Shalya, the king of Madra and a scion of the Bahlika line, pledged his loyalty to Dharmaraja and vowed that when the great war arose, he would deal with Karna in a manner befitting justice. He confessed to the son of Pandu that his heart had long been wounded by the coarse conduct and merciless speech that Karna had hurled within the royal halls of the Kurus. Those harsh words still echoed painfully within him. From that very day his mind had turned toward Dharmaraja, for the sufferings endured by the Pandavas through the cruelty of the Kauravas and their allies were enough to move any righteous soul to their side.
Therefore, Shalya urged Dharmaraja not to grieve over past trials. He reminded him that true resolve must surely bear fruit in time, for even the gods themselves are sometimes compelled to pass through hardship. For example, he recalled how the lord of the gods once fell into deep misery because of Sachi Devi. Destiny, he said, stands so firm that even Mahadeva does not transgress its decree.
Hearing this, Dharmaraja wondered how Indra, mighty among the immortals, could have fallen into such distress for the sake of his queen. Shalya then began to unfold the ancient tale. He said that the venerable artisan-God Tvasta, desiring harm to Indra, created a radiant three-headed celestial named Vishvarupa. Tvasta placed him in severe austerities so that he might gain lordship over the gods.
Indra sought to break Vishvarupa’s penance through subtle allurements, but all his efforts failed. Overcome with shame and fear, Indra finally slew the ascetic outright. By this act he stained himself with a grave sin and remained silent and withdrawn for a full year. In time the unseen powers of the world revealed his deed to the sages and the gods.
Filled with self-loathing, Indra undertook fierce penance and sought to free himself from the burden of his guilt. He distributed the weight of his sin among the oceans, the trees, the earth, and women. Through this act he was relieved of the terrible burden and returned once more to comfort under the guidance and service of the holy seers.
When Tvasta learned that Indra had escaped the full weight of his sin, he burned with wrath. Declaring that the blameless mountain of penance, Vishvarupa, had been slain unjustly, he vowed to create a being capable of devouring the offender. From the sacred fire, he fashioned the mighty Vritra and commanded him to shine with ascetic power and overthrow Indra.
When Vritra advanced against the realm of the gods, a dreadful war erupted, filling the three worlds with fear. Vritra’s perseverance and immense strength terrified Indra. In the course of the battle, the demon seized Indra and swallowed him. Yet Indra, shrinking to a minute form, escaped from Vritra’s mouth and fled to safety before returning to the battlefield.
Still, Vritra’s power, nourished by his father’s austerities, soon gained mastery. Unable to withstand him, Indra hid upon the slopes of Mount Mandara. The gods, alarmed and left without a leader, gathered in counsel and resolved to seek the grace of Vishnu. They praised him as the source of Indra’s victories and the restrainer of the demon hosts.
Vishnu advised that peace be sought between the enemies. He assured the gods that at the proper moment, he would secretly infuse the edge of Indra’s thunderbolt, the vajra, with his subtle power so that the demon protected by boons might still be slain. Following this counsel, the sages approached Vritra and urged that peace was wiser than endless war.
Vritra agreed to a treaty but set certain conditions. He declared that he should not die by anything wet or dry, by stick, stone, or weapon, and neither by day nor by night. The covenant was sworn accordingly. Yet Indra’s mind remained restless as he pondered the hidden meaning of Vishnu’s words.
One twilight evening Indra found Vritra standing upon the shore of the ocean. Seeing that the hour was neither day nor night, and that the foam of the sea was neither wet nor dry, he seized the opportunity. Dipping his vajra into the froth and empowered by the unseen presence of Vishnu, he struck the demon. Vritra felt lifeless, and the worlds rejoiced at their deliverance.
Soon afterward, however, Indra was accused of slaying a ritual-born Brahmin and lost his divine splendour. Overcome with fear and shame, he hid himself on Mount Nishada. The gods, deprived of their ruler, then placed Nahusha upon the throne of heaven, granting him borrowed strength from Yama and Varuna.
As power and pride grew within Nahusha, he became arrogant and lustful. He cast covetous eyes upon Sachi Devi, the wife of Indra. Terrified by his advances, Sachi fled and sought refuge with the sage Brihaspati.
As Nahusha’s conduct worsened, the sages trembled at the disorder unleashed by such misplaced power. They realized too late that ambition, desire, and narrow vision, even when clothed in greatness, can endanger the world. Remorse alone cannot mend such folly unless wisdom returns to guide power for the welfare of all.
