“Once upon a time, when the lord of creation, Kasyapa, was engaged in a
sacrifice from desire of offspring, the Rishis, the gods, and the
Gandharvas, all gave him help. And Indra was appointed by Kasyapa to
bring the sacrificial fuel; and with him those ascetics the Valakhilyas,
and all the other deities. And the lord Indra, taking up according to his
own strength, a weight that was mountain-like, brought it without any
fatigue. And he saw on the way some Rishis, of bodies of the measure of
the thumb, all together carrying one single stalk of a Palasa (Butea
frondosa) leaf. And those Rishis were, from want of food, very lean and
almost merged in their own bodies. And they were so weak that they were
much afflicted when sunk in the water that collected in an indentation on
the road produced by the hoof of a cow. And Purandara, proud of his
strength, beheld them with surprise, and laughing at them in derision
soon left them behind insulting them, besides, by passing over their
heads. And those Rishis being thus insulted were filled with rage and
sorrow. And they made preparations for a great sacrifice at which Indra
was terrified. Hear, O Saunaka, of the wish for accomplishment of which
those vow-observing wise, and excellent ascetics poured clarified butter
of the sacrificial fire with loudly uttered mantras, ‘There shall be
another Indra of all gods, capable of going everywhere at will, and of
mustering at will any measure of energy, and striking tear into the
(present) king of the gods. By the fruit of our ascetic penance, let one
arise, fleet as the mind, and fierce withal.’ And the lord of the
celestials of a hundred sacrifices, having come to know of this, became
very much alarmed and sought the protection of the vow-observing Kasyapa.
And the Prajapati Kasyapa, hearing everything from Indra, went to the
Valakhilyas and asked them if their sacrifice had been successful. And
those truth-speaking Rishis replied to him, saying, ‘Let it be as thou
sayest!’ And the Prajapati Kasyapa pacifying them, spake unto them as
follows, ‘By the word of Brahman, this one (Indra) hath been made the
Lord of the three worlds. Ye ascetics, ye also are striving to create
another Indra! Ye excellent ones, it behoveth you not to falsify the word
of Brahman. Let not also this purpose, for (accomplishing) which ye are
striving, be rendered futile. Let there spring an Indra (Lord) of winged
creatures, endued with excess of strength! Be gracious unto Indra who is
a suppliant before you.’ And the Valakhilyas, thus addressed by Kasyapa,
after offering reverence to that first of the Munis, viz., the Prajapati
Kasyapa, spake unto him:
“The Valakhilyas said, ‘O Prajapati, this sacrifice of us all is for an
Indra! Indeed this hath also been meant for a son being born unto thee!
Let this task be now left to thee. And in this matter do whatsoever thou
seest to be good and proper.’