The story of Tripurasur with a slight variation is narrated in Bhagwat Maha-
puran, 7/10/53-58. According to it, once when the demons were defeated by the gods,
they went to take refuge with the greatest demon of them all, the mighty demon
named ‘Maya Daanav’. He was the one who had created the golden city of Lanka for
Ravana.
Maya Danav created three huge planes made of gold, silver and iron. These
planes were so huge that they resembled entire cities and were well provided for with
all the things necessary for comfortable living. Maya Daanav handed them to the
three chief demons named Taaraaksha, Kamlaaksha and Vindyumaali who were said
to be the son of Tarkasur. The special quality of these planes was that they were
hidden from view and flew stealthily. Emboldened by being invisible, the demons
went on the rampage, plundering and laying to waste the three worlds, viz. the
heaven, the earth and the sky. The gods could not fight them as these demons were
invisible. Besides this, these three city-like planes had a pond of nectar each, the
contents of which made the demons invincible and beyond the reach of death.
Frustrated and flabbergasted, the gods approached Lord Shiva to get rid of the
demons. Lord Shiva invoked his specially empowered arrow known as the
‘Pashupataastra’. When shot, it produced countless arrows spewing fierce tongues of
flame. Though these arrows burnt the three cities or planes (“Tripurs”), the demons
however managed to survive by taking a dip in the pond of nectar that was present in
each of the three places.
Confused, Lord Shiva invoked Lord Vishnu, the maverick Lord who knows every
trick in creation as he is the Supreme Being, to find some solution. Vishnu disguised
himself as a cow and made the Creator Brahma a calf. They went to these ponds and
drank the nectar. The demons were so dazed by the Lord’s Maya (delusion creating
powers) that they could not respond and react. After that, Vishnu prepared for the
great war—creating the chariot from Dharma (righteousness), the charioteer from
Gyan (knowledge), the war standard from Vairagya (renunciation), the horses from
Aishwarya (fame and might), bow from Tapa (penance), the body armour from Vidya
(skills), arrows from Kriya (deeds and dynamism), and all other paraphernalia of war
by employing other mystical powers he had.
Then, on an auspicious moment of the asterism of “Abhijit” (conquer now), Lord
Shiva rode this chariot and burnt the three cities by a single arrow.
According to the Ramayana of Valmiki, Baal Kand, Canto 75, two great bows
were made from the bones of Dadhichi. One was known as “Sarang” and the other
was known as “Pinak”. The former was held by Lord Vishnu, and the latter by Lord
Shiva. Vishnu killed the demons with his Sarang bow, while Shiva used his Pinak to
destroy the three cities.
Another version of who the demon “Tripurasur” was appears in Skanda Puran,
Aawantya Reva-Khand. It says that the son of the demon king Bali was known as
‘Baana-sur’. He had thousand arms. He worshipped Lord Shiva for a thousand years.
Pleased with him, Lord Shiva asked him to seek a boon, upon which Baanasur
requested the Lord to provide him with a city that is so invincible that none of the
gods can ever conquer it, except of course by Lord Shiva whom he had worshipped as
his deity. Shiva granted him his wish.
The cunning Baanasur then decided to please the other three gods of the Trinity,
i.e. Lords Vishnu and Brahma. So he worshipped them one by one and extracted
similar boons from them as he had done from Shiva. Once done, he now had three
invincible cities that symbolized his sway and domain covering the three dimensions
of creation—viz. the heaven, the earth and the nether world. Then he went mad with
recklessness, plundering and pillaging at will. Terrified, the gods approached Lord
Shiva as he was the one who had initially blessed Baanasur, and also because the
demon had himself exempted Shiva from the boon of immunity from destruction.
Then, Shiva stringed his bow called Pinak, mounted an arrow called Aghor, and
angrily shot it at the three cities ruled by Baanasur. This arrow instantly burnt and
kiana
(Kiana)
#1