Sixth Skandha · Chapter 1
Sourceऋषय ऊचुः सूत सूत महाभाग मिष्टं ते वचनामृतम् । न तृप्ताः स्मो वयं पीत्वा द्वैपायनकृतं शुभम् ॥ १ ॥ पुनस्त्वां प्रष्टुमिच्छामः कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । वेदेऽपि कथितां रम्यां प्रसिद्धां पापनाशिनीम् ॥ २ ॥ वृत्रासुर इति ख्यातो वीर्यवांस्त्वष्टुरात्मजः । स कथं निहतः संख्ये वासवेन महात्मना ॥ ३ ॥ त्वष्टा वै सुरपक्षीयस्तत्पुत्रो बलवत्तरः । शक्रेण घातितः कस्माद्ब्रह्मयोनिर्महाबलः ॥ ४ ॥ देवाः सत्त्वगुणोत्पना मानुषा राजसाः स्मृताः । तिर्यञ्चस्तामसाः प्रोक्ताः पुराणागमवादिभिः ॥ ५ ॥ विरोधोऽत्र महान् भाति नूनं शतमखेन ह । छलेन बलवान् वृत्रः शक्रेण विनिपातितः ॥ ६ ॥ विष्णुः प्रेरयिता तत्र स तु सत्त्वधरः परः । प्रविष्टः पविमध्ये स छद्मना भगवान् प्रभुः ॥ ७ ॥ सन्धिं विधाय स ह्येवं मन्त्रितोऽसौ महाबलः । हरिभ्यां सत्यमुत्सृज्य जलफेनेन शातितः ॥ ८ ॥ कृतमिन्द्रेण हरिणा किमेतत्सूत साहसम् । महान्तोऽपि च मोहेन वञ्चिताः पापबुद्धयः ॥ ९ ॥ अन्यायवर्तिनोऽत्यर्थं भवन्ति सुरसत्तमाः । सदाचारेण युक्तेन देवाः शिष्टत्वमागताः ॥ १० ॥ एवं विशिष्टधर्मेण शिष्टत्वं कीदृशं पुनः । हत्वा वृत्रं तु विश्वस्तं शक्रेण छद्मना पुनः ॥ ११ ॥ प्राप्तं पापफलं नो वा ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवम् । किं च त्वया पुरा प्रोक्तं वृत्रासुरवधः कृतः ॥ १२ ॥ श्रीदेव्या इति तच्चापि चित्तं मोहयतीह नः । सूत उवाच शृण्वन्तु मुनयो वृत्तं वृत्रासुरवधाश्रयम् ॥ १३ ॥ यथेन्द्रेण च सम्प्राप्तं दुःखं हत्यासमुद्भवम् । एवमेव पुरा पृष्टो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः ॥ १४ ॥ पारीक्षितेन राज्ञापि स यदाह च तद्ब्रुवे । जनमेजय उवाच कथं वृत्रासुरः पूर्वं हतो मघवता मुने ॥ १५ ॥ सहायं विष्णुमासाद्य छद्मना सात्त्विकेन ह । कथं च देव्या निहतो दैत्योऽसौ केन हेतुना ॥ १६ ॥ कथमेकवधो द्वाभ्यां कृतः स्यान्मुनिपुङ्गव । तदेतच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥ १७ ॥ महतां चरितं शृण्वन् को विरज्येत मानवः । कथयाम्बावैभवं त्वं वृत्रासुरवधाश्रितम् ॥ १८ ॥ व्यास उवाच धन्योऽसि राजंस्तव बुद्धिरीदृशी जाता पुराणश्रवणेऽतिसादरा । पीत्वामृतं देववरास्तु सर्वथा पाने वितृष्णाः प्रभवन्ति वै पुनः ॥ १९ ॥ दिने दिने तेऽधिकभक्तिभावः कथासु राजन् महनीयकीर्तेः । श्रोता यदैकप्रवणः शृणोति वक्ता तदा प्रीतमना ब्रवीति ॥ २० ॥ युद्धं पुरा वासववृत्रयोर्यद् वेदे प्रसिद्धं च तथा पुराणे । दुःखं सुरेन्द्रेण तथैव लब्धं हत्वा रिपुं त्वाष्ट्रमपापमेव ॥ २१ ॥ चित्रं किमत्र नृपते हरिवज्रभृद्भ्यां यच्छद्मना विनिहतस्त्रिशिरोऽथ वृत्रः । मायाबलेन मुनयोऽपि विमोहितास्ते चक्रुश्च निन्द्यमनिशं किल पापभीताः ॥ २२ ॥ विष्णुः सदैव कपटेन जघान दैत्यान् सत्त्वात्ममूर्तिरपि मोहमवाप्य कामम् । कोऽन्योऽस्ति तां भगवतीं मनसापि जेतुं शक्तः समस्तजनमोहकरीं भवानीम् ॥ २३ ॥ मत्स्यादियोनिषु सहस्रयुगेषु सद्यः साक्षाद्भवत्यपि यया विनियोजितोऽत्र । नारायणो नरसखो भगवाननन्तः कार्यं करोति विहिताविहितं कदाचित् ॥ २४ ॥ देहं धनं गृहमिदं स्वजना मदीयं पुत्राः कलत्रमिति मोहमुपेत्य सर्वः । पुण्यं करोत्यथ च पापचयं करोति मायागुणैरतिबलैर्विकलीकृतो यत् ॥ २५ ॥ न जातु मोहं क्षपितुं नरः क्षमः कश्चिद्भवेद्भूप परावरार्थवित् । विमोहितस्तैस्त्रिभिरेव मूलतो वशीकृतात्मा जगतीतले भृशम् ॥ २६ ॥ अथ तौ मायया विष्णुवासवौ मोहितौ भृशम् । जघ्नतुश्छद्मना वृत्रं स्वार्थसाधनतत्परौ ॥ २७ ॥ तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तमवनीपते । कारणं पूर्ववैरस्य वृत्रवासवयोर्मिथः ॥ २८ ॥ त्वष्टा प्रजापतिर्ह्यासीद्देवश्रेष्ठो महातपाः । देवानां कार्यकर्ता च निपुणो ब्राह्मणप्रियः ॥ २९ ॥ स पुत्रं वै त्रिशिरसमिन्द्रद्वेषात्किलासृजत् । विश्वरूपेति विख्यातं नाम्ना रूपेण मोहनम् ॥ ३० ॥ त्रिभिः स वदनैः श्रेष्ठैर्व्यरोचत मनोहरैः । त्रिभिर्भिन्नानि कार्याणि मुखैः समकरोन्मुनिः ॥ ३१ ॥ वेदानेकेन सोऽधीते सुरां चैकेन सोऽपिबत् । तृतीयेन दिशः सर्वा युगपच्च निरीक्षते ॥ ३२ ॥ त्रिशिरा भोगमुत्सृज्य तपश्चक्रे सुदुष्करम् । तपस्वी स मृदुर्दान्तो धर्ममेव समाश्रितः ॥ ३३ ॥ पञ्चाग्निसाधनं काले पादपाग्रे निवेशनम् । जलमध्ये निवासं च हेमन्ते शिशिरे तथा ॥ ३४ ॥ निराहारो जितात्मासौ त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः । तपश्चचार मेधावी दुष्करं मन्दबुद्धिभिः ॥ ३५ ॥ तं च दृष्ट्वा तपस्यन्तं खेदमाप शचीपतिः । विषादमगमत्तत्र शक्रोऽयं मास्मभूदिति ॥ ३६ ॥ दृष्ट्वा तस्य तपो वीर्यं सत्यं चामिततेजसः । चिन्तां च महतीं प्राप ह्यनिशं पाकशासनः ॥ ३७ ॥ विवर्धमानस्त्रिशिरा मामयं शातयिष्यति । नोपेक्ष्यः सर्वथा शत्रुर्वर्धमानबलो बुधैः ॥ ३८ ॥ तस्मादुपायः कर्तव्यस्तपोनाशाय साम्प्रतम् । कामस्तु तपसां शत्रुः कामान्नश्यति वै तपः ॥ ३९ ॥ तथैवाद्य प्रकर्तव्यं भोगासक्तो भवेद्यथा । इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा बुद्धिमान्बलमर्दनः ॥ ४० ॥ आज्ञापयत्सोऽप्सरसस्त्वाष्ट्रपुत्रप्रलोभने । उर्वशीं मेनकां रम्भां घृताचीं च तिलोत्तमाम् ॥ ४१ ॥ समाहूयाब्रवीच्छक्रस्तास्तदा रूपगर्विताः । प्रियं कुरुध्वं मे सर्वाः कार्येऽद्य समुपस्थिते ॥ ४२ ॥ यत्तो मेऽद्य महाञ्छत्रुस्तपस्तपति दुर्जयः । कार्यं कुरुत गच्छध्वं प्रलोभयत माचिरम् ॥ ४३ ॥ शृङ्गारवेषैर्विविधैर्हावैर्देहसमुद्भवैः । प्रलोभयत भद्रं वः शमयध्वं ज्वरं मम ॥ ४४ ॥ अस्वस्थोऽहं महाभागास्तस्य ज्ञात्वा तपोबलम् । बलवानासनं मेऽद्य ग्रहीष्यत्यविलम्बितः ॥ ४५ ॥ भयं मे समुपायातं क्षिप्रं नाशयताबलाः । उपकुर्वन्तु सहिताः कार्येऽद्य समुपस्थिते ॥ ४६ ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं नार्य ऊचुस्तं प्रणताः पुरः । मा भयं कुरु देवेश यतिष्यामः प्रलोभने ॥ ४७ ॥ यथा न स्याद्भयं तस्मात्तथा कार्यं महाद्युते । नृत्यगीतविहारैश्च मुनेस्तस्य प्रलोभने ॥ ४८ ॥ कटाक्षैरङ्गभेदैश्च मोहयित्वा मुनिं विभो । लोलुपं वशमस्माकं करिष्यामो नियन्त्रितम् ॥ ४९ ॥ व्यास उवाच इत्याभाष्य हरिं नार्यो ययुस्त्रिशिरसोऽन्तिकम् । कुर्वन्त्यो विविधान्भावान्कामशास्त्रोचितानपि ॥ ५० ॥ गायन्त्यस्तालभेदैस्ता नृत्यन्त्यः पुरतो मुनेः । तं प्रलोभयितुं चक्रुर्नानाभावान्वराङ्गनाः ॥ ५१ ॥ नापश्यत्स तपोराशिरङ्गनानां विडम्बनम् । इन्द्रियाणि वशे कृत्वा मूकान्धबधिरः स्थितः ॥ ५२ ॥ दिनानि कतिचित्तस्थुर्नार्यस्तस्याश्रमे वरे । कुर्वन्त्यो गाननृत्यादिप्रपञ्चानतिमोहदान् ॥ ५३ ॥ न चचाल यदा कामं ध्यानाच्च त्रिशिरा मुनिः । परावृत्य तदा देव्यः पुनः शक्रमुपस्थिताः ॥ ५४ ॥ कृताञ्जलिपुटाः सर्वा देवराजमथाब्रुवन् । श्रान्ता दीना भयत्रस्ता विवर्णवदना भृशम् ॥ ५५ ॥ देवदेव महाराज यत्नश्च परमः कृतः । न स शक्यो दुराधर्षो धैर्याच्चालयितुं विभो ॥ ५६ ॥ उपायोऽन्यः प्रकर्तव्यः सर्वथा पाकशासन । नास्माकं बलमेतस्मिंस्तापसे विजितेन्द्रिये ॥ ५७ ॥ दिष्ट्या वयं न शप्ताः स्म यदनेन महात्मना । मुनिना वह्नितुल्येन तपसा द्योतितेन हि ॥ ५८ ॥ विसृज्याप्सरसः शक्रश्चिन्तयामास मन्दधीः । तस्यैव च वधोपायं पापबुद्धिरसाम्प्रतम् ॥ ५९ ॥ विसृज्य लोकलज्जां स तथा पापभयं भृशम् । चकार पापबुद्धिं तु तद्वधाय महीपते ॥ ६० ॥
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ sūta sūta mahābhāga miṣṭaṃ te vacanāmṛtam | na tṛptāḥ smo vayaṃ pītvā dvaipāyanakṛtaṃ śubham || 1 || punastvāṃ praṣṭumicchāmaḥ kathāṃ paurāṇikīṃ śubhām | vede'pi kathitāṃ ramyāṃ prasiddhāṃ pāpanāśinīm || 2 || vṛtrāsura iti khyāto vīryavāṃstvaṣṭurātmajaḥ | sa kathaṃ nihataḥ saṃkhye vāsavena mahātmanā || 3 || tvaṣṭā vai surapakṣīyastatputro balavattaraḥ | śakreṇa ghātitaḥ kasmādbrahmayonirmahābalaḥ || 4 || devāḥ sattvaguṇotpanā mānuṣā rājasāḥ smṛtāḥ | tiryañcastāmasāḥ proktāḥ purāṇāgamavādibhiḥ || 5 || virodho'tra mahān bhāti nūnaṃ śatamakhena ha | chalena balavān vṛtraḥ śakreṇa vinipātitaḥ || 6 || viṣṇuḥ prerayitā tatra sa tu sattvadharaḥ paraḥ | praviṣṭaḥ pavimadhye sa chadmanā bhagavān prabhuḥ || 7 || sandhiṃ vidhāya sa hyevaṃ mantrito'sau mahābalaḥ | haribhyāṃ satyamutsṛjya jalaphenena śātitaḥ || 8 || kṛtamindreṇa hariṇā kimetatsūta sāhasam | mahānto'pi ca mohena vañcitāḥ pāpabuddhayaḥ || 9 || anyāyavartino'tyarthaṃ bhavanti surasattamāḥ | sadācāreṇa yuktena devāḥ śiṣṭatvamāgatāḥ || 10 || evaṃ viśiṣṭadharmeṇa śiṣṭatvaṃ kīdṛśaṃ punaḥ | hatvā vṛtraṃ tu viśvastaṃ śakreṇa chadmanā punaḥ || 11 || prāptaṃ pāpaphalaṃ no vā brahmahatyāsamudbhavam | kiṃ ca tvayā purā proktaṃ vṛtrāsuravadhaḥ kṛtaḥ || 12 || śrīdevyā iti taccāpi cittaṃ mohayatīha naḥ | sūta uvāca śṛṇvantu munayo vṛttaṃ vṛtrāsuravadhāśrayam || 13 || yathendreṇa ca samprāptaṃ duḥkhaṃ hatyāsamudbhavam | evameva purā pṛṣṭo vyāsaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ || 14 || pārīkṣitena rājñāpi sa yadāha ca tadbruve | janamejaya uvāca kathaṃ vṛtrāsuraḥ pūrvaṃ hato maghavatā mune || 15 || sahāyaṃ viṣṇumāsādya chadmanā sāttvikena ha | kathaṃ ca devyā nihato daityo'sau kena hetunā || 16 || kathamekavadho dvābhyāṃ kṛtaḥ syānmunipuṅgava | tadetacchrotumicchāmi paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me || 17 || mahatāṃ caritaṃ śṛṇvan ko virajyeta mānavaḥ | kathayāmbāvaibhavaṃ tvaṃ vṛtrāsuravadhāśritam || 18 || vyāsa uvāca dhanyo'si rājaṃstava buddhirīdṛśī jātā purāṇaśravaṇe'tisādarā | pītvāmṛtaṃ devavarāstu sarvathā pāne vitṛṣṇāḥ prabhavanti vai punaḥ || 19 || dine dine te'dhikabhaktibhāvaḥ kathāsu rājan mahanīyakīrteḥ | śrotā yadaikapravaṇaḥ śṛṇoti vaktā tadā prītamanā bravīti || 20 || yuddhaṃ purā vāsavavṛtrayoryad vede prasiddhaṃ ca tathā purāṇe | duḥkhaṃ surendreṇa tathaiva labdhaṃ hatvā ripuṃ tvāṣṭramapāpameva || 21 || citraṃ kimatra nṛpate harivajrabhṛdbhyāṃ yacchadmanā vinihatastriśiro'tha vṛtraḥ | māyābalena munayo'pi vimohitāste cakruśca nindyamaniśaṃ kila pāpabhītāḥ || 22 || viṣṇuḥ sadaiva kapaṭena jaghāna daityān sattvātmamūrtirapi mohamavāpya kāmam | ko'nyo'sti tāṃ bhagavatīṃ manasāpi jetuṃ śaktaḥ samastajanamohakarīṃ bhavānīm || 23 || matsyādiyoniṣu sahasrayugeṣu sadyaḥ sākṣādbhavatyapi yayā viniyojito'tra | nārāyaṇo narasakho bhagavānanantaḥ kāryaṃ karoti vihitāvihitaṃ kadācit || 24 || dehaṃ dhanaṃ gṛhamidaṃ svajanā madīyaṃ putrāḥ kalatramiti mohamupetya sarvaḥ | puṇyaṃ karotyatha ca pāpacayaṃ karoti māyāguṇairatibalairvikalīkṛto yat || 25 || na jātu mohaṃ kṣapituṃ naraḥ kṣamaḥ kaścidbhavedbhūpa parāvarārthavit | vimohitastaistribhireva mūlato vaśīkṛtātmā jagatītale bhṛśam || 26 || atha tau māyayā viṣṇuvāsavau mohitau bhṛśam | jaghnatuśchadmanā vṛtraṃ svārthasādhanatatparau || 27 || tadahaṃ sampravakṣyāmi vṛttāntamavanīpate | kāraṇaṃ pūrvavairasya vṛtravāsavayormithaḥ || 28 || tvaṣṭā prajāpatirhyāsīddevaśreṣṭho mahātapāḥ | devānāṃ kāryakartā ca nipuṇo brāhmaṇapriyaḥ || 29 || sa putraṃ vai triśirasamindradveṣātkilāsṛjat | viśvarūpeti vikhyātaṃ nāmnā rūpeṇa mohanam || 30 || tribhiḥ sa vadanaiḥ śreṣṭhairvyarocata manoharaiḥ | tribhirbhinnāni kāryāṇi mukhaiḥ samakaronmuniḥ || 31 || vedānekena so'dhīte surāṃ caikena so'pibat | tṛtīyena diśaḥ sarvā yugapacca nirīkṣate || 32 || triśirā bhogamutsṛjya tapaścakre