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?'
कुरु मे नामकं नाथ कार्यं कथय सुव्रत । चिन्तातुरोऽसि कस्मात्त्वं ब्रूहि मे शोककारणम्
'O Lord, give me a name and tell me my task, O steadfast one. Why are you so anxious? Tell me the cause of your sorrow.'
नाशयाम्यद्य ते शोकमिति मे व्रतमाहितम् । तेन जातेन किं भूयः पिता भवति दुःखितः
'It is my vow to destroy your sorrow today. Why, though I am born, does my father remain afflicted?'
पिबामि सागरं सद्यश्चूर्णयामि धराधरान् । उद्यन्तं वारयाम्यद्य तरणिं तिग्मतेजसम्
'I will drink the ocean at once, crush the mountains to powder, or today I will stop the rising sun with its fierce rays.'
हन्मीन्द्रं ससुरं सद्यो यमं वा देवतान्तरम् । क्षिपामि सागरे सर्वान्समुत्पाट्य च मेदिनीम्
'I will slay Indra along with the gods, or Yama, or any other deity at once; I will uproot the earth and hurl all into the ocean.'
इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य त्वष्टा पुत्रस्य पेशलम् । प्रत्युवाचातिमुदितस्तं सुतं पर्वतोपमम्
Hearing these powerful words of his son, Tvaṣṭṛ, greatly delighted, replied to him, who was mountain-like in form.
वृजिनात्त्रातुमधुना यस्माच्छक्तोऽसि पुत्रक । तस्माद्वृत्र इति ख्यातं तव नाम भविष्यति
'Because you are now able, my son, to rescue from misfortune, therefore your name shall be known as Vṛtra.'
भ्राता तव महाभाग त्रिशिरा नाम तापसः । त्रीणि तस्य च शीर्षाणि ह्यभवन्वीर्यवन्ति च
'Your brother, O illustrious one, is the ascetic named Triśiras; he had three heads, each endowed with great power.'
वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञः सर्वविद्याविशारदः । संस्थितस्तपसि प्रायस्त्रिलोकीविस्मयप्रदे
'He was learned in the Vedas and their branches, master of all knowledge, steadfast in austerity, and a source of wonder to the three worlds.'
शक्रेण तु हतः सोऽद्य वज्रघातेन साम्प्रतम् । विनापराधं सहसा छिन्नानि मस्तकानि च
'But today he has been slain by Indra with the thunderbolt; his heads were suddenly cut off without any fault.'
तस्मात्त्वं पुरुषव्याघ्र जहि शक्रं कृतागसम् । ब्रह्महत्यायुतं पापं निस्त्रपं दुर्मतिं शठम्
'Therefore, O tiger among men, slay Indra, who has committed this crime, sinful with the guilt of Brahmin-slaying, shameless, wicked, and deceitful.'