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They again engaged in fight. This time Indra cut off both the
club and the other hand with the help of Vajra Vn'tra then opened
his mouth and swallowed Indra. There was loud wailing and lamen-
tation all round. But Indra broke through the interior of Vritra
with the help of Vajra, and he then forcibly applied the bolt to cut
off the head of Vritra. The bolt though actively employed could
only sever the head of the Asura King in 360 days. The flame of self
from Vritra's body merged in Shankarshana in the presence of the
Devas.
The sin of killing a Brahmana a second time followed Indra
in the form of a hideous old outcaste woman. He fled away into
the Mnasa lake and entered the filament of a lotus stalk. He re-
mained there concealed for one thousand years. King Nahusha
reigned in Svarga during that time. But as he became maddened in
pride, Sachi the wife of Indra made him a serpent. The Brahmanas
then called back Indra to Svarga, and he reigned there again.
THE STORY OF CHITRAKETU.
SKANDHA VI. CHAP. 14-17.
Chitraketu, the King of Surasena had ten millions of wives, but
he had no son. Rishi Angiras once came to him. The King express-
ed regret for his childlessness. Angiras performed a Yajna in honor
of Tvastri, and gave the sacrificial remnants to the eldest wife. " You
shall have a son, O King!" said Angiras. " But he will give you joy
and sorrow both." In time the eldest Queen bore a son. Her co-wives
grew jealous and poisoned the child. Chitraketu was deeply moved,
and he wept profusely. At the time Narada and Angiras came to
him. They taught him the worship of Shankarshana. Chitraketu
became fixed in the meditation of this second manifestation of Chatur-
vyuha, and this made him very powerful. He became the King of
the Vidyadharas.
Once Chitraketu was roaming over the firmament on the
chariot given him by Vishnu, when he saw Siva surrounded by his
attendants openly embracing His consort Bhavanf. Chitraketu made
some taunting remarks in the hearing of all. Siva simply smiled, and
so did His attendants. But Bhavani cursed Chitraketu with an
Asura birth. Chitaketu accepted the curse with an unruffled mind,
saying it was the way of all beings to meet with things pleasant and
unpleasant in this perishable world, and he only asked Bhavani to
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