Senodyoga Parva — The assassination of Vritra

Shakra said The whole of this indestructible universe has been pervaded, O gods, by Vritra. There is nothing equal to opposing him.

I was before this capable of (doing this) but at present I am incapable. I wish you well. What can I do? I think he is hard to vanquish.

He is spirited large minded and of unparalleled prowess in battle and he will absorb all the three worlds with all their gods, Asuras and men.

Therefore O you denizens of the heaven, this is certain that by going to the abode of Vishnu and joining with that large-minded one and consulting with him we shall know the means of slaying the vicious one.

Shalya said The gods being thus spoken to by Maghavan the group of Rishis placed themselves under the protection of the god Vishnu of great influence and competent to be a protector.

And they, distressed with the fear of Vritra, spoke thus to Vishnu the lord of all gods-In days of yore did you cover the three worlds with three steps.

And O Vishnu, robbed it of nectar and killed in battle all the Daityas and after slaying Vali the great Daityas appointed Shakra, as the lord of the gods.

You are the Supreme Lord of all the gods and the whole (of this world) is pervaded by you; you, O Lord, are the supreme Lord revered by all the worlds.

O you best among the immortals, be the means of salvation of the gods including Indra. O you slayer of Asuras, the entire world is pervaded by Vritra.

Vishnu said Doing your good is my imperative duty; therefore am I speaking of the means by which he shall cease to exist.

In company with the Rishis and the Gandharvas you go to the place where that holder of the universal from is staying; make use of conciliatory policy towards him; then shall you win victory over him.

O gods, through my influence, victory will be on the side of Shakra. Being invisible shall I enter the thunder bolt-that excellent weapons of his.

O you best among the gods, go in company with the Rishis and the Gandharvas. Effect a truce without delay between Shakra and Vritra.

Shalya said The Rishis and the dwellers, of the third heaven being thus spoken to by that god, went together, with Shakra at their head.

Then all those mighty ones came near him, through whose influence the ten cardinal points were on fire and being scorched.

Those gods, with Indra, then saw Vritra who seemed as if swallowing the three worlds and looking as the sun or the moon.

Then the Rishis came there and said these conciliatory words of Vritra. O you hard to conquer, this world is pervaded by your energy.

O you best of powerful beings, you will not be able to conquer Vasava and a very long period has elapsed since you commenced fighting.

All beings including the gods, the Asuras and the human beings, are enduring misery. Let there always exit, O Vritra, friendship between you and Shakra.

You will gain happiness and ever dwell in the regions of Shakra. Hearing these words of the Rishis, Vritra of great strength.

The Asura bowed unto all those Rishis with his head and said to them-O you endowed with good qualities and you Gandharvas, what you all have said, I have listened to. O you stainless beings, hear now what I say. How can there be peace between us two-myself and Shakra? How can there be friendship between two gods who are both powerful?

The Rishis said The company of virtuous ones is desirable (even for a time); thereafter what is fated will come to pass. The opportunity of friendship with virtuous men should not be lost; therefore is the company of virtuous men desirable.

Wise men ever speak of firm friendship with virtuous men as wealth is times of pecuniary difficulties. The company of virtuous men is vast wealth indeed; therefore wise men should not injure virtuous ones.

Indra is honoured by virtuous men and the refuse of the large-minded. He is also truth speaking, blameless, understands virtue and has refined judgment.

Let there be peace, to eternity, with Indra; come to entertain faith in him; let not your opinion be otherwise.

Shalya said The being with great luster, having heard the speech of the great Rishis, said to them! O devotees, O lord, you are, of course, to be honoured by me.

O gods, if you do all that I am going to say then shall I do all that you have said to me, O foremost among the twice born.

Not by dry thing nor be a wet one, not by stone, nor by wood, nor by a weapon fit for use from a distance, nor by one fit for hand to hand fight, not during the day time nor during the night,

Shall I be capable of being slain, O chief among the Brahmanas, by Shakra, assisted by the gods. If you ordain this then shall there ever be peace with Shakra.

O best among the race of Bharata the Rishis said-"very well" and Vritra too became pleased with having peace under these conditions.

Shakra too became delighted and became constantly engaged in the thought of finding out some means of killing Vritra.

The chief among the gods always remained anxious land on the look out for some loop-hole. He one day saw the great Asura at the sea coast.

It was evening and the moment was aweinspiring and the god thus thought of the boons granted by the large minded one (Vishnu).

This is evening, it is not in the sun; it is neither the night nor the day. And Vritra, the enemy who has robbed me of all must be slain.

If I do not this day slay the great Asura, Vritra of great strength and of a huge body by an artifice, it will not be well with me.

Thus thinking Shakra invoked Vishnu and then saw coming out of the sea, foam high as a mountain.

This is not wet nor dry nor is this a weapon. I shall fling this which will destroy Vritra is moment.

Quickly did he fling the foam with the thunderbolt at Vritra and Vishnu having entered the foam destroyed Vritra.

And Vritra being slain, the cardinal points became divested of darkness and a pleasant wind blew and the beings of the earth rejoiced.

And then the gods along with the Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas and Pannagas and the Rishis propitiated the great Indra with diverse hymns.

Being bowed down to by all beings, he encouraged all the beings in his turn. Slaying the enemy, the mind of Vasava became delighted with the gods.

The one knowing virtue worshipped the foremost in the three worlds, Vishnu, after the great hero and fierce god Vritra was slain.

Now, Shakra became overpowered by false-hood and exceedingly depressed in spirits and also overpowered by the sin of slaying the Brahmana (the three headed one).

Staying at the end of the worlds, he became deprived of his senses and consciousness and the chief of the gods overpowered with the weight of his own sins could not be recognised.

He remained as if in disguise under the water restless as a serpent. And then the lord of the gods, struck with the fear of the sin of killing a Brahmana, was destroyed, so to say.

The earth became desolate and went to ruins and became treeless and the forests became dry. And the currents of the rivers became stopped and the lakes lost all their water.

And there came distress among the beings of the earth, owing to death of rain and the gods and the great Rishis remained struck with intense fear.

And the entire world oppressed with anarchy became overpowered with all sorts of disasters and the gods became frightened for no hody would be their king.

And the divine saints in heaven also being deprived of the protection of the king of the gods became fearful. No body was inclined to be the king of the gods.