7-Boons by Brahmaa
What Vardaan Brahmaa gave to whom and how the troubles arose because of them
were removed?
(1) Andhakaasur
Andhakaasur was the blind son of Shiv and Paarvatee. Once it so happened that
Shiv was sitting and Paaravatee came quietly from behind him and closed his
eyes with her hands. She removed her hands only after Shiv's several requests.
In the meantime Shiv sweated and a drop of his sweat fell on the ground and an
Asur was born from it. Since he was born while Shiv's eyes were closed, he was
born blind. When his cousins wanted his kingdom because he was blind, he did
severe Tap for Brahmaa Jee and asked him two Var, (1) that he could see, and
(2) he should not be killed even by Vishnu. Brahmaa Jee got very perplexed
at this and after some thinking he told him to ask for another Var, he said -
"Andhak, everybody has to die whoever has been born on Prithvi, so give
me some conditions under which you would like to die." He said - "Whenever
I aspire for a woman who has never been aspired for that should be my last
hour." And Brahma Jee gave that boon to him. So once, he went to Mandaraachal
Parvat and found Shiv doing Tapasyaa and beautiful Paarvatee Jee serving him. He
wished to marry her, so according to Var, Shiv Jee killed him.
[Shiv Puraan,
Introduction]
(2) Atikaaya
Atikaaya, Raavan's son, had Brahmaa's Var that is why Lakshman had to kill
him with Brahmaastra. Vaayu Dev himself told him this.
[
V-Raamaayan, 6/29/71]
(3) Baali
Brahmaa Jee bestowed a boon to Vaanar Raaj Baali that whosoever will come to
you for a fight, his half the might will be transferred to you, thus his own
might will remain half. Because of this boon, and a necklace of gems given by
Indra to him, (read about Indra'a Neclace at
Indra to Baali) nobody could win him. That is why Raam had to kill him from
behind a tree.
(4) Dhundhu
Dhundhu was the son of
Madhu and Kaitabh. He did Tapasyaa for Brahmaa Jee and got the boon that
he would not be killed by any Raakshas, Gandharv, Daanav and snakes. He was
killed by King Kuvalaashwa, an Ikshwaaku Vanshee King by Brahmaastra.
[
MBH, G-4-Van/38]
(5) Gajmukhaasur
There was a Daitya named
Gajmukhaasur whose head was of an elephant, and his body was of a human
being. Once he pleased Brahmaa Jee with his Tapasyaa and asked the boon of
immortality. Brahmaa Jee said - "Nobody cannot be immortal, you may ask
some other boon." Gajmukhaasur thought for a while and then said -
"Then grant me the boon that I should be killed by a person whose form
is like man." thinking that nobody else could like him. Brahmaa Jee
granted him this boon and went away. Now Gajmukhaasur was fearless to do
anything. Now Ganesh Jee had to be born to kill him. When he was born then
only he was killed.
(6) Maalyavaan, Maalee and Sumaalee
They were three sons of Sukesh Daitya. They did severe Tapasyaa for Brahmaa Jee
and got a Var from him that "If you are pleased with us, then grant us the
Var that we can win all our enemies and nobody can win us, and we live long."
Brahmaa Jee granted this Var and went away.
[
V-Raamaayan, 7/2/5]
Maalee was killed by Vishnu in Dev-Asur war. Sumaalee arried his daughter Keshinee
to Muni Pulastya's son Vishravaa who had three sons and one daughter - Raavan,
Kumbhkarn and Vibheesan and Shoorpanakhaa. And Maalyvaan became the Minister of
Raavan.
[V-Raamaayan, 7/3/7]
(7) Madhu and Kaitabh
Madhu and Kaitabh Daitya also got a boon from Brahmaa Jee that they should
not be killed by any Devtaa, Raaakshas, Daanav, Asur, Gandharv, Naag. Since
they became very proud because of their boon, when Vishnu woke up from His
Yog Nidraa, they asked Him to ask any boon from them. Vishnu said - "Grant
me this boon that you will be killed by me." At that time the whole Prithvi
was sunk in water, so thinking thus they said - "All right, but you kill
us at a dry place. And then we ask you for that we wish to be born as your
sons." VIshnu said - "So be it." He looked here and there and
found no dry place around. His thighs were the only place dry at that time, so
He kept them on His thighs and cut their neck with His Chakra.
[
MBH, G-4-Van/38]
(8) Mahishaasur
He asked the Var that no man on the Earth should be able to kill him and,
if he had to die it should be only at the hands of only a woman. He was
sure that no woman could ever fight against him however strong she may be,
so he was sure of his immortality. Then all Devtaa gathered their energies
and produced a woman with thousand arms. Her name was Durgaa and she was
carrying arms in each of her arms. She was mounting on lion. She killed
him.
(9) Nivaat Kavach
Nivaat Kavach were the sons of Kashyap and Diti. Once they a severe Tap for
Brahmaa Jee and asked the boon from him - "We want to live in Devtaa's
city and we should be free from danger from Devtaa." When Indra heard
this he had to leave that city and he could not kill any of them. He asked
Brahmaa Jee to protect them. Brahmaa Jee said - "Don't worry, you will
kill them taking another body." That is why Indra gave all ,kinds of
weapons to Arjun and sent him to kill those Daanav as only he could kill
them.
[Read
G-4-Van/29]
(10) Raavan, Kumbhkarn and Vibheeshan
When Raavan, Kumbhkarn and Vibheeshan went to do Tapasyaa, Raavan asked Brahmaa
Jee - "Hey Bhagvan, There is no other greater worry to human kind than the
death. Therefore kindly bestow me with immortality." Brahmaa Jee said -
"This Vardaan is not possible, so ask for any other Var." Raavan said -
"If you cannot bestow me with immortality, then give me this Var that 'I
could not be killed by Garud, Daanav, Devtaa, Daitya, Gandharv, Yaksh etc."
