Mūlakāsura

Mūlakāsura was a strong rākṣasa. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells of his birth, his rise and his death in the Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapters 4–6. He was born from the śāpa (a curse) of the great ṛṣi Durvāsa on a brāhmaṇa who had been rude to him. Brahmā gave him a vara (a boon) that no male being could kill him. This led to his end at the hands of Chāyā-Sītā, a shadow form of Bhagavatī Sītā made for this one purpose.

Origin

Mūlakāsura was not born in the usual asura lines. He arose from a brāhmaṇa’s śāpa. A brāhmaṇa had shown disrespect to the great ṛṣi Durvāsa, who was known for his great tapas (austerity) and just as much for his quick and righteous anger. Durvāsa cursed the brāhmaṇa to be born again as a rākṣasa. The brāhmaṇa was born as Mūlakāsura, with the power and violence of a rākṣasa. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells this in Chapter 4 of the Rājya Khaṇḍa.

The vara of Brahmā

Mūlakāsura did hard tapas and pleased Brahmā. He received a strong vara: no male being could kill him, whether deva, human or rākṣasa. This made him close to unbeatable in the usual way, since all the great warriors of the three worlds were male. Sure of this protection, Mūlakāsura began to terrify the three worlds. He troubled the ṛṣis, broke up yajñas (fire rituals) and caused great suffering. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells this in Chapter 4 of the Rājya Khaṇḍa.

His defeat and death

His death needed a special arrangement from above. Rāma was in deep viraha (the grief of separation) for Sītā after she went to the forest in the time of the exile. Brahmā appeared and gave him counsel. Brahmā made a Chāyā-Sītā, a shadow form of Sītā, and placed her with Rāma. The real Sītā was kept hidden.

This Chāyā-Sītā was later sent to Laṅkā to destroy Mūlakāsura. At Laṅkā she let loose the Caṇḍikāstra, the weapon of the devī Caṇḍikā, which carries a power that is purely feminine. Mūlakāsura’s vara protected him only against male attackers, so he had no defence against it. The Caṇḍikāstra destroyed him, and the three worlds were freed from his terror. The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells this in Chapters 5–6 of the Rājya Khaṇḍa.

Brahmā’s vara left out female beings. It was through feminine divine power that Mūlakāsura was ended.

The secret of Chāyā-Sītā

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa also uses this account to tell the secret of Chāyā-Sītā. The real Sītā was never touched by Rāvaṇa at the time of the abduction, because only Chāyā-Sītā was in Laṅkā.

Sources

• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Rājya Khaṇḍa, Chapters 4–6