Vajrāṅga and Vārāṅgī
Vajrāṅga was the son of Diti and the prajāpati Kaśyapa. He was born to take revenge on Indra, who had killed Diti’s earlier children. He had a body as hard as the vajra (thunderbolt), which no weapon could cut. Yet when he defeated Indra he set him free, and he asked Brahmā for nothing but tapas and dharma. His wife Vārāṅgī was made by Brahmā. When Indra tormented her, Vajrāṅga agreed to give her a son, and this led to the birth of Tārakāsura. This account is in the Kaumārika Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa.
Diti’s grief
Diti was one of the thirteen wives of Kaśyapa. She had earlier borne the great daityas Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyāksha. Bhagavān Vishṇu had killed both of them in his avatāras. Diti was full of grief and wanted revenge. She went to Kaśyapa and asked for another son, one who would defeat Indra. Kaśyapa agreed to help, on one condition. She must keep a vrata (vow) for a thousand years with perfect niyama (self-control).
Diti kept the vrata at Pushkara. Indra, always watchful, served her so carefully for those thousand years that she was touched by his show of devotion. When nine hundred years of the vrata were still left, she said to Indra: “I am pleased with your true service. You will have a brother, and with that brother you will enjoy all wealth and rule the three worlds with justice and without hindrance.” Then, worn out and heavy with sleep, she fell asleep, curled up with her head at her feet and her hair touching her legs. (Chapter 14)
Indra cuts the child in the womb
Diti lay asleep with her head at her feet and her hair on her legs. This was an unclean posture and broke the purity of her vrata. Indra took his chance. He entered her womb in a fine body and cut the child into seven pieces with his vajra. Then he cut each piece into seven again, making forty-nine pieces. The pieces cried out in pain. Diti woke and cried, “Do not kill! Do not kill!”
Indra came out of the womb, folded his hands and spoke to the weeping Diti: “Mother, you slept in an unclean posture, with your head touching your feet and your hair touching your feet, in the daytime. That made you unclean. I have cut the child into forty-nine pieces. But I promise that wherever I rule, these children will have their place in svarga. Do not grieve. Because you said ‘Mā roda’ (do not cry), these forty-nine will be known as the Maruttas.” Diti was silenced by shame. Indra left with the Maruttas, the forty-nine beings of the air, who came to be linked with Vāyu. (Chapter 14)
Diti’s second request and the birth of Vajrāṅga
In her grief Diti went back to Kaśyapa and asked a second time. This time she asked for a son who would kill Indra, and whom no weapon of the devas could harm. Kaśyapa said: “Do tapas for ten thousand years. From it a son will be born whose limbs are hard as iron, harder than the vajra (vajrasāramaya-aṅga), and whose body cannot be cut. His name will be Vajrāṅga. He will hold dharma in deep respect.” Diti went to the forest and did that tapas.
At the end of ten thousand years Diti gave birth to Vajrāṅga. He could not be destroyed, he was very powerful, and he was born knowing all the śāstras. From birth his body was like packed vajra, so that no weapon could pierce it. He came to his mother with respect and asked what he could do for her. Diti said, “Indra has killed many of my sons. I want him defeated.” Vajrāṅga agreed without more words and went to svarga. (Chapter 14)
Vajrāṅga defeats Indra and shows mercy
In open fight Vajrāṅga beat Indra’s whole army with his bare arms (bāhuyuddha). He seized Indra by the leg and dragged him before his mother, as a lion drags a deer. Indra cried out in fear and terror.
At that moment Brahmā came, with Kaśyapa, who was full of worry. Brahmā spoke to Vajrāṅga: “My child, let Indra go. He is praying to you. What will you gain by his death? A true hero’s greatness comes not from killing an enemy who begs for mercy, but from shaming him by mercy. To set him free after defeating him is the greater victory. Do as I say and release him.”
Vajrāṅga freed Indra at once. Then he showed his true nature. He said: “Pitāmaha! I have no use for Indra. I have done my mother’s order. You are my great-grandfather and I obey your word. But I do not want what Indra has. The three worlds of svarga with all their women mean nothing to me, like a garland already worn by someone else. Tell me, what is the essence of all the three worlds?”