suduṣkaram | tapasvī sa mṛdurdānto dharmameva samāśritaḥ || 33 || pañcāgnisādhanaṃ kāle pādapāgre niveśanam | jalamadhye nivāsaṃ ca hemante śiśire tathā || 34 || nirāhāro jitātmāsau tyaktasarvaparigrahaḥ | tapaścacāra medhāvī duṣkaraṃ mandabuddhibhiḥ || 35 || taṃ ca dṛṣṭvā tapasyantaṃ khedamāpa śacīpatiḥ | viṣādamagamattatra śakro'yaṃ māsmabhūditi || 36 || dṛṣṭvā tasya tapo vīryaṃ satyaṃ cāmitatejasaḥ | cintāṃ ca mahatīṃ prāpa hyaniśaṃ pākaśāsanaḥ || 37 || vivardhamānastriśirā māmayaṃ śātayiṣyati | nopekṣyaḥ sarvathā śatrurvardhamānabalo budhaiḥ || 38 || tasmādupāyaḥ kartavyastaponāśāya sāmpratam | kāmastu tapasāṃ śatruḥ kāmānnaśyati vai tapaḥ || 39 || tathaivādya prakartavyaṃ bhogāsakto bhavedyathā | iti sañcintya manasā buddhimānbalamardanaḥ || 40 || ājñāpayatso'psarasastvāṣṭraputrapralobhane | urvaśīṃ menakāṃ rambhāṃ ghṛtācīṃ ca tilottamām || 41 || samāhūyābravīcchakrastāstadā rūpagarvitāḥ | priyaṃ kurudhvaṃ me sarvāḥ kārye'dya samupasthite || 42 || yatto me'dya mahāñchatrustapastapati durjayaḥ | kāryaṃ kuruta gacchadhvaṃ pralobhayata māciram || 43 || śṛṅgāraveṣairvividhairhāvairdehasamudbhavaiḥ | pralobhayata bhadraṃ vaḥ śamayadhvaṃ jvaraṃ mama || 44 || asvastho'haṃ mahābhāgāstasya jñātvā tapobalam | balavānāsanaṃ me'dya grahīṣyatyavilambitaḥ || 45 || bhayaṃ me samupāyātaṃ kṣipraṃ nāśayatābalāḥ | upakurvantu sahitāḥ kārye'dya samupasthite || 46 || tacchrutvā vacanaṃ nārya ūcustaṃ praṇatāḥ puraḥ | mā bhayaṃ kuru deveśa yatiṣyāmaḥ pralobhane || 47 || yathā na syādbhayaṃ tasmāttathā kāryaṃ mahādyute | nṛtyagītavihāraiśca munestasya pralobhane || 48 || kaṭākṣairaṅgabhedaiśca mohayitvā muniṃ vibho | lolupaṃ vaśamasmākaṃ kariṣyāmo niyantritam || 49 || vyāsa uvāca ityābhāṣya hariṃ nāryo yayustriśiraso'ntikam | kurvantyo vividhānbhāvānkāmaśāstrocitānapi || 50 || gāyantyastālabhedaistā nṛtyantyaḥ purato muneḥ | taṃ pralobhayituṃ cakrurnānābhāvānvarāṅganāḥ || 51 || nāpaśyatsa taporāśiraṅganānāṃ viḍambanam | indriyāṇi vaśe kṛtvā mūkāndhabadhiraḥ sthitaḥ || 52 || dināni katicittasthurnāryastasyāśrame vare | kurvantyo gānanṛtyādiprapañcānatimohadān || 53 || na cacāla yadā kāmaṃ dhyānācca triśirā muniḥ | parāvṛtya tadā devyaḥ punaḥ śakramupasthitāḥ || 54 || kṛtāñjalipuṭāḥ sarvā devarājamathābruvan | śrāntā dīnā bhayatrastā vivarṇavadanā bhṛśam || 55 || devadeva mahārāja yatnaśca paramaḥ kṛtaḥ | na sa śakyo durādharṣo dhairyāccālayituṃ vibho || 56 || upāyo'nyaḥ prakartavyaḥ sarvathā pākaśāsana | nāsmākaṃ balametasmiṃstāpase vijitendriye || 57 || diṣṭyā vayaṃ na śaptāḥ sma yadanena mahātmanā | muninā vahnitulyena tapasā dyotitena hi || 58 || visṛjyāpsarasaḥ śakraścintayāmāsa mandadhīḥ | tasyaiva ca vadhopāyaṃ pāpabuddhirasāmpratam || 59 || visṛjya lokalajjāṃ sa tathā pāpabhayaṃ bhṛśam | cakāra pāpabuddhiṃ tu tadvadhāya mahīpate || 60 ||
English translation
1-12. The Risis (of the Naimisa forest) addressed Suta (fondly) O highly Fortunate One! Your nectar-like words are very sweet. We are not satiated with what you have described to us as the auspicious sayings of Dvaipayana Vyasa. O Suta! We desire to ask you again to narrate to us the auspicious sayings of this Purana, beautiful, famous, and sin-destroying and authorised by the holy Vedas. VisVakarma had a son, named Vritrasura, who was very well known, and very powerful. How was it that he had been slain by the high- souled Indra? VisVakarma was a powerful Brahmin and belonged to the gods' party; his son was stronger. How was it that he had been killed by Indra! The Devas are born of the Sattva qualities; men are born from the Rajasic qualities; and all the birds, etc., are born of the Tamasic qualities. This is the opinion of the Pundits, versed in the Puranas and Agamas. But in this act of slaying Vritrasura, a great contradiction arises; for the powerful Vritra was killed merely under a pretext by Indra, the performer of the hundred sacrifices, and endowed with Sattva qualities. And Indra was prompted to do so by Visnu, the head of those who possess Sattva qualities; while Visnu himself entered in disguise into the thunderbolt so that he could kill Vritra. The powerful Vritra entered into a treaty and kept himself peaceful when Indra and Visnu violated truth and treacherously killed him by Jalaphena (the watery foams). O Suta! The great wonder is this That Indra and Visnu turned out so bold as to forsake the truth. This, then, is therefore very clear that the high souled persons become deluded and act sinfully. The Heads of the Devas act very wrongly; they are reckoned as polite simply because they observe the mere outward forms of good conduct as approved by the S'astras. How can the mere observance of outward forms constitute politeness? Had Indra, who killed in disguise Vritra relying on his words, to suffer any punishment for the sin that he incurred in killing a Brahmana? It was told by you before that Vritra had been slain by the Devi Bhagavati; but the general belief is that Indra killed him.
