ith his bones let a new weapon be created called
the Thunderbolt.' Thus instructed by the Grandsire, the deities proceeded
to that place where the holy Rishi Dadhichi was engaged in his
austerities. The deities with Indra at their head addressed the sage,
saying,--'O holy one, your austerities, we hope, are being well performed
and uninterrupted.'--Unto them the sage Dadhichi said,--'Welcome to all of
you. Tell me what I should do for you. I shall certainly do what you will
say.' They then told him,--'It behoveth thee to cast off thy body for
benefiting all the worlds.' Thus solicited, the sage Dadhichi, who was a
great Yogin and who regarded happiness and misery in the same light,
without being at all cheerless, concentrated his Soul by his Yoga power
and cast off his body. When his Soul left its temporary tenement of clay,
Dhatri, taking his bones, created an irresistible weapon called the
Thunder-bolt. With the Thunder-bolt thus made with the bones of a
Brahmana, which was impenetrable by other weapons and irresistible and
pervaded by the energy of Vishnu, Indra struck Viswarupa the son of
Tashtri. Having slain the son of Tashtri thus, Indra severed his head
from the body. From the lifeless body, however, of Viswarupa, when it was
pressed, the energy that was still residing in it gave birth to a mighty
Asura of the name of Vritra. Vritra became the foe of Indra, but Indra
slew him also with the Thunder-bolt. In consequence of the sin of
Brahmanicide, being thus doubled Indra became overcome with a great fear
and as the consequence thereof he had to abandon the sovereignty of
heaven. He entered a cool lotus stalk that grew in the Manas lake. In
consequence of the Yoga attribute of Anima, he became very minute and
entered the fibres of that lotus stalk.[1860] When the lord of the three
worlds, the husband of Sachi, had thus disappeared from sight through
fear of the sin of Brahmanicide, the universe became lordless. The
attributes of Rajas and Tamas assailed the deities. The Mantras uttered
by the great Rishis lost all efficacy. Rakshasas appeared everywhere. The
Vedas were about to disappear. The inhabitants of all the worlds, being
destitute of a king, lost their strength and began to fall an easy prey
to Rakshasas and other evil Beings. Then the deities and the Rishis,
uniting together, made Nahusha, the son of Ayusha, the king of the three
worlds and duly crowned him as such. Nahusha had on his forehead full
five-hun