Vishnu, as Varaaha the boar, wed Bhoomi Devi, the Earth goddess and she bore a son called Naraka. This boy, though born of godly parents, ended up falling into bad company and soon became a tyrant. He came to be known as Narakaasura, feared and hated by all.
Narakaasura, son of Bhoomi, was blessed with great strength and cunning. However, in his youth, he was influenced by a brutish demon named Bana and he imbibed the qualities of the asuras from Bana. He soon proclaimed himself lord of all demons and established his kingdom in the eastern regions of ancient India. Pragjyotishpura was his impregnable capital city. He united under his banner a formidable army of asuras, led by the five headed Mura.
Naraka had a fascination for elephants and women. The former, he believed, were essential to win battles, and the latter to enjoy his victories with. He once raided swarga loka, the Heavenly Realms ruled by Indra the god-king. So great was his military strength that the army of gods could do nothing to deny him his advances. He captured all of Indra's four tusker elephants and sixteen thousand of his celestial damsels. Drunk in power, he went on to confiscate the famed umbrella of the water god Varuna and the glittering earrings of Aditi, the mother of the gods.
An enraged Indra escaped and went to Dwaraka in the West, the kingdom of Lord Krishna, the only one he believed capable of putting an end to Naraka. When he reached, he found Krishna in the company of his wife Satyabhama. He told them both of the trouble Narakaasura was causing the world. When he told Krishna of his snatching Aditi's earrings, Krishna became furious.
"His irreverence must be punished. Fear not Indra deva, for I shall make for Pragjyotishpura at once."
Indra thanked Krishna and took his leave. Krishna immediately proceeded to don his armor and weapons and summoned his mighty steed, the eagle Garuda. When he went to take Satyabhama's leave, he saw that she looked miffed, probably because of Indra's interruption to their conversation. Amused, Krishna lifted her up and hoisted her onto Garuda, to seat himself behind her. Garuda took off and they traversed the breadth of the country to finally reach Pragjyotishpura.
Suddenly, out of thin air, a large, seemingly endless mountain appeared, blocking Garuda's way. Try as hard as he might, the great eagle could neither fly around it nor break it with his strong beak. Then Krishna swung his mace, the deadly Kaumodhaki, and smashed it against the mountain. It shattered. Next, they were greeted by scorching flames and comets erupting from the sky, which Krishna tackled with arrows, and then tumultuous waves enveloping ground and sky alike, which he reduced to gentle drizzle with his Sudarshana chakra. Then came storms and gales which Garuda countered by flapping his great, long wings so hard, he created gales and storms of his own.
Crossing these forces of nature that Naraka had set as defenses to his city, Krishna entered. He blew his conch proclaiming his arrival.
By Naraka's sorcery, a swarm of weapons- arrows, spears, swords of various sizes, clubs and maces- materialized and flew towards Krishna and Satyabhama. Satyabhama shut her eyes tight in fear as Krishna smiled and nocked three arrows at once to his bow and releas
ed them. His three darts dealt with all of Naraka's magical weapons. They proceeded aerially towards the main city and Naraka's palace. On their way, they saw Mura, Naraka's five headed general, sleeping in a pool of water, his gigantic body all but submerged. Krishna blew his conch and woke him.
The massive demon was livid. He hurled a huge, spiked mace at Krishna who only raised his own to shatter it. Mura then roared fiercely and hurled other weapons at Krishna, all of which were broken by the swift arrows Krishna fired. Krishna shot an arrow into each of Mura's five mouths, muting his roars. Bleeding copiously, the demon charged with a spear. Krishna, still calmly seated on the airborne Garuda, released his Sudarshana chakra, which severed Mura's five heads, earning Krishna the name Muraari. Slayer of Mura.
The sons of Mura then came to fight, leading all of Naraka's troops. Krishna with his arrows and Garuda with his beak and talons soon slew them all.
Naraka was asleep when Krishna was decimating his entire army but the commotion created by the battle woke him up and when he learned of Krishna's invasion into his city, he rode out on one of his great elephants to face the invader. Mighty Naraka fired several arrows but Krishna intercepted them all. Their duel was well matched and awesome to behold. Each had deadly missiles at their command and each was clever enough to counter the moves of the other. Finally, Krishna broke all of Naraka's bowstrings.
The demon hurled maces and clubs but they were all smashed by Krishna's Kaumodhaki. Some were even deftly caught by Garuda. Angered, he summoned a great shakti weapon- gifted to him by some god long ago- and hurled it at Garuda. Not a feather, however, on the eagle was harmed.
Krishna seemed amused, as though he was watching little children playing. "And now Naraka, you shall meet your end", said he in his deep voice. Naraka raised a tri-bladed spear in response and Krishna his Sudarshana chakra. Both hurled their weapons at the same time.
The chakra sliced Naraka's spear into two and whizzed forward, to behead him.
Garuda descended and Krishna and Satyabhama alighted. Then, Bhoomi Devi manifested, accompanied by a youth. He was Bhagadatta, the gentle son of Naraka. Krishna instated him the ruler of Pragjyotishpura. Bhoomi handed him Varuna's umbrella and Aditi's earrings, which he returned to their respective owners. He freed from captivity the sixteen thousand damsels that Naraka had taken captive. They all begged him to wed them since only then would honor be restored to them, lest they be degraded by society for being the objects of Naraka's evil pleasures. Respecting their wishes, Krishna made them all his wives, that they could walk with honor.
