Chapter 12: Vritrâsura's Glorious Death

(1) The honorable rishi said: 'He [Vritrâsura] who thus eager to give up his body oh ruler of man, considered dying in battle better than a victory in thought, took up his trident and attacked Indra, the king of the demigods, the way Kaithabha attacked the Supreme Personality when the world was inundated. (2) Like the fire at the end of the yuga the King of the Demons with great force hurled the sharp pointed trident twirling at the great Indra while he in great anger loudly roared: 'Dead you are thou sinner!'

(3) Even though the sight of the rotating trident flying towards him like a star falling from the sky was difficult to bear, it didn't scare Indra. He with his thunderbolt cut it, together with the arm of Vritra that resembled the body of the serpent king, in a hundred pieces. (4) With one arm missing he angrily took up his mace of iron against the thunderbolt and approaching Indra and his elephant with it struck him on the jaw so that the thunderbolt slipped from the hand of the generous one. (5) That grand and wonderful accomplishment of Vritra was praised by the gods and the demons, the heavenly singers and the association of the perfected ones, but seeing that Indra was in danger, they sincerely lamented 'Alas, oh alas!' (6) With Indra his enemy in front of him not taking up his thunderbolt being embarrassed that it had slipped from his hands, Vritrâsura said: 'Oh lord take up your thunderbolt and kill your enemy, this is no time for regrets. (7) Except for the One of creation, annihilation and maintenance, the Lord who knows everything, the Original and Eternal Person, those who desiring to fight sometimes gather with their arms are not always assured of a victory. (8) Like birds caught in a net, all worlds and their rulers sigh powerlessly under the time factor that is the cause out here.  (9) People not aware of that [time factor, Him, the Lord of Time, the] strength of our senses, mind, body, life force, death ànd immortality, consider their indifferent body the cause. (1o) Oh sir [dear Indra], please understand that all things thus oh generous one, just like a wooden doll [a 'woman made of wood'] or a cuddly animal [of 'straw and leaves'], depend on Îs'a [the Power, the Lord and master of Time constituting their life and coherence]. (11) Without His mercy the person [the purusha], the material energy [prakriti], the manifest reality [mahat-tattva], the self [or false ego, âtmâ or ahankara], the elements [bhûtas], the senses [of action and perception the indryas] and what belongs to them [the mind - manas, intelligence - buddhi and consciousness - cit] are not capable of bringing about anything or do whatever [like maintenance and destruction]. (12) Not knowing [the Lord, the time factor] one considers oneself - despite of being fully dependent - to be the one in control, but it is He who creates beings by other living beings and it is He who devours them through others. (13) The blessings of longevity, opulence, fame and power arise when the time is ripe [His time], just as the opposite is found without having chosen for it. (14) Therefore one should be equal about fame and infamy, victory and defeat, misery and happiness and dying and living [see also B.G. 6: 7 & 12: 17]. (15) [The modes of] goodness, passion and ignorance are found in material nature, they are not the qualities of the spiritual soul. He who knows the soul as the one in the position of the witness will be free from bondage [compare B.G. 18: 54]. (16) Look at me, defeated in battle with my weapon and arm cut off oh enemy, I'm  still trying the best I can to take your life. (17) In the game of this battle our lives are the stakes, the arrows are the dice, our carriers are the game board and it is not known who will win and who will lose.'

(18) S'rî S'uka said: 'King Indra hearing the straightforward, reverent words of Vritra, took up the thunderbolt and addressed him with a smile without further wondering [about what he had said]. (19) Indra said: 'Oh Dânava, with this kind of consciousness you've attained perfection. You're a devotee perfectly focussed on the Supersoul who is the greatest friend and the Ruler of the Universe [see B.G. 6: 20-23]. (20) You managed to surmount the mâyâ of Lord Vishnu which deludes the common man. In your giving up the asura mentality, you've obtained the position of an exalted devotee [see 2.4: 18]. (21) It is truly a great miracle to see how you as someone driven by passion, now being in Vâsudeva, the Supreme Lord of pure goodness, have a strong consciousness! [see also Vritra's prayer 6.11: 25]. (22) Being devoted to the Supreme Lord Hari, the bestower of beatitude, you're swimming in an ocean of nectar. What's the use of small ditches of water [for someone like you]?'

(23) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus having discussed the ins and outs of dharma oh King, the great commanders Indra and Vritra who were well matched, fought [again]. (24) Whirling dangerously with his iron club Vritra, [who saw a chance] to subdue his enemy, with his left hand hurled it at Indra, oh best of kings. (25) But the demigod cut with the S'ataparvanâ [the 'hundred hooked'] thunderbolt simultaneously the club and the hand to pieces that was as strong as an elephant's trunk. (26) Being struck by [Indra] the carrier of the bolt he, profusely bleeding with the wings of his arms cut off by the root [from his trunk], fell from the sky like a mountain. (27-29) Because of his great life force and uncommon prowess the demon [was able to] put his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky so that his mouth became a huge opening. With his tongue and teeth he, resembling a fearful snake, seemed to devour, as if he were time itself, the three worlds with his preposterous body. Pounding and shaking the earth he then moved his feet as if they were the Himalayas, whereupon he having reached Indra like a python swallowed him together with his thunderbolt and elephant. (30) Seeing him swallowed by Vritra all the demigods together with the founding fathers and the great sages in great grief lamented: 'Alas, what a misery!'

(31) Even though he was swallowed by the king of the demons he didn't die in his belly, because he arriving there was protected by the Supreme Personality as also by his own power of yoga to master the illusion [see S.B. 6.8]. (32) The slayer of Bala, the mighty one, got out by piercing the abdomen with his thunderbolt and then with great force cut off the head of the enemy that was as big as a mountain peak. (33) But when the thunderbolt, in order to sever the head, in its entirety quickly revolved around the neck to cut it through, it took as many days as it takes the luminaries to move over both sides of the equator to reach the time that it fell. (34) At that very moment in the sky the sound could be heard of the kettledrums of the denizens of heaven and the perfected ones. Together with the saintly ones who had gathered they celebrated the prowess of the victor [Indra] by joyously praising him with various mantras and a shower of flowers. (35) From Vritrâsura's body the light of his soul rose up oh subduer of the enemies, that before the eyes of all the gods achieved the supreme abode.'