The Maruts

Ninety-nine years and three hundred and sixty two days passed in this manner. Indra could see that Diti was getting tired of observing sage Kashyap's conditions. His time was at hand. That night Diti went to bed without braiding her hair. In a flash Indra went inside her womb and let loose his thunderbolt called 'vajra'. The fetus was cut into seven pieces. Each piece began to scream loudly. Indra said to them, "Ma rut!" which means stop crying. But the crying continued unabated. Then Indra cut each of the seven pieces into further seven pieces making forty-nine in all. Each of these parts was delivered as a person in human form. Collectively they were known as Maruts from the words used by Indra to address them inside Diti's womb.

Though born from Diti, the Maruts were allowed to join the demi-Gods. Since Diti had failed to observe the rules, the Maruts were not a threat to Indra. They represented forty-nine winds and were free to travel all over the world and were not obstructed by mountains, rivers or seas. They were assigned the job of pushing the clouds and stirring up storms because they were aggressive in nature. They were constant companions to Indra, who was the god of thunder and rain. The Maruts helped Indra in slaying Vritra. Vritra was a demon who swallowed Indra to avenge the slaying of his brother at Indra's hands. Vishnu arranged for a compromise. Indra was to be freed provided he did not attack Vritra on land or sea, at day or night and with a weapon that was dry or wet. Indra later killed Vritra at the seashore at dusk with foam that was neither dry nor wet. The Maruts were the ones who whipped up this foam for Indra.

The following quote from the Vedas summarizes the Maruts: They are youthful warriors, but they are also geniuses of the thunderstorm. They hold the lightning in their hands and the lightning is their spear. Their golden wheeled chariots gleam in the lightning as they rush forth like boisterous winds...They love to deck themselves with golden ornaments, to scrub each other clean, and to lick each others backs. They are irresponsible and gay, yet wrathful as serpents. They are always present at the slaying of Vritra and they egg great Indra on with their songs.

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