Narakaasura, son of Bhoomi, was blessed with great strength and cunning. However, in his youth, he was influenced by a brutish demon named Bana and he imbibed the qualities of the asuras from Bana. He soon proclaimed himself lord of all demons and established his kingdom in the eastern regions of ancient India. Pragjyotishpura was his impregnable capital city. He united under his banner a formidable army of asuras, led by the five headed Mura.
Naraka had a fascination for elephants and women. The former, he believed, were essential to win battles, and the latter to enjoy his victories with. He once raided swarga loka, the Heavenly Realms ruled by Indra the god-king. So great was his military strength that the army of gods could do nothing to deny him his advances. He captured all of Indra's four tusker elephants and sixteen thousand of his celestial damsels. Drunk in power, he went on to confiscate the famed umbrella of the water god Varuna and the glittering earrings of Aditi, the mother of the gods.
An enraged Indra escaped and went to Dwaraka in the West, the kingdom of Lord Krishna, the only one he believed capable of putting an end to Naraka. When he reached, he found Krishna in the company of his wife Satyabhama. He told them both of the trouble Narakaasura was causing the world. When he told Krishna of his snatching Aditi's earrings, Krishna became furious.
"His irreverence must be punished. Fear not Indra deva, for I shall make for Pragjyotishpura at once."
Indra thanked Krishna and took his leave. Krishna immediately proceeded to don his armor and weapons and summoned his mighty steed, the eagle Garuda. When he went to take Satyabhama's leave, he saw that she looked miffed, probably because of Indra's interruption to their conversation. Amused, Krishna lifted her up and hoisted her onto Garuda, to seat himself behind her. Garuda took off and they traversed the breadth of the country to finally reach Pragjyotishpura.
Suddenly, out of thin air, a large, seemingly endless mountain appeared, blocking Garuda's way. Try as hard as he might, the great eagle could neither fly around it nor break it with his strong beak. Then Krishna swung his mace, the deadly Kaumodhaki, and smashed it against the mountain. It shattered. Next, they were greeted by scorching flames and comets erupting from the sky, which Krishna tackled with arrows, and then tumultuous waves enveloping ground and sky alike, which he reduced to gentle drizzle with his Sudarshana chakra. Then came storms and gales which Garuda countered by flapping his great, long wings so hard, he created gales and storms of his own.
Crossing these forces of nature that Naraka had set as defenses to his city, Krishna entered. He blew his conch proclaiming his arrival.
By Naraka's sorcery, a swarm of weapons- arrows, spears, swords of various sizes, clubs and maces- materialized and flew towards Krishna and Satyabhama. Satyabhama shut her eyes tight in fear as Krishna smiled and nocked three arrows at once to his bow and releas
The massive demon was livid. He hurled a huge, spiked mace at Krishna who only raised his own to shatter it. Mura then roared fiercely and hurled other weapons at Krishna, all of which were broken by the swift arrows Krishna fired. Krishna shot an arrow into each of Mura's five mouths, muting his roars. Bleeding copiously, the demon charged with a spear. Krishna, still calmly seated on the airborne Garuda, released his Sudarshana chakra, which severed Mura's five heads, earning Krishna the name Muraari. Slayer of Mura.
The sons of Mura then came to fight, leading all of Naraka's troops. Krishna with his arrows and Garuda with his beak and talons soon slew them all.
Naraka was asleep when Krishna was decimating his entire army but the commotion created by the battle woke him up and when he learned of Krishna's invasion into his city, he rode out on one of his great elephants to face the invader. Mighty Naraka fired several arrows but Krishna intercepted them all. Their duel was well matched and awesome to behold. Each had deadly missiles at their command and each was clever enough to counter the moves of the other. Finally, Krishna broke all of Naraka's bowstrings.
The demon hurled maces and clubs but they were all smashed by Krishna's Kaumodhaki. Some were even deftly caught by Garuda. Angered, he summoned a great shakti weapon- gifted to him by some god long ago- and hurled it at Garuda. Not a feather, however, on the eagle was harmed.
Krishna seemed amused, as though he was watching little children playing. "And now Naraka, you shall meet your end", said he in his deep voice. Naraka raised a tri-bladed spear in response and Krishna his Sudarshana chakra. Both hurled their weapons at the same time.
The chakra sliced Naraka's spear into two and whizzed forward, to behead him.
Garuda descended and Krishna and Satyabhama alighted. Then, Bhoomi Devi manifested, accompanied by a youth. He was Bhagadatta, the gentle son of Naraka. Krishna instated him the ruler of Pragjyotishpura. Bhoomi handed him Varuna's umbrella and Aditi's earrings, which he returned to their respective owners. He freed from captivity the sixteen thousand damsels that Naraka had taken captive. They all begged him to wed them since only then would honor be restored to them, lest they be degraded by society for being the objects of Naraka's evil pleasures. Respecting their wishes, Krishna made them all his wives, that they could walk with honor.
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