As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 88

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Tarakaaksa, Vidyunmali and Kamalaaks, courageous and saintly sons of mighty Daitya Taraka realised the loss of father Taraka and therefore, deliberate long and resolve to meditate on Brahma…they delight and gratify the supreme lord and he blesses the three holy souls with boons

Now, one learns about the wicked forces, who try to bring about widespread destruction. Mighty daityas and demons the symbols of malevolence and criminal intents were persistent in acts of destruction. Therefore, they continued to destroy land, life and property of noble souls. On the other hand, Narada felt supremely blessed when he heard tales of Ganesha and Kartikeya. He asked Brahma about the advent of daityas and the fury of Rudra, who destroyed daityas, for they were enemies of gods of heavens and created beings.

Monk Sanakakumars told this legendary tale to sage Vyasa, and further Brahma made it clear. ‘When Skanda, Shiva’s son killed Tarakasura, it was a great loss to daitya’s sons – Tarakaaksa, Vidyunmali and Kamalaaksa. They were mighty and had full faith that they were capable of confronting the gods of heavens in the battlefield.

To demonstrate supremacy over gods, they went to mountain Meru and undertook rigorous tapa to please Brahma’, Kumaras said. Brahma blessed the three daityas and so they got the boons namely – that none howsoever powerful would be able to kill them was the first boon. The other blessing was that no disease or ailment should come near them. The third wish was- that death would not come and that they would live eternally, and govern the three worlds. At the same time, the powerful daityas would be able to eliminate living beings. It was not possible to grant immortality, the lord had told. However, he granted other wishes. Through Visvakarma, he made a golden city for Tarakaaksa, for Kamalaakasa he constructed a palace of silver and for Vidyunmali he made it with hard rock as strong as iron. The palaces were all grand, imposing and captivating and further, they desired blessing that all of them live life safely and peacefully.

If Brahma granted earnest boons, he always thought of lord Shiva the knower of creation and then blessed fully knowing the limitation and design of Supreme Lord. Brahma asked artisan of daityas Mayei to construct the three cities as desired. These cities blessed the citizens with the name and bhakti of Shiva and it created breathtaking and horrible difficulties for gods of heavens, who felt the impact of devotion of daityas of three cities Mayei had built on the direction of Brahma, for it gradually minimized the influence of divine beings.

Brahma’s inspirational guidance to daityas proved effective. They became devotees of Shiva and it began to diminish the influence of gods, which caused worries. If the daityas continued devotion and bhakti, gods would no longer govern heavens and therefore, to seek relief they preferred to go to Shiva. He further guided them to Vishnu, for he expressed inability to work against devotees. Very soon, delusory powers of Vishnu brought happiness to gods, as daityas evinced no interest in principles of dharma and became slaves of impiety and malevolence and now one learnt the truth in detail.

It was a huge question of survival for the gods of heavens. Influence of sons of Taraka was tremendous and it, in fact, proved painful and agonising for the gods of heavens. It was also a matter of supreme dilemma for the gods. How could the lord go against devotees was the real question? The gods of heavens suffered for some time and thought of some way out and therefore, after careful deliberations, they went to Pitamaha Brahma as Kumaras told and advised, and afterward, the gods related the miseries they were still undergoing.

“O lord, the swamy of three puris, the Tripuras (countries) – the sons of Taraka have made lives of the gods of heavens and other created beings miserable and so we have come to you to seek protection and shelter. Please think of the elimination of the three daityas so that we live in peace and harmony.”

Brahma knew the cause of sufferings so he advised them to go to Shiva. They praised the lord and then, revealed the purpose of visit. The gods told about the defeat of Indra and gods of heavens at the hand of sons of Taraka and so all the gods, sages, monks, holy souls, celestial beings, other created beings were suffering and atrocities of daityas continued without respite. They were likely to destroy the three worlds if not stopped.

However, Shiva told, “O gods, at this time, the citizens of three puris are engaged in charitable acts of dharma, truth and righteousness. No wise man or man of dharma can hurt or create difficulties for men of religious demeanor and devotion. It is not dharma. I know sufferings of gods of heavens. They are very powerful and even if gods and asuras come together and attack, they cannot defeat the three brothers of intense bhakti and meditation, who enjoy the blessing of Brahma. Taraka’s sons are men of dharma and punya-karmas. I cannot be untrue to friends and devotees…” He continued to spell out probable impediments.

Later, he told, “These daityas are my devotees. How I can destroy? You understand principles of dharma…so long they meditate on me, it is impossible to kill. It is better you go to lord Vishnu.”

All the gods of heavens appeared before Vishnu. Now, with the passage of time, the affect of delusory potency brought a big change in the attitude of asuras and gradually, the entire management crumbled as asuras left eternal laws of dharma and thus, killed the essence of sanatan dharma and lost ideals of virtuous character. Vedic dharma no longer existed, women left allegiance toward dharma of faithful wives, even while passion and senses took control of men. They ignored religion – related karmas and so, it was dance of sins and crimes, viciousness and violence, immorality and dishonesty. Adharma caused immense damage and the delusory powers made indentation in the power of Mayei and daityas.

It was loss of dharma and values, and spread of wickedness and unethical thoughts, and therefore, gods of heavens went to Shiva – who they called Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Rudra the destroyer also, and saluted him many times and eulogised through hymns and songs. They continued to praise and stood with folded hands, and when asked revealed the objective and left it to the lord to find solution to the tyranny of daityas, who had lost dharma and continued perpetrating atrocities on citizens of heavens.

Vishnu thought of Shiva, who appeared at once and said to gods seriously, “I will destroy wicked daityas. You do not doubt.” He told of the intensity of devotion daityas had toward Shiva and now, under the shadow of maya – the delusory powers, they had lost dharma and no longer were lord’s devotees. This had not brought ray of hope. Brahma intervened and told the great lord that only he could save gods, for it was mayajaal – delusory powers and so implored before the lord to destroy the iniquitous.

Shiva was happy and so told Brahma that he had no war material, no chariot and charioteer, no bow and arrows or…and so was not capable of killing daityas. Later, Vishnu emphasised the significance of incantation of mantra – ‘Om Shivai namah…shubham, shubham kuru kuru Shivai namah Om.”

It delighted the lord and he appeared before the gods of heavens and offered prayers, praised the lord and paid tributes. The gods spoke of the acts of violence, genuine worries about the survival of gods and disclosed the objective. Shiva heard and assured the gods of heavens and then, asked Vishnu and Brahma to make available essential weapons and miscellaneous material, and impressed the eternal importance of mantra that was a path to attain moksa. Thereafter, Vishvakarma made a divine chariot for lord Shiva.

To be Continued