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Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 3: Chapter 14: Verses 18-32
Diti's conception
The scriptures speak of a wife as the other half of the body of a man seeking the three objects of human pursuit, 0 proud lady. For, shifting his whole burden (of maintaining the household) to her, a man moves about (in the world) free from anxiety. Just as the governor of a fortress easily conquers a host of maranders, so by falling back upon her we (householders) are able to subdue without any difficulty enemies in the shape of our senses, which people belonging to the other Asramas find hard to conquer. We cannot get absolutely square with you, O queen of the house, in a whole lifetime, nay, not even in lives to come, nor can others who have a bias for virtues. Nonetheless I shall do my best to grant this desire of yours for offspring. But please wait for an hour or so, in order that the world may not reproach me. The present is a most ominous hour, favourable to frightful creatures (the demons etc.) and fearful to look at. At this hour the ghosts and spirits, forming the retinue of Sri Rudra (the Ruler of the spirits), move about. At this juncture of day and night, O virtuous lady, Lord Rudra, the protector of all beings, goes about on the back of His (favourite) bull (Nandi), accompanied by His entourage of ghosts. With His glittering mass of matted hair thrown into disorder and soiled on account of the dust raised by whirlwinds sweeping the cremation grounds, and His silver-white body covered with a coat of ashes, Lord Sankara, your sister's husband[1], is watching all with His three eyes (in the form of the sun, the moon and the fire). (Really speaking, however,) no one in this world is akin or alien to Him, and no one is highly esteemed or most despised in His eyes. Yet the pity of it is that we for our part covet as a reward for our religious observances that very Maya (supernatural power and prosperity) which He has enjoyed and spurned. Those wise men who are keen to pierce the veil of ignorance recount His spotless doings. Although there is none equal to Him, much less greater, and He is the goal of the virtuous, yet He conducts Himself in the manner of fiends (moving about all naked, besmeared with ashes and adorned with a wreath of skulls and so on). Those unfortunate people alone who adorn their person-which (really speaking) is the food of dogs-with wearing apparel, garlands of flowers, ornaments and pigments, treating it as their very self, laugh at the conduct of Lord Siva-who ever delights in His own Self-ignorant of His purpose (in leading this sort of life, which is to teach the world how to develop indifference to the world as well as to one's own body). Even Brahma and the other gods (to say nothing of us) respect the bounds set by Him. Nay, He alone is the cause of this universe, Maya being His handmaid ! How strange that He should conduct Himself in the manner of fiends ! Inscrutable indeed are the doings of the almighty Lord. Maitreya continued : In spite of her husband's remonstrances Diti, whose mind had been completely shaken by love, seized the holy Brahmana by his garment, casting all modesty to the winds like a common woman. When he saw his wife's unusual insistence on that prohibited act, Kasyapa bowed to Providence and then sought seclusion with her. Thereafter he bathed in water, controlled his breath and speech and began to mutter the holy syllable OM, fixing his thought on its meaning, the immutable, self-effulgent eternal Brahma. Diti too felt ashamed on account of the sin that attached to her conduct, 0 Vidura (a descendant of Bharata). She, therefore, approached the holy Brahmana and, with her face cast down, spoke (to him as follows).
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