Lalitopakhyanam

Lalitopakhyanam It is the most important section of this Purana. The narration is written in the form of conversation between Hayagreeva and the sage Agastya. Hayagreeva in this context is a seer. There is a celestial of the same name. ho are they! e get the reply for this also in the text.There is a detailed description in the book establishing the harmonious synthesis of the aspects of the three deities "hiva# $ishnu and the %ivine &other. In the past several devotees used to daily recite Lalitopakhyana# the detailed story of Lalita. This pious story contains the inner meanings of the several technical terms of the spiritual science and the finer aspects of the &antra "hastra 'the science of holy chants(. Let us en)oy the feast of nectar by listening to this pious story with deep devotion. Penance of Agastya. Long ago# the mountain $indhya 'central India( started growing upward in gigantic proportion due to egoism. The sage Agastya decided to subdue the pride of $indhya. *or this purpose# he came from $aranasi '+ttara Pradesh# India( and settled in "outh India. ,y the divine presence of the sage Agastya# the entire "outhIndia gradually became prosperous and pious. -ventually the ali /uga started 'As per the tradition of India# ali /uga is the fourth Age# the others being ruta# Treta and %vapara(. In spite of the severe inspection ofthe sage Agastya# the evil traits of the ali /uga started sprouting 0oting this trend# thepeople sage felt sadhim and1uite proceeded on a pilgrimage. The strange slowly. and unrighteous ways of the made unhappy. There was rampant selfishness and sensuousness prevalent everywhere. 2How can thesepeople attain liberation!3 4 This was his nagging grief. After reaching anchi 'Tamil 0adu 4 "outh India( he was unable to bear the burden of the grief# and performed severe penance meditating on $aradara)a 'The ,est of the boon givers 4 a synonym of $ishnu(. 5od6s ways are mysterious7 His power of illusion is incomprehensible7 $ishnu appeared to the sage in the form of Hayagreeva. Agastya asked Hayagreeva 28hLord7 hat is the path of salvation to these ignorant people3! Hayagreeva replied 2There are two paths for this. They are9 a( After renouncing everything# one can attain the knowledge of the# attributeless aspect of 5od. This is a very difficult way. b( The second method is to worship the %ivine &other who is the form of $ishnu with attributes. -ven a sinner can do the worship. There is another advantage in this type. The devotee can simultaneously get en)oyment and salvation by following this path3. *urther# $ishnu ordered to the sage Agastya 2/ou have to propagate this divine secret in the entire world3. The sage asked# 2Lord $ishnu7 indly narrate the story of Para "hakti 'The +ltimatePower# the %ivine &other( who is your aspect with attributes 3. At this stage# $ishnu asked sage Hayagreeva 'born with the Lord6s aspects( to tell the detailed story to Agastya. 2The %ivine &other emanated from meditation of ,rahma 'the :reator(. Her name then was Prakruti 'The nature(. &ohini Avatara. *or the second time# the %ivine

&other manifested as &ohini at the time of the churning the ocean by the celestials and the demons 'to obtain Amruta;nectar(. Let us see how it happened. 8nce upon a time# Indra 'the Lord of the Heaven was overpowered by the pride of his prosperity. His reverence to even "hiva gradually diminished. 8bserving this# "hiva asked the sage %urvasa to meet Indra in the Heaven. The sage started taking the path of 5andharvas 'the celestial singers(# which was very beautiful. The sage appeared uglier than a beggar. Anyway he proceeded ahead pompously. 8n the way the sage saw a celestial lady holding a fragrant garland of divine flowers. The ugly looking sage asked the beautiful lady# 2here did you get this garland3! "he observed him keenly and realised that he was a sage. "he prostrated to him and replied humbly 2"ir7 I am )ust now returning after doing the worship of the %ivine &other# who manifested and gave me this garland as Prasadam3.
en)oyment and that the easy money was sinful. Hence let us use this unexpected and unearned money for charities. After prolonged discussions# the wife6s opinion won. Then $eeradanta selected a place of water scarcity and arranged the digging a big water tank for public use. hile the work was in progress# further plans were made and accordingly# he started the construction of temples for $ishnu and "hiva by the side of the tank. hen the pro)ects were half way# the money was exhausted. Hence $eeradanta started spying to find out the several places at which the thief $a)ra was hiding the stolen wealth. ithout causing any doubt to the thief# the hunter used to take out money little by little from the pits and continued the construction without interruptions. Along with this# he started to donate the money. However the hunter did not use the money for himself or his family. Thus# constantly encouraged by his wife# his charities developed. The ,rahmanas of anchi were glad and gave the titles 2%vi)avarma3 and 2"hilavati3 to the hunter and his wife. These titles eventually became their names in vogue. "ome time later# the hunter planned and constructed a city. Instead of giving it his own name# the hunter named it as 2%evaratapura3# as a mark of respect to his guru 2%evarata3. After a few years# the hunter and his wife died at the same time. The messengers of /ama 'The 5od of death and the Lord of Hell(# and "hiva and $ishnu arrived to takeaway the
,ruhaspati replied 2In the distant past# =%iti6# the second wife of ashyapa gave birth to a son by name %anu and a daughter named >upavati. %anu is the predecessor of the race of %anavas 'demons(. >upavati was married to ,rahma 'the :reator(. Her son was $ishwarupa. He did severe penance. He had many divine aspects. However he was a nephew of the demons. He was affectionate towards both the races 4 the celestials and the demons. After a while# Indra chose $ishwarupa as his 5uru 'at that time# ,ruhaspati was not the 5uru of the celestials(. Indra expected that $ishwarupa would be partial towards the celestials and that he would destroy the demons. However $ishwarupa was friendly towards all. 8bserving this# Indra suspected that being a friend of the demons# $ishwarupa was harming the celestials. 8ne day# Indra suddenly went to $ishwarupa and cut off all his three heads. ,y doing so# Indra was afflicted by the sin of ,rahmahatya 'killing ,rahmana(. 0ot only that. Aggrieved by the death of His son# ,rahma 'the :reator( cursed Indra. Terrified by these two ',rahmahatya and curse of ,rahma(# Indra accompanied by all the celestials# sought refuge at the feet of $ishnu# who contemplated deeply and allocated the effect of Indra6s sins to the earth# the trees and the women. As compensation# $ishnu gave the power that the pits of earth could be filled up# the power that even the trees once cut off could revive and the power of women to beget children. Thus Indra was relieved of the effect of the sin of ,rahmahatya 'killing a ,rahmin(. However# the curse of ,rahma 'the :reator( still persisted. $ishnu called for ,rahma and re1uested Him on behalf of Indra for relief from the curse. ,rahma thought over the same and said# 28. *or the present my curse won6t take effect3. $ishnu said nothing. Again Indra became prosperous. However# very soon his pride increased. This time# Indra was affected by the anger of "hiva and so he was cursed by the sage %urvasa3. Listening to all this# Indra recollected the past events and sadly asked ,ruhaspati 2&aster7 hat have I to do now3! hen the guru was about to reply# a demon named &alaka invaded the Heaven with a huge army and sei?ed the kingdom. Indra had to escape in a great hurry. He went straight to ,rahma and prayed to Him for mercy# who also pitied Indra. However even the :reator could not decide what to do and approached $ishnu along with Indra and the celestials. $ishnu thought of the problem deeply and advised them# 2/ou churn the ocean to get the 5oddess of prosperity3. *or this purpose# Indra made reconciliation with the demons and taking their help# he and the celestials churned the ocean. %uring the churning# very valuable things emanated from the ocean. At last# %hanvantari 'the 5od of Healing( came out holding the pot of Amruta 'nectar(. Looking at him# the demons grabbed the pot and started running away with it. A bitter battle started between the celestials and the demons. There was utter confusion. -ven ,rahma and "hiva escaped and reached their abodes. 8bserving all this# $ishnu went to a secluded spot and started meditation of "ri Lalita %evi# who dwells within Him as the aspect of power. %ue to this meditation he manifested as a form of Lalita %evi. Taking this incarnation as an embodiment of eroticism# $ishnu approached the celestials and demons. The celestials could realise the form as divine and auspicious.

