Raktāsura
Raktāsura · rakta-asura
Raktāsura is the daitya son of Mahishāsura. By fierce tapas he won from Brahmā the rule of the three worlds, drove the devas from Amarāvatī and ruled there, until Bhagavatī Durgā seized him and split his heart with her triśūla. Śrī Kṛshṇa tells the king this account with the Dhvaja Navamī vrata.
His tapas and his rule
After Bhagavatī Durgā slew Mahishāsura, the daityas remembered the old enmity and fought many battles with the devas. Raktāsura performed fierce tapas for a very long time and pleased Brahmā, who gave him the rule of the three worlds. With this vara he gathered the daityas and attacked Amarāvatī to fight Indra. The devas stood ready under Devarāja Indra, but the battle was terrible and they left the field and fled. Raktāsura brought Amarāvatī under his power and ruled there.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
His end
The devas fled to Karachatrāpurī, where Durgā dwells and Cāmuṇḍā is enthroned with the nine Durgās, and prayed for protection. Bhagavatī appeared in the form of a Kumārī with the nine Durgās, mounted on a lion, holding various weapons in her twenty arms.
The daityas came there, proud through Brahmā‘s vara. Their chiefs were Indramārī, Gurukeśī, Pralamba, Naraka, Kushṭha, Pulomā, Śarabha, Śambara, Dundubhi, Ilvala, Namuci, Bhauma, Vātāpi, Dhenuka, Kali, Māyāvṛta, Balabanyu, Kaiṭabha, Kālajit, Rāhu and Pauṇḍra, with others. They rained śara, śūla, parigha, paṭṭiśa, śakti, tomara, kunta, śataghnī, gadā, mudgara and other weapons on her. Blazing, Bhagavatī destroyed countless daityas in a moment, took their banners by force and handed them to the devas. She seized Raktāsura by the throat, dashed him to the earth and split his heart with her triśūla. The daityas who were left fled to save their lives.
By the grace of Bhagavatī the devas won, came to Karachatrāpurī and held a special festival of Bhagavatī. Bhagavatī won this victory on the navamī, so that navamī is very dear to her.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 61