There was a place of pilgrimage known as Syamantapanchaka on the banks of the Saraswati River. This river is supposed to have met the Ganga and Yamuna at the holy confluence at Allahabad. Though it does not exist today, many believe that it is running underground. At Syamantapanchaka Diti meditated for a hundred tears, living only on fruits and roots. All this while she prayed to her husband, the Sage Kashyap. At last Kashyap was compelled to come to her and grant her a boon. Diti desired a son so powerful that he would slay Indra, the king of the demi-Gods and ascend the throne of heaven.
Kashyap told his wife that her wish would be granted, but there were a few conditions that she would have to fulfill. Since the child was to be so powerful, he would have to lie in her womb for a hundred years. During this time she would have to live in this hermitage and observe certain rules of conduct. She could not eat after sunset nor sleep under a tree. She was to bathe and braid her hair before she went to bed. Exercise of any form was not permitted. If she did as instructed, her son would be invincible even while he was in her womb. Diti agreed to these conditions. She conceived Kashyap's child and began to live in the manner dictated by him.
Indra got to know about Kashyap's boon and arrived at the hermitage. He began to do all odd jobs such as chopping firewood and gathering fruits for his aunt. Diti thought that Indra was trying to ingratiate himself so that he could ask for mercy at an appropriate time. She knew there would be no mercy but she was happy to have Indra there. Not only did he work for her, but also it would be easier for her son to kill him. Indra was there because he was on the lookout for a time when Diti defaulted. He was not willing to take chances. He had to kill the child while it was in Diti's womb.
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