We are hearing about the fierce battle that led to the death of Bhandāsurā. The commander-in-chief of Bhandāsurā’s army sent five of his strongest and most ferocious asuras to fight against the śakti Sena. He urged them, “Fight for your country; if necessary, give your lives.” True to his words, all five sacrificed their lives in battle. Their names are listed in the Lalithopakhyānāṃ: Karangāna, Kakavacitna, Vajradantāna,Vajramukhāna and Vajraromana. They arrived in war with very peculiar escorts.
Vajradantāna arrived at the battlefield in a chariot drawn by a hundred donkeys. The weapons of Vajramukhāna and Vajraroman were as sharp as diamonds. In the ensuing ferocious battle, they employed the weapons of Maya and the occult powers they had mastered. They conjured a demonic śakti named Sarpiṇī who produced millions of snakes from her body. These snakes wreaked havoc in the śakti Sena, biting the warriors with their vicious fangs.
Many warriors fell unconscious from the powerful bites, and the śakti Sena appeared to be on the verge of defeat. At that crucial moment, śrī Lalithaṃbika appeared among them. She looked upon her distraught warriors with compassion and smiled gently at Mantriṇī. Mantriṇī. then manifested the divine Nakulī Devī , awakening the inner spiritual power lying dormant within her. From Nakulī Devī’s body, many mongooses were born.
The mongooses tore apart the snakes slithering across the battlefield. The Lalithopakhyānāṃ details the slaying of the five powerful asuras sent to defeat the śakti Sena. Upon learning of the deaths of his five fiercest asuras, Kutilakṣana dispatched seven more chieftains, commanding the strength of a hundred Akṣauhinisa. The war was turning into a gruesome bloodbath, and all seven asuras had received boons from the Devas.
The seven were named Valahakan, Sucimukhāna, Vikatanan, Karalakṣana, Karatakāna, Balamukhan, and Vikarnan. These army chiefs rode on vultures, crows, eagles, ghouls, hens, ghosts, and Vethala (a paranormal being). It is said that the wingspan of the birds they rode spanned kilometers in length and width. They joined the battle, tearing apart, trampling, and flinging aside anything in their path.
The Devīs’ warriors were attacked by the sharp, cruel beaks of the seven asuras. It is said that these asuras had received a boon from the Sun God: the heat of multiple suns would descend upon anyone who confronted or even glanced at them with hostility. Scorching flames would turn everything to ashes, and the heat generated by their mere presence would be unbearable. At a critical moment in the battle, the asuras began wielding this boon as a weapon. They flew around on their monstrous vehicles, spreading flames everywhere. The śakti Sena became exhausted, their bodies bleeding profusely, and defeat loomed. śrī Lalithaṃbika was informed of the impending disaster. With compassion, she looked at Aaśvarudhā Devī, from whom Thiraskariṇī Devī manifested.
The Sanskrit meaning of “Thiraskaraṃ” is to conceal or hide. The asuras created immense, roaring flames and unbearable heat. Thiraskariṇī Devī arrived on a vehicle named “Thamoliptham” (that which is hidden or covered by darkness) and entered the battlefield in her flying chariot. She subdued the roaring flames and stabilized the temperature of the śakti Sena’s bodies. Ultimately, she defeated all seven asuras.
Bhandāsurā was informed about the significant defeats suffered by his army. He lamented, “It seems that the race of asuras will soon be entirely destroyed.” The Lalithopakhyānāṃ continues to describe the chaos and fear that have overwhelmed Bhandāsurā. We are recounting the events leading to Bhandāsurā’s destruction, as detailed in the śrī Lalitha Sahasranāma More will be revealed in the coming days.
To be continued….
#Lalita #LalithaSahasranāma
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