The Maruts

Diti went to Kashyapa again.

“Indra has killed Vritra as well.” She said. “Please let me have another son. And this time, Please make sure that the son does kill Indra.”

“I will try,” replied Kashyapa. “But you will have to observe a religious rite for the period of a hundred years. And throughout the period, you must stay absolutely pure and observe rites of cleanliness. If you can succeed in doing this, the son who will be born will kill Indra. But if you fail to stay completely clean, your son will become a friend and companion of Indra.”

Diti went to a hermitage and started to observe the religious rite (vrata).

Indra had got to know what was afoot. He wanted to make sure that Diti did not succeed in her resolve. He therefore adopted the disguise of a brahmana and went to the hermitage. He promised to help Diti in her meditations. He brought her roots and fruits and flowers. HE gathered firewood for Diti and washed her feet. Diti came to trust Indra.

For ninety years, Diti observed the rites faithfully and Indra could find no fault with her. But Diti gradually became a little careless. When ninety years were over, she once fell asleep without having washed her feet. This was an act of gross uncleanliness. Moreover, she had fallen asleep without having braided her hair.


Indra seized his chance. Because Diti had committed an unclean act, her defences had been lowered. Indra entered Diti’s womb. He sliced up the baby whom he found there into seven parts with his vajra. These parts started to cry and Indra said “ma ruda”, which means, “don’t cry”. But the parts continued to cry and Indra sliced up each of the seven parts into seven sections. There were thus forty-nine sections in all.

When these sons were born, they came to be known as maruts from the words Indra had used in addressing them. Since Diti had not been able to complete her religious rite satisfactorily, the maruts became friends and companions of Indra. They were elevated to the status of gods and became gods of the wind.