Tripura Dahana (Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa)

Chapter 225 of the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa tells how Bhagavān Śiva burned Tripura, the three flying cities of the asuras. The cities were so strong that the devas could not take them. The devas first prayed to Gaṇeśa. Then they built a chariot for Bhagavān Śiva, and Bhagavān Vishṇu himself became the arrow.

The three cities

The asura Māya is the greatest master of divine craft among the asuras. After the daitya Tārakāsura was killed by Skanda, Māya built three flying cities (pura) for Tārakāsura’s sons.

• Tārakāksha received a golden city.
• Kamalāksha received a silver city.
• Vidyunmālin received an iron city.

The three cities were always moving. They circled through the sky, and no weapon could break them. The asuras who lived in them had varas (boons) that made them safe from every attack of the devas. From these flying forts they raided yajñas (fire rituals), broke the order of the world and frightened the three worlds. The devas, with Indra and all the other lords of the devas, tried again and again to defeat them and failed every time.

The devas pray to Gaṇeśa

The devas had no answer. They went to Brahmā, and he sent them to Bhagavān Śiva as the only one who could destroy Tripura. But before Bhagavān Śiva could act, Gaṇeśa had to be pleased first.

The devas sang a Gaṇeśa-stuti, a hymn of praise to Gaṇeśa, the son of Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī. They praised him as the lord of all beginnings. He removes obstacles for those who act in dharma, and he makes obstacles for those who act against dharma. Only with Gaṇeśa’s anugraha (favour) could any great work go forward without a block, even Bhagavān Śiva’s own act.

The Purāṇa says plainly that even Bhagavān Śiva’s greatest act, the burning of the strongest asura forts in the worlds, needed the first blessing of his own son Gaṇeśa.

Śiva’s chariot

With Gaṇeśa’s blessing, the devas put together a chariot for Bhagavān Śiva to fight from.

• The earth was the base of the chariot.
• The sun and the moon were its two wheels.
• Brahmā was the charioteer.
• The four Vedas were the horses.
• The mountains Meru and Mandara were the axle and the shaft.
• The great serpent Śesha was the bowstring.
• Agni and Vāyu were the guards at the front.

The whole of creation made up this chariot. It showed that what was about to happen was more than a battle.

Vishṇu becomes the arrow

For the arrow that would destroy Tripura, Bhagavān Vishṇu placed himself inside it. He became the arrow. He was the yajñarūpī (the form of yajña) and the great śakti (power) that would pierce the protection of the asuras’ varas. So the burning of Tripura was the joint act of Bhagavān Śiva and Bhagavān Vishṇu. Bhagavān Śiva held the bow and let the arrow go. Bhagavān Vishṇu was the arrow itself.

The burning of the three cities

The three cities could be destroyed only at the rare moment when they stood in one line. For one instant they came into line. Bhagavān Śiva drew the bow, took aim and let go the arrow, which was Bhagavān Vishṇu himself.

The arrow blazed across the sky like the sun. It struck the three cities at the same moment and set them on fire with a divine fire that could not be put out. The golden city, the silver city and the iron city burned together. The asuras inside them died. The three worlds were freed from their rule of fear.

The devas celebrated with divine music. Flowers fell from the sky, and the order of the world was restored.

Sources

• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 225