Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3751

c9.3751

1) The making of this weapon. In olden days a fierce asura named Vṛtra was born. The Kālakeyas and many other asuras became his followers. They began to create havoc in the world, and cause harm to the Devas. At last under the leadership of Indra, the Devas went to Brahmā and informed him of their grievances and requested for advice as to the way of killing Vṛtra. Brahmā told them that only with a weapon made of the bone of the hermit Dadhīca, could Vṛtrāsura be killed. The Devas went to the bank of the river Śoṇa and saw the hermit Dadhīca, who was the foremost of munificent men, doing penance there. Indra told him the purpose of their visit. He told the Devas to take his bone, if it was useful to them. Saying this he forsook his body. The Devas took the bones of the hermit and gave them to Viśvakarmā who made a powerful weapon with them and gave that to Indra. They named the weapon the 'thunderbolt'. (M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 100).