# Bāla Kāṇḍa 45 — Story of Indra & Diti: Service, broken observance and division *Diti seeks a son to kill Indra, he serves her during her observance and exploits her sleeping posture to enter her body and divide the fetus into seven* Portion: Stories of Indra · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 1.45. ## Sequence - Grieving for her sons, Diti asks Kaśyapa for another son, won through austerity, who can kill Indra (45.1–3) - he agrees on the condition that she remain pure for a full thousand years → he touches her and departs for his own austerities (45.4–7) - Diti begins her observance at Kuśaplavana (45.8) - Indra attends her faithfully, supplying fire, grass, wood, water, roots, and fruit, massaging her and relieving her fatigue (45.9–11) - when only ten years remain, she tells him he will soon see his brother → pleased by his service, she promises to reconcile the child to him so that they can share dominion without fear (45.12–14). At noon Diti falls asleep with her feet where her head should be and her hair toward her feet (45.15–16) - Indra regards this as a lapse in the required purity and seizes the opportunity → he enters her body and cuts the fetus into seven with his thunderbolt (45.17) - its cries wake Diti → saying “Do not weep,” Indra continues cutting (45.18–19) - Diti begs him not to kill the child → he comes out in obedience to her plea (45.20) - with joined palms and thunderbolt still in hand, he explains that he acted during her lapse to divide the future slayer of Indra, and asks forgiveness (45.21–22). ## Verses **1.45.1** hateṣu teṣu putreṣu ditiḥ paramaduḥkhitā mārīcaṃ kāśyapaṃ rāma bhartāram idam abravīt When those sons had been slain, Diti, deeply grieved, spoke thus to her husband, Mārīca Kāśyapa, O Rāma: **1.45.2** hataputrāsmi bhagavaṃs tava putrair mahābalaiḥ śakrahantāram icchāmi putraṃ dīrghatapo'rjitam “I am bereft of my sons, O blessed one, by your mighty sons; I desire a son who will slay Śakra (Indra), one won through long austerity. **1.45.3** sāhaṃ tapaś cariṣyāmi garbhaṃ me dātum arhasi īdṛśaṃ śakrahantāraṃ tvam anujñātum arhasi So I shall perform austerity; you should grant me such a (child in the) womb — you should sanction such a slayer of Śakra. **1.45.4** tasyās tadvacanaṃ śrutvā mārīcaḥ kāśyapas tadā pratyuvāca mahātejā ditiṃ paramaduḥkhitām Hearing that speech of hers, Mārīca Kāśyapa, of great splendour, then replied to the deeply grieved Diti: **1.45.5** evaṃ bhavatu bhadraṃ te śucir bhava tapodhane janayiṣyasi putraṃ tvaṃ śakra hantāram āhave “So be it; blessings on you; be pure, O you whose wealth is austerity. You shall bring forth a son who will slay Śakra in battle. **1.45.6** pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu śucir yadi bhaviṣyasi putraṃ trailokya hantāraṃ mattas tvaṃ janayiṣyasi When a full thousand years is complete, if you shall have remained pure, you shall bring forth from me a son who will slay (the lord of) the three worlds. **1.45.7** evam uktvā mahātejāḥ pāṇinā sa mamārja tām samālabhya tataḥ svastīty uktvā sa tapase yayau Having spoken thus, the one of great splendour stroked her with his hand; and touching her, then saying 'Fare well,' he went off to his austerity. **1.45.8** gate tasmin naraśreṣṭha ditiḥ paramaharṣitā kuśaplavanam āsādya tapas tepe sudāruṇam When he had gone, O best of men, Diti, greatly