However# due to their predominating trait of Tamas 'ignorance(# the demons were enchanted by the beauty of the form and stopped fighting. "he mesmerised them and took the pot of Amruta 'nectar( from them# taking their consent to her to serve the nectar to all. "he asked the celestials and the demons to sit in separate rows. "he started to give the nectar to the celestials only first. Allured by her# the demons sat still stupefied. ,y the time the nectar was given to the celestials# the stock exhausted. "he disappeared suddenly. The demons again started to fight with the celestials. However as the celestials have already drunk the nectar by then# the demons were defeated. Thus# the %ivine &other who manifested and enchanted the demons was called &8HI0I 'the divine enchantress(. "hiva# staying in ailasha came to know of these events and wanted to note the specialty of the new form of $ishnu. Along with his consort Parvati# "hiva went to $aikuntha# the abode of $ishnu and pressed Him tos how the form of &ohini. $ishnu suddenly disappeared without saying yes or no. hile "hiva was searching for $ishnu# he happened to reach a new place where he continued to search. There he heard the music of $eena. He saw a beautiful young lady. +nable to resist this infatuation# "hiva embraced her. At once a son was born. He was named "A"TA 'one who rules(. He became a commander in "hiva6s army. At once the lady disappeared. "hiva realised that she was none else than &ohini# a form of $ishnu. He applauded her beauty and returned to ailasha along with Parvati. Thus the %ivine &other incarnated as &ohini and granted success of the activities of the celestials. Agastya heard the story and said# 2Hayagreeva7 indly let me know in detail which form of Para "hakti 'The %ivine &other# the "upreme Power( will bestow both food and salvation to the devotees in the ali /uga3. Hayagreeva replied# 2Lalita %evi isthe only 5oddess who has the power to do so. Listen to her story3.In the distant past# "ati %evi# a daughter of %aksha was married to "hiva. However gradually# %aksha developed hatred towards "hiva. %ue to this ill will# %aksha intended to perform a /aga 'fire sacrifice( without making any offering to "hiva. He didn6t invite even his daughter "ati %evi to the /aga. "he came to know of the forth; coming great /aga to be done by her father. "he didn6t know other details. However# over)oyed by the news of the ritual her father was going to perform# he went to the /aga# in spite of "hiva6s disapproval of her visit. "ati %eha Tyaga '"elf;immolation of "ati( Ignoring the natural affection to his daughter# %aksha insulted her and repeatedly abused "hiva. +nable to bear the insult to "hiva# "ati %evi burnt her body in the fire created by her power of yoga. nowing about this calamity# "hiva became furious. :reating the terrific $eerabhadra out of the locks of hair of His head# "hiva sent him to attack %aksha. $eerabhadra destroyed the hall of /aga# swallowed even the :hakra 'the circular weapon of $ishnu( and beheaded %aksha. The wives of %aksh aprayed to $eerabhadra who was pacified and revived %aksha back to life by )oining he head of a goat to the trunk. %aksha repented and prayed to "hiva for pardon. "ati %evi was born as the daughter of Himavanta 'Himalaya &ountain( and &enaka# as the couple did penance for @B million years with the intention to beget her as their child. The newborn was named Parvati 'daughter of Parvata;mountain( and brought Her up with love and affection. 8ne day# the sage 0arada visited Himavanta and said# 2/ou are very fortunate. The %ivine &other is born as your daughterC "hiva is doing penance in your mountain range in his 2"thanu Ashrama3 'abode of stones(. After the departure of "ati %evi# He

has become an ascetic. It will benefit you considerably if you send your daughter o serve Him3. Himavanta6s )oy knew no bounds on hearing 0arada6s words. He went to the abode of "hiva along with his daughter. After taking 0andi6s 'the 8x which is the vehicle of "hiva( permission# he approached "hiva# worshipped Him and prayed to Him to allow Parvati to serve him. "hiva said# 28. "he may do so3. Then onwards# Parvati used to render services to "hiva for hours together. However# "hiva used to be in a state of ecstasy of yoga continuously. ama %ahana ',urning of :upid( This being so# a demon by name Taraka invaded and occupied the Heaven along with his army and started to hurt and pester the celestials. All of them approached ,rahma for relief# who said# 2The son born to "hiva and Parvati only can kill the demon. Hence you make such efforts that the marriage will be performed3. Indra# the Lord of the celestials called for &anmatha ':upid 4 the 5od of love(. He praised :upid and asked him to see that "hiva6s ascetic attitude was lessened and that He would start to love Parvati. &anmatha was exuberated by praises and agreed to do as directed. >ati devi# the spouse of &anmatha came to know of this new assignment and tried her best to dissuade cupid from embarking on the ha?ardous venture. In spite of it# :upid proceeded abode 2"thanu There'the he suddenly alluring atmospheretoof"hiva6s the spring season. TheAshrama3. Pramathaganas armies ofcreated "hiva( the were very much disturbed in their minds with the erotic feelings. 8bserving this# 0andi '8x;the vehicle of "hiva( disciplined them. In the meantime# :upid entered the abode of "hiva stealthily and saw "hiva seated in the state of ecstasy of meditation. The very sight of "hiva in the posture suddenly unnerved :upid. At the same moment# Parvati came there. Looking at Her# :upid recovered his courage. hile Parvati was getting up after bending low to prostrate to "hiva# Her upper garment slipped a bit. -xactly at that moment# &anmatha aimed an arrow 'of lust( on "hiva# whose mind was affected a bit. 8bserving this# Parvati feet a gush of )oy inwardly. However "hiva analysed His feeling immediately and looked around to know why it happened so. "hiva saw :upid hiding behind the bushes. At once# "hiva6s third eye 'in between the eyebrows( opened and the fire rushing there from reduced :upid to ashes. Parvati closed her eyes out of fear. ,y the time "he opened Her eyes in a moment# "hiva disappeared with all His attendants. Himavanta came there# consoled Her and took Her home. >ati devi wept bitterly due to the death of her husband &anmatha. $asanta# the god of spring approached >ati devi# consoled her and reminded her of the curse of ,rahma to &anmatha. :urse of ,rahma to &anmatha. 8nce upon a time# there were two demons by name "unda and +pasunda#who were brothers. They did penance meditating on ,rahma and obtained a strange boon that their death could not be caused by anyone else except by themselves only. They were very much fond of one another. Hence they expected that no mutual harm would be possible. Thereafter they created havoc by their terrific acts in the three worlds. All the celestials prayed to ,rahma who thought of a strategy to destroy the demons. He accumulated the essence of beauty of all the fine things in the world and created a woman of ex1uisite beauty. As she was created with a gingelly aspect of beauty in everything# she was called Tilottama 'Tila;gingellyC +ttama;,est( Her beauty enchanted even the celestials. ,rahma checked up keenly whether her beauty was superb in all aspects. &anmatha# who happened to be there at that time# wanted to play a practical

)oke. Hence he aimed an arrow 'of lust( at ,rahma. %ue to this# ,rahma forgetting that she was His daughter chased her lustily. As a last resort# Tilottama started running taking the form of a deer. ,rahma also followed her in the form of a deer. The celestials were highly agitated by this untoward event. 8bserving this impending danger# "hiva manifested as a hunter and holding a bow and arrows came near ,rahma who was in the form of a deer. Looking at the fierce form of "hiva# ,rahma came to senses. He prostrated to His feet and prayed for pardon. ,y then# the celestials and Tilottama arrived there. -veryone was pacified. After taking "hiva6s permission# the celestials sent Tilottamato meet "unda and +pasunda looking at Tilottama going about in a garden# both "unda and +pasunda competed to en)oy with her and at last the demons killed one another. Tilottama returned to ,rahma# who felt happy and sent her to the Heaven with a permanent status as one of the Apsaras'celestial dancers(.

After the entire affair was over# ,rahma recollected what all had happened and sent for &anmatha and said 2/ou fellow7 ,linded by the power bestowed to you# how dare you aim your arrows 'of lust( at one and all# disregarding their age! %o you intend to destroy the code of righteousness! I am saved of grievous sin due to the timely arrival and protection of "hiva. Hence# one day you will be burnt to ashes by the fire of "hiva6s third eye. ,eware7 3Hearing the curse# >ati and &anmatha were frightened and prayed to ,rahma for relief of the curse. ,rahma regained His composure and said# 2The %ivine &other will manifest as Lalita devi. "he will marry "hiva. After the marriage# "he will revive &anmatha to life3 After narrating the story# $asanta 'the god of spring season( consoled >ati devi# saying# 2"ister;in;law7 It is a must for everyone# however great he is# to undergo the suffering of a curse. However as predicted by ,rahma# my brother &anmatha will be revived to life soon. +ntil then# be bold and continue to pray to Lalita devi. >ati devi left the place and followed the advice. ,irth of ,handasura. At this point of time# :hitrakarma# the commander of one of the >udra 5anas '5ana D troupe( one day started toying with the ash of the burnt &anmatha and prepared a doll out of it. He took this doll to Lord "hiva. Lord "hiva6s intentions are indeed unfathomable. As soon as the doll neared Lord "hiva# it sprang to life and the boy thus born prostrated before Lord "hiva and :hitrakarma. :hitrakarma was overwhelmed with )oy. He gave the boy the +padesha of "hata; >udreeya &antra and asked him to undertake penance. hen the penance reached the stage of fruition# Lord "hiva appeared before him. He asked Lord "hiva to grant him a special boon 2Anyone who fights against me should immediately lose half of his strength and that strength should be added to my strength. 0one of the weapons of my opponents should be able to bind me3 was his re1uest. Immediately Lord "hiva granted the boon and added# 2I am also bestowing on you the boon of ruling the kingdom for sixty thousand years3. After giving these boons# Lord "hiva disappeared. He became surprised and a bit apprehensive by the words of Lord "hiva. ,ut soon he forgot it. Lord ,rahma# who was witnessing all this# grew frustrated and swore 2,hand3 2,hand3 'meaning shame# shame(. *rom then on# he got the name 2,handa3. ,ecause

of his 1ualities he became an Asura 'demon( and entered the domain of Asuras. This is how he got the name =,handasura6. In the mean time# from the remnants of the ash of &anmatha were born two demons 4 $ishukra and $ishanga. These two became the main brothers of ,handasura. In addition# thousands of >akshasas 'demons( were born out of the ash of &anmatha. All of them became followers of ,handasura. They formed a strong army of EBB Akshouhinis 'one Akshouhini consists of F@GB elephants# @B horses and@BJEB soldiers(. Having come to know about the birth of thousands of >akshasas# "hukracharya 'the guru of >akshasas( came there and assumed the role of the 5uru for all those >akshasas and initiated them to undertake regular Anushthanas 'daily rituals(. He also summoned &aya# the architect;builder of demons and asked him to create a new city in the province of &ahendra &ountains. He named the city as ="hoonyaka Pattana6 "hukracharya asked all the demons to move to the new city. He crowned ,handasura as the king of the newly formed kingdom and made $ishukra and $ishanga the /uvara)as 'princes( of that kingdom. ,handasura had four wives.

