The Rise of Daruka – The Second Chapter of Bhadrakali Mahatmyam
Daruka, the foremost of the asuras, challenged Indra, lord of the gods, to battle. Enraged by the call, Indra mounted his mighty elephant Airavata, grasped the thunderbolt in his hand, and advanced with the army of the devas to meet the enemy.
A terrible devasura war broke out. Weapons flew like lightning, arrows darkened the skies, and magical powers filled the battlefield with illusions. The gods fought with all their might, the asuras with equal fury. The ground was drenched in blood, so much so that the field resembled the peak of Mount Meru stained crimson.
Indra unleashed the blazing power of his thunderbolt, scattering the hosts of Shukracharya’s disciples. Seeing his army thrown into chaos, Daruka burned with rage. He shot arrows into Indra himself, into Matali his charioteer, and even into Airavata the great elephant.
But Indra, lord of the thunderbolt, consumed those weapons in its fire. Raising the vajra to cut off Daruka’s head, Indra charged forward. Daruka, undaunted, seized the Brahma-danda — a weapon of terrifying power.
At once, monstrous beings of immense strength burst forth. The gods faltered. Though immortal, they could not withstand the force. Fear overcame them. Even Indra abandoned Airavata and fled, hiding with the other devas in mountain caves.
Triumphant, Daruka plundered heaven itself. He looted treasures, carried away wish-fulfilling trees, and returned with all spoils to his own city, where he reveled in pride.
With the aid of powerful asuras from all directions, Daruka spread terror across the ten lokas. He subdued the dominions of Indra, Aryaman, Nirriti, Varuna, the Maruts, and even Kubera. Corrupt daityas were set as rulers over the earth, and under their cruelty, cows and Brahmanas suffered. Yajnas were disrupted, women were seized, homes were plundered, and wealth and grain were stolen.
The daityas destroyed roads, polluted wells and reservoirs, and set rest-houses aflame. They locked cows in sheds, lit fires around them, and laughed as the animals screamed in pain. Everywhere, by Daruka’s command, there was fear and ruin.
Daruka then took as his queen Manodari, the lotus-eyed daughter of the demon architect Maya. Captivated by her beauty, he spent his days intoxicated, drinking from her lips as if tasting wine.
But his desire was endless. He seized the celestial maidens — Urvashi, Menaka, Rambha, Tilottama, Citralekha — and forced them into slavery. They became attendants to his queen, fanning her with palm leaves, washing her clothes through tears, bathing her with fragrant oils, and adorning her with jewels.
Daruka’s arrogance grew. He seized women from kings and commoners alike. The most beautiful he made his wives, the rest he reduced to servants. Addicted to women and wine, he was harsh in speech and cruel in rule, his heart swollen with pride.
He plundered the divine gardens, uprooted the five heavenly trees — Mandara, Parijata, Santana, Kallakya-dama, and Harichandana — and transplanted them into his city. Celestial women were degraded into slaves, forced to carry water to nurture them.
At last, Daruka’s city glittered with stolen treasures and enslaved divinities. Gods, men, and serpents groaned under his tyranny. Yet in his palace, seated beside Manodari, Daruka rejoiced, drunk on power and blind to the doom he was summoning upon himself.
Thus ends the second chapter — the tale of Daruka’s rise to power.
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