delighted, reached Kuśaplavana and performed most terrible austerity. **1.45.9** tapas tasyāṃ hi kurvatyāṃ paricaryāṃ cakāra ha sahasrākṣo naraśreṣṭha parayā guṇasaṃpadā While she was performing that austerity, O best of men, the thousand-eyed one (Indra) rendered her service with the highest excellence of virtue. **1.45.10** agniṃ kuśān kāṣṭham apaḥ phalaṃ mūlaṃ tathaiva ca nyavedayat sahasrākṣo yac cānyad api kāṅkṣitam The thousand-eyed one supplied fire, kuśa-grass, firewood, water, fruit, and root likewise, and whatever else was desired. **1.45.11** gātrasaṃvāhanaiś caiva śramāpanayanais tathā śakraḥ sarveṣu kāleṣu ditiṃ paricacāra ha And with massages of her limbs and likewise with the removal of her fatigue, Śakra waited upon Diti at all times. **1.45.12** atha varṣasahasretu daśone raghu nandana ditiḥ paramasaṃprītā sahasrākṣam athābravīt Then, when the thousand years lacked only ten, O delight of the Raghus, Diti, greatly pleased, spoke to the thousand-eyed one: **1.45.13** tapaś carantyā varṣāṇi daśa vīryavatāṃ vara avaśiṣṭāni bhadraṃ te bhrātaraṃ drakṣyase tataḥ ‘For me who am performing austerity, ten years remain, O best of the valiant; blessings on you — then you shall see your brother. **1.45.14** tam ahaṃ tvatkṛte putra samādhāsye jayotsukam trailokyavijayaṃ putra saha bhokṣyasi vijvaraḥ For your sake, my son, I shall bring him to concord, eager though he be for victory; and free of anxiety, my son, you shall together (with him) enjoy the conquest of the three worlds.’ **1.45.15** evam uktvā ditiḥ śakraṃ prāpte madhyaṃ divākare nidrayāpahṛtā devī pādau kṛtvātha śīrṣataḥ Having spoken thus to Śakra, when the sun had reached the zenith, the lady Diti, overcome by sleep, having placed her feet where the head should be — **1.45.16** dṛṣṭvā tām aśuciṃ śakraḥ pādataḥ kṛtamūrdhajām śiraḥsthāne kṛtau pādau jahāsa ca mumoda ca Seeing her impure, with her hair toward her feet and her feet set in the place of the head, Śakra both laughed and rejoiced. **1.45.17** tasyāḥ śarīravivaraṃ viveśa ca puraṃdaraḥ garbhaṃ ca saptadhā rāma bibheda paramātmavān And Puraṃdara (Indra) entered the opening of her body and, most self-possessed, split the fetus sevenfold, O Rāma. **1.45.18** bidhyamānas tato garbho vajreṇa śataparvaṇā ruroda susvaraṃ rāma tato ditir abudhyata Being split by the hundred-jointed thunderbolt, the fetus then cried out loudly, O Rāma; thereupon Diti awoke. **1.45.19** mā rudo mā rudaś ceti garbhaṃ śakro 'bhyabhāṣata bibheda ca mahātejā rudantam api vāsavaḥ ‘Weep not, weep not!’ — thus Śakra spoke to the fetus; and Vāsava (Indra) of great splendour split it even as it wept. **1.45.20** na hantavyo na hantavya ity evaṃ ditir abravīt niṣpapāta tataḥ śakro mātur vacanagauravāt ‘He must not be slain, he must not be slain!’ — thus said Diti; then Śakra came forth, out of respect for his mother's word. **1.45.21** prāñjalir vajrasahito ditiṃ śakro 'bhyabhāṣata aśucir devi suptāsi pādayoḥ kṛtamūrdhajā With palms joined, still holding the thunderbolt, Śakra spoke to Diti: ‘You slept impure, O lady, with your hair (turned) toward your feet; **1.45.22** tadantaram ahaṃ labdhvā śakrahantāram āhave abhindaṃ saptadhā devi tan me tvaṃ kṣantum arhasi Seizing that opportunity, O lady, I split into seven the one (destined to be) the slayer of Śakra in battle; for that you ought to forgive me.’