Birth of Marut Gan

Bheeshm asked - "Hey Muni, How Diti gave birth to Marut Gan? How did they become dear to Devtaa, because Daitya are the enemies of Devtaa?"

Pulastya Jee said - "Diti was very sad at the time of first Dev-Asur war when her many sons and grandsons were killed. She came to Earth and started worshipping Soorya Dev on the banks of Saraswatee River in Pushkar Teerth. She used to eat fruits and observed all rules of Rishi. She did this for a little more than 100 years. Then she asked Vashishth etc Maharshi that whether there was any Vrat which could give her peace from the affliction of the death of her sons and happy married life.

Vashishth etc Maharshi told her to observe Poornimaa (full Moon day) Vrat of Jyeshth Maas (month). She listened to its rules and observed it religiously. Impressed with the importance of that Vrat, Kashyap Jee came on Diti's Aashram. He gave her strength and beauty and asked her to ask for a Var. Diti said - "I want to have a son who can kill all Devtaa." Kashyap Jee said - "I will surely give you a son who can kill Indra." He impregnated Diti and asked her to stay there for 100 years protecting her fetus. He said - "You should not take food at the time of Sandhyaa. You should neither go nor stay near the root of a tree. Never enter any water body or a lonely house. Do not stand on the burrow of snake, nor you should be emotional. You should not draw a line with your nails or ash on the ground in a lonely house. Neither you should be lazy, nor do very hard work. Never sit on straw, coal, ash, bone or broken earthenware. Never quarrel with anybody, never stand with loose hair and never stay dirty. Never sleep keeping your head towards north or downward. Never sleep naked, in emotional imbalance and without washing feet. Neither laugh too much, nor speak bad words to anybody. Respect elders and take bath with herbal water. Keep yourself protected. Serve elders and speak respectful words to everybody. Never speak ill-will about your husband and be always with happy face." And he disappeared from there.

Now Diti started observing those rules very religiously. Seeing this Indra feared and came to her with the desire to serve her. In fact he was in the look out to find the moment when any of those rules was broken. He was happy outwardly but was fearing inside. The time passed and only three days remained in completion of 100 years. Diti got very happy to see this. In this happiness, once she forgot to wash her feet and slept without washing her feet. Her head also got lower while sleeping. Indra got the chance and he entered Diti's womb and killed the child with his Vajra seven times. [The child did not die] Rather the child was divided in seven pieces and all seven pieced converted into seven boys and started weeping. Indra asked them not to weep but they continued to weep. At this Indra again hit each child seven times. Surprisingly each of the seven children again got divided into seven children thus became 49 children. Now they all starting weeping again loudly. Indra again told them not to weep several times "Maa Ruddhwam" (do not weep) and thought that since these children are not dead because of the fruit of Poornimaa's Vrat and Brahmaa's grace. So let them be Devtaa and be known as Marut.

Thinking thus he said to Diti - "Maa, please forgive me. I have done this with the help of Arth Shaastra." That is how he pleased Diti and considered them as Devtaa. Then Indra took all of them to Swarg. Since Marut Gan did not join Asur that is why they became dear to Devtaa.

Bheeshm said - "You have told me about Aadi Sarg and Prati Sarg, now you tell me who became the lord of whom?" Pulastya Jee said - "When Prithu became the king of this Prithvi, Brahmaa Jee appointed Chandramma as the Lord of grains, Braahman, Vrat, and Tapasyaa; Hiranyagarbh as the Lord of Nakshtra (constellations), stars, birds, trees, bush, and creepers; Varun as the Lord of waters; Kuber as the Lord of wealth; Vishnu as the Lord of Aaditya and Agni as the Lord of eight Vasu. Daksh was appointed as the Lord of Prajaapati; Indra as the Lord of all Devtaa; Prahlaad as the Lord of all Daitya and Daanav; Yam Raaj as the Lord of Pitar; Shankar was the Lord of Pishaach, Raakshas, animals, ghosts, Yaksh and Vetaal; Himaalaya as the Lord of all mountains; Samudra (sea) as the Lord of all rivers; Chitrarath as the Lord of Gandharv, Vidyaadhar and Kinnar; Vaasuki as the Lord of Naag; Takshak as the Lord of snakes; Airaavat as the Lord of elephants; Garud as the Lord of all birds; Uchchshraivaa as the Lord of horses; lion as the Lord of deer; bull as the Lord of cows and Pluksh (fig) tree as the Lord of all vegetation.