Mahabharata 05 (eng)..

UDYOGA PARAVA
SECTION IX
thy to Indra he created a son having three heads. And that being of universal form possessed of
great lustre hankered after Indra's seat. And possessed of those three awful faces resembling the
sun, the moon, and the fire, he read the Vedas with one mouth, drank wine with another, and looked
with the third as if he would absorb all the cardinal points. And given to the practice of austerities,
and mild being and self-controlled, he was intent upon a life of religious practices and austerities.
And his practice of austerities, O subduer of foes, was rigid and terrible and of an exceedingly severe
character. And beholding the austerities, courage, and truthfulness of this one possessed of
immeasurable energy, Indra became anxious, fearing lest that being should take his place. And Indra
reflected, 'How may he be made to addict himself to sensual enjoyments; how may he be made
to cease his practice of such rigid austerities? For were the three-headed being to wax strong, he
would absorb the whole universe.' And it was thus that Indra pondered in his mind; and, O best of
Bharata's race, endued with intelligence, he ordered the celestial nymphs to tempt the son of Twashtri.
And he commanded them, saying, 'Be quick, and go without delay, and so tempt him that the
three-headed being may plunge himself into sensual enjoyment to the utmost extent. Furnished with
captivating hips, array yourselves in voluptuous attires, and decking yourselves in charming necklaces,
do ye display gestures and blandishments of love. Endued with loveliness, do ye tempt him
and alleviate my dread. I feel restless in my heart, O lovely damsels. Avert ye, ladies, this awful
peril that hangs over me. Good betide you.'
Then the nymphs said, 'O Indra, O slayer of Vala, we shall so endeavour to allure him that thou wilt
have nothing to fear at his hands. That very receptacle of austerities, sitting now as if scorching everything
with his eyes, O god, we are going together to tempt. We shall try to bring him under our
control, and to put an end to your fears.'
Salya continued, 'Commanded by Indra, they then went to the three-headed being. And arriving
there, those lovely damsels tempted him with various gestures of love, displaying their fine figures.
But engaged in the practice of exceedingly severe austerities, although he looked at them, yet he
was not influenced by desire. Of subdued senses he was like the ocean, full to the brim, in gravity.
And the nymphs after having tried their best, came back to Indra. And they all with joined hands
spoke to the lord of the celestials, saying, 'O, that unapproachable being is incapable of being disturbed
by us. O highly gifted being, thou mayst do what now may seem proper to thee.' The highminded
Indra honoured the nymphs and then dismissed them reflecting, O Yudhishthira, solely
upon other means of destroying his foe. And endued with intelligence, he fixed upon a contrivance
for destroying the three-headed being. And he said, 'Let me today hurt my thunderbolt at him. By
this means he will speedily be killed. Even a strong person should not overlook a rising foe, contemptible
though he may be.' And thus reflecting upon the lessons inculcated in treatises of learning,
he was firmly resolved upon slaying that being. Then Indra, enraged, hurled at the three-headed
being his thunderbolt which looked like fire and was terrible to behold, and which inspired dread.
And forcibly struck by that thunderbolt, he was slain and fell down, as falls on the earth the loosened
summit of a hill. And beholding him slain by the thunderbolt, and lying down huge as a hill,
the chief of the celestials found no peace, and felt as if scorched by the effulgent appearance of the
dead; for though slain, he had a blazing and effulgent appearance and looked like one alive. And,
strange to say, though lifeless, his heads seemed to be alive as they were beheld lying low on the
field. And exceedingly afraid of that lustre, Indra remained plunged in thought. And at that time, O
great king, bearing an axe on his shoulder, a carpenter came to the forest and approached the spot
where lay that being. And Indra, the lord of Sachi, who was afraid, saw the carpenter come there by
chance. And the chastiser of Paka said unto him immediately, 'Do this my behest. Quickly cut off
this one's heads.' The carpenter thereupon said, 'His shoulders are broad: this axe will not be able to
cut them off. Nor shall I be able to do what is condemned by righteous persons.' And Indra said, 'Do
not fear, quickly do what I say. At my command thy axe shall equal the thunderbolt.' The carpenter
said, 'Whom am I to take thee to be who hast done this frightful deed today? This I wish to learn,
tell me the exact truth.' And Indra said, 'O carpenter, I am Indra, the chief of the gods. Let this be
known to thee. Do thou act just as I have told thee. Do not hesitate, O carpenter! The carpenter said,
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