SIVA RAHASYA 7

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Sivaya

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rout of the Asuras

 

On hearing from Veerabahu that the Asuras were ready for the fight, Lord Karttik shifted His army camp from Tiruchendur to Emakudam in Sri Lanka, very near the city of the Asuras, Mahendrapuri. News of this soon reached Surapadma, and he at once despatched a battalion to drive away the enemy from the outskirts of the city.

 

Banukopan, the eldest son of Surapadma, who had been given command of the battalion for the fight on the first day sallied forth and found the whole host of the army of the Devas arrayed against him. The grim fight between the two mighty armies then began. The Devas suffered very heavy casualties at the hands of Banukopan and his battalion. Leaders like Veerabahu and his brothers were laid low and in a dead faint by the secret Astras of Banukopan.

 

On receipt of news of how day was going against the Devas, the Lord sent his Mohanastra to cover the whole army of the Asuras, and all the warriors who had been killed or thrown into a swoon by Banukopan were restored. The Astra sent by the Lord winged its way in the meanwhile towards Banukopan. Realising the gravity of the situation, the young chief with the help of Maya, his grandmother, disappeared from the field unnoticed and made his way to the palace, where he acquainted his father, Surapadma, with the latest phase of the fight. The redoubtable chief of the Asuras himself took over the command on the second day.

 

Enraged at the discomfiture of Banukopan and determined to crush the army of the Devas once for all, Surapadma himself gave battle to the Devas and began to work havoc on them. Ugran, one of the leaders of the Bhutaganas (on the side of Devas) after an arduous fight killed Atisuran, the son of Simhamukha. Roused to a high pitch of fury at this set-back, Asurendra, son of Taraka, threw himself into the thick of the fight and sent celebrated leaders like Kanakan, Unmathan, Manthan and many other flying from the field.

 

Veerabahu Devar hurried to that wing of the army and soon found himself in a hand to hand sword fight with the dreaded Asura prince, Asurendra. Their grim fight seemed endless, victory leaning now to one side and then to the other, alternately. But Veerabahu Devar by the exercise of his utmost powers at last succeeded in killing Asurendra. This brought Surapadma himself into the active fight and, by the exertion of his supreme valour, he soon made short work of the eight brothers of Veerabahu Devar, who immediately engaged him in deadly combat. After a prolonged and sanguinary engagement, Surapadma realised the mettle of the opponent he had to deal with and directed his special Danda against him. The Danda struck Veerabahu on the chest and laid him out bleeding and unconscious. The fall of Veerabahu encouraged Surapadma and he chased the remnants of the demoralised Deva army out of the field.

 

Lord Shanmukha now emerged to the front and faced the triumphant Asura king. He began with a series of missiles which promptly shattered, one by one, all the weapons and insignia of Surapadma and his followers. Then He despatched His Chakrayudha which annihilated hundreds of thousands of the Asura army. Finding the ordinary arrows to be of no avail against his formidable foe, Surapadma took up the Pasupatastra which he had received as a boon from Lord Siva, and directed it at Lord Shanmukha, confidently expecting his enemy to fall immediately, as the wonderful and mighty Astra had never been known to fail before. To his consternation and terror, however, Lord Shanmukha calmly took hold of the Astra and kept it aside. Now realising in a measure the valour and greatness of Shanmukha, who could handle such an Astra in such a manner, Surapadma, taking recourse to his powers of Maya suddenly disappeared from the battlefield unseen and

retired to his palace.

 

The next day, being the third day of the battle, Banukopan equipped himself for the fight with special care and made his appearance in the field. At the very outset Veerabahu and Banukopan confronted each other. And both realised that the contest was to be a fight to the finish. To free himself completely from this grim encounter, Banukopan, in the flash of a moment and with the swiftness of a hurricane, sent out his Mohanastra against the Devas; and the whole host of the leaders were rendered unconscious and dropped into the sea! It was a critical moment. But Shanmukha was more than equal to the emergency. He directed his Vel to bring back safe and sound all the discomfited leaders; and to the dismay of the Asuras, all those who were thought to have been sent to their certain doom were again seen soon afterwards stationed and arrayed against the Asuras as if nothing had happened!