@. F. "ammohini umudini E. :hitrangi K."undari +nder the guidance of "hukracharya# activities like fire sacrifices# $edic education and penance went on uninterruptedly in every house. Tormenting of the three worlds9 hen the kingdom was well established# ,handasura called for a meeting of his brothers and ministers and said9 A( %evatas '5ods( are our enemies. As long as &anmatha was alive# their lineage continued without any problems. They also en)oyed many pleasures. ,( 0ow# because of our luck# we have taken birth from the ashes of &anmatha. The gods are trying to see that &anmatha is born again. e should not allow that to happen. ,efore they try anything like that# we should kill the %evatas. :( ,ut# if we go in our present form# we can not win. Let us therefore assume the form of air and enter their bodies. %( After having so entered their bodies# let us dry up their body fluids# especially the semen. -( If semen dries up# the strength of other tissues and organs will automatically diminish. Then they will automatically be annihilated. *( Let us torment the beings of all the three worlds by entering their bodies in the form of air and by drying up their body fluids. Hearing this# the entire army of the demons cheered with )oy. ithout wasting much time# ,handasura and his army of @BBB Akshouhinis assumed the invisible form of air and entered the heaven. *irst of all# they entered the minds of the angels and dried up

their mental faculties. "ubse1uently they entered the face of the angels# robbed them of their beauty and made them ugly looking. All the women and men in the heaven became impotent and sterile. 0ot only that# their love for one another was also lost. They lost enthusiasm to do anything. -ven the plants and animals suffered the same fate. $ishukra# along with his troupes entered ,hooloka 'earth( and meted out the same treatment to the beings there. People on the planet earth stopped smiling. They lost all happiness. 0o one had any respect for another. 0o one thought of helping the other. They lost interest in their activities. The situation was stone;like# devoid of any life and feelings. $ishanga# along with his troupes entered >asaatala 'one of the seven netherworlds(. He created similar havoc there also. In the 0aga Loka 'land of serpents( everyone became afflicted with grief for no apparent reason. -veryone started hating everyone else. -veryone became drained of energy and potency. >asa# the fluid principle is the basis for the accomplishment of the four;fold aims of life 'Purusharthas(. Let us see how. A. >asa itself is the form of Paramatma# the Almighty.

,. *rom >asa are as created "hukla 'sperm( and "honita 'ovum(. These two are collectively called $eerya. :. *rom $eerya comes anti 'radiance(# +tsaaha 'enthusiasm(# +llasa'happiness(# %harma 'righteousness(# %aya 'compassion(# Preeti 'love(#,uddhi 'intellectual capabilities(# $ikasa 'development(# Parakrama 'valour("hastra $i)nana 'scientific knowledge(# ala Asakti 'interest in arts(# "oundarya %rishti 'proper concept of beauty( etc. %. In plants# the >asa enhances the fire energy# which is hidden in them. 8nly when the fire energy is harnessed# the plants can branch out and bear flowers and fruits. ,ecause of this fire principle# the dried logs catch fire easily and burn. -. The $edas have declared that beings can experience happiness only if >asais present. *. >asa is nothing but Prana 'vital energy(. 5. Having known all these secrets# ,handasura devised the plan of entering the bodies of all beings in the form of air and drying them up. $asanta# the close friend and associate of &anmatha observed this immediately and consoled >ati '&anmatha6s wife(. He said 2-ven the sun# the moon and the stars have lost their brilliance. -ven 5oddess Parvati seems to have become dull and has engaged in Tapas. Therefore# the day when your dead husband will come to life again is not very far. That day will come very soon. "o# stop grieving.3 8n hearing this# >ati %evi prepared to undertake penance. In the heaven# all the %evatas including ,rahma# could not comprehend what was going on and what had caused the situation. 0ot knowing the remedy for their hardship# they approached Lord "ri Hari. hen they finally reached the abode of Lord "ri Hari# they saw that even He was sitting still with his eyes closed. It appeared as though He was merged in the bliss of "ushupti.

After the angels praised His glory for a long time# Lord "ri Hari slowly opened His eyes. 2hat is this! hy are you all looking drained of your energies!3 asked Lord "ri Hari. He called everyone by their names and said9 A. /our present condition is due to the invisible foul play of ,handasura. ,. -ven I have lost the affinity for 5oddess Lakshmi. hat to say about other lesser beings! :. &yself# ,rahma and >udra are arana Purushas 'causal beings for the manifest creation(. -ven then# because we are also inhabiting this creation# even we can not escape the torture of ,handasura. %. There is however one Almighty 5od who is beyond this manifest ,rahmanda. He is called &aha "hambhu. Parashakti is constantly in His :ompany. -. He is devoid of form. He is not dependent on anything. He has nomodifications. He is greater than the greatest. He is the ultimate. *. He is not influenced by the foul play of ,handasura# who is born from the ashes of &anmatha. 5. He can*ollow rescueme. us from our difficulties. Therefore# let us all take refuge in Him and praise Him. "o saying# "ri Hari led all the angels to the brim of the ,rahmanda '+niverse(. There was a huge wall like fence there. The angels summoned the celestial elephants to break the wall. After toiling continuously for one year# a breach was formed in the wall. After passing through the breach# they saw :hinmaya Akasha# which was 0iralamba 'independent(# 0ira)nana 'untainted( and which was devoid of the five elements. They all stood in that :hinmaya Akasha and sang the glory of &aha "hambhu# who was of the form of :hidakasha. Then &aha "hambhu appeared before them. He was dark like clouds. He had two hands. He was holding a "hoola 'spear( in one hand and a apala 'skull( in the other. He had three eyes. Parashakti also appeared before them. "he was holding Aksha &ala 'rosary of beads( and Pustaka 'book( in Her hands. "he was bright and cool like the moon. The great &aha "hambhu smiled and said A. I am aware why you have all come here. ,. Pralaya 'destruction( is of three types. 'i( Avaantara Pralaya 'ii( &aha Pralaya and 'iii( ama Pralaya. :. I am the one who is responsible to rescue the world from &aha Pralaya. $ishnu is the one who rescues from Aavantara Pralaya. It is Lalita Parameshwari who rescues from ama Pralaya. %. These three kinds of Pralaya take place in a cyclic pattern in every alpa. 0ow# aamika Pralaya has taken place because of the destruction of ama and subse1uently due to the actions of ,handasura.

-. 8nly Lalita %evi can rescue from this situation. Parashakti alone can create another Lalita %evi. Therefore# take shelter in her. ,eg her to help you. Hearing this# the %evatas did not know what to do. They again prayed to &aha "hambhu to teach them the method of appeasing Parashakti. &aha "hambhu explained9 A. This is called as &aha /aga. 'great fire sacrifice( ,. I am 'assuming the form of $ayu( the Hota 'the priest who makes the offerings in a Homa( in this /aga 'fire sacrifice(. :. &y :hidagni itself is the fire in this /aga. %. The last of the seven seas# i.e.# a)a >atha. . "he will create Parabrahma in the name of ameshwara and will have Him as Her consort. L. This couple will re;create the entire universe# which will turn out to be more beautiful than the previous creation. &. Lalita Parameshwari will bring &anmatha back to life. 0. "he will create four weapons# namely 'i( Ikshu %hanus 4 a bow of sugarcane '&ano roopekshu kodanda 4 is one of the @BBB names of 5oddess Lalita( 'ii( five Pushpa ,anas 4 flower arrows 'Pancha tanmatrasaayaka is one of the @BBB names(# 'iii( Paasha 4

noose '>aaga svaroopapaashaadhyaa 4 is one of the @BBB names of Lalita( and 'iv( Ankusha 'a hook# especially an elephant driver6s hook( 'rodha;akaaran kusho))vala is one of the descriptions of Lalita( 8. ith the help of these weapons# she will destroy ,handasura. P. "he will bring &anmatha back to life. . "he will give you fresh bodies. >. If you all agree# I will begin this great sacrifice myself. The angels became very pleased and begged &aha "hambhu to be the Hota and carry on the sacrifice. Parashakti and &aha "hambhu disappeared. The angels also returned to their abode. After some time# &aha "hambhunatha# accompanied by Parashakti started chanting the Lalita &aha &antra and entered the +niverse in the form of the seven;layered $ayu 'air(. Parashakti assumed the form of His riya "hakti 'energy of action(. ith the help of riya "hakti# $ayu totally blew the a)a >atha3. Therefore# we find the descriptions such as 2:hidagnikunda sambhoota3 2%eva kaarya samudyataa3 and 2:hakra >a)a >athaa >oodha "arvaayudha Parishkritaa3 in Lalita "ahasranama. The "ri :hakra >a)a >atha had the following dimensions9 A. idth K /o)anas '@ /o)ana is approximately J miles( ,. Height @B /o)anas :. Parvas 'landings(J in number %. :hakras 'wheels( 4 the four $edas. -. Horses 4 the four;fold aims 'Purusharthas(

