Yudhishthira said I want to hear how is was, O chief among, kings, that the large minded Indra, with his queen met with grave difficulties.

Shalya said O king, listen to this old story as related in ancient history, of how Indra with his queen met with difficulties, O son of Bharata.

There was a great devotee named Tvashtri who was the lord of all beings and the chief among gods. Out of pure wrath towards Indra, he created a son with three heads.

The place, occupied by Indra, was desired by this mysterious personage, who was as it were the image of the universe and had three awful faces comparable to the sun, the moon and fire.

With one mouth be read the Veda, with the second he drank wine and with the other he looked as if he would absorb the cardinal points.

He was a devotee, mild, having powers of self-control and engaged in religious worship and devotion. And O subduer of foes, the austerities practised by him could not be practised by others, for they were very hard and very difficult to be practised.

Shakra was depressed in spirits, at seeing the strength in devotion and truthfulness of the one with unrivaled power, for fear lest he be the chief among gods.

O best among the race of Bharata, the skillful Indra through of many ways by which the one with three heads, whose strength was ever increasing and who threatened to absorb the entire universe, could be made to engage himself in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures and not in that hard devotion.

He ordered fairies (to engage themselves) in decoying the son of Tvashtri, so that the three-headed one might, for certain, engage himself in the enjoyment of sensual pleasure saying them

Be quick, go and delay not in decoying him, (yourself) having beautiful hips, deck yourself in necklaces and beautiful pearls in such a way that his desires may be excited. I wish you well, decoy him with all the gestures of lust marked with every sort of fascination and thus allay my fear. O beautiful damsels, I feel restless in my heart. O ladies, destroy quickly this great fear of mine.

The Nymphs said O Shakra, we shall try to decoy him so that, O you slayer of Bala, you may not experience any dread from him

The great devotee who now sits, as if scorching with his eyes, O lord and whom we are going together to decoy. We shall try to get him under our control and thus destroy your fears.

Shalya said Being commanded by Indra they went to the three-headed one and the lovely damsels tempted him there with various gestures of lust.

They displayed too the beauties of their person but the great devotee, though looking at them, did not at all enjoy the satisfaction (of looking at them).

Having brought his senses under his control, he was in point of gravity as the full ocean. The damsels too, having tried their best, came back of Shakra.

Then, with the palms their hands elapsed they all said to the chief among the gods. O Lord, he, whom it is very difficult to subdue, cannot be influenced away from his purpose.

O you with great parts, do what you should after this. The great-minded Shakra, having greeted the nymphs with due honours, sent them away

O Yudhishthira, he thought of some means to slay him. And the chief among the gods who was valiant, famous as a gifted being of unfailing judgment and intelligent, fixed on a plan for slaying the three-headed one.

(Thought he) I shall this soon cease to exist. A foe who has already grown up must not be made light of by even the powerful, a weak foe though he might be.

Deciding on this course of action laid down in the books, he firmly resolved on slaying him. Shakra, wrathful, flung his fearful and dress-inspiring thunderbolt, which could be compared to the fire, on the head of the three-headed one. Being severely struck by the thunderbolt he fell down to the earth, like the loosened summit of a mountain.

Seeing him struck by the thunderbolt and lying like a mountain, the chief among the gods got no peace of mind, owing to his luster which still retained its effulgence.

Though killed, his luster was effulgent and he seemed as if he were alive. It was strange that the heads of the slain one looked as if alive.

For that reason fearful to behold. Shakra remained kept in thought. Then there came a wood cutter with an axe on his shoulder to that forest.

O great king, where he was lying felled down. The Lord of Sachi, who still had fears, saw that wood cutter coming there by chance and the subduer of Paka soon said to him "quickly cut down the heads of this being; do what I tell you."

The wood cutter said This man has large shoulders; the axe cannot cut down the heads) nor shall I be able to do the deed which is regarded to be wrong by honest people.

Shakra said You need not have any fears, do quickly what I tell you; through my favour shall your weapon be equal to the thunderbolt.

The wood cutter said I must know who you are and I want to hear why you have done this cruel deed today. Tell me the truth.

Indra said I am Indra, the chief among the gods, let it be known to you O wood cutter. Do as I have told you. O wood cutter, do not ponder.

The wood cutter said O Shakra, how is it that you are not ashamed at this cruel deed? Having killed this son of a Rishi, have you no fear of the sin of killing a Brahmana?

Shakra said For the purification of my soul I shall thereafter precise some severe penance. He was my enemy, possessed of great strength and has been killed by my thunderbolt.

To this day, O wood cutter, am I anxious and dread this. Quickly cut off his heads. I shall bestow a favour on you.

In sacrificial rites, men will give the heads of the beasts. This is the favour I great you. Quickly do what I desire.

Shalya said Having heard this, the wood cutter, after the speech of Indra, cut down the heads of the three-headed one with his axe.

The heads, being cut off, came out from them a good many birds of the Kapinjala, (doves) Titara (sparrows) and Kalavinka (parrots) species.

From the mouth by which he used to read the Veda and drink Soma juice, came forth quickly birds of the Kapinjala species,

From the one by which, o king, he looked as if he would absorb (the cardinal points) came forth, O son of Pandu, birds of the Titara species.

And from the mouth of the three-headed one which used to drink wine, came out birds of the Kalavinka species and birds of prey, O best among the race of Bharata.

They having come out, Indra became tranquilized and went to heaven and the wood cutter too, well pleased, went home.

This chief among the gods, having killed his enemy, thought himself gratified. Tvashtri, the lord of all beings, having heard of the slaying of his son by Shakra, said these words with eyes red with wrath.

Tvashtri said due to my My son who was ever devoted to devotion, of a forgiving nature, endowed with selfcontrol and who had brought his passions under his control, has been killed by you without any fault.

For this reason shall I create Vritra with a view to destroy Shakra. Let the worlds see my influence and power as also the great strength devotion.

Let the chief of the gods also see it who is vile and of a vicious nature. Then the wrathful devotee of very great fame having performed his ablutions.

And having made his offerings to fire and having created the hero Vritra said-"O you foe of Indra, grow up through the strength due to my devotions."

He grew up and the height of his figure reached beyond the sky and could be compared with the sun or fire. Like the sun that rises at the time of the annihilation of the universe, he said-"What shall I do?"

And the powerful one, being told to slay Shakara, went to the third heaven. And then there was a fierce battle between Vritra and Vasava.

O you the best among the race of Kuru! There was a hot contest between the two, both of whom were fired with wrath and then the hero Vritra caught hold of the chief among the gods who had performed a hundred sacrifices.

And opening his mouth the wrathful one threw him into his mouth. And Shakra being swallowed up by Vritra, the lords of the third heaven became very much terrified.

They highly powerful then created the Yawn which was to destroy Vritra and then the slayer of Bala contracted his limbs and came out of the open mouth of the yawning Vritra. Since that day has the yawn remained in the breath of men.

And seeing Shakra come out the gods all became joyful and then Vritra and Vasava again engaged themselves is fight.

0 best among the race of Bharata, the fierce contest between the two, fired with ire, lasted for a long time, when in battle Vritra, possessed of power, got the victory through the strength due to the inner spirit of Tvashtri. Shakra turned his back and he turning his back the gods were very much depressed.

Being pierced with the spirit of Tvashtri they untied with Shakra and all held a consultation with the Rishis, O son of Bharata.

Filled with dread they thought, O king, on what could best be done. Seated at the summit of Mandara, they all desirous of the destruction of Vritra, went in imagination of Vishnu, who was never to be destroyed.