Result of worship

The Bhagavata Purana describes many instances when through the practice of prayer and worship human beings as well as celestials are able to fulfil their wants and desires by the Lord’s grace. One such austere practice described in detail is the observation of the Pumsavana vrata that Diti, the mother of the asuras, had undertaken.

Diti was upset that her son Vritra was killed with Indra’s thunderbolt weapon in a fierce and destructive battle. So she took up this vow with the aim of begetting a son who would be free from death and would also be capable of killing Indra. Though her resolve was to destroy Indra, Suka describes the outcome of this episode as auspicious, for it brought about the birth of the Maruts who were endowed with celestial and not asura tendencies by God’s grace, pointed out Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse. Diti began this vrata with faith, love and devotion and propitiated Lord Narayana with specific mantras, prayers and offerings.

Indra, hearing about this vow wanted to prevent the birth of the son. So, he disguised his intentions and offered his service to Diti. He hoped he would get a chance to break the foetus during the vrata period. As destiny would have it, on one occasion, Diti slipped from her vow and Indra entered her womb and cut the foetus into seven pieces. The children pleaded with Indra, but he cut them again into seven pieces each. Though cut into pieces, they did not perish owing to the grace of the Lord, just as Parikshit was protected by Krishna in the womb of his mother from the deadly arrow of Asvathama. He then admitted his evil intent to Diti and begged for pardon. Diti did so and was happy that her children were now converted into devas and did not have any asura nature. They came to be known as Maruts.

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