*. *lag absolute bliss. 5. The seat at the topmost landing is the ,indu Peetha. H. *orm 4 of the form of &eru Prastara. I. The material that was used to make this was =Te)as6. The Lalita Parameshwari so manifested# created a male form from within Herself. His name was ameshwara. ,y her power of will# she created K different weapons. They were# 'i( Ikshu %hanus 'ii( *ive arrows 'iii( Pasha 'noose( 'iv( Ankusha 'a special hook(. "he held all these weapons in her hands. e see the description 4 2:haturbahu samanvitaa3 in the Lalita "ahasranama. "he was shining like the morning sun# with crimson color. '+dyad bhanusahasraabhaa is a description found in Lalita "ahasranama(. Her beauty was full in all aspects. '"arvarunaanavadyangee sarvaabharanabhooshitaa 4 Lalita "ahasranama(. "he always appears as though she is @ years of age. '0ityaa shodashikaaroopaa is a description in Lalita "ahasranama. This description has two meanings. 8ne meaning is that she always appears as one who is sixteen years of age. The other meaning is# there are @ 0ityaa %evis. "he is of the form of these @ 0ityaa %evis. &aha "hambhunatha praised her in many ways. 8rder of :reation. "he extended Herself in both male and female forms and continued the process of creation. A. *rom the left eye# which was of the nature of "oma 'moon( came ,rahmaand Lakshmi %evi. ,. *rom the right eye# which was of the nature of "oorya 'sun( came $ishnu and Parvati. :. *rom the third eye# which was of the nature of Agni 'fire(# came >udra and "arasvati. %. Lakshmi M $ishnu# "hiva M Parvati and ,rahma M "arasvati became couples. -. Lalita %evi directed them to continue the process of :reation. "he herself continued to create certain things. 'i( *rom her long hair she created darkness. 'ii( *rom her eyes# she created the sun# the moon and the fire.

'iii( *rom the pendent hanging in front of her forehead came the stars. 'iv( *rom the chain above her forehead came the nine planets. 'v( *rom the eyebrows# she created the penal code. 'vi( *rom her breath# she created the $edas. 'vii( *rom her speech# she created poetry and plays. 'viii( *rom her chin she created the $edangas. 'ix( *rom the three lines in her neck# she created various "haastras. 'x( *rom her breasts# she created mountains. 'xi( *rom her mind# she created the power of bliss. 'xii( *rom her fingernails# she created the @B incarnations of $ishnu. 'xiii( *rom her palms# she created the "andhyas. 'xiv( "he created other things as narrated in the Purusha "ookta. 'xv( *rom her heart# she created ,aalaa %evi. 'xvi( *rom her intellect# she created "hyamala %evi. 'xvii( *rom her ego# she created $aaraahi %evi. 'xviii( *rom her smile# she created $ighneshwara. 'xix( *rom the Ankusha 'a special hook(# she created "ampatkaree %evi. 'xx( *orm the noose# she created Ashwaa >oodha %evi. 'xxi( *rom her cheeks# she created 0akuleshvari %evi. 'xxii( *rom her undalini "hakti# she created 5ayatri. 'xxiii( *rom the eight wheels of the :hakra >a)a chariot# she created G %evatas. 'xxiv( In the Jth landing# in the ,indu Peetha# she herself was seated. 'xxv( Afterwards# she created the %evatas who would protect the :hakra >a)achariot. After having thus completed the great creation# Lalita %evi re1uested her consort# "hiva ama "undara to created the "hiva :hakra. He immediately brought out a big humming sound and from this# the "hiva :hakra %evatas numbering FE manifested.

Later# Lalita %evi crowned "hyamala %evi as the prime minister. Therefore "hyamala %evi is called &antrini %evi. Lalita %evi handed over the finger ring to &antrini %evi. "he made $aartaalee %evi the chief of her army. Therefore $aartaalee %evi is also called as %andanaathaa %evi. "he is also called as $aaraahee %evi. Lalita %evi created a mace 'a weapon( from her eye brows and gave it to %andanathaa %evi. After this# Lalita %evi created two chariots from her chariot and gave them to &antrini %evi and %andanatha %evi. &antini %evi6s chariot is called 25eya :hakra >atha3. This chariot used to make musical sounds whenever it moved. %andanatha %evi6s chariot is called 2iri :hakra >atha3. Later# Lalita %evi hummed with rage. *rom this hum# KBBBBBB /oginis were born. Another KBBBBBB ,hairavas were also born. Innumerable "hakti "enas 'armies( were also created by her hum. %evi vi)aya yatra '%evi6s victory procession( Later Lalita devi# making the noise emanating from the four oceans as the drums and accompanied with several other instruments proceeded for the battle against ,handasura. *rom Lalitha devi6s Ankusham 'Dspear(# ="ampat karidevi6# came out along with crores and crores of elephants and started following Lalita devi 'sampatkarisamarudha sindhura vra)a sevita(. "ampatkari %evi was sitting on the elephant named =>anakolahalam6 'Dbattlebustle# uproar(. *rom and Lalita Pasham 'Dwhip( arose Ashwaroodha devi along withbattle a big army of horses wasdevi6s moving in front of Lalita devi. 'ashwarudhadhishtishtaswa; koti kotibhiravruta( . The horse carrying Ashwaroodha devi was named =Apara)itam6 'Done whichcannot be defeated(. Later # commander of the army %andanatha devi played the drums to startmarching. As the march started %andanatha devi got down from her chariot and sat down on the lion. The lion is named =$a)raghosham6 'kirichakra ratha rudha damdanadhapuraskruta(. All her soldiers started praising her by twelve different names. 'Panchami dandanatha cha sak)eta samayeshwaritatha samaya sak)eta varahi potrini tathavartali cha maha sena pya)na chakreshwari tathaarighni cheti samproktam nama dwadasakam yune(. Later &antrini devi played the drums of marching. Her soldiers were mainly decorated sensuously. They were playing veenas and singing. &antrini devi was moving in her 5eyachakra ratha 'circle of army formed by singers( Ngeyachakra ratha rudha mantrini parisevita(. "he was being praised by sixteen names. '"angeeta yogini shyama shyamala mantra nayikamantrini sachiveshani pradhaneshi shukapriyavina vati vainiki cha mudrini priyakapriyanipapriya kadambeshi kadamba vanavasinisadamada cha namani shodashaitaini kumbha)a( 8ne who recites this strotra can con1uer all the three worlds. Then# from the bird in the hands of &antrini devi# appeared god %hanurveda with a spectacular bow in his hand and said 2&other7 this bow is called chitra)eevam. This 1uiver is akshaya 'Done which is unlimited# fills up spontaneously(. Please accept them for demolishing the demons.3 0ow Lalita devi started moving with sugarcane# bow# arrows# spear and whip in the =srichakrara)a6chariot. "he is being praised with F names 4 simhasanesi lalitha mahara)ni var; ankusha sundari

chakranathacha sa; mra)ni chakrini rathachakreshwar; i mahadevi kameshi parameshwari ka; mara)a priyakamakotika chakravar; tini mahavidya shivananga vallabh; a sarvapatalakulanatha amnayanat; ha sarvamnaya nivasinishringara n; ayika cheti panchavimshati namabh; ih. 8ne who recites this stotra attains ashta siddhi 'G spiritual accomplishments(. ,andasura vadhodyukta shaktisena samanvita in Lalita sahasranama stotram means one who is ready with her army 'shakti sena( to annihilate ,handasura. ,handa6s war preparation9 hile Lalita devi was proceeding for the war# many bad omens were observed in ,handa6s ="hunyaka6 town. ,handasura called upon an urgent meeting along with his brothers $ishukra and $ishanga to assess and evaluate the situation. In the meeting $ishukra spoke thus9 a.( All gods have burnt themselves by )umping into fire# out of despair. b.( *rom that fire arose mother goddess# who re)uvenated all gods c.( "he is coming for a war with us# along with an army of women d.( Those gods are trying to cut stones using tender leaves e.( -ven then we should not neglect that woman. e must send our army immediately. $ishanga said9 a.( Any work should only be done after properly thinking about it. b.( *irst we must send spies and see how powerful their army is. c.( e must not under estimate the enemies army.

