The Man from the Egg Read online

‘With such a boon, I can conquer the world without an army,’ replied the asura.

  Brahma smiled and blessed him. ‘So be it. From this day on, you will be known as Bhasmasura.’

  The moment Bhasmasura acquired the power he had asked for he decided that he wanted to defeat the Trinity so no one could stand in his way.

  A wicked plan hatched in his mind, and he resolved to implement it soon. He wanted to keep his palm on Brahma’s head and destroy him. Even as the plan took shape in Bhasmasura’s mind, Brahma realized the asura’s malicious intent through his divine powers. Lord Brahma was shocked! He had never imagined that his boon would be used against him. Brahma had no choice but to flee as fast and as far as he could—with Bhasmasura right behind him.

  The chase lasted for months. While on the run, Brahma finally called out to Vishnu, ‘Help me! You must protect me or the balance of the whole world will be in danger!’

  ‘If that’s the case, you should think twice before granting such boons,’ replied Vishnu.

  ‘But I am bound by the affection of my devotees and compelled to give them what they desire. After all, I am their father and creator. But I also know that you are always there to help me,’ said Brahma.

  ‘Hmm,’ said Vishnu non-committally.

  Bhasmasura, who had been in hot pursuit of Brahma and was about to exit the earthly realm, came to a sudden halt. He had just spotted an exquisite woman strolling in a garden nearby. Forgetting all about Brahma, Bhasmasura inched towards the maiden. The closer he got, the more enchanted he became. He hadn’t seen such a beauty in his life! Even the apsaras Menaka and Rambha couldn’t hold a candle to her.

  The maiden smiled politely when she found the asura standing right in front of her.

  ‘O enchanting lady, you must be the most beautiful woman in the world,’ he said. ‘I am Bhasmasura and I have the power to reduce anyone to a heap of ashes. Everyone, including Brahma, is afraid of me. I wish to marry you.’

  The maiden’s smile widened.

  Bhasmasura continued, ‘You are fortunate to have found someone like me. If you agree to be my queen, you will find the whole world waiting on you. I can make any deva or king listen to you and fulfil all your desires. But first, tell me, what is your name?’

  The maiden bowed. ‘My lord, my name is Mohini. I am indeed fortunate to have a suitor like you. But there is something you must know about me. I . . . happen to be an extraordinary dancer and—’

  ‘What is it, my dear Mohini? What is the problem?’ Bhasmasura interrupted impatiently.

  ‘I have taken a vow that whomever I marry must also be a good dancer. I don’t have any other condition. I will not dare to demand anything else from you.’

  Bhasmasura felt awkward and a little helpless. ‘I don’t know how to dance, Mohini,’ he admitted. ‘But I can make other people dance to your tunes.’

  ‘O Bhasmasura, it is nothing! A person like you can learn to dance quickly and easily. If you like, I can be your guru. Will you at least allow me to teach you for a few minutes? I am confident you will be an expert in no time. It will make me very happy if you agree to do this for me.’

  Bhasmasura looked at Mohini. Her bright brown eyes twinkled at him, and Bhasmasura was immediately convinced that she was telling the truth about her vow. He thought, ‘If I dance a little with her, she will most likely agree to marry me. With her beauty and my might, we will make the most perfect couple in the world and rule over everyone!’

  He nodded.

  Without further ado, Mohini began the lesson. ‘Turn your foot to the left and take a step forward like this,’ she said.

  Bhasmasura tried to mirror her moves.

  ‘Now come this way and take two steps to the right.’

  After a few minutes, she exclaimed with happiness, ‘You are such an excellent student. I’m afraid you will become an even better dancer than me!’

  Bhasmasura was overjoyed and continued to follow her movements.

  Then Mohini suggested, ‘Let me teach you a few hand movements and postures now.’

  ‘Of course,’ agreed Bhasmasura.

  ‘Stretch out your left hand and hold it this way,’ she said, showing him the stance.

  Her instructions now became more demanding and came quickly, one after the other.

  ‘Extend your right hand.

  ‘Rotate the left wrist.

  ‘Now do the same with the other hand.

  ‘Now spread your left hand outwards and extend your right leg until it looks like this.’ She demonstrated promptly as she moved on to the next instruction. ‘Now do the same action with the opposite hand and leg.’

  Bhasmasura tried to copy her as best as he could, but he was a terrible dancer. There was nothing graceful about him.

  And yet, Mohini looked at him in awe. ‘Oh my God! You are dancing like a bird. You are agile and your swiftness is unmatched. Now let’s try something a little more complicated.’

  Bhasmasura beamed.

  ‘Take your right hand and put it on your waist. Put your left hand on your waist as well,’ Mohini said.

  Bhasmasura followed her instructions meekly.

  ‘Now put your right hand on your shoulder, and then your left hand too. Look at me and repeat,’ she said, smiling at her student.

  ‘Swing your left hand back and forth, and place the right hand on your head. And go around in a circle like this,’ said Mohini, demonstrating.

  Bhasmasura was so busy looking at her and appreciating her expertise that he swung his left hand and placed the right one on his head blindly, without realizing what was going to happen. Within seconds, he was reduced to a heap of ashes.

  And Mohini instantly transformed into Vishnu!

  Many paintings and statues depict this incident, which is popularly known as Mohini Bhasmasura. The most captivating of them can be viewed in the temple of Belur in Karnataka, where Mohini is portrayed as dancing with her right hand on her head.

  The Elephant and the Crocodile

  There once lived a king named Indradyumna, who was a devotee of Vishnu.

  One day, the great sage Agastya came to visit Indradyumna on a hot summer’s day. At the palace, the king did not bother to attend to Agastya or offer him something to drink. The sage was tired, thirsty and hungry, and so he was reasonably upset by the king’s disrespectful behaviour.

  The enraged Agastya cursed the king. ‘May you be born as an elephant in your next life and search desperately for water to quench your thirst.’

  The king realized his folly and begged for forgiveness. ‘I am really sorry for my behaviour. Please take back the curse!’

  The sage said, ‘I cannot do that, but I grant that you will return to your true form when the lord comes for you.’

  In another part of the world, a handsome gandharva was bathing in a river with his wife, when the sage Devala passed by. The gandharva threw some water at him playfully and asked him to join them. Devala, however, was livid at the gandharva’s immaturity and cursed him. ‘May you be born as a crocodile in your next birth,’ shouted the sage.

  Thus, the poor gandharva was reborn as a crocodile.

  Meanwhile, Agastya’s curse also came to pass and Indradyumna was reborn as an elephant. He eventually became the king of elephants and was called Gajendra.

  One day, Gajendra was in his favourite lake with his herd, when suddenly something caught hold of one of his feet under the water. It turned out to be a monstrous crocodile! Gajendra was aware of his own strength and was sure that no animal could continue to hold him for long. But to his surprise, no amount of struggle could loosen his foot from the jaws of the crocodile. He called out to his relatives and friends for help, but even they couldn’t get him free. After hours and days, they all left, leaving Gajendra alone in the lake with the crocodile.

  All of a sudden, he had a vision of his past life as Indradyumna and the memories came flooding back. Gajendra started praying to Vishnu. ‘There is no one in the universe but you whom I can call upon.