Our minds are puzzled on this point. (So clear our doubts on this point.)
13-14. Suta said O Munis! Hear the incident of the killing of Vritrasura and the punishment that Indra had to suffer due to his sin of Brahmahatya (killing a Brahmin). This question was asked by the King Pariksit and replied by Vyasa, the son of Satyavati. I will tell you what Vyasa had told before.
15-18. Janamejaya asked O Best of Munis! How was it that in former days Indra, endowed with the Sattva qualities, killed Vritrasura, with the aid of Visnu? And how and why was it that he was killed again by the Goddess Bhagavati? O Lord of Munis! How could one body be killed by the two; our curiosity has been excited to hear the truth. What man is there that does not like to hear any more of the glorious deeds of the high-souled persons! Kindly narrate to us the slaying of Vritra by the Devi Bhagavati.
19-26. Vyasa said O King! You are blessed, since your taste to hear the events of Purana has grown so much; the Devas even get their thirst for drinking nectar; but when quenched, they do not like to drink any more. O King! Your name and fame are widely spread.
Your Bhakti (devotion) to the Puranas is growing more and more daily. A speaker gets very much delighted when his audience hears him with undivided attention. O Lord of the earth! The fight between Vritra and Vasava that occurred in days of yore is famous in the passages of the Vedas and the Puranas; as well as the suffering that Indra had to encounter as his punishment when he had killed the innocent son of Visvakarma. O King! The Munis, who fear sin very much, commit yet blameable acts under Maya; then what wonder is there that Visnu, and Indra would kill Tris'ira and Vritra merely under a plea. When Visnu, the incarnate of Sattva qualities, gets deluded
by Maya and kills deceitfully the Daityas always, then how can you expect any other man to conquer mentally even the Maha Maya Bhavani, Who deludes all the beings! O King! It is under the compulsion of this Maya that the Bhagavan, the Infinite, the friend of Nara, Narayana, takes incarnations in thousands and thousands of Yugas in this Samsara as Fish, etc., and does deeds sometimes lawful and sometimes unlawful. The Devas and men, being confounded by his Maya, become upset and disordered and say “that this body, wealth, house, sons, wife and relatives are all mine” and being thus deluded sometimes do virtuous and sometimes sinful deeds. O King! There is not even one, on the surface of this earth, though he may be well versed in finding out cause and effect, the knowledge of the high and low, that can be free from this Great Delusion; he is from the very beginning tied up by the three Gunas of this Maya and that remains under Her control.
