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The story of Tripurasura revolves around three powerful asura brothers who meet their downfall at the hands of Lord Shiva, emphasizing the significance of righteousness and divine intervention in maintaining cosmic balance.
Characters in the story:
Tripurasura: Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali, and Kamalaksha, the sons of Tarakasura, formed the formidable trio known as Tripurasura.
Lord Brahma: Lord Brahma holds a significant position in Hinduism as the divine creator of the universe and all living beings. He is commonly portrayed with four heads, symbolizing his association with the four Vedas.
Lord Vishnu: Lord Vishnu is one of the three major deities in Hinduism, known as the preserver of the universe and the protector of dharma (righteousness). He is often depicted with four arms holding a conch shell, a discus, a mace, and a lotus flower.
Lord Shiva: Lord Shiva holds significant prominence in Hinduism as a prominent deity, revered for his role as the vanquisher of malevolence and the catalyst of universal change. Depicted in various forms, he is often portrayed as a tranquil ascetic engaged in deep meditation or as the divine dancer, adorned with a third eye, an entwined serpent around his neck, and a trident grasped firmly in his hand.
Lord Indra: Lord Indra is a prominent deity in Hinduism and is known as the king of the gods and ruler of the heavens. He is associated with thunder, lightning, and rain, and is often depicted riding a white elephant named Airavata.
Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali, and Kamalaksha, the sons of Tarakasura, formed the formidable trio known as Tripurasura. Following their father’s ultimate defeat and death at the hands of Kartikeya, they embarked on a momentous journey of penance atop Mount Meru. They dedicated themselves to rigorous spiritual practices for thousands of years with the sole purpose of appeasing Lord Brahma.
When Brahma appeared before them, they requested immortality, but Brahma explained its unattainability. Instead, they asked for three magnificent cities surpassing those of the gods, namely a golden city for Tarakaksha, a silver city for Kamalaksha, and an iron city for Vidyunmali. They also requested that their cities align and merge every thousand years, forming Tripura. Brahma granted this peculiar boon.
Maya, the asuras’ architect, constructed the cities as instructed: a golden city in heaven, a silver city in the sky, and an iron city on earth. The Tripurasuras ruled happily from their respective cities for many years, growing stronger and becoming the rulers of the three worlds. This caused distress to Indra and the other gods, who lost their rule and power to Tripurasura.
The gods sought help from Brahma, who revealed that Shiva was destined to destroy the asuras. He advised the gods to pray to Shiva. They approached Shiva, expressing their defeat by Tripurasura and their concerns for their own prosperity. However, Shiva stated that the asura brothers were virtuous and his devotees, making it inappropriate for him to kill them.
The gods then turned to Lord Vishnu, who suggested performing a sacrifice yagna for creating forces to fight the asura brothers. Thousands of bhutas armed with deadly weapons emerged from the sacrifice, but they were incinerated upon entering the cities.
Realizing that the virtuous asuras couldn’t be destroyed, Vishnu devised a plan to make them unrighteous. He created an ascetic named Arihat and four identical disciples to propagate a deceptive philosophy and lead the asuras astray. Arihat and Narada, sent by Vishnu, convinced King Vidyunmali to embrace the new religion. Subsequently, the brothers and citizens followed suit, turning the cities into immoral societies.
Once the Tripurasuras had become wicked, Vishnu, Brahma, and the gods pleaded with Shiva to annihilate them. Shiva agreed but requested a divine chariot, bows, arrows, and a charioteer. Vishwakarma crafted a gold chariot for Shiva, with the Sun, Moon, seasons, and Vedas serving as its components. Mount Meru became the bow, Vishnu the bowstring, and Agni the arrow tip. Brahma became the charioteer, and the gods transformed into different animals, while Shiva assumed the form of Pasupati, the lord of animals.
Led by Shiva, the army advanced toward the cities, with the gods and Shivaganas at the forefront. When the cities aligned, Shiva released an arrow made of Vishnu and Agni, reducing the cities to ashes and causing the demise of Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha, Vidyunmali, and the asura citizens. Only Mayasura, the architect, escaped unscathed.
Maya approached Shiva, expressing his devotion, which pleased Shiva. Maya humbly requested a boon to forever remain devoted to Shiva, which was granted. Shiva instructed Maya to reside in Vitala Loka with his family and kinsmen.
With order restored in the universe, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, and the gods returned to their respective abodes, having brought an end to the wicked reign of Tripurasura. The balance between the devas and the asuras was restored, and peace prevailed once again.
Even today, the story of Tripurasura serves as a source of inspiration and guidance, reminding humanity of the importance of upholding righteousness and seeking divine intervention when faced with adversity. It stands as a timeless testament to the enduring power of faith and the unwavering commitment of the divine to maintain cosmic balance.
