तीर्थयात्रा पर्व — वृत्र का वध

Lomasha said : Thereupon that wielder of Vajra (Indra) supported by the powerful celestials came to Vritra who was then occupying both the earth and the heaven.

He was guarded on all sides by the huge bodied Kalkeyas with upraised weapons, looking like great mountains with towering peaks.

O best of the Bharata race, then a great battle appalling on the three worlds was fought by the celestials with the Danavas for a short while.

Loud was the clashing of swords upraised and warded off by the heroic hands, those that were aimed at one another's bodies.

The heads began to fall from the sky on the earth like fruits of palmyra palm, falling on the ground loosened from their stalks.

The Kaleyas, clad in golden armour and armed with iron mounted in aces rushed towards the celestials like moving mountains on fire.

Being unable to stand the onrush of those impetuous heroes, the celestials broke (their ranks) and fled away from fear.

Seeking them (the celestials) flying in fear and Vritra growing in boldness, the thousand eyed Purandra (Indra) was greatly confounded with fear.

Filled with the fear of the Kalkeyas the deity Purandra (Indra) himself asked protection from the lord Narayana without delay.

The eternal Vishnu, seeing Sakra (Indra) confounded with fear and grief, enhanced his prowess by importing to him a portion of his own might.

Having seen Sakra (Indra) thus protected by Vishnu, all the celestials and the Brahmana Rishis of spotless deeds imparted to him their own might.

Thus favoured by Vishnu by all the celestials and by the highly-blessed Rishis Sakra (Indra) became more powerful than before.

Knowing that the chief of the celestials had been filled with the prowess of others, Vitra sent forth fearful roars. The earth, the directions, the heaven and the mountains all began to tremble.

O king, thereupon hearing that fearful and loud roar, Indra was filled with grief and fear and in order to kill the Asura he hurled the great Vajra.

Struck with Vajra, that great Asura adorned with garlands of gold, fell down as the great Mandara mountain did in the days of yore when hurled from the hand of Vishnu.

When that foremost of Daityas was killed, even then Sakra (Indra) fled away in fear to take shelter in a lake, thinking that the Vajra had not been hurled from his hands and that Vitra had not (really) been killed.

The celestials and the great Rishis were all filled with joy and they cheerfully sang the praise of Indra. Then the celestials mustering together began to kill all the Daityas who grew dejected by the death of Vitra.

Struck with panic at the sight of the assembled celestials, they entered the fathomless ocean, full of fishes and alligators. They (the Danavas) assembled together with pride began to conspire for the destruction of the three worlds.

Some among them who were wise suggested some courses of action, each according to his own judgment.

In course of time they made the fearful resolution that they should first destroy all persons' knowledge and ascetic virtues.

"The worlds are all supported by asceticism, therefore lose no time to destroy asceticism. All those men who are on earth endued with ascetic virtues and with the knowledge of the precepts of virtue and that of Brahma.

Should be soon destroyed, for when they are destroyed, the whole universe will be destroyed.” Having arrived at this resulting for the destruction of the universe, they became exceedingly glad.

Then they made the ocean, with the mountain, like waves, the abode of Varuna, their fort.