CHAPTER NINE
Appearance of the Demon Vrtrasura
As described in this chapter, Indra, the King of heaven, killed
Visvariipa, and therefore Visvaripa’s father performed a yajfa to kill
Indra. When Vrtrasura appeared from that yajna, the demigods, in fear,
sought shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and glorified Him.

Because of affection for the demons, Visvaripa secretly supplied them
the remnants of yajria. When Indra learned about this, he beheaded
Visvaripa, but he later regretted killing Visvariipa because Visvariipa
was a brahmana. Although competent to neutralize the sinful reactions
for killing a brahmana, Indra did not do so. Instead he accepted the reac-
tions. Later, he distributed these reactions among the land, water, trees
and women in general. Since the land accepted one fourth of the sinful
reactions, a portion of the land turned into desert. The trees were also
given one fourth of the sinful reactions, and therefore they drip sap,
which is prohibited for drinking. Because women accepted one fourth of
the sinful reactions, they are untouchable during their menstrual period.
Since water was also infested with sinful reactions, when bubbles appear
in water it cannot be used for any purpose.

After Visvaripa was killed, his father, Tvasta, performed a sacrifice to
kill King Indra. Unfortunately, if mantras are chanted irregularly, they
yield an opposite result. This happened when Tvasta performed this
yajra. While performing the sacrifice to kill Indra, Tvasta chanted a
mantra to increase Indra’s enemies, but because he chanted the mantra
wrong, the sacrifice produced an asura named Vrtrasura, of whom Indra
was the enemy. When Vrtrasura was generated from the sacrifice, his
fierce features made the whole world afraid, and his personal effulgence
diminished even the power of the demigods. Finding no other means of
protection, the demigods began to worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the enjoyer of all the results of sacrifice, who is supreme
throughout the entire universe. The demigods all worshiped Him be-
cause ultimately no one but Him can protect a living entity from fear and
danger. Seeking shelter of a demigod instead of worshiping the Supreme

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