Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1432

c8.1432

The Naranārāyaṇas did not even recognise the thunderlike voice of Indra; nor did they answer him. This increased Indra's alarm, and he decided to disturb them with Māyā, productive of fear, desire etc. and thus break their tapas. Indra began threatening them with cruel animals created by him like wild cat, leopard tiger, lion, elephant etc. and also with aberrations created in nature like storm, rain, wild fire etc. But, none of the above affected or moved them in the least. After all, why should they be moved? You would threaten only those who are subject to desires, love of comfort, any particular object in life or likes and dislikes. Since Naranārāyaṇas had none of the above, Indra's attempts to threaten them failed. Thus disappointed he returned to Svargaloka and after thinking for a long time he called Kāmadeva to him and spoke as follows:— "You should go, along with Rati and the spring, to Badarikāśrama. Also take with you any number of apsarā women you want. You will find Naranārāyaṇas at the āśrama performing tapas and will weaken them from their resolution by using your arrows (erotic shafts) and tempt them into erotic life. I am also deputing apsarā women like Rambhā to help you."