Diti Vows to Kill King Indra

The Eighteenth Chapter describes how Diti, whose sons had been killed by Viṣṇu, performed austerities for a son to kill Indra, and how, after Indra cut the child in Diti’s womb to pieces, the embryo became the Maruts. In relating the descendents of Aditi’s sons, the fourth son was mentioned as Tvaṣṭā. In relation to him, the story of Viśvarūpa’s murder and the curse of Citraketu were described. Now the description of Aditi’s descendents from the fifth and other sons is given. Paśum means animal sacrifice. Mahāmakhān means five sacrifices. The verb is in the following verse.

O King, Siddhi, who was the wife of Bhaga, the sixth son of Aditi, bore three sons, named Mahimā, Vibhu and Prabhu, and one extremely beautiful daughter, whose name was Āśī.

agnīn purīṣyān ādhatta kriyāyāṁ samanantaraḥ carṣaṇī varuṇasyāsīd yasyāṁ jāto bhṛguḥ punaḥ

Vālmīki took birth from an anthill. Agastya and Vaśiṣṭha were the sons of both Varuṇa, the ninth son, and Mitra, the tenth son of Aditi.

Because of the presence of Urvaśī, Mitra and Varuṇa discharged semen in a pot from which Agastya and Vaśiṣṭha were born.) Mitra begot three sons in the womb of his wife, whose name was Revatī. Their names were Utsarga, Ariṣṭa and Pippala.

O King Parīkṣit, Indra, the eleventh son of Aditi, begot three sons, named Jayanta, Ṛṣabha and Mīòhuṣa, in the womb of his wife, Paulomī. Thus we have heard.

Urukrama, or Vāmana, the twelfth son of Aditi, who appeared through the Lord’s spiritual potency, begot one son, named Bṛhatśloka, in the womb of his wife Kīrti. Bṛhatśloka had many sons, headed by Saubhaga.

Later I shall describe how Urukrama, Vāmanadeva, the son of the great sage Kaśyapa, appeared from Aditi.

I will now describe the demon sons of Diti, who were begotten by Kaśyapa. In this demoniac family the great devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja and Bali Mahārāja also appeared.

Two sons named Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa, worshiped by the Daityas and Dānavas, took birth from Diti's womb.

saṁhrādaṁ prāg anuhrādaṁ hrādaṁ prahrādam eva ca tat-svasā siṁhikā nāma rāhuṁ vipracito 'grahīt

When Rāhu drank nectar among the devatās, the Supreme Lord severed his head. The wife of Saṁhlāda was named Kṛti. By union with Saṁhlāda, Kṛti gave birth to a son named Pañcajana.

The wife of Hlāda, Dhamani, gave birth to two sons, named Vātāpi and Ilvala. When Agastya became Ilvala's guest, Ilvala served him a feast by cooking Vātāpi, who was in the shape of a ram.

The wife of Anuhlāda named Sūryā gave birth to two sons, named Bāṣkala and Mahiṣa. Prahlāda had one son, Virocana, whose wife gave birth to Bali Mahārāja.

Thereafter, Bali Mahārāja begot one hundred sons in the womb of Aśanā, of whom Bāṇa was the eldest. The activities of Bali Mahārāja, which are very laudable, will be described later [in the Eighth Canto].

Since King Bāṇa was a great worshiper of Lord Śiva, he became one of Lord Śiva's most celebrated associates. Even now, Lord Śiva, standing by his side, protects King Bāṇa's capital.

The forty-nine Maruts, also born from the womb of Diti, did not have sons. Although they were born of Diti, King Indra gave them a position as devatās.

King Parīkṣit said: O guru! Why did Indra convert person born with demonic mentality into devatās? Did they perform any pious activities?

My dear brāhmaṇa! All the sages present along with me are eager to know about this. Therefore, O great soul, kindly explain to us the reason.

