Lavaṇāsura Vadha (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa)

Lavaṇāsura was a daitya, the son of Madhu. He lived in Madhupurī, the great forest of Madhu, and tormented the ṛshis there. The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa tells how Śatrughna, sent by Bhagavān Rāma with a special arrow, killed him at his own doorway. Śatrughna then founded the city of Mathurā on the site, heard the Rāmāyaṇa sung at Vālmīki’s āśrama, and went home to Ayodhyā full of joy.

Cyavana’s request to Rāma (Chapter 242)

It was the time of Rāmarājya, the blessed reign of Bhagavān Rāma. The old ṛshi Cyavana came to Ayodhyā and stood before Bhagavān Rāma in the royal court. He described what was happening in the south.

Lavaṇāsura, son of the daitya Madhu, lived in the region of Madhupurī. It is also called Madhu-vana, the great forest of Madhu, and it is roughly the area around Mathurā today. Lavaṇāsura was an asura of enormous power. He terrorised the ṛshis, destroyed the forests where they did tapas (austerity), broke up yajñas, and ate ascetics and travellers. The ṛshis and brāhmaṇas of the region could not safely do their duties.

What made him most dangerous was a divine weapon. His father Madhu had received a śūla (trident) from Bhagavān Śiva, and whoever held it could not be beaten in battle. As long as Lavaṇāsura held the śūla, no being could overcome him. But when he went out on his daily hunt, he left the śūla inside his dwelling. He trusted his own strength so much that he hunted without a weapon. In that short time he could be killed.

Cyavana asked Rāma to send a champion who would use this chance.

Śatrughna’s task

Bhagavān Rāma listened to Cyavana’s request with full attention. He chose his youngest brother Śatrughna for the task. Śatrughna is described as a part (aṃśa) of Aniruddha, and he was known for acting with firmness.

Rāma gave Śatrughna a gift for this task: Rāma’s own special arrow, the Rāmāstra, which nothing could resist. He told Śatrughna what to do.

1. March to Madhupurī with a strong army.
2. Camp for the night at a distance of one night’s march from Lavaṇāsura’s dwelling.
3. At dawn, go alone to the doorway of Lavaṇāsura’s home.
4. Wait there. When Lavaṇāsura comes out for his morning hunt without the śūla, strike him at once with Rāma’s arrow.

The timing and the place mattered. The arrow had to find Lavaṇāsura at the very moment he came out unarmed, before he could go back for the śūla.

The march and the wait (Chapters 243–246)

Śatrughna gathered a large army of four divisions and marched south to the Madhupurī region. On the march comes the Shaḍ Ṛtu Varṇana, the description of the six seasons, which is a poetic part of the text. It speaks of the beauty of each season as the army passes through different country.

On the last day Śatrughna sent his army to camp at a distance and went ahead himself. He came to the doorway of Lavaṇāsura’s dwelling as night was turning to dawn. He took his place at the threshold with Rāma’s arrow ready on the bow.

Lavaṇāsura’s death (Chapter 247)

At dawn Lavaṇāsura came out of his dwelling for the morning hunt, without the śūla. He had no weapon and no guard, and he was full of confidence.

He saw Śatrughna standing at his doorway. As Lavaṇāsura moved to answer him, Śatrughna let go of Rāma’s arrow. It struck with a force nothing could resist. Lavaṇāsura fell dead at his own doorway, just as the plan had said. The devas had gathered in the sky to watch, and they at once rained flowers on Śatrughna. Divine music sounded. The ṛshis of the region could breathe freely again.

The founding of Mathurā (Chapter 247)

After the asura’s death, Śatrughna looked over the place. It was the old Madhu-vana, the forest of the asura Madhu, which Lavaṇāsura’s father had made his own. It was very beautiful, on the bank of the Yamunā and surrounded by forests. It had a long holy history as a place linked with Vishṇu’s ancient forms.

Śatrughna decided to make this place a city of dharma. He drew up the plan of the city, set its boundaries, set up its presiding devas, and named it Mathurā. It was cleansed and founded again in honour of dharma at the place where the asura was killed.

In the later tradition Mathurā became one of the seven holy cities of liberation (sapta-moksha-purī). It is the birthplace of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa and one of the holiest tīrthas in the whole Yamunā region.

At Vālmīki’s āśrama (Chapter 247)

After founding Mathurā, Śatrughna went on a tīrtha journey to the āśrama of the great ṛshi Vālmīki, on the bank of the river Tamasā. This was the same āśrama where Sītā had taken shelter after she left Ayodhyā.

At the āśrama Śatrughna heard a wonderful sound. Two young boys, Kuśa and Lava, the twin sons of Rāma and Sītā, were singing. They sang the Rāmāyaṇa, the whole holy account of Rāma’s life composed by Vālmīki. They sang it with perfect rhythm as the śāstras teach, with melody and deep feeling. Their voices, their grasp of the account and the devotion with which they sang were so fine that Śatrughna was carried away. He knew who they were, and he wept.

He went back to Ayodhyā with this wonderful news: Rāma’s own sons were singing their father’s account in the forest.

Return to Ayodhyā

Śatrughna came back to Ayodhyā with the happy news of his victory. He laid everything before Bhagavān Rāma: the death of Lavaṇāsura, the founding of Mathurā, and his meeting with Kuśa and Lava at Vālmīki’s āśrama. Rāma heard the report with deep joy and was well pleased.

Sources

• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 242–247
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 242 (Cyavana’s request and Śatrughna’s task)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 243–246 (the march and the wait)
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 247 (the death of Lavaṇāsura, the founding of Mathurā, Vālmīki’s āśrama)