As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 89

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Shiva agrees to the requests of gods and tells Brahma and Vishnu to prepare for war…speaks of the significance of mantra and soon after, the gods’ artisan makes a divine chariot for lord Shiva

Now, Kumaras describe the story of construction of divine chariot Vishvakarma made for Shiva, a tremendously amazing feat of insight and deep wisdom, which had the blessing of lord. Perhaps it could be of great knowledge to the modern man. The divine chariot was an astonishing feat of miracle, and had horses as if the Vedas. Shiva mounted the divine chariot and at that time, sages, gods, gandharavas, nagas, lokapaals, Brahma, Vishnu and other celestial beings praised him immensely. Ganas surrounded the chariot whereas Brahma acted as a charioteer and it added glory to the divine figure of lord…all the gods and divine souls were part of the great army of Shiva. The march to the three puris overwhelmed everyone and it created a scenario that defied description. Unity of asuras was predestined to die and face ultimate split-up and dissolution. Vishnu requested Shiva to reduce daityas to ashes as the time for their end had come and thereby, help gods attain the solemn objective.

Ultimately, Shiva released the great arrow on whose pointed end lord of Fire had situated its divine potency. It created tremendous chaos and pandemonium, reduced many demons to ashes and brought immense miseries to the wicked. At this time, Taraka-aksa and his courageous brothers remembered Sankara and said, “O lord, we know you are happy with us. How long you will scorch with the truth…the truth that we are devotees. Death through you O lord is not possible even to gods what to speak of daityas. However, this difficult and unattainable goal, we have achieved…now, in whatever yoni we take birth, our hearts and minds will be full of bhakti for you.” Daityas continued to bewail with rays of hope and faith in the lord and thereafter, the lord of Fire sought consent of the lord. He reduced them to ashes in a breathtaking way and so the entire tribe of daityas – old and young, men and women of Tripura and other created beings -animate or animate appeared merely a heap of ashes. Only Visvakarma and Mayei survived in the dreadful fire of destruction.

When Tripura and its citizens faced death and destruction, it was an awful scenario and the gods of heavens when noticed extremely angry eyes and the dazzling face of lord they were astonished. It had the brilliance of thousands of suns and carried the radiance of annihilation while all the regions and directions appeared blazing and blistering, and when they looked at goddess Parvati it instilled fears and dread.

All gods, sages, seers, monks, celestial beings and created beings filled with fears and uncertainty, appeared before the lord and prayed, “O god, if you are happy, then treat gods and ganas as devotees. Whenever, gods visualise possibility of some misfortune or danger, at that time, you destroy suffering.”

They continued to praise for some time. Shiva was satisfied and so he blessed everyone and granted fulfillment of wishes they harboured. Happily, the lord blessed Mayei, asked him to go and live life happily, and granted a boon that wicked mindset would never overpower him, for he was a great devotee. Thereafter, the lord disappeared and so, Brahma, Vishnu, all the gods, celestial beings, vidhyadharas, gandharavas, kinnars, nagas, the tribe of snakes, celestial dances – apasaras, nymphs and singers, monks and human beings felt blessed, sang hymns of glory of lord and went back.

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