(Other names: Vritasoor, Vrittasur)
Vritasur was the son of Prajapati Twashta. Indra had killed Twashta’s other son named Vishwaroop.
To avenge the death of his son, Twashta created Vritasur. Vritasur undertook penance to please Brahmaji and after Brahmaji appeared in front of him, he asked for a boon that he will not be killed by any weapon made of iron, wood or any other metal.
Bramhaji said,”Let it be so.” On begetting this boon from Brahmaji, Vritasur became egoistic and started attacking the devtas (deities).
Vritasur was also the master of illusionary or maya power. With the help of his illusionary power, he was capable of stopping the flow of water, cover the Sun and stopping it from rising. Due to this, the devtas (deities) were scared of him.
Once Vritasur defeated Lord Indra and snatched away his throne from him. In the heaven, when Indra and the deities came to know that Vritasur cannot be killed with weapons made from iron, wood or any other metal, they went to the most knowledgeable Sage Dadhichi and requested him to find a way out of their trouble.
Sage Dadhichi donated his bones for the protection of the devtas (deities).
Sage Dadhichi used to recite Shiv-Kavach- mantra (armour charm) and due to this, his bones had become very strong. Lord Indra created an unfailing weapon named “Vajra’ with these bones.
Indra knew that in spite of this weapon, it was not easy to win over Vritasur as he was very intelligent and expert at war, so he played a little trick.
Indra sent a heavenly nymph named Rambha to Vritasur. Rambha made Vritasur drink wine.
When he was intoxicated and drunk, Indra challenged him for war and killed him with the Vajra, the weapon made by the bones of Sage Dadhichi.
Vritasur was a devil but very knowledgeable and in his previous birth he was a great Vishnu (Lord Vishnu is a part of the Hindu Holy Trinity; Lord Brahma is the first member of the holy triad, Vishnu being the second and Shiva, the third) devotee named “Chitraketu”.
He had got this knowledge from the Sanatkumars. Due to his devotion of Vishnu in his previous births, Lord Vishnu never came forward for a duel with Vritasur and awarded him salvation after his death.
