Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.948

c5.948

In her inconsolable grief at the death of her sons, Diti prayed to her husband Kaśyapa that she should be blessed with a brave and heroic son who would be capable of killing Indra. The sage granted her the boon and told her that by worshipping the lord with a pure mind and body for a hundred years, she would bear a son who would be mighty enough to kill Indra. In due course Diti became pregnant and following her husband's advice, she fervently worshipped the Lord and remained pure in mind and body. When Indra came to know that the child in Diti's womb was to be his slayer, he approached her under the disguise of an attendant, offering to serve her. He waited for an opportunity to get access to her and before the expiry of a hundred years he got a chance. One day, Diti went to bed without washing her feet and fell asleep. Indra took his Vajra and gaining access to her womb cut the embryo within it into seven pieces. The child in the womb began to cry loudly. Indra asked it "MĀ RUDA" (Do not cry). Then he proceeded to cut each of the seven pieces again into seven and finally there were fortynine pieces in all. They subsequently became Devas known as "Maruts." They got the name Maruts because Indra told them "Mā Ruda." All the fortynine Maruts later on became the helpers of Indra. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Part 1, Chapter 21).