Devāntaka and Narāntaka and the Three Worlds

Devāntaka and Narāntaka were the two sons of the asura king Raudraketu. After long tapas (austerity) they received a vara (a boon) from Śiva that no being could kill them. They then took the three worlds. The devas turned to Gaṇeśa, who promised to be born as Mahotkaṭa in the Kṛta yuga. The Gaṇeśa Purāṇa tells this in Chapters 1–4 of the Krīḍā Khaṇḍa.

Raudraketu’s dīkshā and the birth of his sons

The asura king Raudraketu was a devoted seeker who wanted the highest initiation. The ṛshi Nārada came to him, saw that he was sincere, and gave him the Pañcāksharī mantra as dīkshā (initiation). This is the five-syllable mantra of Śiva: Na-ma-śi-vā-ya. Raudraketu received it with śraddhā (faith).

In time his wife Śāradā gave birth to two sons. The elder was Narāntaka (“destroyer of men”) and the younger was Devāntaka (“destroyer of the devas”). (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 1)

Though born to an asura father, the two sons received the seed of śakti (power) through the mantra dīkshā that had come through Nārada. That power, without devotion and wisdom to hold it in check, became the engine of conquest and ruin.

The tapas and Śiva’s vara

When Devāntaka and Narāntaka came of age, they decided to win supreme power by tapas. They did austerities for ten thousand years. This shook the three worlds and drew the attention of Śiva. Śiva, pleased by their great endurance, appeared before them and offered them a vara. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 2)

The sons asked not to be killed: no deva, no human, no nāga, no rākshasa, no animal, none among all created beings should be able to kill them. Śiva gave the vara. From then on Devāntaka and Narāntaka stood beyond the reach of every power in creation, or so they believed.

The conquest of the three worlds

With Śiva’s vara, the two brothers began a planned conquest of creation.

Devāntaka took the higher realms. He marched against Svargaloka (Indra’s world), Satyaloka (Brahmā’s realm) and Vaikuṇṭha (the abode of Bhagavān Vishṇu). In each place the ruling deva and all his forces could not stand against his attack. Indra and the devas were driven out of Svarga. Brahmā withdrew from Satyaloka. Bhagavān Vishṇu withdrew from Vaikuṇṭha. The three highest realms fell to the younger brother. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 3)

Narāntaka took the worlds below. He won Bhūloka (the world of humans) and all seven Pātālas, the lower realms, which include the lands of the nāgas. The nāga kings, the rulers of the lower worlds and the kings of men all bowed to Narāntaka’s rule. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 4)

In this way the brothers shared the work and completed the conquest of all three worlds: Svarga, Bhū and Pātāla. The order of the world was turned upside down. Dharma ceased, yajñas (fire rituals) stopped, and the devas wandered with no home and no worship.

The devas turn to Gaṇeśa

The devas could not stand against the brothers. Śiva’s own vara had placed both asuras beyond the reach of any created being. The devas came to Gaṇeśa and told him of their suffering.

Gaṇeśa, full of compassion, promised to be born into the world as the son of Aditi and Kāśyapa. They would give him his earthly form in the Kṛta yuga. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapter 5)

Sources

Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, Krīḍā Khaṇḍa, Chapters 1–4 (Chapter 1: Raudraketu’s dīkshā and the birth of the sons; Chapter 2: the tapas and the vara; Chapter 3: Devāntaka’s conquest; Chapter 4: Narāntaka’s conquest; Chapter 5: the devas’ appeal to Gaṇeśa)