Sūta Gosvāmī said: O sage Śaunaka! After hearing Mahārāja Parīkṣit speak respectful, precise words holding many meanings, omniscient Śukadeva Gosvāmī praised him and, with perfectly concentrated mind, replied.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Diti, whose two sons Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu had been killed by Viṣṇu with Indra’s help, burning with anger intensified by lamentation, contemplated as follows.

I will rest in peace after having killed the sinful, cruel, heard-hearted Indra, a sense enjoyer, and a killer of two brothers.

For maintaining his body which has been defined as worms, stool and ashes, the king, in committing violence, does not know his own benefit, since he will go to hell as a result.

Because of his evil actions, may I have a son who can destroy the pride of uncontrolled Indra, who thinks he is eternal!

bhaktyā paramayā rājan manojñair valgu-bhāṣitaiḥ mano jagrāha bhāva-jñā sasmitāpāḍga-vīkṣaṇaiḥ

Though learned, Kaśyapa was bewildered by his attractive wife. He helplessly agreed to satisfy her. That was not an astonishing behavior towards his wife.

In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahmā, seeing that all the living entities were single, created woman from the better half of man's body, by whom the men’s minds are captivated.

O dear one! Powerful Kaśyapa, being extremely pleased after being served by his wife, smiled, and, welcoming her, spoke as follows.

Kaśyapa Muni said: O beautiful woman, O irreproachable lady! I am pleased by your behavior. Please ask me for any benediction. If a husband is pleased, what desires cannot be fulfilled, either in this world or in the next?

sa eva devatā-liḍgair nāma-rūpa-vikalpitaiḥ ijyate bhagavān pumbhiḥ strībhiś ca pati-rūpa-dhṛk

O beautiful wife! A wife devoted to her husband, desiring the highest benefit, should very devoutly worship her husband as a representative of Vāsudeva.

O auspicious wife! Because you have worshiped me with great devotion, I shall reward you by fulfilling your desires, which are unobtainable for an unchaste wife.

Diti said: O great soul! If you are a giver of benedictions, I ask for an immortal son who can kill Indra, who killed my two sons.

Upon hearing Diti's request, sorrowful Kaśyapa experienced great pained. "Great sin has come to me today."

Attached to material enjoyment and captivated by māyā in the form of my wife, being in a miserable position, I will certainly fall to hell.

What offense is there if a woman follows her cruel nature? But what misfortune for me, ignorant of my own benefit, since I have uncontrolled senses!

Who knows the dealings of women, who have faces like lotuses blooming in autumn, words sweet to the ears, and hearts sharp like a razor blade?

No one is dear to women. For their own interests, by their own will, they will themselves kill or have others kill their husband, son, or brother.

I made a promise to her, and this promise cannot be violated, but also, Indra should not to be killed. In these circumstances, the solution I have is suitable.

O Parīkṣit! Kaśyapa, thinking in this way and somewhat angry, while condemning himself, spoke to Diti as follows.

Kaśyapa Muni said: My gentle wife! If you execute this vow properly for one year, you will get a son who will kill Indra and will be a friend of the demons.

Diti said: O brāhmaṇa! I will follow the vow. Please tell me what should be done and what is forbidden for me, and what will not break the vow.

Kaśyapa Muni said: Do harm to anyone. Do not curse anyone, and do not speak lies. Do not cut your nails and hair, and do not touch impure things.

Do not enter the water while bathing, never become angry, and do not even speak with sinful people. Never wear clothes that have not been properly washed, and do not put on a garland that has already been worn.

Never eat leftover food, never eat food offered to the goddess Kālī, and do not eat anything contaminated by flesh or fish, brought by a śūdra, or seen by a woman in her menstrual period. Do not drink water by joining your palms.

You should not go out on the street with food in you mouth or on the hands. You should not go outside without first having washed your mouth. You should not go outside in the evening, without binding your hair, without ornaments, without controlled speaking, and without being covered.