d.( In the past Hiranyakashipa was killed by an animal. e.( "umbha and 0ishumbha were killed by a woman. f.( "o# we must get more information about her g.( ho is she! ho is supporting or protecting her! hat does she want! All these 1ueries should be answered. Listening to this ,handasura shuddered at the proposal with a sarcastic grin. 2-ven if all the gods are behind her# we have nothing to fear. %o not entertain such useless thoughts and spoil your mind3. Immediately ,handasura ordered =utilaksha6# :ommander;in;chief of his army# to protect the fort. He ordered the priests and ministers to perform abhichara 'black magic( homa. He ordered Lalita to be dragged to him holding her hair. 0ow# the demons played the war drums. utilaksha sent the first batch of army with demon %urmada as the commander..At "hunyapura utilaksha made arrangements for protection 4 -astern entry O Tala )angha# "outhern entry 4 Tala bhu)a# estern entry  Talagriva# 0orthern entry 4 Tala ketu @B were placed along with @B akshohini army each. *or each corner of the town another akshohini was allocated for protection. "hakti senas6s uproar. %urmada was confronted by "ampatkaridevi and her army of elephants 'who arose from Lalita devi6s spear(. >ealising that his army was being defeated %urmada himself came for the war seated on a camel. "ampatkari devi who was seated on =>anakolahala6 her elephant# faced him. In the ferocious battle %urmada was able to destroy one gem from the crown of "ampatkari devi. Angry with this# "ampatkari devi killed %urmada with her arrows which pierced his heart. ith that the remaining demons fled back to their town out of fear. Listening to this ,handasura was very angry and sent %urmada6s elder brother urunda for battle. He is an expert in maya yuddha 'war using mystical powers(. *ull of vengeance he attacked "ampatkari devi. In the meanwhile Ashwarudha devi who had taken birth from Lalita devi6s whip came forward and pleaded "ampatkari devi to give her a chance to fight with this demon. 0ow Ashwarudha devi along with her army pounced upon urunda. Ashwarudha devi mounted on =Apara)ita6 was herself leading the army. In that battle she killed urunda by piercing his chest with her spear. >emaining demonsfled for their lives. ,handa became furious. He sent a huge army this time '@BB akshohini( along with  commanders. They materialised serpent gods by name =>anashambari6 which attacked shaktisena. The demons had previously defeated gods using these mystic powers. :rores and crores of serpents# which arose from the serpent gods# started torturing the shaktisena. They were taking birth again and again even after being killed a number of times. Then 0akuli devi mounted on garuda came to the battlefield. *rom her mouth came out EF crores of mongooses. These mongooses started gobbling up all the newborn serpents immediately after birth. Then 0akuli devi killed >anashambari with 5arudastram. All the five commanders now attacked 0akuli devi. 0akuli devi6s mongoose army attacked them from the rear. In that ferocious battle 0akuli devi who

was mounted on 5aruda was making aerial strikes on the demons who were not able to catch her. "he killed the five commanders by chopping of their heads. ,handa after listening to this sent $alahaka and other seven commanders along with EBB akshohini army. These seven demons are sons of demoness named ikasa. In the past they obtained a boon from sun god that at the time of war sun would reside in theireyes. As soon as these demons entered the battlefield the shakti sena army started becoming blindfolded and incapacitated unable to face the brilliance of their eyes. %emons started becoming ferocious. Immediately the bodyguard of %andanatha devi 4 named Tiraskarinika devi# entered the battle field mounted on an aeroplane named =Tamoliptam6. At the order of %amdanatha devi she discharged an arrow named =Andhanastra6 and the seven commanders were forced to close their eyes. 0ow shakti sena started pouncing back. eeping Tiraskarinika devi in the forefront# other gods killed the seven commanders. ith this blow ,handasura lost his senses. He called upon his two brothers for a discussion. In that meeting it was decided that $ishanga would attack devi6s army from its rear side in a treacherous way from 'This their is called Parshti grahamu(. This decision taken they got information spies that Lalita devi was having lesswas army andbecause protection at her rear end and it was easier for them to approach Lalita devi directly and attack her# if they approached from the rear. After the first day6s war# at dusk# $ishanga with a small army proceeded to the rear of Lalita devi6s army noiselessly without any drums. ,y then Lalita devi6s army was moving westward. $ishanga along with his army moved north wards and then turned to reach eastern side. He was able to see "richakrara)a chariot very near to him. Lalita devi was looking forward observing the movement of the army. "he was not having much army close to her. Taking this opportunity $ishanga attacked devi6s chariot from the rear# all of a sudden. Anima and other gods who were present there were taken back at this sudden attack but 1uickly recovered themselves and prepared for a counter fight. -xactly at the same time utilaksha along with ten akshohini army attacked from the front side. "eeing attack from both ends Lalita devi was a little angry. In the mean while# struck by an arrow from $ishanga# the fan present in Lalita devi6s hand fell down and broke. "eeing this Tithidevatas got very angry. They went and re1uested Lalita devithat $ahnivasini and
compound wall of fire around the devi6s army The fire wall is @BB yo)ana wide and EB yo)ana tall. '@ yo)ana is approximately G miles(. At the southern end of fire wall is a @ yo)ana long entry# to enable devi6s army to go out and fight because "hunyapuram is facing this end. 'L.".0)walamalinikashipta vahniprakaramadhyaga("tambhini; devi a member of %andanatha devi family along with FB akshohinisenas was protecting this entry point. "he is also called $ighna devi. ,y then it was dawn. nowing all this news ,handasura was in despair and started thinking what to do. This time he sent all his EB sons for the war. After listening to this news Lalita devi6s daughter ,aladevi wanted to fight these demons herself. ,aladevi is the only daughter of Lalita devi ."he resembles Lalita devi very much but is always only years old ."he stays permanently with her mother.. ,aladevi approached her mother and re1uested for permission to fight in the battlefield.. At the outset Lalita devi denied but looking at the courage and will power exhibited by ,ala devi she ultimately gave permission. "eeing ,ala devi coming for the war &antrini and %andanayaka were astonished and they stood as her body guards. 0ow ,aladevi started ferocious fighting with ,handa6s sons. -very one was surprised at her valor. hole of the second day ,aladevi fought. That evening she shot EB arrows at a time and killed the EB sons of ,handa.

Lalita devi was very happynandita(. and she embraced her daughter ',handa putra vadhodyukta bala vikrama ,handa was grief stricken. %esperately he himself started off for the war. $ishukra and $ishanga pacified ,andasura. $ighnayentra nashnam '%estruction of the mystic symbol of obstacles(. 0ow ,handa sent $ishukra to the warfront. In the darkness $ishukra approached the $ahniprakara 'firewall( 4on a flat stone he drew a mystic symbol and performed some black magic. He then threw that mystic symbol forcefully. It fell in the firewall at some point. ith the affect of that yantra 'mystic symbol( la?iness crept into the minds ofthe devi6s army. "ome started arguing that war itself was wrong. 'b.( "ome said# 2hy should we fight on behalf of the gods3. 'c.( "ome said# 2ho is this Lalita devi! ho has given her superior ship over us!3 'd.( "ome said# 2If all of us together decline not to fight what can Lalita devi do!3 'e.( All of them fell into sleep of ignorance. After midnight $ishukra along with EB akshohini sena surrounded the fire barrier. -ven then none of the members of shakti sena moved under the influence of the ignorance caused by the $ighna yantra. However# $ighnayentra was not able to affect &antrini and %andanatha. ,ut they were both very sad worried seeing the state of their army. 0ot knowing what to do they went and en1uired Lalita devi. Then Lalita devi looked at the ameshwara6s face and passed a gentle smile. *rom her smile 5anapathi took birth. He immediately searched in the firewall and noticed the =vighnayentra shila6 at one place. He broke the shila into pieces and powder with his tooth. 'kameshwaramukhaloka kalpita sri ganeshwara &ahaganesha nirbhinna vighnayentra praharsita(. ith that shaktisena6s ignorance and sleep was dispelled# they immediately got ready for the war. 0ow $ighneswara along with this army came out of the fire barrier and started fighting with $ishukra. $ishukra sent 5a)asura to attack him but soon 5a)asura was slayed. "eeing this $ishukra ran away.

Annihilation of $ishukra and $ishanga. After discussing with ,handasura# $ishukra came back to war# along with his brother $ishanga and son;in;law. ith this the third day war had started. &antrini and %andanatha both started to fight simultaneously. In the front was %andanatha devi mounted on her kirichakra ratha with her plough weapon 'halayudha( swirling it rapidly. ,ehind her was &antrini devi mounted on 5eyachakra ratha as an archer with bow and arrows. %andanatha devi attacked $ishunga. &antrini devi confronted $ishukra.. Ashwarudha# "ampatkari and others attacked the son; in;law of the demons who had come..The army of the demons started slackening. 0oticing this $ishukra discharged Trushastram 'weapon which produces thirst(. "haktisena6s army started to experience intense thirst. Then %andanatha devi invited =&adyasamudra6'Docean of li1uor( devata from her kirichakra and 1uenched their thirst. &adyasamudra deva showered li1uor rains. ith that the army 1uenched their thirst and re)uvenated.. ,y sunset most of the demons including ,handa6s son;in; law had died. Then "hyamala devi '&antrini( fought with $ishukra and killed him with =,rahmashironamakastra6 'a powerful weapon named brahmashira(. %andanatha devi 'Potrini( killed $ishanga with her plough weapon and pestle. However in Lalita sahasranama it is mentioned that $ishukra was killed by $arahiand $ishanga was killed by &antrini;&antrinyamba virachita vishanga vadhatoshita$ishukra prana harana varahiveryanandita. ,y then it was past midnight. 8nly utilaksha the commander in chief was left over to console ,handasura. ,handa along with utilaksha started towards the battlefield. F@G akshohini army along with KB commanders followed him. A(. He boarded a chariot named =Aabhilamu6'Ddreadful(. It is dragged by @BBBlions instead of horses. ,(. His sword is named /atana 'D torture in hell(. 0oticing this Lalita devi herself started moving in her "richakra ra)a ratha towards the warfront. ,ehind her was &antrini in the 5eyachakra ratha followed by Potrini in kirichakraratha. 8ther shakti deities followed her in crores. In the usage of sastra6s 'mystic weapons( and pratyastra 'corresponding neutralising weapons(# none of them were drawn aback 'L"0,handasurendra nirmukta shastra pratyastra varshini( 0ow ,andasura by his mystical powers regenerated &adhukaitabha# >aktabi)a and other old demons. Then Lalita devi made a violent fren?ied laughter 4%urga devi and other deities described in chandi saptashati were born and slayed these demons. 0ow ,handa generated "omaka and other demons. Then Lalita devi generated the @B incarnations of $ishnu from the finger tips of her hands 'L"0 4 aranguli nakhotpanna narayana dasakrutih(. "un was about to set. Lalita devi decided not to delay any more. "he then discharged 0arayana astra and Pashupata astra and destroyed the demons and their commanders who were all turned into ashes '&ahapashupatastragni nirdagdhasura sainyaka(. 0ow ,handasura was the only one left. Lalita devi discharged the &ahakameshawarastra and annihilated ,handasura. Immediately his shunyaka town got burnt down. 'ameshwarastra nirdagdhasabhandasura sunyaka. 5ods proclaimed victory of Lalita devi on the drums and they showered flowers# lighted camphor bla?es and shouted victory slogans.

