Aditi’s Tapasya

There was a brahmana named Kashyapa who was the father of Indra and other gods. Kashyapa married two of Daksha’s daughters. They were named Diti and Aditi. The gods (suras or adityas) were Aditi’s sons and the demons (asuras or daityas) were Diti’s sons.

The gods and the demons did not like each other and perpetually fought amongs themselves.

The demons had an extremely powerful king named Vali. He was Virochana’s son and the grandson of Prahlada.

Vali was so strong that he conquered the entire world and thereafter resolved to conquer and annex heaven. So prosperous was Vali that his riches are impossible to describe. He possessed millions of elephants, horses and chariots, and a huge army. His two chief ministers were named Kumbahanda and Kupakarna. Vali also had one hundred sons who were the equals of their father in valour and wisdom. The eldest son was named Vana.

So the terror that Vali’s invasion of heaven caused can easily be imagined. Threatened with a siege, the gods came out to fight. Terrible was the war that raged. Countless arrows darkened the sky. The wheels of chariots thundered, horses neighed, elephants trumpeted, and the sound of the twangs of bows filled the battlefield. All other living beings feared that the universe was about to be destroyed. The demons hurled mountains at Indra and the king of the gods chopped these up with his arrows. Elephants fought with elephants, horses with horses and chariots with chariots. Blood flowed freely and dead bodies littered the battlefield.

For a thousand years the fighting went on. But eventually, the demons defeated the gods. The gods were forced to flee from heaven and started to dwell on earth in human disguises.

Vali was not an evil person. He was indeed quite devoted to Vishnu. He performed yajanas and ruled over the three regions of heaven, the earth and the underworld. He ruled rather well.

But Aditi was greatly distressed to see her sons suffer thus. She desired that the demons might be vanquished and that Indra might be restored to heaven. She therefore retired to the Himalayas and there began to pray to Vishnu. She meditated sitting and she meditated standing. For part of her tapasya she stood on one leg, for some more time she stood balanced on her toes. For some time she ate only fruit, then only leaves and later still, she thrived only on water. Eventually, Aditi gave up both food and water. For a thousand years she prayed to Vishnu in this fashion.

Vali got to know about Aditi’s meditation and sent his companions to distract her. These demons appeared before Aditi in the guise of gods and said, “Mother, please give up this difficult meditation. Your body is suffering. You are trying to do all this for us. But do you think that we will survive if our mother dies? Please desist.”

But Aditi did not listen to these entreaties. She continued to pray and this angered the demons. From this anger emerged fire and the flames threatened to engulf Aditi. But such was the power of Aditi’s tapasya that the fire could do her no harm. Instead, the flames burnt down the entire forest and all the demons who had gathered there to disturb Aditi.