 

Lord Shanmukha now issued orders to the army of the Devas to take Veeramahendrapuri by storm. Surapadma reorganised his forces and stoutly resisted the onrush of his enemies into his capital. Hiranyan, his second son, hastened to the help of his father, backed by a mighty host under his command. To offset this, Veerabahu now brought his forces to this spot of the field. The day’s business then began in grim earnest. At first the Devas suffered heavy casualties. But there was no resisting the terrific sallies of the mighty Veerabahu, who slowly but steadily pushed Hiranyan and his forces back. Hiranyan now perceived that the days of the glory of the Asura dynasty had been numbered. Desirous of preserving himself to do the funeral rites of his family members and, if possible, to try and rehabilitate the lost fortunes of his people, Hiranyan disappeared from the field and lived in concealment, far away from Mahendrapuri.

 

After the flight of Hiranyan, Agnimukha, another son of Surapadma, appeared on the scene of battle. Though the fire-faced young chief was successful for a time and inflicted severe casualties on the forces of the Devas, he had to succumb ultimately to the superior strategy of Veerabahu Devar. Finding himself no match for the latter, Agnimukha prayed to his Ishta Devi, Bhadra Kali for assistance. At his prayer Sri Devi came and in a fury rushed forth and worked havoc on the army of the Devas. But on approaching Veerabahu Devar, she smiled graciously on him, wished him success and disappeared! This sobered Agnimukha and, marshalling all his strength, he resumed his fight and struggled desperately against Veerabahu Devar, but soon lost his life. On the death of Agnimukha, the other sons of Surapadma took command of the situation but fell very early an easy prey to the irresistible Veerabahu.

 

Banukopan now made his third appearance on the battle front. After a long and tough fight, he was overcome by superior forces; but through the influence of Maya, he disappeared again from the scene and was fighting with great destructive effect, himself unseen by his opponents. Observing this, Veerabahu Devar with the aid of a Jnana Astra put an end to his Mayaic concealment and forced him to come out of his hiding. A terrible hand to hand fight then ensued between the two commanders. Angry and annoyed at the trouble that he was being put to, Veerabahu exerted himself as never before and soon had the satisfaction of seeing Banukopan falter in his tracks. He then gathered himself in a supreme effort and administered the coup de grace by cutting off the head of the Asura chieftain.

 

News of this catastrophe was soon brought to Surapadma, whose grief knew no bounds. He paid a visit to the battlefield, and, retrieving the dead hero’s remains, swore on them that he would avenge his loss without delay. He then summoned his brother, Simhamukha to Mahendrapuri and acquainted him with all that had happened. He exhorted him to do his utmost and turn the tide of fortune. Simhamukha accordingly appeared on the field and went through the army of the Devas like a tornado. Indeed, he looked invincible, and, one after another, all the Deva leaders succumbed to the relentless fury of Simhamukha. Veerabahu Devar stemmed this tide of reverses and soon accounted for all the sons of Simhamukha, single handed. Enraged at this, Simhamukha faced Veerabahu Devar. By one Astra he bound hand and foot the leaders of the Devas including Veerabahu and removed them all in that condition to a hill far away from the field. The mighty Simhamukhan was

audacious enough even to enter the base camp and kill many of the Bhutaganas there.

 

 

 

 

 

News of this disaster was soon brought to Lord Shanmukha. Realising the indomitable spirit and extraordinary valour of Simhamukha, Lord Shanmukha himself now appeared on the scene. By a number of Astras He brought back the Bhutaganas from their inglorious place of retreat; sound in limb and mind. He then took on Simhamukha himself in combat and, though greatly admiring his courage and prowess, yet mindful of the future, made an end of the Asura chief by one powerful Astra.

 

 

 

----Sri Swami Sivananda

 

 

 

 

Sivaya Namah