Anaupaymā
Anaupaymā was the wife of the dānava Bāṇa, who lived in Tripura, a fortress-city that floated in the sky. She appears in the Svarga Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa. Nārada visited Tripura at the wish of Bhagavān Śiva. Anaupaymā asked him to teach her dharma.
Her question and Nārada’s answer led to the fall of Tripura. After the teaching, the minds of the women of the city turned, and a dosha (fault) appeared in the city.
Meeting with Nārada
Nārada came to Tripura on the instruction of Bhagavān Śiva, to teach the people there a different path. Bāṇa rose and welcomed him with full honour. He gave him arghya and pādya (water offerings for the hands and feet) and a proper seat. Then Anaupaymā spoke to Nārada. She asked with respect and in sincerity: in the bhūloka (the earth), by which vratas (vows), niyamas (rules of life), dānas (gifts) and tapas (austerities) are the devas pleased? She asked him to tell her this out of compassion.
Nārada taught her the puṇya (merit) of tila-dhenu-dāna, the gift of a cow made of sesame. He said it equals giving the whole earth of nine continents to a learned brāhmaṇa. He also named the holy tithis (lunar days) that are especially good for fasting (upavāsa) by women. These are ashṭamī, caturdaśī and dvādaśī in both pakshas (halves of the month), together with saṃkrānti, vishuva and the chidra-tithis. Women who fasted on these days would reach svarga (heaven) and be free from the dosha of the Kali-yuga.
Anaupaymā was grateful and offered gold, maṇis (jewels), ratnas (gems) and fine cloth. Nārada gently refused. He told her to give these things to a worthy brāhmaṇa who was poor. He said that for a person of good conduct like himself, only bhakti (devotion) was worth growing. (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Svarga Khaṇḍa, Chapter 14)
Her part in the fall of Tripura
The Purāṇa tells that Nārada taught Anaupaymā, and through her the women of Tripura, a new way of dharma. It was one of fasting that leads to svarga and of pūjā of brāhmaṇas. The text says that after Nārada left, “the minds of the women having turned”, a dosha appeared in the city. This opened the way for Bhagavān Śiva to strike Tripura with his arrow. (Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Svarga Khaṇḍa, Chapter 14)
Sources
- Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Svarga Khaṇḍa, Chapter 14