Thripuranthaka or destroyer of three cities

11/27/08

The meaning of the word Thripuranthanka is one who destroyed the three purams or cities. Let us explore the story of how Hari and Haran worked together to destroy the three cities owned by Asuras.

 

Thaaraakasura had three children: Vidyunmaali, Kamlaakshan and Thaaraka chakshushu or Thaarakaakshan. They did severe penance standing on burning fire and got three cities or purams. One city is on earth which is made of Iron, another silver one in the sky (bhuvarloka) and third one, the golden city in heaven. Even though they were Asuras they daily prayed lord Shiva .

 

They became so powerful and arrogant. They terrorized Devas and all sages. Devas complained to Shiva and Shiva told them that he would not be able to kill them until they stopped praying to Him. He will not kill anybody who prayed Him for protection. So they went to Vishnu bhagavan. Vishnu Bhagavan took the form of a sage and started teaching these three demons "Lokaayatham" or science of materialism. It was easy to teach them materialism and soon they stopped their short prayers they were doing to Shiva. They believed that everything was under their control and felt that there was no need to pray to any God. (that is how all followers of lOkaayathaam thinks). They thought they were more powerful than even Lord Shiva. Mahavishnu himself was surprised at the pace of their learning Lokaayatham when compared to other sadhaka's struggle to know about God and spirituality.

 

Now Shiva was ready to kill them. He killed all the asuras except the three sons of Thaarakkasura  with just one arrow. But the architect Maya (Asurashilpi-it is not Maaya, but Maya with short Ma) built a tank there and filled it with Amrutham. When Asuras were sprinkled with this amrutha, they all came back to life. Now Shiva asked the help of Vishnu Bhagavan . Vishnu Bhagavan became a cow and Brahma became a calf. Then they went near the tank and drank all the amrutha. Finally Maya acknowledged defeat and still they had to kill the owners of the three cities.

 

Then Devas made a special chariot- name of the chariot is earth. Four vedas became the four horses pulling the chariot. Surya and Chandra became the wheels. Brahma became the charioteer. Mahameru mountain was the bow. String was the snake Vaasuki. Vishnu Bhagavan became the arrow and guess who sent the arrow? Lord Shiva was the one who aimed the arrow at the three demons and sent them. He destroyed all the three demons along with their Iron, silver and Golden cities. So Lord Shiva is known as Thripuranthaka.

 

Namasthe namasthe, Vibho viswamurthe,
Namasthe, namasthe thapo yogagamya,
Namasthe, namasthe chidaananda murthe,
Namasthe, namasthe sruthijnaanagamya.

Addendum by a reader

Respected Savithriji,

I have heard that the three palaces moves around all the time and that the three asuras can be killed only when the palaces come in a line, one above the other and Bhagavan waited till they were one in a line. I am not sure if it is correct, heard it long back when we were kids. A few days back, I thought of this story but didnt know it fully. Thanks for posting these stories. May Guruvayoorappan bless you always.

Jai Sree Krishna

 

Seema