ama san)eevanam 'rebirth of kama(. ,rahma# $ishnu# Indra and other gods praised Lalita devi6s grandeur 'L"0,rahmopendra mahendradi deva samstuta vaibhava(. In that praise they proclaimed thus9 A.( &other7 ,handa is dead but his friend Taraka is still alive to trouble us. ,.( To annihilate him "hiva must have a son :.( e were trying for the same but in the mean while &anmadha 'god of love( died and all these events happened %.( Therefore kindly give rebirth to &anmadha and perform the marriage of "hiva and Parvathi. Lalita devi smiled compassionately and looked at ameshwara. *rom her looks &anmadha took rebirth .'Haranetragni sandagdha amasan)eevanaushadhih 4 meaning Lalita devi is the sacred herb sa)eevini which gave rebirth to &anmadha who was destroyed by the fire from "hiva6s eye(. >ati and &anmadha prostrated to the mother goddess and praised her. The mother goddess blessed them and instructed9 A.( &anmadha7 0ow you need not fear ,.( 5o once again and cast your magical arrow on "hiva :.( "hiva will loose to you and will marry Parvathi %.( ith my blessings "hiva will do you no harm. -.( *rom now on you can enter every ones body and cause aestheticQ sensuous pleasures to them. *.( Protect my devotees. At the instructions of mother goddess &anmadha with his family went and cast his magic charm on "hiva. This time "hiva left renunciation and started searching vehemently for parvathi. Then &anmadha cast magical arrows on Parvati also. "hiva was very pleased with parvathi6s penance. He appeared before her# granted a boon and married her. umaraswamy was born to "hiva and Parvathi. He became the commander of 5ods army and annihilated Tarakasura. He then married %evasena devi# the daughter of Indra. After helping all the gods &anmadha left to "ripura to serve goddess Lalita devi. "ripura varnanam 'description of "ripura ( hat does "ripura mean! After the annihilation of ,handasura# Trimurtis called upon the cosmic architect $iswakarma and the architect of demons &aya # and instructed them to construct @ palaces in @ kshetras 'sacred places( for the residence of Lalita M "hiva ameswara. &eru and other gigantic mountains 'J(
palatial buildings of mother goddess located in these kshetras are called "ripura. herever a "ripura is located # its dimensions are like this. @.( &ount &eru has K peaks 8ne on the eastern side# one on north west# one on the south west. -ach is @BB yo)anas tall and @BB yo)anas wide these are trimurtis worlds. In the center of these is the fourth# which is KBB yo)anas tall and KBB yo)anas wide. F.( "ripura is on the &iddle peak. "ripura has got metallic compound walls  in number they are s1uare shaped. -ach wall is separated from the next one by one a distance of  yo)anas.@. alayasa 'iron( wall 4 The perimeter of this wall is @ thousand yo)anasF. ansya 'bron?e( wall,etween these two is the first chamber. "everal trees and gardens are located here. &ahakali and &ahakala are the gate keepers here. alachakra is their throne. E. Tamra 'copper( wall 4 Here is a forest of alpavruksha 'wish granting tree(. This is also called as alpavatica. This is the second chamber. $asanta 'spring( is its protector .&adhusri and &adhavasri are his consorts. K. "eesa 'lead( wall 4 Here is a forest of santana trees 'progeny granting(. This is the third chamber 5rishma 'summer( is the ruler . "hukrasri and "huchisri are his consorts. . Aarkuta 'brass( wall 4 This is the fourth chamber. Here is a forest of Hari chandanavruksha 'yellow fragrant sandal wood(. The ruler is varsharutu 'rainy season. 0abhasri and 0abhasyasri are his consorts. . Panchaloha 'five metal( wallIn this fifth chamber is a garden of mandara trees':alotropis gigantea(."haradrutu is the protector. Ishasri and +r)asri are his consorts. . >aupya 'silver( wall 4 "ixth chamber.Pari)ata tree forest .Hemantarutu is the protector. "ahasri and "ahasyasri are his consorts. G. Hema 'gold( wall 4 "eventh chamber. adamba forest. "isira 'winter( s the protector. Tavasri and Tavasyasri are his consorts. This is where &antrini devi resides in a temple. "he has one more 1uarter very close to that of Lalita devi in &ahapadmatavi' forest of lotuses(. hen she is on duty she stays in that 1uarter. In this seventh chamber near &antrini6s residence &atanga kanyas are constantly singing and dancing. &atanga kanyaka charitra 'story of &atanga kanya(. In the olden days a sage named &atanga used to expand the creation byvirtue of the power of his penance.EF. His son &atanga was a great saint and practitioner of penance. He was the friend of Himavanta. 8nce Himavanta started boasting saying that he was the father of 5auri devi. ith that &atanga felt humiliated and started great penance for &udrini devi'&udrinidevi is none other than &antrini devi who had received a ring from Lalita devi. "he is also called "hyamala devi. "he was very happy with his penance and gave boon that she herself would be born as a daughter to him. A few days later "hyamala devi appeared in the dream of "iddhamati devi 'consort of &atanga(. "hyamala devi gave her a flower from the bunch decorating

the formers ear. $ery soon she had a female child who was named Laghushyama as she was born in a very short duration 'Laghu D short# small(. "he was also called &atangi# &atanga anyaka. ith her power she generated crores of virgins# who stay near &antrini devi6s house and keep singing her praises all the time. The :ompounds of precious stones9 Inside the golden compound# there are eleven prakaras 'compounds( one inside the other and inside them there are six more compounds described hereunder. All these compounds are perfect s1uares. Here also# the distance between one compound and the other is "even yo)anas. 'yo)ana is a measurement of length of about nine miles(. @. Pushyaraga Prakara 'The compound of Topa?( The area between the golden compound and this one is called Pushyaraga area. Here male and female "iddhas reside. Those who were born earlier in the race of "iddha and who obtained attainment '"iddhi( in their spiritual practices worshipping the %ivine &other# stay here as "iddhas and gladly continue to worship Her. F. Padmaraga Prakara 'The compound of >uby( Here celestials of the species called :aranas reside. Those who were born in :arana world and worshipped the &other are reborn here# after attaining Her grace. E. 5omedhika Prakara 'The compound of Agate( In this arena# ala "ankarshani devi resides. "he is worshipped by the /oginis and ,hairavas. K. $a)ra Prakara 'The compound of diamonds( Apsaras and 5andharvas 'divine dancers and singers( stay in this arena. They are ever engaged in the
G. &arakata Prakara 'The compound of -merald( The abode of the 5oddess %andanatha also called $arahi exists in this area. There is a garden of golden palm;trees here. The 5oddess +nmattabhairavi# "vapnesvari# Tiraskarinidevi# irapadadevi reside in this area. hen 5oddess %andanatha is on duty# she stays in a separate palace in the forest of &ahapadma ',ig lotuses(. J. $idruma Prakara 'The compound of :oral( In this area# ,rahma along with sages like &arica stays and worship the %ivine&other. @B.&anikya Prakara 'The compound of 5em( This area is also called the hall of gems i.e. &anikya &antapa. Her $ishnu worships the &other. @@. 0avaratna Prakara 'The compound of nine precious stones( In this area exists a huge hall with thousands of pillars. Here "iva along with his attendants constantly supervises the activities being done as per the orders of Lalita %evi. @F. &anomaya Prakara 'The compound of mind( The entire area is a big well of Amruta 'nectar(. The 5oddess Tara resides here. Along with her attendants# she rows a big boat and takes her devotees inside along with Her. @E. ,uddhi Prakara 'The compound of the intellect( The entire area is a big well of ,liss. The captain of the ship in this arena is the 5oddess $aruni. "he is also called as "udha malini and Amruteswari. @K. Ahankara Prakara 'The compound of -goism( The entire area is a big well of criticism and nectarC The water of this well is nothing else than the nectar in the nerve "ushumna 'The central nerve between Ida and Pingala nerves of one6s backbone(. The captain of the ship in this area is the 5oddess urukulla. @. "uryabimba Prakara 'The compound of the "un( Here brilliance comparable to the light of the rising "un exists always. Plenty of flowers called uruvinda are abundant here. The "un performed penance here and obtained brilliance. &artanda ,hairava stays here. He has a very luminous form. His three wives are &ahaprakasa "akti# :akshusmati "akti and :hayada "akti 'The powers of great brilliance# eyesight and shade(. @. :andrabimba Prakasa 'The compound of the &oon( &oonshine ever exists here. The &oon performed penance here and attained illumination. "omanatha# the Lord of the stars is the chief deity of this area. @. "rungara Prakara 'The compound of eroticism( This area is full of waters of eroticism. Here &anmatha# ':upid;the god of love( does atha# the vehicle of "ricakra. At the north;west exists the 5eya :akra >atha

of the 5oddess &antrini. At the north;east exists the iri :akra >atha of the 5oddess %andini. In between the -ast and the south;east exists &antrini gruha 4 the abode of the 5oddess &antrini. In between the -ast and the north;east exists %andini gruha 4 the abode of the 5oddess %andini. The description of the Palace of :intamani @. This palace is centrally located in "ripattana 4 The :ity of "ri 'ealth(. F. The walls of the palace are built with :intamani gems. E. The roof also is made of the same stones of :intamani. K. The palace has three towers by names Iccha "ikhara# riya "ikhara and
@. 8n the cot# there are two pillows for the head and one pillow for the legs. @G. A light red blanket is spread on the bed. @J. The Lord ameswara sits on the cot facing the -ast. He is ever in the form of a sixteen year old boy. He has four hands and three eyes. He wears erotic costumes.

