Agriculture and Animal husbandry in the Puranas
by Purboshri Borpuzari | 2019 | 74,328 words
This page relates ‘Myth of Indra and Vritra’ of the study on agriculture and animal husbandry in the Puranas—a category of Sanskrit literature describing the culture and heritage of ancient Indian society. Besides detailing animal care, the six chapters of this essay also documents various Puranic agricultural science: ploughing, sowing, soil-types/fertility tests, transplantation, manuring, irrigation/water-management, tanks, rainfall–Sun dependence, horticulture, plus crop lists (e.g., Vrihi, Yava, Godhuma) and festivals/rites.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 5 - The Myth of Indra and Vṛtra
According to the account found in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Indra killed Viśvarūpa, the son of Tvaṣṭṛ.[1] Getting angry Tvaṣṭṛ created Vṛtra and ordered him to kill Indra, the murderer of Viśvarūpa.[2] Lord Hari advised Indra on the means to end Vṛtra with vajra which was made of Dadhīci’s bone (made by Tvaṣṭṛ)[3]. Indra then attacked Vṛtra as Rudra attacked Yama.[4] The encounter took place on the bank of the river Narmadā in the beginning of the Tretā yuga.[5] In the battle, seeing his soldiers escaping in fright, Vṛtra encouraged them to stand and fight and uttered words of heroism saying that death is certain to whoever is born, nobody can escape from this.[6] He also disabled Indra’s Airāvata.[7] Vṛtra ran towards Indra as Kaiṭabha did against the Almighty Lord Hari.[8] Indra with his vajra then cut off one of his arms.[9] With the remaining arm Vṛtra hit Indra; at the same time as the vajra slipped from his hands, it caused concern to the gods.[10] Vṛtra asked him to take up the weapon and fight[11] and addressed him at length.[12] Encouraged by the straight speech of Vṛtra, Indra took up his vajra[13] and cut off his other arm.[14] Vṛtra swallowed him,[15] but Indra, the vanquisher of Bala, got out of his stomach and cut off his head.[16]
Vṛtra was sleeping covering the whole world specially the Earth and the heaven. Because he slept covering the whole world with the darkness, therefore, he is named as Vṛtra.[17] Yāska in his Nirukta gives the derivation of the word Vṛtra as follows-it is derived from the root vṛ(to cover)or from vṛt(to roll) or from vṛdh (to grow). It is known, because he covered, that is the characteristic of Vṛtra. It is known, because he rolled, that is the characteristic of Vṛtra.
It is known, because he grew, that is the characteristic of Vṛtra—
vṛtro vṛṇotervā vartatervā vardhatervā/
yadvṛṇottadu vṛtrasya vṛtratvam/iti vijñāyate/
yadvartata tadu vṛtrasya vṛtratvam/iti vijñāyate/
yadvardhata tadu vṛtrasya vṛtratvam/iti vijñāyate.[18]
According to the etymologists Vṛtra is a cloud. According to the legendaries it is a demon, son of Tvaṣṭā.The phenomenon of rain is produced by the commingling of waters (vapours) and lightning (jyotiṣa).
With reference to this, there are symbolic descriptions of battle—
tatko vṛtraḥ? megha iti nairuktāḥ tvāṣṭro’sura ityaitihāsikāḥ apāṃ ca jyotiṣaśca miśrībhāvakarmaṇo varṣakarma jāyate/tatropamārthena yuddhavarṇā bhavanti.[19]
In the commentary of the Ṛgveda Sāyaṇācārya too follows the view of the Nairukta [nairuktāḥ] (etymologists) stating that Vṛtra means cloud—
Indra’s activity in the thunderstorm is expressed in the Ṛgveda. There Indra is said to have generated the lightning of heaven.
Sāyaṇācārya states—
‘yaḥ ca tvaṃ divaḥ dyotamānasya sūryasya asamāḥ viṣamā nānāprakārāḥ didyutaḥ dīptīḥ ajanaḥ ajanayaḥ/yadvā divo nakṣatrāṇi’.[21]
Also he is said to have directed the action of the waters downwards.[22] Indra is the force of thunder and lightning which kills Vṛtra, the obstructer of water and spares it for the human beings.[23]
Sāyaṇācārya interprets this as—
‘vṛtrahā vṛtrasya hantā purandaraḥ śambarapurāṃ dārayitā saḥ indraḥ…/kiṃca manave manorarthaṃ kṣāṃ pṛthivīm apaḥ udakāni ca ajanayat/yajamānasya satrā mahāntaṃ śaṃsam abhilāṣaṃ tūtot kāmapradānena pūrayatu’.[24]
The Ṛgveda further comments that having slain Vṛtra, Indra has released the imprisoned rivers, which were covered by the clouds, to flow upon the Earth.[25]
Sāyaṇācārya interprets this thus—
‘vṛtraṃ vṛtrākhyamasuraṃ jaghanvān hatavānindraḥ gūrtāḥ tamisrayā gīrṇāḥ pūrvīḥ bahnīḥ uṣasaḥ śaradaśca saṃvatsarāṃśca vi asṛjat viśeṣeṇa sasarja/tathā sindhūn vṛtreṇāvṛtānyudakāni vyasṛjat/ kiṃca indraḥ pariṣṭhitāḥ megheṣu paritaḥ sthitāḥ badbadhānāḥ vṛtreṇa parito badhyamānāḥ sīrāḥ nadīḥ/sīrā iti nadīnāmaitat/pṛthivyā pṛthvīrūpeṇa mārgeṇa sravitave sravituṃ gamanārthaṃ atṛṇat avidhyat//’[26]
In the conflict and victory are seen the peculiar blessings to the Earth and man that Indra is able to grant. The battle is described at length; in which we have a graphic description of the commencement of the rainy season, with the severe thunderstorms which usually accompany the change of the seasons. At last the conflict is over. As a result of the victory of the god Indra(god of rain), the rains move downwards and the Earth is made fruitful.[27] R.N. Dandekar opines that Indra is said to be the personification of thunderstorm. He stands at the head of the gods of the antarikṣa and is verily the rain-god of the Vedic pantheon. The heavenly waters are obstructed by the cloud-demon, Vṛtra. Indra, therefore, smites down this cloud-demon by means of his vajra or thunderbolt, and releases the waters, which then flow down in the form of rain-showers.[28] Timely rain is very much necessary for carrying the process of agriculture. It was Vṛtra who withheld the timely rains, brought on distressing droughts that hampered the progress of agricultural work, resulting in a poor produce of food-grains.[29] Indra shouting in great anger cut Vṛtra into pieces part by part and the waters flowed into the ocean.
