तं दृष्ट्वा पतितं भूमौ जीवन्तमिव वृत्रहा । चिन्तामापातिखिन्नाङ्गः किं वा जीवेदयं पुनः
Seeing him fallen on the ground, yet appearing alive, the slayer of Vṛtra was troubled and thought, 'Could he live again?'
विमृश्य मनसातीव तक्षाणं पुरतः स्थितम् । मघवा वीक्ष्य तं प्राह स्वकार्यसदृशं वचः
Reflecting deeply, Indra saw the carpenter standing before him and spoke words suited to his purpose.
तक्षंश्छिन्धि शिरांस्यस्य कुरुष्व वचनं मम । मा जीवतु महातेजा भाति जीवन्निव स्वयम्
'Cut off his heads, carpenter, do as I command; let not this great-souled one live, for even in death he shines as if alive.'
इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य तक्षोवाच विगर्हयन् । तक्षोवाच महास्कन्धो भृशं भाति परशुर्न तरिष्यति
Hearing these words, the carpenter replied with reproach: 'His mighty shoulders shine greatly; the axe will not prevail.'
ततो नाहं करिष्यामि कार्यमेतद्विगर्हितम् । त्वया वै निन्दितं कर्म कृतं सद्भिर्विगर्हितम्
'Therefore, I will not do this blameworthy deed; you have already committed an act condemned by the virtuous.'
अहं बिभेमि पापाद्वै मृतस्यैव च मारणे । मृतोऽयं मुनिरस्त्येव शिरसः कृन्तनेन किम्
'I fear sin, indeed, in killing one already dead; this sage is dead—what is the point of cutting off his heads?'
भयं किं तेऽत्र सञ्जातं पाकशासन कथ्यताम् । इन्द्र उवाच सजीव इव देहोऽयमाभाति विशदाकृतिः
'What fear has arisen for you here, O slayer of Pāka? Speak.' Indra said: 'His body appears as if alive, with a clear form.'
तस्माद्बिभेमि मा जीवेन्मुनिः शत्रुरयं मम । तक्षोवाच नात्र किं त्रपसे विद्वन् क्रूरेणानेन कर्मणा
'Therefore I am afraid—lest this sage, my enemy, live again.' The carpenter said: 'O wise one, do you feel no shame for this cruel act?'
ऋषिपुत्रमिमं हत्वा ब्रह्महत्याभयं न किम् । इन्द्र उवाच प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि पश्चात्पापक्षयाय वै
Is there not the danger of the sin of brahminicide in killing this son of a sage? Indra said: I will perform atonement later, indeed, for the destruction of the sin.
शत्रुस्तु सर्वथा वध्यश्छलेनापि महामते । तक्षोवाच त्वं लोभाभिहतः पापं करोषि मघवन्निह
The enemy must certainly be slain, even by stratagem, O wise one. Taksha said: You, Maghavan, driven by greed, are committing a sin here.
तं विनाहं कथं पापं करोमि वद मे विभो । इन्द्र उवाच मखेषु खलु भागं ते करिष्यामि सदैव हि
How can I commit this sin without you? Tell me, O lord. Indra said: In the sacrifices, I will always grant you a share, indeed.
शिरः पशोस्तु ते भागं यज्ञे दास्यन्ति मानवाः । शुल्केनानेन छिन्धि त्वं शिरांस्यस्य कुरु प्रियम्
People will give you the head of the sacrificial animal as your share in the sacrifice. With this fee, cut off his heads; do what pleases me.
व्यास उवाच एतच्छ्रुत्वा महेन्द्रस्य वचस्तक्षा मुदान्वितः । कुठारेण शिरांस्यस्य चकर्त सुदृढेन हि
Vyasa said: Hearing these words of Mahendra, Taksha, filled with joy, with a strong axe, cut off his heads.
छिन्नानि त्रीणि शीर्षाणि पतितानि यदा भुवि । तेभ्यस्तु पक्षिणः क्षिप्रं विनिष्पेतुः सहस्रशः
When the three heads were severed and fell to the ground, from them, thousands of birds quickly emerged.
कलविङ्कास्तित्तिरयस्तथैव च कपिञ्जलाः । पृथक्पृथग्विनिष्पेतुर्मुखतस्तरसा तदा
Kalavinkas, partridges, and also francolins—each of them swiftly came forth separately from the mouths.
