Kartik Purnima katha

The fall of Tripura: the Shiva Purana story

As told in the Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda, chapters 1, 8 and 10 (J. L. Shastri’s English translation, wisdomlib.org); there Sanatkumara tells the story to Vyasa.

In the Shiva Purana this story follows the slaying of Tarakasura. When Taraka had fallen at Kartikeya’s hands, his three sons remained: Tarakaksha the eldest, Vidyunmali the middle one and Kamalaksha the youngest. Popular tellings say they wished to avenge their father’s death.

The three brothers performed fierce austerities. Brahma, pleased, appeared and told them to ask a boon. They asked to be immortal, but Brahma said he could not grant that; they must ask for something else.

So they asked for three cities of their own. The cities should come together only after a thousand years, and only one who pierced all three with a single arrow at that moment could destroy them. The Shiva Purana names the moment too: midday, at Abhijit, with the moon in Pushya; and the single arrow would be Shiva’s. Brahma granted the boon.

Maya the danava built them three cities: one of gold in heaven for Tarakaksha, one of silver in the sky for Kamalaksha, and one of iron (steel) on earth for Vidyunmali. Together these three cities were called Tripura.

With these cities behind them the asuras began to torment the three worlds. The distressed gods went first to Brahma, then took refuge with Shiva. Shiva agreed to destroy Tripura.

Vishvakarman built for Shiva a wondrous chariot that held all the worlds. The sun and the moon were its right and left wheels, the four Vedas its horses, and Brahma its charioteer. Mount Meru became the bow, the king of serpents its string, and Lord Vishnu himself the arrow.

The Shiva Purana says the task was delayed because Ganesha had not been worshipped first. Ganesha was worshipped, and then the work went forward.

Then the moment came and the three cities came together. Shiva set on the bow the arrow that was Vishnu himself, with Agni as its point, and loosed that single arrow. All three cities burned to ashes at once.

By the Shiva Purana, even in that fire Maya and the asuras who were devoted to Shiva were spared.

The gods rejoiced and praised Shiva. Because he destroyed Tripura, Shiva is called Tripurari and Tripurantaka.

By tradition this victory came on Kartik Purnima and the gods celebrated with lamps; that is why the day is called Tripurari Purnima and Dev Deepawali. The Shiva Purana and the Mahabharata give no date for it.

Tripura in the Mahabharata

As told in the Mahabharata, Karna Parva, chapters 33–34 (Ganguli’s English translation, wisdomlib.org).

In the Mahabharata Duryodhana tells this story to Shalya; the sage Markandeya had once told it to Dhritarashtra. Duryodhana’s point was that, as Brahma drove Shiva’s chariot, so Shalya should drive Karna’s.

Here too the three brothers win a boon by austerity: after a thousand years the three cities will come together, and then one god with one arrow may pierce them. Maya built three cities of gold, silver and iron, in heaven, sky and earth, each a hundred yojanas across.

The Mahabharata adds one more thing: Hari, son of Tarakaksha, made a lake in which dead daityas came back to life as soon as they were placed in it.

The gods went to Brahma and then to Shiva. Shiva took half the strength of the gods and joined it to half of his own. Here the chariot is the Earth, with Mount Mandara as its axle and the Ganga as its shaft; the arrow holds Vishnu, Soma (the moon) and Agni together; and Brahma is the charioteer.

As soon as the three cities came together Shiva loosed one arrow, and they fell, burning. Shiva cast the burnt asuras into the western ocean.