Valmiki Ramayana - Bala Kanda

Diti seeks for a son to kill Indra because Indra and other gods have killed her sons in the battle after churning Milk Ocean. But Indra, being her stepson arrives at her place of asceticism, with view to destroy that Indra-killer. On a fateful day when Diti failed to maintain the procedure of vow, Indra enters her womb and dissects the foetus into seven fragments, which later become sapta marut gaNa-s, The Seven Wind-gods.

"Oh, Rama, Lady Diti was highly anguished for those sons that are killed and said this to her husband, Sage Kashyapa, the son of Sage Maareechi." Thus Vishvamitra continued narration.

" 'Oh, god, I am bereaved of my sons who are killed by your great mighty sons, the sons of your second wife Aditi, as such I wish to bear a son, who is achievable by sustained penance, for he shall be the exterminator of Indra. 'Such a bereaved mother as I am, I wish to undertake asceticism for a son who shall become an exterminator of Indra, and who shall be the ruler of worlds. As such, it will be apt of you to permit me for asceticism, and further it will be apt of you to accord me pregnancy with such a son.' Thus Diti spoke to her husband Kaashyapa.

A sage's wife requires permission of her husband if she wishes to undertake an individual asceticism, because she will be receiving her own share of merit from her sage-husband's penances and practises, as he is her life-mate.

On hearing her request the great resplendent sage Kaashyapa, the son of Sage Mareechi, replied Diti, who is deeply mournful. 'So be it... oh, ascetically wealthy lady, you be blest, if you abide by the propriety of the practises of asceticism, then you will be delivering a son who can become an exterminator of Indra in war. If you can complete a thousand years of asceticism punctiliously, by my grace you can deliver a son who can be a husbander of three worlds.' Thus Sage Kaashyapa advised his wife Diti.

In some other versions the word trailokya hantaaram is carried forward from earlier verses of Diti, into the speech of Sage Kaashyapa also. Some have it as trailokya bhartaaram 'a husbander of three worlds...' Diti may have desired for a 'killer.' But Kashyapa, as a father of both gods and demons, cannot term the issuing son as an exterminator of three worlds, because the three worlds are in vogue at Kaashyapa's grace. Some attach this adjective to Indra but not to the forthcoming son of Diti.

"Saying thus that great resplendent sage patted her, and then on his touching her she is consecrated, and then that sage Kaashyapa departed for his ascetic practises, saying 'be blest.' On the exit of Sage Kaashyapa, oh, best one among men Rama, highly elated Diti reached the sacred place called Kushaplava, on which the present City of Vishala is now standing, and practised a highly rigorous asceticism. While she is truly practising asceticism, oh, the best among men Rama, that Thousand-eyed god Indra has indeed rendered services with his abundant and surpassing veracities to her, who is none other than his maternal-aunt.

"The Thousand-eyed god Indra made available fire, firewood, water, the sacred Kusha grass, fruits and like that tubers also, and whatever other items she required in her ascetic practise. All the time Indra indeed served Diti by massaging her body, and other means of removing her bodily strain resulting from her arduous practises. Oh, Rama, the descendent of Raghu, when ten years are less to complete the thousand years span of her ascetics, Diti is highly rejoiced as her ambition is going to fructify in just ten more years, and then she spoke to the Thousand-eyed god, Indra.

" 'Oh, best one among the valiant ones, Indra, to me who am practising asceticism ten years are remaining to complete, then you can see your brother, you be safe.

" 'Oh, son Indra, whom I am bringing up for your reason, I will bring him up as a victory-enthusiast, and oh, son, Indra, along with him conquering the three worlds you can enjoy them, without febrility from your enemies.

" 'Oh, son Indra, whom I am now bringing up, will be enthusiastic in conquering you, but somehow I will manage him by telling that you are after all his brother, and no harm shall be done to you, and oh, son Indra, if you join him you will get rid of your febrility, caused by his emergence, and then you two can conquer all the three worlds.

"Oh, best one among gods, Indra, on my prayer your high-souled father Sage Kaashyapa bestowed this boon on me for a son, which materialises at the end of thousand years, and only ten more years are to slip by. When Diti was saying thus, the noontime sun was reigning high that lady is stolen over by sleep keeping her feet headward.

This 'keeping feet headward' is variously inferred. While sitting she leaned on her knees and her braid touched feet, thus she became impious. She slept with her head neither towards east nor to south. The ancient cots in India used to have head-side and feet-side finishing. Then she placed head at feet-side and feet at head-side. Even if a cot is not there, though slept on ground, the head shall be positioned eastward or southward, but not to north or west. Finally, she slept at noontime, and for a person under a vow noontime sleep is prohibitive. anena vratasth˜n˜m div˜ sv˜pa× p˜da sth˜ne þira× sth˜panam ca aþucikaram iti s¨citam - dk Hence her meticulousness is defeated.

"On observing her who has become impious by placing her head at feet-side and braid falling on feet, Indra is gladdened and laughed at her failed asceticism. Oh, Rama, , being a highly courageous one, Indra the destroyer of enemy fastnesses, entered the body of Diti through her vaginal aperture and rent her foetus asunder into seven fragments. Oh, Rama, then that foetus wailed clamorously while being sliced with Thunderbolt that has hundred cutting edges, and then Diti woke up.

" 'Do not scream, do not scream...' thus Indra was coaxing the foetus, and even though that foetus is screaming piteously the great resplendent Indra has gone on fragmenting it. 'Unkillable, unkillable is my foetus...' thus Diti raved in that way, and then Indra fell out of the womb honouring his stepmother's entreaty.

"Indra humbly folding his palms that are still handling his bloody Thunderbolt spoke to Diti, 'oh, lady, you have become impious when your braid touched your feet and when you have gone to sleep in midday, and you vow is thwarted.'

"Thereby I gained a chance to eliminate him who can eliminate Indra in a battle. Hence I fragmented your foetus into seven fragments, and it will be apt of you to pardon me for that act of mine.' " So said Indra to lady Diti. Thus, Sage Vishvamitra continued narration about City of Vishaala.

Thus, this is the 46th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Valmiki Ramayana - Bala Kanda in Prose Sarga 46