Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Sahasramukharavana included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of Sahasramukharāvaṇa
General.
A Daitya King, who ruled Trilokapurī, a country thousands of miles away from India. Trilokapurī was an island at the centre of the seas. He was a terror to the whole world and possessed a thousand heads and two thousand hands.
Secured boon.
This 屹ṇa once went to Satyaloka and performed the most intense tapas for many years. Yet, did not appear and then he began cutting his heads one after the other and offering them in the fire. Nine hundred and ninetynine of his heads were cut thus. When he was about to cut the last head also, , fearing the end of the world, appeared and granted him the following three boons.
(i) You will not die at the hands of anyone, but a woman.
(ii) stra, which would annihilate, will be at your disposal.
(iii) You will also possess an aerial chariot for travels as you please. Sahasramukha, who returned to his country with the boons became emperor of all Daityas and then conquered heaven, , , ղṇṭ and the eight regions of the world.
He then defeated rāvaṇa and wedded his only daughter Indumukhī. He got as a present a weapon called Kaṭhorakuṭhāra. He propagated in the world the customs and practices of heaven with the result that all the customs of the Devas were derogated. Good people felt harassed. In the rise of unrighteousness righteousness became helpless.
Curse.
Once on his way to his father-in-law’s house Sahasramukharāvaṇa raped a վ woman, 䲹ñṣ�, who was performing tapas of Lakṣmīdevī and 䲹ñṣ� cursed him that Lakṣmīdevī would kill him.
Son.
Vajrabāhu was Sahasramukha’s son. He secured from Ś śܱ貹ٰ and an armour impenetrable by anyone. Vajrabāhu captured Indra and ܲṇy killed the former.
Death.
Sahasramukha had an army-chief named ṇa and both of them together did incalculable harm to the three worlds. Śrī 峾 was King of ǻ at the time, and Devas and sages complained to him about Sahasramukha and as soon as the complainants left ǻ, ܲī and վīṣaṇa came there. They told 峾 about the abduction by Sahasramukha’s second son, Candragupta of ܲī’s daughter and վīṣaṇa’s daughter-in-law. At once Śrī 峾, along with ṣmṇa, ܲī, վīṣaṇa, Ჹū and a great army of monkeys reached Sahasramukha’s capital city. Śrī 峾 sent word to him through Ჹū that ܲī’s daughter and վīṣaṇa’s daughter-in-law should be returned, Indra should be released and that pardon should be begged for, for his errors. Angered at this message Sahasramukha deputed ṇa to fight Śrī 峾. ṇa was killed in battle. (See under ṇa IV). Then ensued a fierce battle between 峾 and Sahasramukha, the latter aided by Candragupta. ṅg岹 was about to be overpowered by Candragupta, and then the following celestial voice was heard: "Candragupta will not die as long as his wife ʲ峾屹ī is reciting Brahmamantra imparted by ." Then վīṣaṇa sent Ჹū to the women’s quarters and as a result of the latter using a 'Kūṭatantrayantra' great confusion and quarrels broke out among the women-folk, and utilising the opportunity ṅg岹 killed Candragupta.
Sahasramukha fought Śrī 峾 single-handed. All tactics of 峾 proved to be of no use. Then he remembered ’s boon to Sahasramukha and 䲹ñṣī’s curse upon him. Immediately Śrī 峾 brought down ī from ǻ and the latter shot the Śaktika arrow at the throat of Sahasramukha and he was killed. (Kamba 峾ⲹṇa, Uttarakāṇḍa),