Sindūra Daitya Upākhyāna
Sindūra was a daitya (an asura of the Dvāpara yuga) born from the yawn of Brahmā. The Gaṇeśa Purāṇa tells his story in the Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 127 to 129. He had a body of deep red, received a vara (boon) of fearlessness, tried to carry off Pārvatī, and then ruled the three worlds. The devas then prayed to Gaṇeśa, and he promised to be born as Gajānana and slay Sindūra.
Sindūra’s birth from Brahmā’s yawn
The Dvāpara yuga begins with this event. Brahmā was asleep when Śiva woke him. Brahmā yawned, and from the yawn came a huge being with a red body, of great size and power. Brahmā named him Sindūra, the vermilion one, because his body was so red. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 127)
Brahmā gave Sindūra a vara (boon) of fearlessness and of being unconquerable. To test the boon, Sindūra at once tried to embrace Brahmā himself. Brahmā was alarmed and fled to Vaikuṇṭha. Bhagavān Vishṇu would not face Sindūra directly and sent him on to Bhagavān Śiva. Sindūra went to Kailāsa.
Sindūra tries to take Pārvatī
At Kailāsa, Bhagavān Śiva was in deep samādhi. Sindūra saw his chance and tried to seize Pārvatī and carry her away. At that moment Māyūreśvara came between them in the form of a brāhmaṇa, to speak for both sides. Sindūra respected the brāhmaṇa and placed Pārvatī in his keeping for a time.
Bhagavān Śiva woke from samādhi and fought Sindūra face to face. During the fight, Māyūreśvara’s unseen paraśu (axe) struck Sindūra from behind without his knowing. Sindūra began to lose ground and in the end drew back from Kailāsa. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 128)
After Sindūra had gone, Māyūreśvara showed himself to Pārvatī and made a promise: “I will be reborn as Gajānana in the Dvāpara yuga and will slay this Sindūra for good.” This promise to Pārvatī begins the whole story of the Dvāpara yuga.
Sindūra rules the three worlds
Sindūra then conquered the whole earth and after it the three worlds. He did these things:
- He destroyed temples and sacred images (mūrti) across the land.
- He stopped the offering of svāhā (to the devas), svadhā (to the pitṛs, the ancestors) and vashaṭkāra (the call that confirms a yajña). This cut off the give and take between the worlds.
- He took the devas away from all their duties and places.
- He set up his own rule over all three worlds.
The devas no longer received yajña offerings, and they had lost their duties. They had no choice but to ask for help. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 129)
The devas’ tapas and Gaṇeśa’s promise
Bṛhaspati, the teacher of the devas, told them to perform tapas (austerity) to Vināyaka, who is Gaṇeśa in his highest form. They were to pray for the birth in the Dvāpara yuga that Māyūreśvara had promised Pārvatī. The devas performed the tapas with a sincere heart. Vināyaka appeared before them and promised: “I will come down as Gajānana to slay Sindūra and set the order of the worlds right again.” (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 129)
This promise leads to the birth of Gajānana at Paryalī mahāvana and to the story of the Dvāpara avatāra that follows.
Sources
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 127: Sindūra’s birth from Brahmā’s yawn
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 128: the attempt on Pārvatī and the fight with Bhagavān Śiva
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 129: Sindūra’s rule and the devas’ tapas