Vighasa

Vighasa was an asura in the army of Andhaka. He appears in the Andhaka war in the Yuddha Khaṇḍa of the Śiva Purāṇa. He had the power to swallow anything he opened his mouth toward.

The battle at Kailāsa

Vighasa fought on Andhaka’s side in the great battle that lasted five hundred and five days. It was fought at the entrance of the cave in Kailāsa, where Vīraka stood guard over Pārvatī. All the divine śaktis (powers) had taken protective forms around Pārvatī.

The devas Brahmā, Vishṇu, Indra, Sūrya, Candra and Nandī came to strengthen the defence of the cave. Vighasa opened his huge mouth and swallowed them all. The whole divine order that guards the three worlds went into his body. Even Nandī, Śiva’s own vehicle and the chief of Śiva’s gaṇas (attendants), was swallowed.

With all the devas swallowed, Andhaka’s forces had put the divine defence out of action. Only the protective śaktis and Vīraka stayed to guard Pārvatī. Śiva’s grace later revived Vīraka.

Śiva’s mantra

When Śiva entered the battle, he used a divine mantra to make Vighasa give up all the devas he had swallowed. They came out of his mouth unharmed. Śiva then went on to fight the whole army of Andhaka. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapters 45–46)

Sources

• Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapters 45–46