Brahmaa Jee said - "Be it so. And I give another Var of my own that whatever
heads you have offered us in Agni, they will all be like before as they were. And
you will be able to take any form you would like." Raavan was happy with this
Var, he did not mention human being and monkeys as he did not consider them mentionable
in the Var. That is why Vishnu had to come as a human being to kill him along with
Vaanar.
Brahmaa Jee gave Var of indefinite
sleep to Kumbhkarn and unbroken Bhakti and Brahmaastra to Vibheeshan. Vibheeshan was
one of the two Daitya who were the Bhakt of Vishnu, the other one was Prahlaad; all
other Daitya were the devotes of Shiv only.
[V-Raamaayan,
7/4/10]
(11) Raktaasur
Raktaasur was the son of Mahishaasur. When Devee had killed Mahishaasur, Raktaasur
came to fight with her ans was killed by her. Raktaasur had done very hard Tapasyaa
and pleased Brahmaa Jee. Pleased Brahmaa Jee granted him the kingdom of Three Lok.
He defeated all Devtaa and sent them out of the Dev Lok. They went to Karachhatraa
Puree where Durgaa lived. They requested her to protected them. She took her 20
weapons in her 20 hands and killed Raktaasur.
(12) Shankhchood
Owing to a curse from Raadhaa Jee (in Gau lok), the chief of Krishn’s
attendants (Paarshad) whose name was Sudaamaa, had to be born on the earth
among mortals. He took the form of a mighty monster, who was lustrous and
pompous. He, however, performed austerities in the Badaree Van on the
Himaalayan ranges, and obtained the boon of an invincible Armor (Kavach)
from Brahmaa. The armor would without fail protect his life, until the
armor itself was damaged, and the armor would be damaged only when the
chastity of his spouse was violated. It was then that Devtaa requested
Vishnu to kill Shankhchood somehow, and save the worlds from his torments.
Vishnu presented a mighty spear (Shool) to Lord Shiv, to fight with the demon,
and sent him to provoke the demon for an encounter. As Shiv was fighting with
Shankhchood, Vishnu took the form of Shankhchood and went to Tulasee (Shankhchood's
wife), inviting her for amorous play. Tulasee not realizing that it was not
really her husband, yielded to him. Her chastity was thus lost, and as her
chastity was lost, her husband's armor got weak. Immediately Shiv was able to
break the armor of Shankhchood into pieces, and kill him.
[Brahm Vaivart Puraan, Prakriti Khand, 18/1-7. and Devee Bhaagvat]
(13) Shumbh and Nishumbh
They also did severe Tapasyaa for Brahmaa Jee and asked Brahmaa Jee to give
them Var of not killed by any male, be it any Devtaa, human being or animal,
rather they would like to be killed by some woman. Chand and Mund and Raktbeej
were helping them. Then Durgaa went to kill them. Shumbh's minister Sugreev
reported that a beautiful woman was coming towards his palace. Shumbh sent him
with the marriage proposal to her. Devee said - "I am ready to marry him
but he had to defeat me in battle first." Hearing this Shumbh sent
Dhoomralochan to bring her tied. Devee said - "Shumbh is a fool, can Aadi
Shakti marry anybody?" So Dhoomralochan fought with Devee and was killed
by her.
After him, Shumbh sent Chand and Mund. They were also killed. Then Shumbh sent
Raktbeej, Deve killed him also. Devee sent Shankar Jee as her messenger to Shumbh
that"either you go to Paataal Lok or get ready to be killed by Devee."
So Nishumbh came to fight and was killed and then came Shumbh and he was also
killed.
[Devee Bhaagvat]
(14) Taarakaasur
Brahmaa > Mareechi > Kashyap > Vairaang > Taarak. Thus he was
the fourth in generation of Brahmaa Jee. After doing Tapasyaa he asked
Brahmaa Jee the Var of immortality, but Brahmaa Jee did not give this Var,
so considering the impossibility of the happening of such an event, he
asked that he should be killed by Shiv's 6-day old son. At that time it
seemed impossible to him that Shiv Jee would have a son, because after Satee's
immolation, Shiv was sitting in Samaadhi and Satee was not reborn yet. For
the same reason Brahmaa Jee also bestowed this Var to Taarak. But then when
Taarak's atrocities grew very much Devtaa planned to have Shiv's son.
[read Taarakaasur
and Kaarttikeya stories
for their detailed description here]
(15) Talaasur
Once Talaasur named Daitya did an intense Tap and pleased Brahmaa Jee and asked
the Var, "I should not be defeated by anybody in the world." Brahmaa
Jee said - "How can I give such a Var of absoluteness to you? You have to
fear at least some species of the world, so keeping in mind this, and then you
ask the Var. There are four species in the world - Devtaa, human beings, animals
and birds. Whom would you like to fear?"
Talaasur thought for a moment and said - "Father, I want to rule Devtaa and
human beings, therefore I should have no fear from them. Let me fear the elephant,
the strongest animal then." Brahmaa Jee said - "So be it" and went
away. Talaasur was very happy with his Var and now he had no fear from Devtaa or
human beings....
[Ganesh, Stories/8]
(16) Vishwaamitra Jee
Brahmaa Jee granted boons of being Raajarshi, Maharshi and then Brahmarshi to
Vishwaamitra Jee. Thus a Kshatriya king became a Brahmarshi by his continuous
efforts. This is the only example of conversion of a Kshatriya into a Braahman.
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