O King, listen attentively as I recount the sacred places and the wondrous events that unfolded here. In this very region, the great sage Agastya established his hermitage, a place esteemed as equal to the abodes of the gods themselves. Long ago, the hermitage of the Seven Sages stood here as well, honored by the divine hosts, alongside the supreme hermitages of the Brahmarṣis and Manus. At the foot of the sacrificial mountain lies a delightful city of the nāgas, and here too, Agastya’s immeasurable power manifested. Now, let me briefly tell you his story, O Bhīṣma—listen with full attention. In the ancient Kṛta Yuga, the Dānavas, intoxicated by the desire for war, arose in great numbers. Among them were the Kāleyas, fierce and formidable, who took refuge in the mighty Vṛtra and prepared to destroy the gods. Troubled and afraid, the gods approached Brahmā, joining their hands in reverence before the Supreme Lord. Brahmā spoke to them, “I know all that you seek, O gods, and I shall tell you the means by which Vṛtra may be slain. There is a great sage named Dadhīci, renowned for his noble mind. Go to him together and ask for a boon. He is righteous and will grant it gladly. For the welfare of the three worlds, ask him to give you his own bones. He will relinquish his body and bestow his bones upon you. From these, let a mighty and terrible thunderbolt be fashioned—a weapon firm and divine, famed as the lightning bolt, destroyer of great enemies. With that thunderbolt, Śatakratu (Indra) will slay Vṛtra. I have told you all; let everything be done accordingly.” Thus instructed, the gods took leave of the Grandfather and, led by Śatakratu, set out for Dadhīci’s hermitage. They journeyed to the far shore of the Sarasvatī, where the land was covered with trees and creepers, resonant with the buzzing of bees, echoing as if with the chants of Sāma singers. The cries of living beings mingled with the calls of male cuckoos and jīvaka birds, and buffaloes, boars, deer, and antelopes roamed freely. Elephants and tuskers wandered here and there, unafraid of tigers, their trunks and mouths wide open. The area resounded with the calls of playful animals and the mighty roars of lions and tigers. Peacocks, hidden in caves and mountain hollows, filled the groves with their delightful cries. Arriving at Dadhīci’s hermitage, which shone with the splendor of heaven itself, the gods beheld Dadhīci, radiant like the sun, blazing with light, four-armed like Lakṣmī. They bowed at his feet, prostrated themselves, and each requested the boon as Brahmā had instructed. Dadhīci, greatly pleased, spoke to them: “Today, O gods, I shall do what is for your good, or else I shall relinquish my own body.” Having spoken thus, the best of men at once gave up his life. The gods, along with Indra, took his bones for their intended purpose. Filled with joy, their forms radiant, the gods approached Tvaṣṭṛ, the divine craftsman, and spoke their request. Tvaṣṭṛ, hearing their words, gladly and diligently fashioned a thunderbolt of immense and fierce power. Delighted, he said, “With this supreme weapon, O god, destroy today the terrible enemy of the gods. Then, having slain the foe and his host, rule happily over all of heaven, O Indra.” Thus addressed, Purandara (Indra) joyfully accepted the thunderbolt. Armed with the thunderbolt and honored by the gods, Indra approached Vṛtra, who stood blocking the heavens and the earth, guarded on all sides by the mighty-bodied Kālakeyas, raised like mountains with horns. A great battle erupted between the gods and the demons, terrifying the worlds for a moment. Swords were raised and hurled by heroic arms, and a tumultuous sound arose as bodies were struck down. Heads fell from the sky to the earth, and the ground appeared covered with them like palm trees. The Kālakeyas, clad in golden armor and wielding iron clubs, advanced upon the gods like trees scorched by a forest fire. The gods could not withstand the force of these united, swift-moving foes; broken, they fled in fear. Seeing the gods fleeing, Indra, the thousand-eyed lord, was seized by great distress as Vṛtra grew in power. Beholding Indra overcome, the eternal Vishnu infused his own energy into him, greatly increasing his strength. When the hosts of gods saw Indra invigorated by Vishnu, all of them, along with the pure Brahmarshis, endowed him with their energy as well. Thus empowered, Indra became mighty. Realizing that the lord of the gods was now strong, Vṛtra roared with a tremendous sound; at his cry, earth, directions, sky, heavens, and mountains all trembled. Then Mahendra, deeply tormented and hearing that terrible, immense roar, was overcome by fear and swiftly hurled his great thunderbolt at Vṛtra’s head. Struck by Indra’s thunderbolt, Vṛtra fell with a mighty crash, adorned with golden garlands, just as the great Mandara mountain once fell from Vishnu’s hand. With that chief of the Daityas slain, Indra, gripped by fear, fled to enter a lake, thinking he had cast his thunderbolt and, out of fear, did not see Vṛtra slain.