Shloka 37
Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
दितिरुवाच वरदो यदि मे ब्रह्मन् पुत्रमिन्द्रहणं वृणे । अमृत्युं मृतपुत्राहं येन मे घातितौ सुतौ ॥ ३७ ॥
ditir uvāca varado yadi me brahman putram indra-haṇaṁ vṛṇe amṛtyuṁ mṛta-putrāhaṁ yena me ghātitau sutau
Diti répondit : Ô brāhmaṇa, dispensateur de grâces, j’ai perdu mes fils. Si tu veux m’accorder une bénédiction, je demande un fils immortel capable de tuer Indra, car avec l’aide de Viṣṇu, Indra a tué mes deux fils.
The word indra-haṇam means “one who can kill Indra,” but it also means “one who follows Indra.” The word amṛtyum refers to the demigods, who do not die like ordinary human beings because they have extremely long durations of life. For example, the duration of Lord Brahmā’s life is stated in Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ. Even the duration of one day, or twelve hours, of Brahmā is 4,300,000 years multiplied by one thousand. Thus the duration of his life is inconceivable for an ordinary human being. The demigods are therefore sometimes called amara, which means “one who has no death.” In this material world, however, everyone has to die. Therefore the word amṛtyum indicates that Diti wanted a son who would be equal in status to the demigods.
FAQs
Because Indra had killed her two sons, Diti, overwhelmed by grief and anger, seeks a retaliatory boon—an immortal son capable of killing Indra.
She addresses a brāhmaṇa sage who is in the position of granting a boon (in this narrative context, her request is directed to the powerful ascetic authority she approaches for benediction).
It highlights how unresolved grief can turn into vengeance-driven desires; devotion and self-control are needed to prevent pain from becoming harmful intention.