Sixth Skandha · Chapter 7
Sourceव्यास उवाच अथ तं पतितं दृष्ट्वा विष्णुर्विष्णुपुरीं ययौ । मनसा शङ्कमानस्तु तस्य हत्याकृतं भयम् ॥ १ ॥ इन्द्रोऽपि भयसंत्रस्तो ययाविन्द्रपुरीं ततः । मुनयो भयसंविग्ना ह्यभवन्निहते रिपौ ॥ २ ॥ किमस्माभिः कृतं पापं यदसौ वञ्चितः किल । मुनिशब्दो वृथा जातः सुरेशस्य च सङ्गमात् ॥ ३ ॥ अस्माकं वचनाद्वृत्रो विश्वासमगमत्किल । विश्वासघातिनः सङ्गाद्वयं विश्वासघातकाः ॥ ४ ॥ धिगियं ममता पापमूलमेवमनर्थकृत् । यदस्माभिश्छलं कृत्वा शपथैर्वञ्चितोऽसुरः ॥ ५ ॥ मन्त्रकृद्बुद्धिदाता च प्रेरकः पापकारिणाम् । पापभाक्स भवेन्नूनं पक्षकर्ता तथैव च ॥ ६ ॥ विष्णुनापि कृतं पापं यत्साहाय्यमवाप्तवान् । वज्रं प्रविश्य येनासौ पातितः सत्त्वमूर्तिना ॥ ७ ॥ नूनं स्वार्थपरः प्राणी न पापात्त्रासमश्नुते । हरिणा हरिसङ्गेन सर्वथा दुष्कृतं कृतम् ॥ ८ ॥ द्वावेव स्तः पदार्थानां द्वावेव निधनं गतौ । प्रथमश्च तुरीयश्च यौ त्रिलोक्यां तु दुर्लभौ ॥ ९ ॥ अर्थकामौ प्रशस्तौ द्वौ सर्वेषां सम्मतौ प्रियौ । धर्माधर्मेति वाग्वादो दम्भोऽयं महतामपि ॥ १० ॥ मुनयोऽपि मनस्तापमेवं कृत्वा पुनः पुनः । जग्मुः स्वानाश्रमानेव विमनस्का हतोद्यमाः ॥ ११ ॥ त्वष्टा तु निहतं श्रुत्वा पुत्रमिन्द्रेण भारत । रुरोद दुःखसन्तप्तो निर्वेदमगमत्पुनः ॥ १२ ॥ यत्रासौ पतितस्तत्र गत्वा वीक्ष्य तथागतम् । संस्कारं कारयामास विधिवत्पारलौकिकम् ॥ १३ ॥ स्नात्वास्य सलिलं दत्त्वा कृत्वा चैवौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । शशापेन्द्रं स शोकार्तः पापिष्ठं मित्रघातकम् ॥ १४ ॥ यथा मे निहतः पुत्रः प्रलोभ्य शपथैर्भृशम् । तथेन्द्रोऽपि महद्दुःखं प्राप्नोतु विधिनिर्मितम् ॥ १५ ॥ इति शप्त्वा सुरेशानं त्वष्टा तापसमन्वितः । मेरोः शिखरमास्थाय तपस्तेपे सुदुष्करम् ॥ १६ ॥ जनमेजय उवाच हत्वा त्वाष्ट्रं सुरेशोऽथ कामवस्थामवाप्तवान् । सुखं वा दुःखमेवाग्रे तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १७ ॥ व्यास उवाच किं पृच्छसि महाभाग सन्देहः कीदृशस्तव । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम् ॥ १८ ॥ बलिष्ठैर्दुर्बलैर्वापि स्वल्पं वा बहु वा कृतम् । सर्वथैव हि भोक्तव्यं सदेवासुरमानुषैः ॥ १९ ॥ शक्रायेत्थं मतिर्दत्ता हरिणा वृत्रघातिने । प्रविष्टोऽथ पविं विष्णुः सहायः प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ २० ॥ न चापदि सहायोऽभूद्वासुदेवः कथञ्चन । समये स्वजनः सर्वः संसारेऽस्मिन्नराधिप ॥ २१ ॥ दैवे विमुखतां प्राप्ते न कोऽप्यस्ति सहायवान् । पिता माता तथा भार्या भ्राता वाथ सहोदरः ॥ २२ ॥ सेवको वापि मित्रं वा पुत्रश्चैव तथौरसः । प्रतिकूले गते दैवे न कोऽप्येति सहायताम् ॥ २३ ॥ भोक्ता पापस्य पुण्यस्य कर्ता भवति सर्वथा । वृत्रं हत्वा गताः सर्वे निस्तेजस्कः शचीपतिः ॥ २४ ॥ शेपुस्तं त्रिदशाः सर्वे ब्रह्महेत्यब्रुवञ्छनैः । को नाम शपथान्कृत्वा सत्यं दत्त्वा वचः पुनः ॥ २५ ॥ जिघांसति सुविश्वस्तं मुनिं मित्रत्वमागतम् । देवगोष्ठ्यां सुरोद्याने गन्धर्वाणां समागमे ॥ २६ ॥ सर्वत्रैव कथा तस्य विस्तारमगमत्किल । किं कृतं दुष्कृतं कर्म शक्रेणाद्य जिघांसता ॥ २७ ॥ वृत्रं छलेन विश्वस्तं मुनिभिश्च प्रतारितम् । वेदप्रमाणमुत्सृज्य स्वीकृतं सौगतं मतम् ॥ २८ ॥ यदयं निहतः शनुर्वञ्चयित्वातिसाहसात् । को नाम वचनं दत्त्वा विपरीतमथाचरेत् ॥ २९ ॥ विना शक्रं हरिं वापि यथायं विनिपातितः । एवंविधाः कथाश्चान्याः समाजेष्वभवन्भृशम् ॥ ३० ॥ शुश्रावेन्द्रोऽपि विविधाः स्वकीर्तेर्हानिकारकाः । यस्य कीर्तिर्हता लोके धिक्तस्यैव कुजीवितम् ॥ ३१ ॥ यं दृष्ट्वा पथि गच्छन्तं शत्रुः स्मेरमुखो भवेत् । इन्द्रद्युम्नोऽपि राजर्षिः पतितः कीर्तिसंक्षयात् ॥ ३२ ॥ स्वर्गादकृतपापोऽसौ पापकृत्किं न पात्यते । स्वल्पेऽपराधेऽपि नृपो ययातिः पतितः किल ॥ ३३ ॥ नृपः कर्कटतां प्राप्तो युगानष्टादशैव तु । भृगुपत्नीशिरश्छेदाद्भगवान्हरिरच्युतः ॥ ३४ ॥ ब्रह्मशापात्पशोर्योनौ सञ्जातो मकरादिषु । विष्णुश्च वामनो भूत्वा याचनार्थं बलेर्गृहे ॥ ३५ ॥ गतः किमपरं दुःखं प्राप्नोति दुष्कृती नरः । रामोऽपि वनवासेषु सीताविरहजं बहु ॥ ३६ ॥ दुःखं च प्राप्तवान्घोरं भृगुशापेन भारत । तथेन्द्रोऽपि ब्रह्महत्याकृतं प्राप्य महद्भयम् ॥ ३७ ॥ न स्वास्थ्यं प्राप गेहेऽसौ सर्वसिद्धिसमन्विते । पौलोमी तं सभाहीनं दृष्ट्वा प्रोवाच वासवम् ॥ ३८ ॥ निःश्वसन्तं भयत्रस्तं नष्टसंज्ञं विचेतसम् । किं प्रभोऽद्य भयार्तोऽसि मृतस्ते दारुणो रिपुः ॥ ३९ ॥ का चिन्ता वर्तते कान्त तव शत्रुनिषूदन । कस्माच्छोचसि लोकेश निःश्वसन्प्राकृतो यथा ॥ ४० ॥ नान्योऽस्ति बलवाञ्छत्रुर्येन चिन्तापरो भवान् । इन्द्र उवाच नारातिर्बलवान्मेऽस्ति न शान्तिर्न सुखं तथा ॥ ४१ ॥ ब्रह्महत्याभयाद्राज्ञि बिभेमि सततं गृहे । न नन्दनं सुखकरं नामृतं न गृहं वनम् ॥ ४२ ॥ गन्धर्वाणां तथा गेयं नृत्यमप्सरसां पुनः । न त्वं सुखकरा नारी नाना च सुरयोषितः ॥ ४३ ॥ न तथा कामधेनुश्च देववृक्षः सुखप्रदः । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि क्व शर्म मम जायते ॥ ४४ ॥ इति चिन्तापरः कान्ते न लभे सुखमात्मनि । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा वचनं शक्रः प्रियां परमकातराम् ॥ ४५ ॥ निर्जगाम गृहान्मन्दो मानसं सर उत्तमम् । पद्मनाले प्रविष्टोऽसौ भयार्तः शोककर्षितः ॥ ४६ ॥ न प्राज्ञायत देवेन्द्रस्त्वभिभूतश्च कल्मषैः । प्रतिच्छन्नो वसत्यप्सु चेष्टमान इवोरगः ॥ ४७ ॥ असहायस्तुराषाडैच्चिन्तार्तो विकलेन्द्रियः । ततः प्रनष्टे देवेन्द्रे ब्रह्महत्याभयार्दिते ॥ ४८ ॥ सुराश्चिन्तातुराश्चासन्नुत्पाताश्चाभवन्नथ । ऋषयः सिद्धगन्धर्वा भयार्ताश्चाभवन्भृशम् ॥ ४९ ॥ अराजकं जगत्सर्वमभिभूतमुपद्रवैः । अवर्षणं तदा जातं पृथिवी क्षीणवैभवा ॥ ५० ॥ विच्छिन्नस्रोतसो नद्यः सरांस्यनुदकानि वै । एवं त्वराजके जाते देवता मुनयस्तथा ॥ ५१ ॥ विचार्य नहुषं चक्रुः शक्रं सर्वे दिवौकसः । सम्प्राप्य नहुषो राजा धर्मिष्ठोऽपि रजोबलात् ॥ ५२ ॥ बभूव विषयासक्तः पञ्चबाणशराहतः । अप्सरोभिर्वृतः क्रीडन्देवोद्यानेषु भारत ॥ ५३ ॥ शक्रपत्नीगुणाञ्छ्रुत्वा चकमे तां स पार्थिवः । ऋषीनाह किमिन्द्राणी नोपगच्छति मां किल ॥ ५४ ॥ भवद्भिश्चामरैः सर्वैः कृतोऽहं वासवस्त्विह । प्रेषयध्वं सुराः कामं सेवार्थं मम वै शचीम् ॥ ५५ ॥ प्रियं चेन्मम कर्तव्यं सर्वथा मुनयोऽमराः । अहमिन्द्रोऽद्य देवानां लोकानां च तथेश्वरः ॥ ५६ ॥ आगच्छतु शची मह्यं क्षिप्रमद्य निवेशनम् । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवा देवर्षयस्तथा ॥ ५७ ॥ गत्वा चिन्तातुराः प्रोचुः पौलोमीं प्रणतास्ततः । इन्द्रपत्नि दुराचारो नहुषस्त्वामिहेच्छति ॥ ५८ ॥ कुपितोऽस्मानुवाचेदं प्रेषयध्वं शचीमिह । किं कुर्मस्तदधीनाः स्मो येनेन्द्रोऽयं कृतः किल ॥ ५९ ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा दुर्मना देवी बृहस्पतिमुवाच ह । रक्ष मां नहुषाद्ब्रह्मंस्तवास्मि शरणं गता ॥ ६० ॥ बृहस्पतिरुवाच न भेतव्यं त्वया देवि नहुषात्पापमोहितात् । न त्वां दास्याम्यहं वत्से त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सनातनम् ॥ ६१ ॥ शरणागतमार्तं च यो ददाति नराधमः । स एव नरकं याति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । स्वस्था भव पृथुश्रोणि न त्यक्ष्ये त्वां कदाचन ॥ ६२ ॥
vyāsa uvāca atha taṃ patitaṃ dṛṣṭvā viṣṇurviṣṇupurīṃ yayau | manasā śaṅkamānastu tasya hatyākṛtaṃ bhayam || 1 || indro'pi bhayasaṃtrasto yayāvindrapurīṃ tataḥ | munayo bhayasaṃvignā hyabhavannihate ripau || 2 || kimasmābhiḥ kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ yadasau vañcitaḥ kila | muniśabdo vṛthā jātaḥ sureśasya ca saṅgamāt || 3 || asmākaṃ vacanādvṛtro viśvāsamagamatkila | viśvāsaghātinaḥ saṅgādvayaṃ viśvāsaghātakāḥ || 4 || dhigiyaṃ mamatā pāpamūlamevamanarthakṛt | yadasmābhiśchalaṃ kṛtvā śapathairvañcito'suraḥ || 5 || mantrakṛdbuddhidātā ca prerakaḥ pāpakāriṇām | pāpabhāksa bhavennūnaṃ pakṣakartā tathaiva ca || 6 || viṣṇunāpi kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ yatsāhāyyamavāptavān | vajraṃ praviśya yenāsau pātitaḥ sattvamūrtinā || 7 || nūnaṃ svārthaparaḥ prāṇī na pāpāttrāsamaśnute | hariṇā harisaṅgena sarvathā duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam || 8 || dvāveva staḥ padārthānāṃ dvāveva nidhanaṃ gatau | prathamaśca turīyaśca yau trilokyāṃ tu durlabhau || 9 || arthakāmau praśastau dvau sarveṣāṃ sammatau priyau | dharmādharmeti vāgvādo dambho'yaṃ mahatāmapi || 10 || munayo'pi manastāpamevaṃ kṛtvā punaḥ punaḥ | jagmuḥ svānāśramāneva vimanaskā hatodyamāḥ || 11 || tvaṣṭā tu nihataṃ śrutvā putramindreṇa bhārata | ruroda duḥkhasantapto nirvedamagamatpunaḥ || 12 || yatrāsau patitastatra gatvā vīkṣya tathāgatam | saṃskāraṃ kārayāmāsa vidhivatpāralaukikam || 13 || snātvāsya salilaṃ dattvā kṛtvā caivaurdhvadaihikam | śaśāpendraṃ sa śokārtaḥ pāpiṣṭhaṃ mitraghātakam || 14 || yathā me nihataḥ putraḥ pralobhya śapathairbhṛśam | tathendro'pi mahadduḥkhaṃ prāpnotu vidhinirmitam || 15 || iti śaptvā sureśānaṃ tvaṣṭā tāpasamanvitaḥ | meroḥ śikharamāsthāya tapastepe suduṣkaram || 16 || janamejaya uvāca hatvā tvāṣṭraṃ sureśo'tha kāmavasthāmavāptavān | sukhaṃ vā duḥkhamevāgre tanme brūhi pitāmaha || 17 || vyāsa uvāca kiṃ pṛcchasi mahābhāga sandehaḥ kīdṛśastava | avaśyameva bhoktavyaṃ kṛtaṃ karma śubhāśubham || 18 || baliṣṭhairdurbalairvāpi svalpaṃ vā bahu vā kṛtam | sarvathaiva hi bhoktavyaṃ sadevāsuramānuṣaiḥ || 19 || śakrāyetthaṃ matirdattā hariṇā vṛtraghātine | praviṣṭo'tha paviṃ viṣṇuḥ sahāyaḥ pratyapadyata || 20 || na cāpadi sahāyo'bhūdvāsudevaḥ kathañcana | samaye svajanaḥ sarvaḥ saṃsāre'sminnarādhipa || 21 || daive vimukhatāṃ prāpte na ko'pyasti sahāyavān | pitā mātā tathā bhāryā bhrātā vātha sahodaraḥ || 22 || sevako vāpi mitraṃ vā putraścaiva tathaurasaḥ | pratikūle gate daive na ko'pyeti sahāyatām || 23 || bhoktā pāpasya puṇyasya kartā bhavati sarvathā | vṛtraṃ hatvā gatāḥ sarve nistejaskaḥ śacīpatiḥ || 24 || śepustaṃ tridaśāḥ sarve brahmahetyabruvañchanaiḥ | ko nāma śapathānkṛtvā satyaṃ dattvā vacaḥ punaḥ || 25 || jighāṃsati suviśvastaṃ muniṃ mitratvamāgatam | devagoṣṭhyāṃ surodyāne gandharvāṇāṃ samāgame || 26 || sarvatraiva kathā tasya vistāramagamatkila | kiṃ kṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ karma śakreṇādya jighāṃsatā || 27 || vṛtraṃ chalena viśvastaṃ munibhiśca pratāritam | vedapramāṇamutsṛjya svīkṛtaṃ saugataṃ matam || 28 || yadayaṃ nihataḥ śanurvañcayitvātisāhasāt | ko nāma vacanaṃ dattvā viparītamathācaret || 29 || vinā śakraṃ hariṃ vāpi yathāyaṃ vinipātitaḥ | evaṃvidhāḥ kathāścānyāḥ samājeṣvabhavanbhṛśam || 30 || śuśrāvendro'pi vividhāḥ svakīrterhānikārakāḥ | yasya kīrtirhatā loke dhiktasyaiva kujīvitam || 31 || yaṃ dṛṣṭvā pathi gacchantaṃ śatruḥ smeramukho bhavet | indradyumno'pi rājarṣiḥ patitaḥ kīrtisaṃkṣayāt || 32 || svargādakṛtapāpo'sau pāpakṛtkiṃ na pātyate | svalpe'parādhe'pi nṛpo yayātiḥ patitaḥ kila || 33 || nṛpaḥ karkaṭatāṃ prāpto yugānaṣṭādaśaiva tu | bhṛgupatnīśiraśchedādbhagavānhariracyutaḥ || 34 || brahmaśāpātpaśoryonau