Sahasrakavacha Rakshasa

 

Sahasrakavacha Rakshasa

This story happened, long ago, much before the Mahabharatha war in the Treta Yuga. It was about a rakshasa who could have made a difference to the Mahabharata war but did not. Who is he?

The forest was still. The bees and birds were still. The animals were pensive. Everyone was watching the giant man who was standing on one leg and praying towards Lord Surya. His name was Dambodbhava. He had one wish from his Ishtadevata (favourite God) Surya. To become immortal. Finally, Lord Surya appeared in front of him in his resplendent glory.

Lord Surya asked him what Dambodbhava desired. Dambodbhava was ready with his requests. He said “Oh SuryaNarayana, I have but one request. I want to be immortal. Lord Surya shood his head. “No, we are all bound by nature and cannot give anyone the boon of immortality. Ask me for something else.”

Dambodbhava said immediately “Lord, in that case, grant me the boon of a thousand armours. Each armour can only be broken / destroyed one at a time by someone who has done penance for 1000 years. And the person who pierces the armour should die immediately.” Lord Surya was aghast. This boon meant that someone who had done a penance for 1000*1000 years was the only one capable of defeating Dambodhbhava. The only problem was once the first armour is broken the attacker would be dead.

Lord Surya was very uncomfortable granting such a difficult boon to a person who had an Asuric nature. On the other hand, Dambodbhava had done such a long and sincere penance that Surya did not want to disappoint him. Finally, with confidence on the all powerful Brahmam, Lord Surya granted him the boon.

The result was as Lord Surya feared. Dambodbhava became even more cruel and arrogant. He troubled all beings on earth and heaven. People lived in terror of the next cruel idea that he might come up with. Anyone who dared to oppose him was crushed by him. Given his powers, no one was able to conquer him. He was given the name Sahasrakavacha by people in all worlds. The very mention of this name brought fear in the minds of the people.

At that time, King Daksha’s daughter Murti, who was married to Dharma (one of the manasaputras of Lord Brahma) was expecting her child. She prayed to Lord Vishnu to put an end to the cruelty of Sahasrakavacha. Pleased with her prayers and noble thought, Lord Vishnu appeared in her dreams. He told her, “Since you are thinking of the welfare of others, you will be the cause of the demise of this Asura.”

In due course, Murti gave birth to twin boys – Nara and Narayana. Nara and Narayana – were one in all but their body. They knew each other’s thoughts, completed each other’s sentences and were in all respects one. Once they came of age, their mother told them about the menace of Sahasrakavacha and his boons.

Saharakavacha once started attacking the region where the twin brothers were residing. At the time of the attack, Nara was meditating. Narayana went and attacked the Asura. Sahasrakavacha was surprised at the strength of Narayana’s attack on him. He realized that there was some other powers more than the physical prowess of the man in front of him. Narayana finally managed to pierce the first armour of the Asura. He fell dead. Sahasrakavacha was happy. But he saw another person, the replica of Narayana going near the dead boy and whispering something in his year. Narayana came alive. And Nara, who was the one the Asura saw, started the fight with the Asura. Nara had used his meditative powers and used the powerful Mritasanjeevani mantra to revive his twin brother Narayana.

Like this the brothers took turns to fight and meditate with the Asura. While one fought the other meditated. The fight between the brothers Nara and Narayana with the Sahasarakavacha Rakshasa went on for many eons. The brothers systematically broke the armours of the Rakshasa one by one. Like this, 999 armours were broken. With only one armour left, the Asura went and surrendered to Lord Surya.

Lord Surya gave him protection. Nara and Narayana told Lord Surya to give up the Asura so that they could finish their job. Lord Surya, though understanding their reason, could not be unfair to his devotee. He refused to give up Asura. Nara cursed Lord Surya to be born as a human for this sin. Lord Surya gladly accepted this punishment for the sake of his devotee.

In the Dwapara Yuga, Nara and Narayana were born as Lord Krishna and his devotee Arjuna. Dambodbhava was born with the last remaining kavach with the amsha (charateristics) and blessings of Lord Surya as Karna.  As we all know, Karna was born with the armour at birth.

Lord Krishna and the Gods realised that breaking the armour of Karna would have meant that Arjuna will die in the process. They sent a celestial being Lord Indra to do the job for them. Lord Indra came in the guise of an old brahmin and took the last remaining armour, thereby protecting his son Arjuna.

The sins of his previous life meant that Karna could not live peacefully, despite being the close friend and confidante of a powerful king like Duryodhana. He was abandoned at birth. Karna was ridiculed in public for his birth and also was cursed to be unable to use his powerful weapons at the crucial moment in the battle.

Karna died a valiant death but lived his life with a lot of uncertainty and insecurity despite being known for his good qualities of charity, dharma and bravery.

Most of our puranic stories emphasize the fact that we are responsible for our actions and they do catch up with us if not immediately at some point in time.