( In the above picture, the five-headed Tripurantaka points an arrow towards the Tripura (rightmost top corner). His bow is made of mount Meru and the serpent Vasuki is its string. The four-headed god Brahma is the charioteer and the moon and the Sun are depicted as the wheels of the chariot.)
Kartikeya wages a war against Taraka, an asura king and manages to kill most of them. But Tarakaksha, Vidyunmalin and Kamalaksha manage to escape. They are fed up of living in constant fear of the devas. So they want to create a safe haven for the asuras.
They perform the most austere of tapasyas in a secret cave on Mount Meru to please Brahma. When Brahma appears before them they say, “We want to become immortal. Grant us invincibility from all beings in the universe.” Brahma says, “Ask for something that you can handle. You wouldn’t even know how to deal with immortality.”
So they say, “Grant us each a city which impregnable against all living creatures and sorcery too. Let our race thrive in these three cities safely. We are ardent devotees of Shiva. So let these three cities be destroyed only by a single arrow of Shiva’s.” Brahma says, “So be it” and disappears.
The Tripura
So Vishwakarman creates a city of silver on Bhumi for Kamalaksha, a bronze city for Vidyunmalin in Patala and a city of gold in Swarga for Tarakaksha. The Tripura would align themselves in a single line only once in thousand years, during midday, when the moon was in the Pushya Nakshatra. The asuras are relieved because they now have a safe place to live in forever. Tarakaksha, a great Shiva Bhakta enshrines a Linga in the centre of his city and worships Shiva devoutly.
Maya and Bhakti
But Time, as always, ushers in change. The asuras take their good fortune for granted. Maya takes the form of discord, misfortune and envy and enters their hearts and minds. They sin without giving it any thought for it was in their very nature to do so. But all their sins are forgiven instantly because they worship Shiva with Bhakti. Sadly, their Bhakti was leading them away from Dharma.
Bhakti and Dharma
Indra visits Vishnu and says, “Bhakti for Shiva washes away the sins of the asuras. If this continues who will abide by Dharma?” Vishnu said, “I will corrupt their minds and shatter their faith in Shiva. Only then can Dharma be restored in the cosmos.”
MayaaMoha: Arihat
So Vishnu creates MayaaMoha, the guru of delusion and calls him Arihat. Vishnu looks at Arihat and says, “Use the Maya Shastra, the book of subtle lies to lure the hearts and minds of the asuras away from Shiva. Entrap them in worldly pleasures and delusions. Forbid them from performing rituals. Encourage women to abandon their homes and follow the principles of MayaaShastra. That will shatter their faith in Shiva.”
“You will incur no sin for you obey my orders. Stay in the deserts after you ruin Tripura, O Arihat. You can practise your wretchedness again in the Kali Yuga for true Dharma will never be practised then. I will grant you Moksha when the Kali Yuga ends.”
Arihat and Tarakaksha
So MayaaMoha ensnares Tarakaksha with his mystic mantras and says, “Time changes everything. We too must change with the times. The tenets of Dharma too change over time. We experience both heaven and hell in this world itself for there is no world above, below or beyond us. There is nothing like rebirth. We face the consequences of our actions in this life itself.”
Crafty Arihat tweaks the principles of the Vedas to fulfil the task that Vishnu has given him. He uses his Maayashastra to shatter Tarakaksha’s faith in Shiva. The other asuras also follow whatever Arihat preaches. And they continue to sin as usual. But now their sins cling to them. Pride takes the place of humility. They think they are as good and as great as Shiva so the Linga that they had enshrined in their city lies neglected now.
Pashupatinath
Brahma, Vishnu and the devas approach Shiva now. Shiva gives a mystic smile. He had taken good care of his Bhaktas. He had forgiven all their sins and protected them from harm for so long. But it was time to re-establish Dharma. The Time was just right. A thousand years had passed. The Tripura would align themselves in a straight line at midday when the moon was in the Pushya Nakshatra.
Vishwakarma creates a vimana out of Kaala which can slice through infinity within the blink of an eye. But before he sets out on his journey Shiva cries out in an ominous voice and says, “O Devas, transform into beasts right now. Give me lordship over all the animals if you want me to vanquish the asuras for you. I will free you from your animal bodies after I bring down the Tripura.” The Devas obey Shiva and transform themselves into all kinds of creatures – clawed animals, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians et al. And slowly Shiva assumes the form of Pashupatinath, climbs into his vimana and sets out on his mission.
He flies at the speed of light, strings his bow, the Pinaka with the deadly PasuPati Astra, worships his son Ganesha who sits on his thumb, takes careful aim, waits for the Tripura to align into a straight line in the cosmos and then with fingers as still as death, loosens the Pashupasti Astra from his Pinaka.
The three cities blow apart into a cloud of fire and turn into ashes as they go up in a smouldering blaze. The Tripura hisses hideously as it strikes water and sinks into the depths of the sea slowly. Such is the fire of Shiva’s Pashupati Astra that the pale bright smouldering remains of the Tripura can be seen for many days after that.
Tarakaksha, Shiva’s greatest bhakta, emerges from the ruins of the Tripura, prostrates before the Lord’s feet and said, “I used my Tapasya Shakti to get what I wanted O Shiva. Please bless me with unwavering Bhakti for I now know the difference between Tapasya and Bhakti.” These words of Tarakaksha calm the wrath of Pashupati. But only a little.
For Shiva knows the Devas, Tarakaksha and the Manavas too have a lot more to understand and learn.
Ardhanarishwara
An eerie silence descends over the cosmos after the Tripura falls out of the sky. It is as if Time itself has come to a standstill. Shiva continues to blaze forth dazzling the ten directions. All the Devas are sure that Pashupati would consume the entire universe.
That is when Uma emerges as an emerald green flame in Shiva’s body. Vishnu, Brahma, Tarakaksha and the devas look at the Ardhanarishwara in awe. One half of Shiva’s body is dark and as still as death while the other half radiates life-giving light. Tarakaksha and the devas all bow down humbly before Ardhanishwara who disappears into infinity after conveying his message through his form.
We can understand the difference between Tapasya and Bhakti from this story that we find in the Shiva Puran – easily. But Ardhanareshwara’s message is worth pondering over – for Bhakti alone, for Shiva or any God for that matter, is never enough. It has to be complemented with Shakti. For it is Shakti who empowers us with clarity and gives us the courage to overcome MaayaMoha and walk on the path of Dharma.
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