The Padma Purana
by N.A. Deshpande | 1951 | 1,261,945 words | ISBN-10: 8120838297 | ISBN-13: 9788120838291
This page describes the slaying of muci which is chapter 68 of the English translation of the Padma Purana, one of the largest Mahapuranas, detailling ancient Indian society, traditions, geography, as well as religious pilgrimages (yatra) to sacred places (tirthas). This is the sixty-eighth chapter of the Srishti-khanda (section on creation) of the Padma Purana, which contains six books total consisting of at least 50,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.
Disclaimer: These are translations of Sanskrit texts and are not necessarily approved by everyone associated with the traditions connected to these texts. Consult the source and original scripture in case of doubt.
Chapter 68 - The Slaying of Muci
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Vyāsa said:
1-2a. Seeing Bala and his elder brother Namuci killed (by Indra), Muci then said (these) words (to Indra:) “You have killed my eldest brother; I shall now invisibly take you with my arrows to the abode of the son of Bhāskara (i.e. Yama).”
2b-4a. To him, the very lustrous Indra, revered by all gods, said: “You will now certainly follow the path of death of (i.e. traversed by) your brother. You desire to fight with me as the locusts, through folly, suddenly enter fire without realising its heat.”
4b-6a. He struck Indra, who was speaking thus, with three arrows. Indra, the conqueror of the enemies’ cities, cut them off with three arrows. Then he struck Indra with ten arrows, and Airāvaṇa with five. Having pierced Mātali (Indra’s charioteer) with seven (arrows) he roared loudly.
6b-9. Then the demon of great might and valour angrily brandished an iron mace at Indra. Then Indra dexterously struck him with his thunderbolt. Due to the fall of the thunderbolt, he fell down dead. Due to the fall of the demon the earth trembled. The gods danced and the demons ran away.