sañjāto makarādiṣu | viṣṇuśca vāmano bhūtvā yācanārthaṃ balergṛhe || 35 || gataḥ kimaparaṃ duḥkhaṃ prāpnoti duṣkṛtī naraḥ | rāmo'pi vanavāseṣu sītāvirahajaṃ bahu || 36 || duḥkhaṃ ca prāptavānghoraṃ bhṛguśāpena bhārata | tathendro'pi brahmahatyākṛtaṃ prāpya mahadbhayam || 37 || na svāsthyaṃ prāpa gehe'sau sarvasiddhisamanvite | paulomī taṃ sabhāhīnaṃ dṛṣṭvā provāca vāsavam || 38 || niḥśvasantaṃ bhayatrastaṃ naṣṭasaṃjñaṃ vicetasam | kiṃ prabho'dya bhayārto'si mṛtaste dāruṇo ripuḥ || 39 || kā cintā vartate kānta tava śatruniṣūdana | kasmācchocasi lokeśa niḥśvasanprākṛto yathā || 40 || nānyo'sti balavāñchatruryena cintāparo bhavān | indra uvāca nārātirbalavānme'sti na śāntirna sukhaṃ tathā || 41 || brahmahatyābhayādrājñi bibhemi satataṃ gṛhe | na nandanaṃ sukhakaraṃ nāmṛtaṃ na gṛhaṃ vanam || 42 || gandharvāṇāṃ tathā geyaṃ nṛtyamapsarasāṃ punaḥ | na tvaṃ sukhakarā nārī nānā ca surayoṣitaḥ || 43 || na tathā kāmadhenuśca devavṛkṣaḥ sukhapradaḥ | kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kva śarma mama jāyate || 44 || iti cintāparaḥ kānte na labhe sukhamātmani | vyāsa uvāca ityuktvā vacanaṃ śakraḥ priyāṃ paramakātarām || 45 || nirjagāma gṛhānmando mānasaṃ sara uttamam | padmanāle praviṣṭo'sau bhayārtaḥ śokakarṣitaḥ || 46 || na prājñāyata devendrastvabhibhūtaśca kalmaṣaiḥ | praticchanno vasatyapsu ceṣṭamāna ivoragaḥ || 47 || asahāyasturāṣāḍaiccintārto vikalendriyaḥ | tataḥ pranaṣṭe devendre brahmahatyābhayārdite || 48 || surāścintāturāścāsannutpātāścābhavannatha | ṛṣayaḥ siddhagandharvā bhayārtāścābhavanbhṛśam || 49 || arājakaṃ jagatsarvamabhibhūtamupadravaiḥ | avarṣaṇaṃ tadā jātaṃ pṛthivī kṣīṇavaibhavā || 50 || vicchinnasrotaso nadyaḥ sarāṃsyanudakāni vai | evaṃ tvarājake jāte devatā munayastathā || 51 || vicārya nahuṣaṃ cakruḥ śakraṃ sarve divaukasaḥ | samprāpya nahuṣo rājā dharmiṣṭho'pi rajobalāt || 52 || babhūva viṣayāsaktaḥ pañcabāṇaśarāhataḥ | apsarobhirvṛtaḥ krīḍandevodyāneṣu bhārata || 53 || śakrapatnīguṇāñchrutvā cakame tāṃ sa pārthivaḥ | ṛṣīnāha kimindrāṇī nopagacchati māṃ kila || 54 || bhavadbhiścāmaraiḥ sarvaiḥ kṛto'haṃ vāsavastviha | preṣayadhvaṃ surāḥ kāmaṃ sevārthaṃ mama vai śacīm || 55 || priyaṃ cenmama kartavyaṃ sarvathā munayo'marāḥ | ahamindro'dya devānāṃ lokānāṃ ca tatheśvaraḥ || 56 || āgacchatu śacī mahyaṃ kṣipramadya niveśanam | iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā devā devarṣayastathā || 57 || gatvā cintāturāḥ procuḥ paulomīṃ praṇatāstataḥ | indrapatni durācāro nahuṣastvāmihecchati || 58 || kupito'smānuvācedaṃ preṣayadhvaṃ śacīmiha | kiṃ kurmastadadhīnāḥ smo yenendro'yaṃ kṛtaḥ kila || 59 || tacchrutvā durmanā devī bṛhaspatimuvāca ha | rakṣa māṃ nahuṣādbrahmaṃstavāsmi śaraṇaṃ gatā || 60 || bṛhaspatiruvāca na bhetavyaṃ tvayā devi nahuṣātpāpamohitāt | na tvāṃ dāsyāmyahaṃ vatse tyaktvā dharmaṃ sanātanam || 61 || śaraṇāgatamārtaṃ ca yo dadāti narādhamaḥ | sa eva narakaṃ yāti yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam | svasthā bhava pṛthuśroṇi na tyakṣye tvāṃ kadācana || 62 ||
English translation
1-16. Vyasa said O King! Now seeing Vritra slain, Visnu, the Deva of the Devas, went to Vaikuntha; but, with this fear reigning supreme in his mind that it was He that virtually slew him. Indra, too, then became afraid of the sin committed by him and returned to his Heavens. The Munis, too, became very anxious and thought what great sin they have committed in cheating Vritrasura. It is the company of Indra that now made their name “Munis” as meaningless. The Munis thought thus “Oh! Vritra on our words trusted Indra and we have thus turned out today traitors in company with that traitor Indra. Attachment and affection is the cause of all mischief. Fie on that attachment! It is, as it were, tied by the cord of affection that we had sworn falsely on oath and thus deceived Vritra. Those that deliberately guide others to vicious acts or those that advise or incite others to do sinful acts or those that side with the sinners certainly partake of the fruits of the sin committed. Visnu, too, committed the sin, though he had Sattva Guna preponderance, when he entered into the thunderbolt and thus helped Indra in killing Vritra. It seems that henceforth the people, when selfish, won't hesitate to commit afterwards any sinful act when they will see that Bhagavan Visnu could have done, in concert with Indra, such a vicious thing. Of the four virtues Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksa, Dharma and Moksa are very rare in the three worlds. Artha (wealth) and Kama (desires) are everywhere recommended as excellent and therefore held very dear; Dharma is now merely in name and is the cause of the vanity of the Pundits (no one now really practises Dharma with devotion). Thus arguing, the Munis became very much afflicted in their minds and went back to their own hermitages respectively, broken-hearted and absent-minded. O Bharata!
