Aruna, an asura has only one ambition. He wants to defeat Indra and the devas. So he comes out of Patala, climbs the Himalayas, sits on the banks of the Ganga and performs penance and chants the Gayatri mantra for aeons. The heat of Aruna’s tapasya consumes the three realms.
So, Indra and the devas become anxious, rush to Brahma and beg him to fulfil Aruna’s wishes. Their first priority is to somehow stop Aruna’s tapasya. So Brahma appears with Gayatri Devi before Aruna and asks him what he wishes for. Aruna says, “O Pitamah, the only boon I want is that I should never die.”
Brahma smiles at him and says, “O Aruna, Vishnu, Shiva and I too succumb to death. How can I give you a boon which is beyond my powers? Ask for something reasonable.”
Aruna smartly says, “Then grant me this boon – No man, woman, bird or animal can kill me in any war using any manmade or divine weapon. And also, that I have an army which conquers the devas.”
Brahma grants Aruna these boons and vanishes from there. Aruna immediately challenges the devas and invites them for a battle. When Indra hears about Brahma’s boon to Aruna, he seeks Brahma’s and Vishnu’s help. And all the devas, Brahma and Vishnu know that only Shiva can help them. But when Shiva hears about Brahma’s boon to Aruna, even he cannot find a way to kill Aruna.
That is when they hear an asariri say, “Aruna chants the Gayatri mantra ceaselessly. That mantra is the root of his power. If he stops chanting the Gayatri mantra you can kill him. And Devi Gayatri alone can help you do so.”
So Indra seeks his guru – Brishaspati’s help and says, “O guru, please convince Aruna to stop chanting the Gayatri mantra. In the meantime, we will perform a yagna to worship Gayatri Devi and beg for her help.” Brihaspati agrees to do so.
He goes to Aruna’s palace in the guise of a muni. Aruna looks sceptically at the orange-robed ascetic and says, “O rishi, how did you get the courage to visit me when you very well know that I hate you all.” Brihaspati calmly says, “O Aruna, how can we be enemies when we all worship the same Gayatri Devi? All the people who chant the Gayatri mantra and worship Gayatri Devi belong to the same family, isn’t it?”
Aruna considers the rishi’s words for a moment and says, “If that is the case, I will no longer worship Gayatri Devi. I did not know that the cowardly devas too worship her. And now O Brahmana you better get out of my way quickly lest I drink your blood and quench my thirst.”
Brihaspati feels satisfied when things fall in place so easily. But the deva guru feels amused – Hatred was such a strange emotion. It could distort perspectives to such an extent that people lose sight of things that is of immense value to them. But he knows that Aruna will surely stop worshipping Gayatri Devi. So he shrugs his shoulders and makes his way out of Aruna’s kingdom quickly.
Meanwhile, the devas are busy performing a great yagna for Devi Gayatri. They worship Gayatri Devi by chanting her Bija mantra continuously. The Devi appears before them after several long years. But the devas feel surprised to hear a strange droning sound emerging from her clenched fists. When they look at the Devi closely they realize that she was wearing garlands made out of swarms of black bees and golden hornets. They realize that the droning sound of these insects is the Hrimkara mantra which creates the first sacred vibrations amidst all of creation.
So, Brahma, Vishnu, Shankara and the devas sing hymns in praise of Devi Bhagawati. The Devi says, “O Devas, I am Brahmari Devi, an amsa of Devi Bhagawati herself. I know your plight. Everyone has stopped performing yagnas and chanting the Vedas because they are scared of Arunasura. Brahma’s boon does protect Aruna. Very well. But look, I have brought the killers of Aruna with me. Look at these creatures – they are neither male nor female, bird nor animal and are not manmade or divine weapons either.”
Brahmari Devi then opens her hands and releases swarms and swarms of bees, wasps and hornets from them. They create a deafening sound and fill the heavens and earth slowly. And Brahmari Devi continues to release more and more bees from her arms, sides, her many faces and from all over her body till the earth and the sky are completely covered with their black bodies. The earth looks like the darkest of nights.
These insects seek Aruna and his asuras with vengeance and do not rest until they rip them apart to shreds. Within an hour all the asuras die. And then Brahmari Devi absorbs all the bees, wasps and hornets back into her body. Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and all the devas cry jubilantly with joy and rejoice in the sea of love that Brahmari Devi showers on them.
*The Shaivites believe that MahaGayatri is SadaShiva’s consort. It is believed that the Brahmari Devi temple in West Bengal is the Tristrota Shakti Peeth where the left leg of Sati fell. Here Brahmari Devi has the form of Kali and is enshrined in a red coloured one-storied temple along with Bhairava.
*Gayatri Devi, also known as Vedamata (mother of Vedas) personifies the Gayatri mantra, a Vedic hymn. She is also known as Savitri because she is associated with Savitr, a solar deity in the Vedas.
*According to some texts Gayatri Devi, a form of Saraswati, is the consort of Brahma. The Padma Puran says Gayatri Devi was an Abhira girl who helped Brahma perform a Yagna in Pushkar.
Faith helps us cope with our fears and insecurities. There is no doubt about that. But human nature can be quite complex. Like Aruna, we may engage in intense spiritual practices. And yet continue to nurture emotions like pride and hatred in our hearts. Sadly, like Aruna, despite our constant spiritual pursuits, we continue to succumb to our inherent human frailties and tendencies. Such stories do sober us up to the realities of our nature. Very well.
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