The Sundering of Diti's Womb

Shloka 1 (bala.46.1)

हतेषु तेषु पुत्रेषु दितिः परमदुःखिता। मारीचं काश्यपं राम भर्तारमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ १-४६-१ ॥

hateṣu teṣu putreṣu ditiḥ paramaduḥkhitā| mārīcaṃ kāśyapaṃ rāma bhartāramidamabravīt || 1-46-1 ||

"O Rama, when those sons of hers were slain, Diti, in deep anguish, said this to her husband Kashyapa, the son of Marichi." Thus Vishvamitra continued his tale.

Shloka 2 (bala.46.2)

हतपुत्रास्मि भगवंस्तव पुत्रैर्महाबलैः। शक्रहन्तारमिच्छामि पुत्रं दीर्घतपोऽर्जितम् ॥ १-४६-२ ॥

hataputrāsmi bhagavaṃstava putrairmahābalaiḥ| śakrahantāramicchāmi putraṃ dīrghatapo'rjitam || 1-46-2 ||

"O venerable one, I am bereft of my sons, who were slain by your own mighty sons; therefore I desire a son, won by long penance, who shall be the slayer of Indra."

Shloka 3 (bala.46.3)

साहं तपश्चरिष्यामि गर्भं मे दातुमर्हसि। ईश्वरं शक्रहन्तारं त्वमनुज्ञातुमर्हसि ॥ १-४६-३ ॥

sāhaṃ tapaścariṣyāmi garbhaṃ me dātumarhasi| īśvaraṃ śakrahantāraṃ tvamanujñātumarhasi || 1-46-3 ||

"Bereaved as I am, I shall undertake austerity; it befits you to grant me conception, and it befits you to grant leave for a son who shall be ruler of the worlds and the slayer of Shakra."

Shloka 4 (bala.46.4)

तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा मारीचः कश्यपस्तदा। प्रत्युवाच महातेजा दितिं परमदुःखिताम् ॥ १-४६-४ ॥

tasyāstadvacanaṃ śrutvā mārīcaḥ kaśyapastadā| pratyuvāca mahātejā ditiṃ paramaduḥkhitām || 1-46-4 ||

Hearing her plea, the greatly resplendent Kashyapa, son of Marichi, replied to the deeply grieving Diti.

Shloka 5 (bala.46.5)

एवं भवतु भद्रं ते शुचिर्भव तपोधने। जनयिष्यसि पुत्रं त्वं शक्रहन्तारमाहवे ॥ १-४६-५ ॥

evaṃ bhavatu bhadraṃ te śucirbhava tapodhane| janayiṣyasi putraṃ tvaṃ śakrahantāramāhave || 1-46-5 ||

"'So be it — blessings upon you. Remain pure, O lady rich in austerity, and you shall bring forth a son who will slay Shakra in battle.'"

Shloka 6 (bala.46.6)

पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु शुचिर्यदि भविष्यसि। पुत्रं त्रैलोक्यहन्तारं मत्तस्त्वं जनयिष्यसि ॥ १-४६-६ ॥

pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu śuciryadi bhaviṣyasi| putraṃ trailokyahantāraṃ mattastvaṃ janayiṣyasi || 1-46-6 ||

"'If you remain pure until a full thousand years are completed, then by my grace you shall bring forth a son who shall be lord of the three worlds.'" So Kashyapa counselled his wife Diti.

Shloka 7 (bala.46.7)

एवमुक्त्वा महातेजाः पाणिना स ममार्ज ताम्। तमालभ्य ततः स्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा तपसे ययौ ॥ १-४६-७ ॥

evamuktvā mahātejāḥ pāṇinā sa mamārja tām| tamālabhya tataḥ svastītyuktvā tapase yayau || 1-46-7 ||

Having thus spoken, the great, resplendent sage stroked her with his hand; and having touched her, saying 'may you be blessed,' he departed for his own austerities.

Shloka 8 (bala.46.8)

गते तस्मिन्नरश्रेष्ठ दितिः परमहर्षिता। कुशप्लवं सामासाद्य तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् ॥ १-४६-८ ॥

gate tasminnaraśreṣṭha ditiḥ paramaharṣitā| kuśaplavaṃ sāmāsādya tapastepe sudāruṇam || 1-46-8 ||

O best of men, when he had gone, Diti, greatly rejoicing, reached the sacred place called Kushaplava — where the city of Vishala now stands — and there practised the most rigorous austerity.