Hearing of the death of his son by Indra, VisVakarma wept very much and he become disgusted very much with the affairs of the world. He went to the place where lay his son Vritra and became
pained very much to see him in that state; and he performed his cremation and other funeral obsequies according to the prescribed rules. He then bathed, performed his Tarpanam (peace-offering) and funeral ceremonies due to a person in the first year of his death. Then his heart became afflicted with sorrow and he cursed the vicious Indra saying that as Indra had killed his son, enticing him by falsely swearing on oath, so Indra, in his turn would suffer a heavier suffering, to be inflicted by Vidhi (the Great Creator of Universe). O King! Thus cursing Indra, VisVakarma, very much afflicted due to the loss of his son, went to the top of the Mountain Meru and began to practise a hard tapasya.
17. Janamejaya said “O Grandsire! First tell me what happiness or pain did Indra derive by killing Vritra, the son of Tvasta.”
18-40. Vyasa said O fortunate One! What are you asking? and what is the nature of your doubt? The fruit of one's Karma is certainly to be enjoyed, whether it be auspicious or inauspicious. Be he weak or strong. Be he a Deva, an Asura or a human being, everyone in fact, will have to suffer for one's Karma, good or bad, to its full extent, whether it be done a little or too much. See! It was Visnu that gave advice to Indra and entered into his thunderbolt and helped him when Indra was ready to kill Vritra; but when there had been Indra's difficult time, Visnu did not help Indra in any way. Therefore, O King! It is clear that when one's time is favourable, everybody turns out friends; but when Fate turns adverse, nobody is seen to come forward to help. When Fate is against anybody, one's father, mother, wife, or brother, servant, friend or one's own son becomes quite incapable to help anybody. The man, who does good or bad acts, suffers for his deeds. When Vritra was killed, everyone went back to their respective homes; but Indra, the Lord of S’achi, became very much deprived of his energy and brilliancy due to the sin of his killing a Brahmin; all the Devas, then, blamed him as a
Brahmaghataka (the killer of a Brahmin). They talked further that no other body would have been able to even indulge the idea of killing a Muni who was an intimate friend and who placed full confidence on him when Indra had sworn on oath that he would be a friend to Vritra. O King! Everywhere then there was this gossip in the assemblages of the gods, in their gardens, at the meetings of the Gandharbas that Indra had deceived Vritra who had relied on him, on the words of the Munis and then killed him by pretext, and so had done, indeed, a horrible crime. Indra had now forsaken the eternal proofs of the Vedas; and he had become a Bauddha; therefore he could have easily killed Vritra. No other body, save Visnu and Indra, could have acted contrary to their words, as clearly evidenced by the manner in which Vritra had been killed. These remarks, similar to those mentioned above, became everywhere current and Indra heard all of them, tending to his own disgrace. O King! Fie on that man's life that is blamed everywhere! Fie on that man whose fame has been marred amongst the people. Such a person becomes laughed at by his enemies, when seen by them on the way. The royal saint Indradyumna (Rajarsi) was made to get down, though sinless, from Heavens when his good deeds expired. Why, then, would not vicious persons be made to descend? The king Yayati had to get down from Heavens for his very little fault and had to pass eighteen Yugas in the form of a crab. What more can be said than the fact that even the Bhagavan Achyut Hah had to take several incarnations in the wombs of boar, crocodile, etc., out of the curse from a Brahmin, due to his cutting off the bead of the wife of Bhrigu. Though omnipresent, yet he had to take the appearance of a dwarf and had to beg from the King Vali's palace. What more troubles and miseries than this can be inflicted on those that had sinned viciously. O Ornament of Bharata! Ramchandra, too, had to experience, due to the curse of Bhrigu, terrible miseries on the bereavement of Sita Devi. Similarly Indra, too, for his sin of killing a Brahmin, was so much terrified that he could not get his healthy condition though he remained in his own house, endowed with all sorts of prosperity and wealth. Seeing, then, Indra lustreless, knowledge-less, almost void of consciousness, and overwhelmed with fear, his wife S’achi, the
daughter of Puloma, spoke to him thus “O Lord! Your dreadful enemy has been killed; why are you, then, sighing so much, being afflicted with so much terror? O Lord! You have destroyed your enemy; then why are you so much anxious? why are you then so much remorseful and drawing such deep heavy sighs like an ordinary man? I am not seeing any other powerful enemy of yours; then, why do you look so anxious and bowed down with cares, as if you look quite unconscious.”
