with him.

 

|| 9.15.22 ||

gṛhīto līlayā strīṇāṁ

samakṣaṁ kṛta-kilbiṣaḥ

māhiṣmatyāṁ sanniruddho

mukto yena kapir yathā

In the presence of the women, Kārtavīryārjuna, insulted by Rāvaṇa, easily defeated him, and confined him in the city of Māhiṣmatī, just as one captures a monkey, and then releases him.

Rāvaṇa was defeated (gṛhītaḥ) by him.

|| 9.15.23 ||

sa ekadā tu mṛgayāṁ