Mura of Candravatī
Mura was a powerful asura of the Tālajaṅgha line. He ruled from the city of Candravatī. He drove all the devas out of svarga (heaven), and even Bhagavān Vishṇu could not defeat him in a long battle.
Mura did not die by a weapon. A maiden rose from the sleeping body of Bhagavān Vishṇu, and she killed Mura with her huṅkāra (the sound “huṁ”). She is Ekādaśī Devī. Mura’s death is the occasion for the Ekādaśī observance. It also gave Bhagavān Vishṇu the name Murāri, “the enemy of Mura”.
Who Mura was
Mura belonged to the Tālajaṅgha line, a clan of asuras with great power. He lived in his capital, the city of Candravatī, and from there he planned his campaign against the devas. His strength was more than the gathered forces of the devas could match. Bhagavān Vishṇu himself had to step in.
The conquest of svarga
Mura drove the devas out of their place in svarga. Indra, the Ādityas, the Vasus and the Maruts were all thrown out of their places and became wanderers. They asked Bhagavān Vishṇu for help.
The battle with Bhagavān Vishṇu
Bhagavān Vishṇu fought Mura face to face. The battle was long and had no end. Over that long fight Mura was able to stand against even the weapons of Bhagavān Vishṇu. At last Bhagavān Vishṇu withdrew to a cave to rest. Mura followed him there. He wanted to kill Bhagavān Vishṇu while he slept and so end the fight for good.
This was Mura’s last act. Ekādaśī Devī rose from the sleeping body of Bhagavān Vishṇu. She killed Mura with her huṅkāra before he could harm Bhagavān Vishṇu at rest.
The meaning of his death
The maiden born from the body of Bhagavān Vishṇu killed Mura with her huṅkāra, and this had three results:
- The devas were freed from Mura’s rule.
- It became the occasion for Ekādaśī, the most powerful day for removing pāpa (sin) in the Vaishṇava calendar.
- It gave Bhagavān Vishṇu the name Murāri, “the enemy of Mura”. This is one of the well-known names by which Bhagavān Vishṇu is called in Vaishṇava devotion.
Sources
- Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 38