Tharakasura, after obtaining boons became the tormentor of all Devas! The Devas were driven out of Amaravati and had to seek help from either Brahma, Vishnu or Maheswara! It was found that the one capable of destroying the asura shall be the progeny of Maheswara! Seeing that Maheswara was in deep tapas, the Devas planned to bring together Parvati and Siva so that the child of the couple shall kill Tarakasura. They sought the help of Manmatha, God of Love. Reluctantly, Manmatha agreed), fully conscious of the danger involved in disturbing Siva's penance. As Parvati came to serve the Lord during His tapas, Manmatha shot his formidable flower arrows at the Lord! Emotionally shaken by the romantic arrows, Siva opened His third eye and Manmatha was reduced to ashes! But Siva and Parvati married and thus was born Lord Kumaraswami who later accomplished the great task of killing the terrible and invincible asura Tarakasura! Tripurasura's sons were Vidyunmali, Tarakaksha, and Kamalaksha. They decided to avenge the death of their father Tarakasura!
They performed severe penance standing on a single leg for a thousand years propitiating the Creator Brahma! Another thousand years they performed taking in air alone! Another thousand years were spent in a different posture! Their penance and meditation pleased the Creator and He presented Himself before the sons of Tarakasura! He appreciated their severe effort and asked why they performed such severe tapas. He directed them to ask for any boon from Him.The sons of Tarakasura requested that they should be made Immortal! Brahma was shocked and told them that it is impossible to grant them immortality. He asked them to ask for a different boon. The asuras then wanted the Creator to grant them three ‘Puras' one of Gold, the second of Silver and the third of copper capable of flying in the sky!! The three cities or Puras and the Asuras should meet once in a thousand years! If at such a moment, any person were to shoot them down with a single arrow, then only they would die!! The strange request of the asuras was promptly granted and Brahma vanished! The asuras got their ‘Puras' of gold, silver and copper and they flew about with their individual Cities!
The Devas were very unhappy at what has happened. They approached Brahma for help. He refused to intervene. Then they went to Lord Siva and requested Him to save them from the torments of the three Asuras! Siva too refused to intervene as the asuras followed dharmic and Vedic practices! Disappointed with the refusal of Brahma and Siva, Devas, finally went to Lord Vishnu and sought His help. Vishnu devised a plan to force the asuras reject the Vedas and follow unrighteous ways. He created a person called ‘Ariha' and taught him all ways of Maya. He directed him to reach Tripurasuras and start preaching this new religion of illusion or Maya. Ariha did as he was bid. He collected a few disciples and commenced teaching his new religion! He made people atheists and follow unrighteous ways. He derided and rejected the Vedas, Karma theories. Sage Narada recommended the religion to the Tripurasuras! They believed in the words of Sage Narada and became the disciples of Ariha!
Earlier, when the asuras were defeated by Devas, another asura by name Maya saved them from death by creating a well containing a rejuvenating elixir of life! Vishnu, took the form of a beautiful cow followed by Brahma as a calf and drank away the entire elixir of life! The asuras were shocked! That was the right time to kill the three Asuras! Siva was approached for the task and he agreed to destroy the Tripurasuras.
Viswakarma was entrusted with the work and he prepared a golden chariot for Siva with the power of all Devas! The Sun and Moon were the wheels of the chariot! Creator Brahma became the sarathi- driver of the chariot! ‘Mekhalachala' was fixed as the royal umbrella! Meru mountain was the bow ready to be used as the bow! Ananta became the bow string! Goddess Saraswati arranged herself as jinglng bells lining the bow! Vishnu became the deadly arrow to kill Tripurasuras! Agni, God of fire remained at the tip of the arrow to scorch and kill the asuras! The four Vedas formed themselves into four horses and Siva left with Parvati ready to finish off the terrible asuras!
It was a thousand years since the Tripurasuras were granted the boon! The time of their reunion had approached. Brahma, driving the chariot sensed the arrival of Tripurasuras and their meeting at a place! He alerted Siva that the exact time and moment of shooting the arrow had arrived! Siva, ready with the arrow (Vishnu) and Agni at the tip of the arrow took aim and released the arrow! It went with lightning speed and killed the Tripurasuras with all their following! Devas were overjoyed at this culmination. They heaved a sigh of relief and praised Lord Siva, Brahma and Vishnu. It is said this act of Tripurasura Samhara was performed on the Full Monday of the month of Karthika!
No comments:
Post a Comment