Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 46: Diti’s vow to kill Indra
Text 1.46.21
न हन्तव्यो न हन्तव्य इत्येवं दितिरब्रवीत्।
निष्पपात ततः शक्रो मातुर्वचनगौरवात्॥
na hantavyo na hantavya ity evaṁ ditir abravīt
niṣpapāta tataḥ śakraḥ mātuḥ vacana-gauravāt
na hantavyaḥ na hantavyaḥ iti = “don’t kill! don’t kill”; evam ditiḥ abravīt = Diti said; niṣpapāta tataḥ śakraḥ = Indra then came out of her womb; mātuḥ vacana-gauravāt = out of respect for his mother’s words.
Diti said: “Don’t kill! Don’t kill!” Out of respect for his mother’s words, Indra then came out of her womb.
Diti did not want the child in her womb to be killed despite it being cut into seven pieces.