"Lomasa said, 'Armed with the _Vajra_ then, and supported by celestials
endued with great might, Indra then approached Vritra, who was then
occupying the entire earth and the heaven. And he was guarded on all
sides by huge-bodied Kalakeyas with upraised weapons resembling gigantic
mountains with towering peaks. And the encounter that took place between
the gods and the Danavas lasted for a short while and was, O chief of
the Bharatas, terrific in the extreme, appalling as it did the three
worlds. And loud was the clash of swords and scimitars upraised and
warded off by heroic hands in course of those fierce encounters. And
heads (severed from trunks) began to roll from the firmament to the
earth like fruits of the palmyra palm falling upon the ground, loosened
from their stalks. And the Kalakeyas armed with iron-mounted bludgeons
and cased in golden mail ran against the gods, like moving mountains on
conflagration. And the gods, unable to stand the shock of that impetuous
and proudly advancing host, broke and fled from fear. Purandara of a
thousand eyes, beholding the gods flying in fear and Vritra growing in
boldness, became deeply dejected. And the foremost of gods Purandara,
himself, agitated with the fear of the Kalakeyas, without losing a
moment, sought the exalted Narayana's refuge. And the eternal Vishnu
beholding Indra so depressed enhanced his might by imparting unto him a
portion of his own energy. And when the celestials beheld that Sakra was
thus protected by Vishnu, each of them imparted unto him his own energy.
And the spotless Brahmarshis also imparted their energies unto the chief
of the celestials. And favoured thus by Vishnu and all the gods and by
the high-blessed Rishis also, Sakra became mightier than before. And
when Vritra learnt that the chief of the celestials had been filled with
might of others, he sent forth some terrific roars. And at these roars
of his, the earth, the directions, the firmament, heaven, and the
mountains all began to tremble. And the chief of the celestials, deeply
agitated on hearing that fierce and loud roar, was filled with fear, and
desiring to slay the Asura soon, hurled, O king, the mighty _Vajra_. And
struck with Indra's _Vajra_ the great Asura decked in gold and garlands
fell head-long, like the great mountain Mandara hurled of yore from
Vishnu's hands; and although the prince of Daityas was slain, yet Sakra
in panic ran from the field, desiring to take shelter in a lake,
thinking that the _Vajra_ itself had not been hurled from his hands and
regarding that Vritra himself was still alive. The celestials, however,
and the great Rishis became filled with joy, and all of them began to
cheerfully chant the praise of Indra. And mustering together, the
celestials began to slay the Danavas, who were dejected at the death of
their leader. And struck with panic at sight of the assembled celestial
host, the afflicted Danavas fled to the depths of the sea. And having
entered the fathomless deep, teeming with fishes and crocodiles, the
Danavas assembled together and began to proudly conspire for the
destruction of the three worlds. And some amongst them that were wise in
inferences suggested courses of action, each according to his judgment.
In course of time, however, the dreadful resolution arrived at those
conspiring sons of Diti, was that they should, first of all, compass the
destruction of all persons possessed of knowledge and ascetic virtue.
The worlds are all supported by asceticism. Therefore, they said, "Lose
no time for the destruction of asceticism. Compass ye without delay the
destruction of those on earth that are possessed of ascetic virtues,
that are conversant with duties and the ways of morality, and that have
a knowledge of _Brahma_; for when these are destroyed, the universe
itself will be destroyed." And all the Danavas, having arrived at this
resolution for the destruction of the universe, became highly glad. And
thenceforth they made the ocean--that abode of Varuna--with billows high
as hills, their fort, from which to make their sallies.'"