Indra Rescues Devasena from Keshi
Wandering on Mount Manasa in search of a general for his army, Indra hears a woman's desperate cries. He finds her being seized by the asura Keshi, confronts him, and shatters his weapons with the vajra — wounding Keshi and forcing him to flee. The maiden, Devasena, reveals she is Prajapati's daughter and describes the kind of invincible husband she desires.
In ancient times, the gods and the asuras were always engaged in destroying each other. The danavas — terrible in form — were always able to vanquish the gods. On witnessing that his armies had been destroyed by them several times, Indra was greatly anxious about finding a general for his army.
He thought: *I must find an extremely powerful person who, on seeing the army of the gods destroyed, will have the valour to protect it.*
Reflecting on this, he went to Mount Manasa.
There he heard terrible lamentations voiced by a woman.
"Let someone come to me. Let a man come and protect me. Let him show me a husband. Or let him become my husband himself."
Indra told her: "Do not be afraid. You have no reason to be scared."
As he said this, he saw Keshi standing before him. The asura wore a crown on his head and held a club in his hand. He looked like a mountain, rich in minerals. He was grasping the maiden by the hand.
Indra told him: "Why are you acting towards this maiden like someone who is not an arya? Know me to be the wielder of the vajra and refrain from causing her any violence."
Keshi replied: "O Shakra! Let her be. I desire her. O chastiser of Paka! Return to your city with your life."
Having said this, Keshi flung his club at Indra, so as to kill him. But as it descended, Indra sliced it into two with his vajra.
Enraged, Keshi then flung the peak of a mountain. On seeing that mountain peak descend, Indra splintered it with his vajra, and it fell down on the ground. As it fell, the peak hurt Keshi. Having been thus hurt, he let go of the immensely fortunate maiden and fled.
When the asura had left, Indra spoke to the maiden. "O one with the beautiful face! Who are you? Whose are you? What are you doing here?"
The maiden answered: "I am Prajapati's daughter, famous by the name of Devasena. My sister Daityasena has already been abducted by Keshi. When Prajapati gave us permission, we sisters always used to come to Manasa to sport, together with our friends. The great asura Keshi always craved for our favours. Daityasena desired him, but I did not. She was then abducted, but I have been freed through your strength. O lord of the gods! I desire that an invincible one like you should be my husband."
Indra replied: "My mother is Dakshayani. You are the daughter of my mother's sister. I desire that you should tell me about your own strength."
The maiden said: "O mighty-armed one! I am weak, but my husband will be strong. Through my father's boon, he will be worshipped by the gods and the asuras."
Indra replied: "O goddess! O unblemished one! What kind of strength will your husband possess? I wish to hear this from you."
The maiden said: "He will be immensely valorous and immensely strong. He will vanquish the gods, the danavas, the yakshas, the kinnaras, the serpents, and the rakshasas. He will be seen to vanquish all the evil ones. Together with you, he will vanquish all the beings. Such will my husband be. He will have the traits of a brahmana. He will be extensive in his deeds."
On hearing her words, Indra was unhappy and began to think, because there was no one who could be the husband the goddess had spoken of. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 510