FB. 8n His lap sits Lalita %evi. "he is ever in the form of a sixteen year old girl. Her complexion is rosy. "he wears erotic costumes. "he has four hands. Her decoration is the moon. F@. As she pleases "adasiva# she is called Lalita 'Lalana 4 to please( "iva ameswarankastha "iva "vadheena $allabha "umeru madhya srungastha "rimannagara nayika. :intamani gruhantastha Panca ,rahmasana sthita. &aha Padmatavi samstha adamba vana vasini "udha sagara madhyastha amakshi amadayini The above names in the Lalita "ahasra nama indicate the "rinaara# the :intamani gruha 'the palace of the &other( and her other divine aspects described above. The &other incarnated to kill the demon ,handa. "he is the "upreme &other as per these divine names# will achieve everything auspicious

&okshada -kadasi /udhishthira &ahara) said# 28 $ishnu# master of all# 8 delight of the three worlds# 8 Lord of the entire +niverse# 8 creator of the world# 8 oldest personality# 8 best of all beings# I offer my most respectful obeisances unto /ou. 28 Lord of lords# for the benefit of all living entities# kindly answer some 1uestions that I have. hat is the name of the -kadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of &argashirsha '0ovember;%ecember( and removes all sins! How does one observe it properly# and which %eity is worshipped on that holiest of days! 8 my Lord please explain this to me in full.3 Lord "ri rishna replied# 28 dear /udhishthira# your en1uiry is very auspicious in itself and will bring you fame.
shed tears. The next morning# &ahara) $aikhaanasa described what he had seen in his dream to his council of twice born learned brahmins. 3 = 8 brahmanas#6 the king addressed them# =in a dream last night I saw my father suffering on a hellish planet. He was crying out in anguish# 28 son# please deliver me from this torment of this hellish condition 73 0ow I have no peace in my mind# and even this beautiful kingdom has become unbearable to me. 0ot even my horses# elephants# and chariots and my vast wealth in my treasury that formerly brought so much pleasure# gives me no pleasure at all. 3 =-verything# 8 best of the brahmins# even my own wife and sons# have become a source of unhappiness since I beheld my father suffering the tortures of that hellish condition so. here can I go# and what can I do# 8 brahmins# to alleviate this misery! &y body is burning with fear and sorrow 7 Please tell me what kind of charity# what mode of fasting# what austerity# or what deep meditation# and in service upon which %eity I may have to perform to deliver my father from that agony and bestow upon liberation upon my forefathers. 8 best among the brahmins# what is the use of one6s being a powerful son if one6s father must suffer on a hellish planet! Truly# such a son6s life is utterly useless# to him and to his forefathers. 3 The twice born brahmins replied# =8 king# in the mountainous forest not far from here is the ashram where a great saint Parvata &uni resides. Please go to him# for he is tri; kala;)nan 'he knows the past# the present# and the future of everything( and can surely help you in your gaining relief from your misery.6 2+pon hearing this advise# the distressed king immediately set out on a )ourney to the ashram of the famous sage Parvata &uni. The ashram was indeed very big and housed many learned sages expert in chanting the sacred hymns of the four $edas '>g# /a)ur# "ama# and Arthava(. Approaching the holy ashram# the king beheld Parvata &uni seated among the assembly of sages adorned with hundreds of tilaks 'from all the authorised sampradayas( like another ,rahmaa or $yaas. 2&ahara) $aikhaanasa offered his humble obeisances to the muni# bowing his head and then prostrating his entire body before him. After the king had seated himself among the assembly Parvata &uni asked him about the welfare of the seven limbs of his extensive kingdom 'his ministers# his treasury# his military forces# his allies# the brahmins# the sacrificial offerings performed# and the needs of his sub)ects(. The muni also asked him if his kingdom was free of troubles and whether everyone was peaceful# happy and satisfied. To these en1uiries the king replied# =,y your mercy 8 glorious and great sage# all seven limbs of my kingdom are doing very well. /et there is a problem that has recently arisen# and to solve it I have come to you# 8 brahmana for your expert help and guidance6. 2Then Parvata &uni# the best of all sages# closed his eyes and meditated on the king6s past# present and future. After a few moments he opened his eyes and said# =/our father is suffering the results of committing a great sin# and I have discovered what it is. In his previous life he 1uarrelled with his wife and forcibly en)oyed her sexually during her menstrual period. "he tried to protest and resist his advances and even yelled out# 2"omeone please save me7 Please# 8 husband# do not interrupt my monthly period in

this way73 "till he did not stop or leave her alone. It is on account of this grievous sin that your father now has fallen into such a hellish condition of suffering.6 2ing $aikhaanasa then said# =8 greatest among sages# by what process of fasting or charity may I liberate my dear father from such a condition! Please tell me how I can relieve and remove the burden of his sinful reactions# which are a great obstacle to his progress toward ultimate release 'salvation 4 liberation 4 going back home(.6 2Parvata &uni replied# =%uring the light fortnight of the month of &argashirsha there occurs an -kadasi called &okshadaa. If you observe this sacred -kadasi strictly# with a full fast# and give directly to your suffering father the merit you thus attainQobtain# he will be freed from his pain and instantly liberated6. 2Hearing this# &ahara) $aikhaanasa profusely thanked the great sage and then returned to his palace to perform his vrata 'austere rite(. 8 /udhishthira# when the light part of the month of &argashirsha at last arrived# &ahara) $aikhaanasa faithfully waited for the -kadasi tithi to arrive. He then perfectly and with full faith observed the -kadasi fast with his wife# children# and other relatives. He dutifully gave the merit from this fast to his father# and as he made the offering# beautiful flower petals showered down from devasby who out from behind the clouds in and the sky. The king6s father was thenthe praised thepeered messengers of the demigods 'devas( escorted to the celestial region. As he passed his son# as he traversed the lower to middle to higher planets# the father said to the king# =&y dear son# all auspiciousness unto you76 At last he reached the heavenly realm from where he can again with his newly ac1uired merit perform devotional service to rishna or $ishnu and in due course return back to home back to 5odhead. 28 son of Pandu# who so ever strictly observes the sacred &oksha -kadasi# following the established rules and regulations# achieves full and perfect liberation after death. There is no better fasting day than this -kadasi of the light fortnight of the month of &argashirsha# 8 /udhishthira# for it is a crystal;clear and sinless day. hoever faithfully observes this -kadasi fast# which is like chintaa;mani 'a gem that yields all desires(# obtains special merit that is very hard to calculate# for this day can elevate one from hellish life to the heavenly planets# and for one who observes -kadasi for his own spiritual benefit# this elevates one to go back to 5odhead# never to return to this material world.3 Thus end the narration of the glories of &argashirsha;shukla -kadasi or &okshada -kadasi# from the ,rahmanda Purana. The "ons of "agara :HAPT-> *I*T/;T8 The "acrificial Horse is let loose
F. At the very same time# 8 king# the sons of6 "umati grew up collectively. All of them were amiable# devoted and faithful to one another. E. They had adamantine bodies. They were cruel# merciless and shameless. They were habitually evil in their activities. They had the same nature and characteristics. K. They cooperated in doing simultaneously the same work. They were deluded in their minds. They were easily irritable. They could not be easily assailed by any living being. They regularly harassed the people. . They had no concern for humility# good conduct or the path of virtue. They harassed the entire world around as they pleased# like Asuras. . Attacked and tormented by them# the whole world became distressed and unhappy in particular with /a)Ras and paths of virtue destroyed. The people could not have their regular selfstudy of the $edas nor could they perform holy rites by uttering the $asatkara mantra. . hen everything was being completely destroyed by the sons of "agara who were haughty on account of6 the boons they had been granted# the %evas# Asuras and the grreat serpents became extremely agitated. G. The -arth# overwhelmed by the ocean# began to 1uake though its name is Acala ' immovable (. There was a break and hindrance in the penance and abstract iiwditation of the ascetics. J. %epraved of the Havya and ayva offerings# the %evas and the Pitris became oppressed by great sorrow. They went to the abode of ,rahma. @B. After going there# the %evas with "harvaS ' probably "hakra ( at their head# duly reported to him the entire activities of the sons of "agara. @@. 8n hearing their words# ,rahma# the grandfather of the worlds# became engrossed in thought for a short while. The most excellent one among the "uras then said9 @F. B %evas# listen# attentively to my words. elfare unto you. There is no doubt that the sons of "agara will be destroyed ere long. @E. ait for a short time. -verything is being controlled by time. -verything else is but an instrumental. That time alone is the master of all. @K. Hence# 8 excellent "uras# what I am going to say for your welfare should now be carried out by all of you without any slackness. @. The holy lord apila# the most excellent among victorious ones# the roost exalted among the leading /ogins# is born on the earth with a partial power of $isnu# for the welfare of the universe.