41-44. Indra said “O Devi! True that I have no other powerful enemy, yet I do not find peace nor any happiness. I fear for the sin Brahmahattya in my house. O Devi! This Nandana Garden, the city of Kuvera, the lord of riches, this nectar forest, the sweet music of the Gandbarbas, the beautiful dance of the Apsaras, all these now do not give the least pleasure to me. What more can I say than this that the beautiful Lady like you, most beautiful amidst the three worlds, and other beautiful ladies, the Heavenly cow, the Mandara tree (one of the five trees of the celestial region), the Parijata tree (the flower tree), the Santana tree, the Kalpa tree (yielding all desires) and the Harichandan (saffron tree) and others cannot give pleasure to me. What to do, where to go, so that I get happiness, O Beloved! This thought makes me uneasy. And so I am not able to get happiness in my own thought.”
45-60. Vyasa said Thus speaking to his most distressed wife, Indra got out of his house and went to the exceedingly beautiful lake, named Manasarovara. Indra there entered into the tubular stalk of the lotus, his body becoming very lean and thin out of the fear and sorrow. Nobody could recognise him as he was overpowered by his terrible sin. He then began to behave himself, as regards feeding and enjoying, like a snake; and he became ovewhelmed with thought, helpless, and his organs were out of order. He remained hidden in the water. When Indra, the king of the Devas, thus fled
away out of the fear of his Brahmahattya sin, the other Devas became very anxious; everywhere various evil signs manifested themselves. The Risis, Siddhas and Gandharbas were very much panic-stricken, as various disturbances and violent symptoms covered all over the world without any king. Grains began to grow very scanty, due to want of rains; the streams were almost dry and very little water was there in the tanks. In such a state of anarchism, all the inhabitants of the celestial regions, the Devas and Risis consulted and installed the king Nahusa in the place of Indra. O King! Nahusa, though virtuous, became, under the sway of Rajoguna, influenced by lust and thus he got very much addicted to worldly enjoyments. He began to amuse himself in the Garden of Paradise, surrounded by the Apsaras or celestial nymphs. One day he heard of the excellent qualifications of S'achi Devi, the wife of Indra, and desired to acquire her. Then he spoke to the Risis The Devas and you, united, have installed me in the office of Indra; but why does not the Indrani (the wife of Indra), come to me so long? If you want to do what I like, then quickly bring S'achi here before me for my gratification. I am now Indra and therefore the god of the Devas and all the worlds; therefore bring today quickly Indrani to my house. Hearing thus the words of the king Nahusa, the Devas and DevarsTs became anxious and went to S'achi, and, with their heads bowed down, spoke thus “O Wife of Indra! The wicked Nahusa is now desiring you; he became angry and told as to send you to him quickly; O Devi! We have made him Indra and are therefore under him; what shall we do now under these circumstances?” S'achi, the wife of Indra, hearing their words, became absent-minded and spoke to Brihaspati, thus “O Brahmana! I now take refuge unto you.”
61-62. Brihaspati said “O Devi! Do not be afraid of Nahusa; he has been deluded by Moha. O Child! I won't forsake the eternal religion and thus I won't give you over to the hands of Nahusa. No doubt that wretch suffers the severest torments in Hell to the end of Pralaya (the Great Dissolution) who quits and hands over the
distressed person under one's refuge to another. O Good One! Be comfortable; I will never forsake you.”
Here ends the Seventh Chapter of the Sixth Book on Indra's living under disguise in the Manas Lake in the Mahapuranam S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25322, revision 76781 (2016-08-27T22:26:39Z). 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/bk06ch07.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.