"'Bhishma said, "Listen, O king, to me as I tell thee the symptoms that
appeared on the body of Vritra when he was overtaken by that fever (born
of the energy of Mahadeva). The heroic Asura's mouth began to emit flames
of fire. He became exceedingly pale. His body began to tremble all over.
His breath became hard and thick. His hairs stood on end. His memory, O
Bharata, issued out of his mouth in the form of a fierce, dreadful, and
inauspicious jackal. Burning and blazing meteors fell on his right and
left. Vultures and Kanakas and cranes, gathering together, uttered fierce
cries, as they wheeled over Vritra's head. Then, in that encounter,
Indra, adored by the gods, and armed with the thunderbolt, looked hard at
the Daitya as the latter sat on his car. Possessed by that violent fever,
the mighty Asura, O monarch, yawned and uttered inhuman cries.[1394]
While the Asura was yawning Indra hurled his thunderbolt at him. Endued
with exceedingly great energy and resembling the fire that destroys the
creation at the end of the Yuga, that thunderbolt overthrew in a trice
Vritra of gigantic form. Loud shouts were once more uttered by the gods
on all sides when they beheld Vritra slain, O bull of Bharata's race!
Having slain Vritra, Maghavat, that foe of the Danavas, possessed of
great fame, entered heaven with that thunderbolt pervaded by Vishnu. Just
then, O thou of Kuru's race, the sin of Brahmanicide (in her embodied
form), fierce and awful and inspiring all the worlds with dread, issued
out of the body of the slain Vritra. Of terrible teeth and awful, hideous
for ugliness, and dark and tawny, with hair dishevelled, and dreadful
eyes, O Bharata, with a garland of skulls round her neck, and looking
like an (Atharvan) Incantation (in its embodied form), O bull of
Bharata's race, covered all over with blood, and clad in rags and barks
of trees, O thou of righteous soul, she came out of Vritra's body. Of
such dreadful form and mien, O monarch, she sought the wielder of the
thunderbolt (for possessing him). A little while after, O thou of Kuru's
race, the slayer of Vritra, on some purpose connected with the good of
the three worlds, was proceeding towards heaven. Beholding Indra of great
energy thus proceeding on his mission, she seized the chief of the
deities and from that moment stuck to him.[1395] When the sin of
Brahmanicide thus stuck to his person and inspired him with terror, Indra
entered the fibres of a lotus-stalk and dwelt there for many long years.
But the sin of Brahmanicide pursued him closely. Indeed, O son of Kuru,
seized by her, Indra became deprived of all his energies. He made great
efforts for driving her from him, but all those efforts proved abortive.
Seized by her, O bull of Bharata's race, the chief of the deities at last
presented himself before the Grandsire and worshipped him by bending his
head low. Understanding that Sakra was possessed by the sin of
Brahmanicide,[1396] Brahman began to reflect, O best of the Bharatas,
(upon the means of freeing his suppliant). The grandsire at last, O thou
of mighty arms, addressed Brahmanicide in a sweet voice as if from the
desire of pacifying her, and said, 'O amiable one, let the chief of the
celestials, who is a favourite of mine, be freed from thee. Tell me, what
I shall do for thee. What wish of thine shall I accomplish?'
"'"Brahmanicide said, 'When the Creator of the three worlds, when the
illustrious god adored by the universe, hath been pleased with me, I
regard my wishes as already accomplished. Let my residence be now
appointed. Desirous of preserving the worlds, this rule had been made by
thee. It was thou, O lord, that didst introduced this important
ordinance.[1397] As thou hast been gratified with me, O righteous Lord, O
puissant Master of all the worlds, I shall certainly leave Sakra! But
grant me an abode to dwell in.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "The Grandsire replied unto Brahmanicide, saying, 'So
be it!' Indeed, the Grandsire discovered means for dispelling
Brahmanicide from the person of Indra. The Self-create recollected the
high-souled Agni. The latter immediately presented himself to Brahman and
said these words, 'O illustrious and divine Lord, O thou that are without
any defect, I have appeared before thee. It behoveth thee to say what I
shall have to accomplish.'
"'"Brahman said, 'I shall divide this sin of Brahmanicide into several
portions. For freeing Sakra from her, do thou take a fourth portion of
that sin.'
"'"Agni said, 'How shall I be rescued from her, O Brahman? O puissant Lord,
do thou appoint the way. I desire to know the means (of my own rescue) in
detail, O adored of all the worlds!'
"'"Brahman said, 'Unto that man who, overwhelmed by the quality of Tamas,
will abstain from offering thee as an oblation, when he beholds thee in
thy blazing form, seeds, herbs, and juices, that portion of Brahmanicide
which thou wilt take upon thyself shall immediately enter, and leaving
thee shall dwell in him. O carrier of oblations, let the fever of thy
heart be dispelled.'"