@. He is now sitting# meditating in a lonely place somewhere in the ocean# the water of which had been sucked up by Agastya. This meditation has been going on for the last hundred years according to the reckoning of heaven dwellers. @. At my behest# all of you go to the leading sage apila. "tand near him wishing for the conclusion of his meditation. @G. At the close of his abstract meditation# you will bow down to him and tell him your purpose in full. He will do what is conducive to your welfare. @J. 8 excellent %evas# do something whereby a break in the abstract meditation of the sage can be caused through the sons of "agara3.
burned by the fire of my anger. Hence# B %evas# all the worlds shall be rid of distress. They will have fear from nowhere. Let them ' sons of "agara ( be wicked in their actions. They will 1uickly meet with their annihilation. "o be free from fear and go back to your own city. ait for some time. Thereafter# you will realise what you desire.3 EK;EG. 8n being told thus by apila# all those %evas including Indra# became delighted. After bowing down to him they went towards heaven. In the meantime# king "agara# the Lord of the -arth desired to perform $a)imedha 'Horse"acrifice(# the great /a)na. ith the permission of $asistha# he gathered together all the necessary re1uisites. Accompanied by Aurva and other ,rahmanas he duly took the initiation for the performance of sacrifice. *or the purpose of letting the horse roam about# the king of great renown called all his sons and commanded them thus9 8 my sons# make the horse roam about all round the earth. It behoves you to do this immediately and bring it back to me.3 *II*T/;TH>-The %estruction of the "ons of "agara
you were alive. /ou were indeed evil minded ones. There is no 1uestion of your returning without the horse here3. J. Then all of them together setout from that place and said to one another9 3 -ven now the horse is not to be seen# what shall we do !3 @B. The whole of the earth was searched by us# including the mountains# forests and parks. The horse is not seen any where nor its news is heard. @@. Hence# starting with the ocean and extending as far as the netherworlds# we shall split the earth and dig it. e shall enter the netherworlds and search for the horse. @F. Having decided thus# all those sons of "agara# of cruel resolve# dug the earth everywhere beginning with the seashore. @E. ,eing dug by them# the earth became greatly excited and cried aloud. 8n seeing their activity# all living beings cried in distress. @K. After digging the ,harata subcontinent and casting it off on the ground# they united a thousand /o)anas of the earth to the ocean. @. %igging the earth upto the netherworlds# the sons of the king saw the horse gra?ing in the netherworlds. I. %elighted very much they gathered together and laughed out of contentment. "ome of them danced with great )oy. @;F@. They saw the noble;souled apila of brilliant lustre who was very oldC who was seated in the lotusposture# with his eyes fixed yet at the tip of his nose# who had kept the head and neck straight and longC who had kept the chest pro)ecting forward# who was shining with his own splendour radiating all round in full like a lamp placed in a windless spotC whose body was full of perfect knowledge shining within himselfC whose mind was engaged in abstract meditationC who appeared like the motionless oceanC who was duly engaged in the yogic exerciseC whose mind was engrossed in what should be meditated uponC who was the most excellent among leading /ogins and who looked like the fire with its clusters of flames extinguished. 8n seeing him staying there# they consulted one another about him for a short while. *or a short while# they underwent excessive agitation. FF;FE. Thinking that it was he who stole the horse# the evil;minded sons of6 "agara# induced by the 5od of death# surrounded apila# the excellent sage. -ncircling him they said# 3 This is the thief9 There is no doubt about it. This evil;minded robber of the horse deserves to be killed by us3.
Assailed by those evilminded ones# the unassailable sage apila became agitated. He assumed a huge si?e like the fire that increases in si?e at the end of the alpa on account of the gusts of wind. Fb;EBa. The fire of anger arising out of his body as vast and ma)estic as the ocean# burst forth like the "amkarshana fire issuing from the poison of "esha out to burn down the netherworlds. His anger was further kindled by the recollection of attack. The sage who had a lustre similar to that of a wheel of fire ' i.e. whirling fire ( opened his eyes. Then for a moment# 8 king# his eyes became extremely red and shone like the "un and the &oon simultaneously appearing in the sky at dawn. EBb;E. He looked at the princes with rolling eyes gravely# like the 5od of annihilation at the close of ' alpa ( period. "parks and flames of fire suddenly emerged from the eyes of that infuriated sage and spread all round in various directions continuously# like the sparks of alagni ' destructive fire at the time of final annihilation (. The sparks of fire of the "age6s anger pervaded the 1uarters all round# with columns of smoke pro)ecting forward and emitting floods of sparks fre1uently. The sparks emanating from his eyes like the poisonous flames with the cavity of the belly ocean.of a python# shone like the flames of the $adavafire ' submarine fire ( of the violent The fire of anger# 8 great king# that pervaded the spaces in the 1uarters by means of its flames# enveloped the firmament and burned the sons of "agara. E. The world became enveloped by the clusters of flames of fire and smoke whirling round and round on account of the angry ' i.e. violent ( blasts of wind that blew with a loud report. It became filled with the dusts of the earth too# that were blown up excessively. Hence# the world became too much afflicted. E. All round# the fire appeared to be scraping the firmament by means of its flames struck by the velocity of wind. It immediately burned down completely the sons of the king who were the enemies of the "uras. EG. -ven as all the worlds were watching# the fire of apila6s anger reduced the "agaras to ashes completely# sparing only the horse. EJ. Thus the sons of "agara# of sinful mind# were burned suddenly on account of that fire of anger like the dry trees that get consumed in the forest conflagration. KB. 8n seeing the annihilation of those evil;minded "agaras# the %evas spoke to one another in wonder# along with the "ages. K@;KF. 8h# the ultimate bad result of those persons who have committed terrible sins has not been delayed. Indeed# in this world# men of wicked souls have to meet with a bad end. These wicked and cruel minded persons# huge in si?e like mountains# have suddenly and forcibly perished like dry grass in fire.

KE. They had caused anxiety and torture to all living beings. They were extremely censured by good men throughout their lives. *ortunately# they have met with their destruction. KK. hich man can attain happiness in this world after committing an inauspicious action that is censured by the worlds and that causes harassment to others! K. These sinners had made all living beings cry aloud. They have now been struck dead by means of brahmadanda ' the punishing rod of a brahmana (. Hence# on account of their own evil actions# they have gone to hell where they will be spending many many years. K. Hence# only good actions should be performed by intelligent persons. The other type of actions censured by the world should be cast off far away ' i.e. completely avoided (. K. As long as one is alive# one should strive for the attainment of final beatitude. This should be done by one who knows what is good for him. 8ne should not harm or in)ure any one# as life is transitory. KG. This body is nonpermanent. >iches are extremely fickle. The entire worldly existence is utterly worthless. How may the learned one believe ' otherwise (!3 KJ. -ven as the leading and the sages were telling another sons of "agara perished after "uras becoming fuel to the fire one of the anger thus# of thethe sage. B. The sons of "agara whose bodies were burnt down suddenly# ' as if ( paralysed the earth with their ashes and instantaneously fell into hell due to their sinful deeds. @. After burning those sons of "agara entirely# the fire arising from his anger was on the point of burning all the worlds suddenly in a moment. F. The %evas who became frightened gathered together and stood by in the firmament. ,eing desireous of suppressing the fire of anger# they eulogised the noble;souled sage.3 :HAPT-> *I*T/;*8+> >ecovery of the "acrificial Horse9 ishi 0arada# 8 ing# casually went to Ayodhya from the %evaloka ' the world of the %evas (.

8n seeing that 0arada had arrived# "agara worshipped him perfectly in accordance with the in)unctions of the scriptures# with Arghya# Padya and other materials of worship. Accepting that honour and worship# 0arada sat on the exalted seat and spoke these words# 8 ing# to "agara the tiger among kings. 0arada said 9 3 /our sons who had gone to take horse around the# world# 8 excellent king# have been struck down by the curse of a ,rahmana. All of them have perished. /our sacrificial horse# 8 ing# that was being guarded by all of them was taken somewhere in the heaven without being noticed by anyone# as ordained by fate. They began to search for the lost horse all over the earth. *or a long time# 8 king# they did not get any information of its whereabouts. Thereupon# they decided to search for the horse underneath the earth. ,eginning earnestly# those "agaras dug up the surface of the earth. hile earth# ing# they saw the /ogin. horse in Patala ' 0etherworlds ( and near it they digging saw thethe great sage8apila# the leading 8n seeing him# they committed a sinful deed. All of then being urged by ala '5od of death(# saying 2This is the robber of the horse3# they made apila sufficiently infuriated. Thereupon# your sons perished with their bodies as fuel to the fire emanating from his eyes and caused by his anger# the fire that burned the 1uarters. /ou need not grieve over them. It does not behoove you to grieve over them# 8 leading ing# because they were cruel# of sinful conduct and were creating troubles and impediments to all people. >etain your courage as your asset.