Sri Lalitha Devi

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THE STORY OF LALITHA DEVI From the Brahmanda Purana This is a story of the days following the destruction of Daksha’s sacrificial rite by Shiva’s retainers and the rebirth of Dakshayani (Sati) as Gauri, daughter of the mountain-lord Himachal. The Asura leader Taraka had routed the gods who found out that only a son of Shiva could slay this invincible. But the lord was engrossed in meditation. So, the gods begged Kama, the god of love, to intervene. Shiva, disturbed with the flower-arrows of desire shot from Kama’s sugarcane bow, opened his third eye and burned the presumptuous god to ashes. Chitrakarma, a lord of Shiva’s hosts, made a wonderfully formed figure from these ashes. When Shiva cast his gaze upon this form, it assumed life as an extraordinarily powerful, resplendent person who worshipped Mahadeva with the Shatarudriya mantra that Chitrakarma taught him. Delighted, Shiva blessed him, “Bhanda (fortunate)! As you have wished, half the strength of your opponent’s strength will become yours and your rule shall last for sixty thousand years.” Daityas flocked to join Bhanda who was advised by Shukra to rebuild the city of Shonitapur (Tejpur in Assam, or somewhere on the banks of Mandakini) from where Daityas had ruled the three worlds in earlier times. Crowned there with the crown Brahma had given Hiranyakashipu, he chose two chowries that dispelled all sickness as his insignia. Shukra gifted him an umbrella made by Brahma that sheltered one from all missiles, a bow named Vijaya, a conch called ‘slayer of enemies’ and an imperishable throne that shone like the sun. Comprehending the needs of the time, the gods silently served Bhanda who, with his Danavas, worshipped Mahadeva. Thus sixty thousand years passed like the blink of an eye. Then Janardana, lord of the Devas, created an invisible, all-enchanting Maya to delude Bhanda. Seeing her with her attendant
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