In Hindu mythology, there are extremely rare instances involving a man hurting or slaying a woman because it was regarded as a highly inappropriate and awful deed. However, there was one situation in which Lord Vishnu himself executed a wicked lady to protect the gods from imminent doom.
 |
Sage Kashyapa had many wives, including Aditi and Diti. Aditi's sons were known as Adityas (devas), whereas Diti's sons were known as Daityas (asuras). Devas were good by nature; they were lawful and kind, whereas the asuras were chaotic and arrogant. Devas and asuras were eternal enemies who were always in conflict with one another. Brihaspati served as the preceptor of the devas, whereas Sukracharya was the guru of the asuras. Both gurus had almost the same level of abilities and were revered by both the devas and the asuras. Devas and asuras were likewise equal in power, maintaining the balance between good and evil.
Bhargavas were the descendants of the sage Bhrigu. Khyati, Puloma, and Kavyamata were the three wives of Bhrigu Rishi. Brigu and Kavyamata were the parents of Sukracharya, generally referred to as Ushanas. Puloma was the mother of Maharshi Chyavan. From Khyati were Dhata, Bidhata, and Bhargavi. Devas once obtained supremacy as a result of Guru Brihaspati's deeds, which pleased Lord Vishnu, who bestowed blessings upon the devas and gave the gods numerous celestial weapons. And so asuras started to face defeat at the hands of devas. Asuras were driven into exile after being overwhelmingly beaten by the devas in a war.
At last, Shukracharya made the decision to appease Lord Shiva in order to obtain his blessings to oppose the Devas. Thus, he went to the Himalayas and began severe penance. Although the asuras felt comforted and were encouraged, devas grew scared at witnessing the severity of his sadhana. Shiva soon became pleased and manifested before Ushanas. Shiva blessed him and gave him the Mritasanjeevani mantra, which had the power to bring the dead back to life. The devas were alarmed to learn of this and realized an impending catastrophe was approaching. In order to eradicate the asuras once and for all before the Ushanas arrived, Devraj Indra made the decision to attack them.
The devas rushed upon the asuras and started slaughtering them with all their might. In a final stand, the terrified asuras united and engaged the devas in combat. However, the asuras' resistance was futile due to the gods' superior power, and they were compelled to retreat. The remaining asuras fled to Bhrigu's ashram as their final refuge.
The devas chased them. However, Ushanas had not returned from the Himalayas till then, and even Bhrigu was not present. Asuras began to shudder in fear. They began to pray to Kavyamata, Ushana's mother, to save them. Kavyamata was also a well-known sorceress, and all feared her for her prowess in employing enchantment and illusion spells. She gained enormous power through years of study and asceticism. She reassured the asuras and began to generate a fog around the ashram. When the devas arrived at Bhrigu's ashram, they noticed a thick blanket of fog surrounding the region. Despite the strange appearance of the fog, the devas entered without realizing the mystery behind it. As they reached the fog, the devas began to feel weary and fell asleep. No one could evade the effect of the fog except Devraj Indra.
As Kavyamata realized this, she stepped through the fog and appeared before Indra. Indra was baffled by the dense fog because he couldn't see what was going on around him. Kavyamata cast a spell of petrification upon him. As Devraj found himself becoming petrified, he began to pray to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu appeared there and, perceiving Indra's predicament, produced a new body for him from a broken branch of a tree.
Vishnu told Indra that it was not possible to undo the spell cast by Kavyamata. Therefore, it is preferable to enter the new body and leave the old one. Vishnu detached Indra's mind and soul from his previous body and transferred them into the new body, saving the Devraj from a horrific death. As Kavyamata saw Lord Vishnu saving Devraj, she got furious and began casting a freezing spell to kill all the devas caught in the fog. When Lord Vishnu noticed that the wicked lady was attempting to slay all of the devas, he summoned his Sudarshan chakra and beheaded her. Vishnu dispelled the fog, reviving the gods. But he also told the devas that they had spilled enough blood and weren't supposed to continue executing the asuras. Therefore, the gods left the place, and the asuras were relieved.
Ushanas and Bhrigu returned to the ashram shortly after the incident. Both of them became shocked when they saw Kavyamata's dead body. Ushanas used the Mritasanjeevani mantra to bring his mother back to life.
Bhrigu got furious with Vishnu after hearing everything from Kavyamata. He cursed him, saying that because he had slain a lady, he would have to take human births and suffer the sorrow of the cycle of life and death. Vishnu just smiled at his dwelling at Vaikuntha Loka and gladly accepted the curse as a blessing. Thus, Vishnu took countless human incarnations to save people from suffering and to reestablish dharma.
Comments
Post a Comment