Narratives from the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa

Bhagavān Śiva fights the asura Andhaka, who desired Pārvatī, and the Mātṛkā-śaktis drink his blood so that no new Andhaka can rise from it.

Bhagavān Śiva sends Paraśurāma to pātāla with the Vaishṇava bow. He meets Varuṇa, kills the daitya chief Āyaśśaṅku, and praises Varuṇa.

Rāvaṇa goes down to pātāla and meets Bali Cakravartī, who shows him Hiraṇyakaśipu's earring and the dark Purusha at his door.

Bharata, brother of Bhagavān Rāma, leads an army against Śailūsha, king of the gandharvas, wins a seven-day war and founds Pushkarāvatī and Takshaśilā.

How the ṛshi Cyavana was born as his mother Pulomā was carried off, how Bhṛgu cursed Agni, and how Śatrughna slew Lavaṇāsura.

Cyavana wins soma for the Aśvins, creates the fearful being Mada to force Indra, and Mada becomes the four vices that ruin kings.

Bhagavān Śiva destroys a yajña of the devas that gave him no share, and Vīrabhadra and Bhadrakālī destroy Daksha's yajña.

The birth and death of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, and how king Kuvalaśva slew their son Dhundhu with Bhagavān Vishṇu in his body and became Dhundhumāra.

Elephants once had wings and fought the vānaras for the forest trees, until Indra cut their wings with his vajra and gave them to King Lomapāda.

The elephant Gajendra, once the gandharva Hāhā, is seized by a crocodile, prays to Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa with a lotus and a stotra, and is freed.

Two gandharvas, Hāhā and Hūhū, are cursed by Devala to be an elephant and a crocodile, and are freed when Bhagavān Vishṇu answers Gajendra's call.

How the Gaṅgā came down through Bhagīratha's tapas, became Jāhnavī through Jahnu, became Vishṇupadī through Vāmana's step, and spread through all the worlds.

A woman brightens a lamp before Bhagavān Vishṇu by accident, is born as Lalitikā, princess of Vidarbha, and teaches lamp-offering to her co-wives.

Śatrughna, armed with Rāma's own arrow, kills Lavaṇāsura at his doorway, founds Mathurā, hears Kuśa and Lava sing the Rāmāyaṇa, and returns to Ayodhyā.

Bhagavān Vishṇu rides Garuḍa into battle, kills the rākshasa Māli with the Sudarśana Cakra, and gives Laṅkā to Kubera after Sumāli and Mālyavān flee.

Bhagavān Śiva makes Bhagavān Skanda commander of the devas' armies, and Skanda kills Mahishāsura and his whole army.

How a śūdra's sweeping of a Varāha temple led to the birth of the emperor Māndhatā, and how Lavaṇāsura's śūla ended his life.

The celestial elephant Nandaka fights the iron-bodied dānava Lohadānava, who brought disease to elephants, and the Gaja-śānti rite follows.

The chain of events in the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa that leads to Paraśurāma's birth and to Bhagavān Śiva's command to him against the Saiṃhikeyas.

A merchant meets pretas in a desert and frees them by performing śrāddha at Gayā; the account teaches the Śravaṇa Dvādaśī.

Rāvaṇa's birth, his tapas at Gokarṇa, and his conquests of the earth, Svarga and pātāla, as told in the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa.

In pātāla, Rāvaṇa sees Bhagavān Vishṇu as the Mahāpurusha, faints at his touch, and hears that Rāma will kill him in Laṅkā.

Sālva, king of the Saiṃhikeyas, faces Paraśurāma in battle, hears Rāhu tell of the churning of the ocean, and dies; Śiva then gives Paraśurāma the astras.

On Kailāsa, Śiva gives Paraśurāma the astras and teaches him that Hari is the one to meditate on, with bhakti, fasting, daily worship and yoga.

Princess Sāvitrī chooses Satyavān, who is fated to die in a year, and wins his life back from Yama through devotion and wisdom.

Śveta Maharshi calls on Bhagavān Śiva when Yama comes for him. Śiva comes out of the liṅga, destroys Yama's body and makes Śveta a lord of his gaṇas.

Bhagavān Śiva burns the three flying cities of the asuras with Bhagavān Vishṇu as his arrow, after the devas first pray to Gaṇeśa.

The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa tells how the Yakshas and Rākshasas were born from Khaśā, wife of Kaśyapa, at the two twilights, and names the first Yakshas.