येन वेदानधीते स्म सोमं च पिबते तथा । तस्माद्वक्त्रात्किलोत्पेतुः सद्य एव कपिञ्जलाः
From the mouth by which he studied the Vedas and drank Soma, it is said that francolins immediately sprang forth.
येन सर्वा दिशः कामं पिबन्निव निरीक्षते । तस्मात्तु तित्तिरास्तत्र निःसृतास्तिग्मतेजसः
From the one by which he looked in all directions as if drinking them in, from that, partridges of sharp energy emerged there.
यत्सुरापं तु तद्वक्त्रं तस्मात्तु चटकाः किल । विनिष्पेतुस्त्रिशिरस एवं ते विहगा नृप
From the mouth that drank wine, it is said, caṭaka birds came forth. Thus, O king, from the three heads, those birds emerged.
एवंविनिःसृतान्दृष्ट्वा तेभ्यः शक्रस्तदाण्डजान् । मुमोद मनसा राजन् जगाम त्रिदिवं पुनः
Seeing them thus emerged, Shakra then rejoiced in his heart at those egg-born beings, O king, and returned again to heaven.
गते शक्रे तु तक्षापि स्वगृहं तरसा ययौ । यज्ञभागं परं लब्ध्वा मुदमाप महीपते
When Shakra had gone, Taksha too quickly went to his own house, having obtained the supreme share of the sacrifice, and felt joy, O king.
इन्द्रोऽथ स्वगृहं गत्वा हत्वा शत्रुं महाबलम् । मेने कृतार्थमात्मानं ब्रह्महत्यामचिन्तयन्
Then Indra, having gone to his own house after slaying the mighty enemy, considered himself accomplished, but reflected on the sin of brahminicide.
तं श्रुत्वा निहतं त्वष्टा पुत्रं परमधार्मिकम् । चुकोपातीव मनसा वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्
Hearing that his supremely righteous son had been killed, Tvashta became exceedingly angry in his mind and spoke these words:
अनागसं मुनिं यस्मात्पुत्रं निहतवान्मम । तस्मादुत्पादयिष्यामि तद्वधार्थं सुतं पुनः
Because you have slain my son, a sinless sage, therefore I will produce a son again for the purpose of his slaying.
सुराः पश्यन्तु मे वीर्यं तपसश्च बलं तथा । जानातु सर्वं पापात्मा स्वकृतस्य फलं महत्
Let the gods see my power and the strength of my austerity; let the wicked soul know the great fruit of his own deed.
इत्युक्त्वाग्निं जुहावाथ मन्त्रैराथर्वणोदितैः । पुत्रस्योत्पादनार्थाय त्वष्टा क्रोधसमाकुलः
Having said this, Tvashta, filled with anger, offered oblations into the fire with mantras from the Atharva Veda, for the purpose of producing a son.
कृते होमेऽष्टरात्रं तु सन्दीप्ताच्च विभावसोः । प्रादुर्बभूव तरसा पुरुषः पावकोपमः
When the sacrifice had been performed for eight nights, from the blazing fire, a man appeared suddenly, resembling fire itself.
तं दृष्ट्वाग्रे सुतं त्वष्टा तेजोबलसमन्वितम् । वेगात्प्रकटितं वह्नेर्दीप्यमानमिवानलम्
Seeing his son before him, endowed with brilliance and strength, Tvaṣṭṛ beheld him, manifest with force like blazing fire, shining like a flame.
उवाच वचनं त्वष्टा सुतं वीक्ष्य पुरःस्थितम् । इन्द्रशत्रो विवर्धस्व प्रतापात्तपसो मम
Tvaṣṭṛ, seeing his son standing before him, spoke these words: 'O enemy of Indra, grow in might from the power of my austerity.'
इत्युक्ते वचने त्वष्ट्रा क्रोधप्रज्वलितेन च । सोऽवर्धत दिवं स्तब्ध्वा वैश्वानरसमद्युतिः
When Tvaṣṭṛ spoke these words, blazing with anger, he (the son) grew, standing tall as the sky, radiant like the fire of universal dissolution.
जातः स पर्वताकारः कालमृत्युसमः स्वराट् । किं करोमीति तं प्राह पितरं परमातुरम्
He was born with the form of a mountain, sovereign and equal to Death and Time; he asked his deeply troubled father, 'What shall I do?'