Brahmā answered: “Tapas. There is nothing greater. By tapas everything is won. You are fit for tapas.” Vajrāṅga said: “Then I wish to do tapas. By your grace, let no obstacle come to me in it.” Brahmā was moved. He made a beautiful young woman with wide eyes, gave her to Vajrāṅga as his wife, and named her Vārāṅgī. Then Brahmā left with Kaśyapa. Vajrāṅga went to the forest with Vārāṅgī to do tapas. (Chapter 14)
Four thousand years of tapas
Vajrāṅga did very hard tapas. He stood with his arms raised. He did tapas standing on his head for a thousand years. He did tapas among five fires (pañcāgni-tapas) for a thousand years. He fasted completely for a thousand years. He stood in the middle of water for a thousand years. After four thousand years of this hard tapas he had become a mass of tapas. His tejas (inner fire) was so strong that every creature everywhere felt scorched by it. Even the suras and asuras were alarmed. (Chapters 14–15)
Indra torments Vārāṅgī
All these years Vajrāṅga did tapas in the lake. His wife Vārāṅgī sat on the shore of the same lake in silent tapas, keeping the vow of silence (mauna) and doing her own austerities. Indra feared the power that Vajrāṅga’s tapas might bring, and he wanted to break it. So he turned to Vārāṅgī, who had no one to guard her. (Chapter 15)
Indra took one form after another to frighten her:
- As a monkey. He came to her dwelling and scattered filth and dung. He threw her clothes about and broke her concentration.
- As a goat. He came and tormented her more, making the āśrama unclean.
- As a serpent. He coiled round both her feet and dragged her some distance from the āśrama. She bore even this with perfect calm.
- As other animals. He came as a lion, a wolf and other fearful forms, appearing and vanishing, and kept the āśrama in constant terror.
- As fire. In the form of Agni he burned down the āśrama.
- As wind. In the form of Vāyu he lashed her with gales and threw her about.
Through all of it, the text praises her: “Vārāṅgī did not get angry even by an atom (aṇumātram api na krodha).” Her patience (kshamā) and her tapas held firm against every attack. Only once she nearly cursed the nearby mountain, thinking that it helped Indra in his disguised visits. The mountain took human form, showed that it was not to blame, and pointed at Indra. (Chapter 15)
Brahmā comes back
Brahmā was greatly pleased with Vajrāṅga’s tapas. He came down to the mountain lake and said: “O son of Diti! Rise from your tapas. Nothing is now impossible for you. Ask for any vara (boon) you wish.”
Vajrāṅga rose from the water and, with folded hands, said what he wanted: “Pitāmaha! Let there be no asura nature in me. Let me have no wish for svarga. Let me love tapas and dharma (āsakti). This is all I ask.” Brahmā was amazed, because Vajrāṅga was the only daitya who had asked for this. He granted it and left, saying “tathāstu” (so be it). (Chapter 15)
The birth of Tāraka
When the tapas was over, Vajrāṅga went to find his wife so that he could do his duties as a householder (gṛhastha). He found Vārāṅgī hiding behind a tree in the āśrama, weeping quietly with her face covered. He came to her very tenderly: “Beloved! Who has hurt you during your tapas? I am your husband and I am alive. Why do you weep? Tell me quickly what vara you need. Whatever you wish, I will give it.”
Vārāṅgī answered through her tears: “I was alone and helpless. The angry Indra attacked me, frightened me and tormented me. I was beaten and terrified. I could see no way out and I was ready to give up my life. If you have any pity, give me a son who will carry me across this deep ocean of sorrow and protect me.”
Vajrāṅga heard her and thought deeply. His own heart had no interest in power or fighting, but he remembered his duty to his wife. He recalled the teaching of gṛhastha-dharma: “A wife who is the mistress of the home (gṛheśvarī) cannot be matched by anyone. Even a man with a full life is incomplete if he does dharma without his wife. A husband who does not care for a grieving wife who depends on him is no man at all.”
He decided: “I will give Vārāṅgī the son she needs, one who will stand against Mahendra.” With this wish he began another tapas, this time to win a mighty son. Brahmā knew that the new tapas had begun and came back quickly. He gave the vara without waiting for the full tapas: “Enough! Your son will be born. He will be a great warrior named Tāraka, who will undo the hair-adornment (śirorūhālaṅkāra) of the wives of the devas.” (Chapter 15)
Sources
- Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Māheśvara Khaṇḍa, Kaumārika Khaṇḍa, chapters 14–15