Shloka 9 (bala.46.9)

तपस्तस्यां हि कुर्वत्यां परिचर्यां चकार ह। सहस्राक्षो नरश्रेष्ठ परया गुणसंपदा ॥ १-४६-९ ॥

tapastasyāṃ hi kurvatyāṃ paricaryāṃ cakāra ha| sahasrākṣo naraśreṣṭha parayā guṇasaṃpadā || 1-46-9 ||

O best of men, while she was thus performing austerity, the Thousand-eyed Indra, with the utmost excellence of conduct, waited upon her.

Shloka 10 (bala.46.10)

अग्निं कुशान् काष्ठमपः फलं मूलं तथैव च। न्यवेदयत् सहस्राक्षो यच्चान्यदपि कांक्षितम् ॥ १-४६-१० ॥

agniṃ kuśān kāṣṭhamapaḥ phalaṃ mūlaṃ tathaiva ca| nyavedayat sahasrākṣo yaccānyadapi kāṃkṣitam || 1-46-10 ||

The Thousand-eyed god brought her fire, kusha grass, firewood, water, fruits and roots, and whatever else she desired.

Shloka 11 (bala.46.11)

गात्रसंवाहनैश्चैव श्रमापनयनैस्तथा। शक्रः सर्वेषु कालेषु दितिं परिचचार ह ॥ १-४६-११ ॥

gātrasaṃvāhanaiścaiva śramāpanayanaistathā| śakraḥ sarveṣu kāleṣu ditiṃ paricacāra ha || 1-46-11 ||

At all times Indra served Diti, massaging her limbs and relieving the weariness of her austerities.

Shloka 12 (bala.46.12)

पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु दशोने रघुनंदन। दितिः परमसंहृष्टा सहस्राक्षमथाब्रवीत् ॥ १-४६-१२ ॥

pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu daśone raghunaṃdana| ditiḥ paramasaṃhṛṣṭā sahasrākṣamathābravīt || 1-46-12 ||

O delight of Raghu's line, when only ten years remained to complete the thousand-year span, Diti, greatly rejoicing, spoke thus to Indra.

Shloka 13 (bala.46.13)

तपश्चरन्त्या वर्षाणि दश वीर्यवतां वर। अवशिष्टानि भद्रं ते भ्रातरं द्रक्ष्यसे ततः ॥ १-४६-१३ ॥

tapaścarantyā varṣāṇi daśa vīryavatāṃ vara| avaśiṣṭāni bhadraṃ te bhrātaraṃ drakṣyase tataḥ || 1-46-13 ||

"'O best among the valiant, only ten years remain of my penance; be blessed — thereafter you shall behold your brother.'"

Shloka 14 (bala.46.14)

यमहं त्वत्कृते पुत्र तमाधास्ये जयोत्सुकम्। त्रैलोक्यविजयं पुत्र सह भोक्ष्यसि विज्वरः ॥ १-४६-१४ ॥

yamahaṃ tvatkṛte putra tamādhāsye jayotsukam| trailokyavijayaṃ putra saha bhokṣyasi vijvaraḥ || 1-46-14 ||

"'O son, whom I shall bring into being for your sake, him I shall raise eager for victory; and, O son, joined with him, you may without fear enjoy the conquest of the three worlds together.'"

Shloka 15 (bala.46.15)

याचितेन सुरश्रेष्ट पित्रा तव महात्मना। वरो वर्षसहस्रान्ते मम दत्तः सुतं प्रति ॥ १-४६-१५ ॥

yācitena suraśreṣṭa pitrā tava mahātmanā| varo varṣasahasrānte mama dattaḥ sutaṃ prati || 1-46-15 ||

"'O best of gods, at my entreaty your high-souled father bestowed on me this boon for a son, to be fulfilled at the end of a thousand years.'"