According to Sāyaṇācārya—
‘asya indrasya manyuḥ krodhaḥ vṛtram āvṛtya tiṣṭhantamasuraṃ meghaṃ vā parvaśaḥ parvaṇi parvaṇi paruṣi paruṣi vi rujan vibhañjan yat yadā adhvanīt stanayitnulakṣaṇaṃ śabdamakarot tadānīṃ samudraṃ samundanīyamudadhiṃ prati apaḥ vṛṣṭyudakāni airayat sa indraḥ preritavān.’[30]
After this blessing has been received, the sun shines, and Earth again is bright.[31] The land of Earth became suitable for agriculture.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
taddevahelanaṃ tasya dharmālīkaṃ sureśvaraḥ/
ālakṣya tarasā bhītastacchīrṣāṇyacchinadruṣā// Bhāgavata Purāṇa ,6.9.4
[2]:
hataputrastatastvaṣṭā juhāvendrāya śatrave/
indraśatro vivardhasva mā ciraṃ jahi vidviṣam// Ibid., 6.9.12
[3]:
yuṣmabhyaṃ yācito’śvibhyāṃ dharmajño’ṅgāni dāsyati/
tatastairāyudhaśreṣṭho viśvamakarmavinirmitaḥ/
yena vṛtraśiro hartā matteja upabṛṃhitaḥ// Ibid., 6.9.54
[4]:
vṛtramabhyadravacchettumasurānīkayūthapaiḥ/
paryastamojasā rājankruddho rudra ivāntakam// Ibid., 6.10.15
[5]:
[6]:
[7]:
airāvato vṛtragadābhimṛṣṭo/
vighūrṇito’driḥ kuliśāhato yathā//
apāsaradbhinnamukhaḥ sahendro/
muñcannasṛksaptadhanurbhṛśārtaḥ//Ibid.,6.11.11
[8]:
evaṃ jihāsurnṛpadehamājau /
mṛtyuṃ varaṃ vijayānmanyamānaḥ//
śūlaṃ pragṛhyābhyapatat surendraṃ yathā/
mahāpuruṣaṃ kaiṭabho’psu// Ibid., 6.12.1
[10]:
[11]:
indro na vajraṃ jagṛhe vilajjitaścyutaṃ/
svahastādarisannidhau punaḥ//
tamāha vṛtro hara āttavajro jahi/
svaśatruṃ na viṣādakālaḥ// Ibid., 6.12.6
[12]:
Ibid., 6.12.7-17
[13]:
sindro vṛtravacaḥ śrutvā gatālīkamapūjayat/
gṛhītavajraḥ prahasaṃstamāha gatavismayaḥ// Ibid., 6.12.18
[14]:
[15]:
atimātramahākāya ākṣipaṃstarasā girīn/
girirāṭ pādacārīva padbhyāṃ nirjarayan mahīm// Ibid., 6.12.29
[16]:
[17]:
[18]:
Nirukta ,2.17
[19]:
Ibid.,2.16
[21]:
Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid., 2.13.7
[22]:
Ibid., 2.17.5
[23]:
sa vṛtrahendraḥ kṛṣṇayonīḥ purandaro dāsīrairayadvi/
ajanayanmanave kṣāmapaśca satrā śaṃsaṃ yajamānasya tūtot// Ibid.,2.20.7
[24]:
Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.
[25]:
pūrvīruṣasaḥ śaradaśca gūrtā vṛtraṃ jaghanvā asṛjadvi sindhūn/
pariṣṭhitā atṛṇadbadbadhānāḥ sīrā indraḥ sravitave pṛthivyā// Ṛgveda Saṃhitā , 4.19.8
[26]:
Sāyaṇācārya, Ibid.
[28]:
Dandekar, R.N., Vedic Mythological Tracts, p.143
[30]:
Sāyaṇācārya, Ṛgveda Saṃhitā , 8.6.13
[31]:
Wilkins, W.J., op. cit., p. 49