Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 25: The History of Tāṭakā
Text 1.25.22
विष्णुना च पुरा राम भृगुपत्नी दृढव्रता।
अनिन्द्रं लोकमिच्छन्ती काव्यमाता निषूदिता॥
viṣṇunā ca purā rāma bhṛgu-patnī dṛḍha-vratā
anindraṁ lokam icchantī kāvya-mātā niṣūditā
viṣṇunā ca = by Lord Viṣṇu; purā = previously; rāma = O Rāma; bhṛgu-patnī = Bhṛgu’s wife; dṛḍha-vratā = a lady of firm vows; anindram = devoid of Indra; lokam = the world; icchantī = when she desired to make; kāvya-mātā = and Śukra’s mother; niṣūditā = was killed.
O Rāma, previously Bhṛgu’s wife and Śukra’s mother, a lady of firm vows, was killed by Lord Viṣṇu when she desired to make the world devoid of Indra.
This history is revealed in Matsya Purāṇa. When her son Śukra performed austerities in front of Rudra to teach the demigods, the asuras, tormented by the demigods, took shelter of Bhṛgu’s wife. She then prepared to kill the demigods in order to protect the asuras. Then, Lord Viṣṇu, upon being entreated by Indra, appeared and cut off her head.