You should not lie down without having first washed your feet, without being purified, and you should not lie down with wet feet, with your head pointed west, with head pointed north, naked, in the company of others, or during the sunrise or sunset.

Wearing washed clothing, being always pure, adorned with turmeric, sandalwood pulp and other auspicious items, before breakfast in the morning one should worship the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the goddess of fortune and the Supreme Lord.

With flower garlands, sandalwood pulp, ornaments and other paraphernalia, a woman following this vow should worship women whose husbands are living. She should worship her husband and offer him prayers. She should meditate upon him, thinking that he is situated in her womb.

If you perform this ceremony called puṁsavana without violations, you will give birth to a son who is śakra-hā (either the killer of Indra, or follower of Indra).

O King! Diti agreed to undergo this vow. With great jubilation, taking semen from Kaśyapa, she followed the vow properly.

O respectful King! Intelligent Indra, understanding Diti's purpose, engaged himself in the service of Diti, who was at that time residing in a hermitage.

Indra daily brought flowers, fruits, roots, wood, kuśa grass, leaves, sprouts, earth and water at the proper time.

O King Parīkṣit! Just as a hunter becomes like a deer to kill the deer, so Indra served Diti with deceit, in order to find a fault in the vow of Diti who was fixed in her vow.

O master of the entire world! When Indra could find no faults, he became intensely worried. He thought, "How will there be good fortune for me?"

Having grown thin because of strictly following the vow, Diti, forgetting the rules, once went to sleep after eating, without performing ācamana and without washing her feet, during the twilight.

Finding this fault, Indra, who is the master of yoga, entered Diti's womb while she was unconscious during sleep by his power of yoga.

Indra, with the help of his thunderbolt, cut into seven pieces her embryo, which glowed like gold, and which began to cry. Indra told them, "Do not cry," and then he cut each of them into seven pieces again.

O King! The cut pieces pleaded to Indra with folded hands. "O Indra! Why are you are killing your brothers, the Maruts?"

Indra spoke to the group of Maruts, his devoted followers. “You are my brothers. Do not fear.”

Just as you, Parīkṣit, were burned by the brahmāstra of Aśvatthāmā but did not die, that one embryo which was cut into forty-nine pieces did not die by the mercy of the Lord.

sajūr indreṇa pañcāśad devās te maruto 'bhavan vyapohya mātṛ-doṣaṁ te hariṇā soma-pāḥ kṛtāḥ

When she got up from bed, Diti, purified, saw her forty-nine sons, brilliant as fire, along with Indra. She was pleased.

Thereafter, Diti said to Indra: My dear son, I adhered to this difficult vow with the desire for a son to be feared by you twelve Ādityas.

I prayed for only one son, who has become forty-nine sons. How has this happened? O my son Indra! If you know how this has happened, please tell me. Do not speak lies.

Indra said: O mother! Understanding your vow, in my own interests, I was situated nearby, and, finding a fault, I cut the embryo up, not thinking of what was proper conduct.

First I cut the child in the womb into seven pieces, which became seven children. Then I cut each of the children into seven pieces again, but they did not die.

Seeing that great wonder, I discerned the truth. Even liberation is a mere secondary result of worship of Lord Viṣṇu.

Those who, desiring only worship of the Supreme Lord and being without material desires, do not even want liberation, are considered expert in understanding their highest benefit.

What intelligent person, having worshipped the Lord of the universe, who is the performer of pastimes, having worshipped the Lord with a beautiful form who gives himself to the devotee, would accept material happiness, which is available in hell?

O mother! O best of all women! I am a fool. Kindly excuse me for my sinful deed. The dead embryo has become alive by good fortune.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Taking permission of Diti, who was satisfied by his good behavior, Indra offered his respects to her and left for the heavenly planets with his brothers the Maruts.

I have replied to the questions you have asked me, in regard to the auspicious birth of the Maruts. What else should I explain?