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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 3: Chapter 14: Verses 1-17
Diti's conception
Sri Suka continued: Vidura, who had taken a vow of hearing the Lord's praises, did not feel satiated even on listening from the mouth of Maitreya (the son of Kusaru) to the story of Sri Hari, who had taken the form of a boar with a special motive (that of rescuing the earth). With joined palms uplifted he , therefore, questioned the sage again. (1) Vidura said : We have just heard from you, O crest-jewel of sages, how Hiranyaksa, the earliest of the Daityas (sons of Diti), was slain by Sri Hari, who had taken the form of a boar (representing all sacrifices). As He was playfully engaged in lifting up the earth out of water on the ends of His tusks, how did He come to have an encounter with that demon king, O holy sage? Maitreya replied : You have asked a good question, O valiant Vidura, inasmuch as your enquiry relates to the story of Sri Hari's descent (as the divine Boar), which cuts asunder the noose of (birth and) death in the case of mortals. It was through the story of Sri Hari, narrated by the sage Narada, that Dhruva (the son of king Uttanapada), even as a child, set his foot on the head[1] of Death and ascended to the abode of Sri Hari.Now in this connection I have heard the following anecdote, which was told of yore by Brahma, the god of gods, in response to a query by the gods. Once Diti, a daughter of Daksa, who was eager to obtain a son, sought the company of her husband, Kasyapa, son of Marici, while it was only dusk, stung as she was by (the darts of) love, O Vidura. Having just finished offering oblations of rice boiled in milk to the Supreme Person, the lord of sacrifices, who has the flames of fire for His tongues, the sage sat absorbed in deep meditation in the shrine of fire, knowing that the sun was about to set. Diti said : O sage, just as a wild elephant crushes a banana tree, this god of love, bow in hand, displays his valour against me, a helpless woman, and is tormentingme on your account. Therefore, God bless you, show your grace to me, burning as I am (with jealousy) to see the happiness and prosperity of my co-wives, who are already blessed with children. Those wives alone are held in great esteem by their husband and enjoy world-wide fame, whose Dhruva, however, in utter defiance of the god of death, refused to cast off his body (which was supremely dear to him because it had been blessed by the Lord with His divine touch) and, actually setting his foot on the head of Death as on the rung of a ladder, boarded the car and bodily ascended to the divine Abode. husband like you is reproduced through them in the shape of a son. Our father, the worshipful Daksa, who was fond of his daughters, severally asked us long ago (when we were still unmarried): " Whom are you going to choose for your match, dear ones ?" When he came to know our mind (through other sources, since we made no reply out of bashfulness), he gave away to you those thirteen of us who conformed to your nature, since he was keen to multiply his race. Therefore, O blessed lord with lotus-eyes, be pleased to grant my wish; for the afflicted never resort to the great in vain, O perfect one. Seeing her miserable and pleading much in the aforesaid manner, and finding that her reason had been clouded by intense passion, O heroic Vidura, Kasyapa (the son of Marici) replied to her in a conciliatory tone as follows :-(15) "I shall presently gratify you by granting your wish, O timid one. Who would not grant the desire of one's own wife, through whom one is able to achieve the threefold object of human pursuit, (viz., worldly possessions, gratification of the senses and religious merit)? (16) Even as one is able to cross the ocean by means of vessels, so does a married man (a householder) cross the ocean of woe (by conquering the senses) through married life, taking with him the other three Asramas (viz., the student community, the anchorite class and the order of recluses, all of whom depend on the householder) as well.
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