27-35. This explains that Visnu and Indra both were deluded by Maya and engaged in fulfilling their own selfish ends. They killed Vritras'ura under a pretext. O King! Hear! I am now describing to you the cause of enmity between Indra and Vritra. Vis'vakarma, the Prajapati, was great architect of the Gods, he was skilled, he was superior amongst the gods, a great ascetic and endeared by the Brahmins. He had enmity with Indra; and out of this enmity he created a son, very beautiful named him Tris'iraska Visvarupa. That son had three faces very beautiful and lovely. Visvarupa performed three different functions with his three different faces; with one, he used to study the Vedas, with the second he used to drink nectar (wine), and with the third he used to see simultaneously all the directions. Tris'ira renounced the pleasures of the world and began to practise a hard tapasya; he became a great ascetic, gentle, restrained in his passions and entirely devoted to his religion. He practised Panchagni-Sadhan in the summer season, tying his feet upwards on the branch of a tree with his head downwards; he remained in dew in the cold season, under water in the winter
season. Thus he abstained from food and conquered his self and, forsaking all the worldly connections, practised a very hard tapasya; very difficult, indeed, for those who are of dull intellects.
36-49. Indra became very sad and dispirited to see him practise such a Tapasya and thought of the means so that he might not acquire his Indraship. The Pakasas'ana Indra remained always very anxious see the energetic penance practised by that ascetic of unbounded glory and his steady attachment towards it. He thought thus “This Tris'ira is becoming stronger day by day by his penance, so he will kill me. The wise never look an enemy with indifference whose strength daily becomes greater and greater.” It is now my urgent duty to invent means how to baffle his Tapasya and he at last settled that lust is the great enemy of asceticism; the practice of devout austerities is destroyed complete by lust; so I must try this very day how the Muni becomes attached to worldly lust and enjoyments. The intelligent Indra, thinking thus, called the Apsaras Urvas'i, Menaka, Rambha, Ghritachi, and Tilottama and others proud of their beauties so that they might seduce Tri'sira, the son of Vi'svakarma. O Apsaras! I have now got a very grave task to fulfil; all of you help me in this respect. A great enemy of mine, difficult to conquer, is practising penance with his self-controlled. Start at once and with your dress suited to various amorous gestures and try hard to seduce him. Be all well with you; seduce him and remove the fever of my heart. O Apsaras! What more shall I say, I am restless since I have heard of his strength performing such hard austerities.
O Weak Ones! That powerful ascetic may acquire my place and thus dispossess me; this fear has possessed me. Therefore destroy my fear as quickly as possible. This is the task now given to you; get united and do this good to me. The Apsaras, hearing him, bowed down and said “O Lord of the Devas! Do not be afraid! We will try our best to seduce him. O highly Lustrous One! For the enticing away of the Muni, we will do all the things, dancing, music and other amorous gestures and practices, that will discard your fear. O King of
the Gods! We will unsettle the mind of the Muni by our side glances and passionate gestures and postures, delude and tie him and then bring him under our control.”
50-60. Vyasa said O King! Thus saying, the Apsaras went to Tris'ira and began to exhibit various amorous gestures and postures as stated in the Kama Sastra. They began to sing sometimes, sometimes to dance in tune with musical measures before the Muni. In short, they practised various amorous gestures to entice him away. But that ascetic, blazing with the fire of Tapas, did not notice even the Apsaras' various attempts; rather he kept all his senses under the control and remained like a deaf, dumb, and blind man. In that lovely hermitage of the Muni, the Apsaras sang and danced ravishingly and remained a few days there. But when they saw that the Muni Tris'ira did not swerve a bit from his meditative posture they returned tired, distressed to Indra and all, very fearful, began to address Indra with folded hands “O King! We tried our best and we could not in any way make the Muni unsteady, very hard to surmount. O Pakas'asana! Please invent other means; we could not make the self-controlled Muni move away an inch from his position; it is our good luck that that high-souled Muni, an incarnate of blazing fire have not cursed us!” Then dismissing the Apsaras, the evil- minded and dull Indra began to devise means, though totally unlawful, how to kill that good Muni. O King! That Indra abandoned all shame, and fear of sin and ultimately came to a highly blameable and sinful conclusion how to kill him.
Here ends the First Chapter of the Sixth Book on Tris'ira's austerities in S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam the Maha Puranam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25315, revision 76773 (2016-08-27T22:10:36Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk06ch01.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.