Shloka 16 (bala.46.16)

इत्युक्त्वा च दितिस्तत्र प्राप्ते मध्यन्दिनेश्वरे। निद्रयापहृता देवी पादौ कृत्वाथ शीर्षतः ॥ १-४६-१६ ॥

ityuktvā ca ditistatra prāpte madhyandineśvare| nidrayāpahṛtā devī pādau kṛtvātha śīrṣataḥ || 1-46-16 ||

So saying, Diti, as the sun stood at noon, was overcome by sleep, her feet turned toward what should be the head of her resting-place.

Shloka 17 (bala.46.17)

दृष्ट्वा तामशुचिं शक्रः पादयोः कृतमूर्धजाम्। शिरःस्थाने कृतौ पादौ जहास च मुमोद च ॥ १-४६-१७ ॥

dṛṣṭvā tāmaśuciṃ śakraḥ pādayoḥ kṛtamūrdhajām| śiraḥsthāne kṛtau pādau jahāsa ca mumoda ca || 1-46-17 ||

Beholding her thus become impure — her head toward the feet, her feet toward the head — Indra laughed and rejoiced greatly.

Shloka 18 (bala.46.18)

तस्याः शरीरविवरं प्रविवेश पुरंदरः। गर्भं च सप्तधा राम चिच्छेद परमात्मवान् ॥ १-४६-१८ ॥

tasyāḥ śarīravivaraṃ praviveśa puraṃdaraḥ| garbhaṃ ca saptadhā rāma ciccheda paramātmavān || 1-46-18 ||

O Rama, that most valiant Purandara entered the aperture of her body and, greatly daring, cleft the foetus into seven fragments.

Shloka 19 (bala.46.19)

भिद्यमानस्ततो गर्भो वज्रेण शतपर्वणा। रुरोद सुस्वरं राम ततो दितिरबुध्यत ॥ १-४६-१९ ॥

bhidyamānastato garbho vajreṇa śataparvaṇā| ruroda susvaraṃ rāma tato ditirabudhyata || 1-46-19 ||

O Rama, as it was being cleft by the hundred-jointed thunderbolt, the foetus wailed loudly, and thereupon Diti awoke.

Shloka 20 (bala.46.20)

मा रुदो मा रुदश्चेति गर्भं शक्रोऽभ्यभाषत। बिभेद च महातेजा रुदन्तमपि वासवः ॥ १-४६-२० ॥

mā rudo mā rudaśceti garbhaṃ śakro'bhyabhāṣata| bibheda ca mahātejā rudantamapi vāsavaḥ || 1-46-20 ||

'Do not weep, do not weep,' Indra kept saying to the foetus; yet, even as it wailed, the great, resplendent Vasava went on cleaving it.

Shloka 21 (bala.46.21)

न हन्तव्यं न हन्तव्यमित्येवं दितिरब्रवीत्। निष्पपात ततः शक्रो मातुर्वचनगौरवात् ॥ १-४६-२१ ॥

na hantavyaṃ na hantavyamityevaṃ ditirabravīt| niṣpapāta tataḥ śakro māturvacanagauravāt || 1-46-21 ||

'Do not slay it, do not slay it!' cried Diti; and Indra, honouring his mother's word, thereupon fell out from the womb.

Shloka 22 (bala.46.22)

प्रांजलिर्वज्रसहितो दितिं शक्रोऽभ्यभाषत। अशुचिर्देवि सुप्तासि पादयोः कृतमूर्धजा ॥ १-४६-२२ ॥

prāṃjalirvajrasahito ditiṃ śakro'bhyabhāṣata| aśucirdevi suptāsi pādayoḥ kṛtamūrdhajā || 1-46-22 ||

Indra, still grasping the thunderbolt, spoke to Diti with joined palms: "O lady, you had fallen asleep with your head toward your feet, and thereby became impure."

Shloka 23 (bala.46.23)

तदन्तरमहं लब्ध्वा शक्रहन्तारमाहवे। अभिदं सप्तधा देवि तन्मे त्वम् क्षन्तुमर्हसि ॥ १-४६-२३ ॥

tadantaramahaṃ labdhvā śakrahantāramāhave| abhidaṃ saptadhā devi tanme tvam kṣantumarhasi || 1-46-23 ||

"'Seizing that chance, I cleft into seven parts the foetus destined to be the slayer of Indra in battle; O lady, it befits you to pardon me for this.'" Thus Vishvamitra continued the tale of the city of Vishala.