"'Bhishma said, "Thus addressed by the Grandsire the eater of oblations
and sacrificial offerings accepted his command. A fourth of that sin then
entered his person, O king! The Grandsire then summoned the trees, the
herbs, and all kinds of grass to him, and solicited them to take upon
themselves a fourth of that sin. Addressed by him, the trees and herbs
and grasses became as much agitated as Agni had been at the request, and
they replied unto Grandsire, saying, 'How shall we, O Grandsire of all
the worlds, be ourselves rescued from this sin? It behoveth thee not to
afflict us that have already been afflicted by the fates. O god, we have
always to endure heat and cold and the showers (of the clouds) driven by
the winds, in addition to the cutting and the tearing (that we have to
suffer at the hands of men). We are willing, O Lord of the three worlds,
to take at thy command (a portion of) this sin of Brahmanicide. Let the
means, however, of our rescue be pointed out to us.'
"'"Brahman said, 'This sin that you shall take shall possess the man who
through stupefaction of judgment will cut or tear any of you when Parva
days come.'"
"'Bhishma said, "Thus addressed by the high-souled Brahman, the trees and
herbs and grasses adored the Creator and then went away without tarrying
there. The Grandsire of all the worlds then summoned the Apsaras and
gratifying them with sweet words, O Bharata, said, 'This foremost of
ladies, viz., Brahmanicide, has come out of Indra's person. Solicited by
me, do you take a fourth portion of her into your own persons (for saving
the Chief of the deities).'
"'"The Apsaras said, 'O Lord of all the gods, at thy command we are fully
willing to take a portion of this sin. But, O Grandsire, do thou think of
the means by which we ourselves may be freed from (the effects of) this
understanding (that we make with thee).'
"'"Brahman said, 'Let the fever of your hearts be dispelled. The portion of
this sin that you will take upon yourselves shall leave you for instantly
possessing that man who will seek congress with women in their menstrual
season!'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Thus addressed by the Grandsire, O bull of Bharata's
race, the diverse tribes of the Apsaras, with cheerful souls, repaired to
their respective places and began to sport in delight. The illustrious
Creator of the three worlds, endued with great ascetic merit, then
recollected the Waters which immediately came to him. Arrived at the
presence of Brahman of immeasurable energy, the Waters bowed unto him and
said these words, 'We have come before thee, O chastiser of foes, at thy
command. O puissant Master of all the worlds, tell us what we are to
accomplish.'
"'"Brahman said, 'This dreadful sin hath taken possession of Indra, in
consequence of his having slain Vritra. Take ye a fourth part of
Brahmanicide.'
"'"The Waters said, 'Let it be as thou commandest, O master of all the
worlds. It behoveth thee, however, O puissant Lord of ours, to think of
the means by which we may (in our turn) be rescued from (the consequence
of) this understanding. Thou art the Lord of all the deities, and the
supreme refuge of the universe. Who else is there to whom we may pay our
adorations so that he may relieve us from distress.'
"'"Brahman said, 'Unto that man who stupefied by his understanding and
regarding you lightly will cast into you phlegm and urine and excreta,
this one shall immediately go and thenceforth reside in him. It is in
this way, verily I say unto ye, that your rescue shall be accomplished.'"
"'Bhishma continued, "Then the sin of Brahmanicide, O Yudhishthira,
leaving the chief of the deities, proceeded to the abodes that were
ordained for her at the Grandsire's command. It was thus, O ruler of men,
that Indra had become afflicted by that dreadful sin (and it was thus
that he got rid of her). With the Grandsire's permission Indra then
resolved to perform a Horse-sacrifice. It is heard, O monarch, that Indra
having been thus possessed by the sin of Brahmanicide afterwards became
cleansed of her through that Sacrifice. Regaining his prosperity and
slaying thousands of foes, great was the joy that Vasava obtained, O lord
of Earth! From the blood of Vritra, O son of Pritha, were born
high-crested cocks. For this reason, those fowls are unclean (as food)
for the regenerate classes, and those ascetics that have undergone the
rite of initiation. Under all circumstances, O king, do thou accomplish
what is agreeable to the twice-born, for these, O monarch, are known as
gods on earth. It was in this way, O thou of Kuru's race, that the mighty
Asura Vritra was slain by Sakra of immeasurable energy by the aid of
subtle intelligence and through the application of means. Thou also, O
son of Kunti, unvanquished on earth, wilt become another Indra and the
slayer of all thy foes. Those men who, on every Parva day, will recite
this sacred narrative of Vritra in the midst of Brahmanas shall never be
stained by any sin. I have now recited to thee one of the greatest and
most wonderful feats of Indra connected with Vritra. What else dost thou
wish to hear?"'"