Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.877

c7.877

6) Indra and Vṛtrāsura. A famous exploit of Indra was the killing of Vṛtrāsura. Under the leadership of Vṛtrāsura, the Kālakeyas and many other Rākṣasas besieged the Devas. The battle raged furiously. Indra fell down unconscious owing to the shower of arrows from Vṛtra. At once Vasiṣṭha with his divine power restored Indra to consciousness. Finding it impossible to kill Vṛtra, the nonplussed Devas under the leadership of Indra approached Mahāviṣṇu. Viṣṇu told them that Vṛtra could be killed only with the bone of the sage Dadhīca. So all of them approached Dadhīca. Realising the situation, Dadhīca let Indra have his bone for the purpose. Indra made his weapon Vajra with that bone and receiving a fatal stroke from it, Vṛtra fell down dead. (M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 101, Verses 14, 15; Śānti Parva, Chapter 281, Verses 13-21).