Duryodhan's objective of telling this story of Taarakaasur's sons is to make Shalya agree to become the Saarathe of Karn --

[Ch 33] After this Duryodhan said to Shalya - "Now I tell you an old story which Maarkandeya had told my father. Once there was a Devtaa and Asur war and Devtaa defeated Asur. Taarakaasur was the root of the battle. So after that his three sons - Taarakaaksh, Vidunmaalee and Kamalaaksh did an intense Tap and asked the Var of immunity from death from all creatures of the world from Brahmaa Jee, but Brahmaa Jee said - "You can ask anything else." So they asked - "Then allow us to live in three cities and rule the world. After 1,000 years we will come together and so our cities. Then whoever will be the foremost of all Devtaa will be the cause of our destruction." "So be it" and Brahmaa Jee went away.

The three Asur asked Maya Daanav to build three cities for them. Maya built three cities - one of gold, another of silver and the third one of black iron. The golden city was in heaven, the silver city was in welkin and the iron city was on Earth. The golden city belonged to Taarakaaksh, the silver city belonged to Kamalaaksh and the iron city belonged to Vidunmaalee. Millions of millions human flesh-eater Asur came to reside in the se cities and the three of them started reining the three worlds. Maya was their supplier of all things whatever they all wished for with his power of illusion.

Now Taarakaaksh had a son named Hari. He also did a great Tap and asked the Var from Brahmaa Jee that there should be a lake in our city that when a person is killed by a weapon is thrown in that lake should come out alive and with double strength. Getting this Var from Brahmaa Jee, Hari created such a lake in his golden city to make dead persons alive with double the strength. This process revitalized Asur and they started afflicting the three worlds more and more. They did not respect anybody but were just mad with power.

When Indra was unable to destroy any one of the three cities, he went to Brahmaa Jee to ask the way to destroy these cities and to end Asur's injustice. Brahmaa Jee said - "I am impartial to everybody, this is my vow but whoever troubles you troubles me and he should be killed. These three forts should be pierced with one shaft. There is no other way to finish them. None else than Sthaanu, or otherwise called Eeshaan (Lord of Umaa) or Jishnu is competent to pierce them with one shaft."

[Ch 34] Duryodhan further said - "So all Devtaa along with Indra and Braahman went to Eeshaan and prayed him. Eeshaan appeared before them. Seeing the unborn one all touched the Earth with their heads and greeted him. They said - We salute you the destroyer of Daksh's Yagya." Shankar said - "Be fearless and tell me what I can do for you?"

Devtaa said - "By the power invested by you in him, Brahmaa Jee has given a Var to the three Asur. Only you can destroy them to save us Devtaa. We are all in your shelter." Sthaanu said - "All your foes will be killed but I will not kill them single-handed. I will kill them together with your strength." Devtaa said - "But they have double the energy we have." Shankar said - "But you will have half of my energy too. Thus they all will be killed." Devtaa said - "We will not be able to bear your half energy, but on the contrary you kill them together with half of our united energy." Sthaanu agreed.

Duryodhan continued the story - "Then Sthaanu took half of their energy and since that time he was known as Mahaadev. Then Mahaadev said - "Now you build a vehicle for me riding on which I will kill them and arrange a bow and a shaft for me." Devtaa took the best of the three worlds and Vishwakarmaa built a great vehicle for him. Devtaa made Vishnu, Som and Hutaasan the arrow. Agni became the staff and Som became the head and Vishnu became the point of that arrow. Earth was the vehicle; Mandar mountain was its axle; Gangaa became its Janghaa; the constellations became its shaft; Sat Yug became its yoke; the best of the snakes - Vaasuki became the Kuvar; Uday and Ast mountains were made the wheels of that vehicle; the planets became its wooden fence; herbs and creepers with fruits and flowers became its bells; day and night were its two wings; Kuber, Varun Pitar and Indra became its four horses; the mind became the ground on which it stood; speech became the tracks on which it was to move; the golden mountain Meru became its flag. Space of time became the bow and Devee Saavitree became its string.

Devtaa brought thus equipped and looking like a blazing fire vehicle to Sthaanu. He kept his own celestial weapons in it. Braahman's rod, Death's rod, Rudra's rod and fever stood around it as its protectors. All Ved were in front of that vehicle, As the Universe is said to consist of Agni, Som and Vishnu, and Vishnu is said to have immeasurable energy, so with the touch of Vishnu the Asur were supposed to be killed. The arrow was made out of anger of Shankar, Bhrigu and Angiraa. Now who is going to drive this vehicle? Its driver should be better than all of them. So Brahmaa Jee agreed to be the driver for Eeshaan. And as he ascended the vehicle to drive it, the horses bowed their heads to Prithvi, he asked Eeshaan to ascend the vehicle. Eeshaan ascended the vehicle and all Devtaa, Apsaraa, Gandharv etc sang the praise for them, others wished success for Eeshaan. Thus Eeshaan set out to kill Asur.

Eeshaan was out of his senses with great anger. His vehicle used to sink with the weight of all the powers. Then Naaraayan had to come out of the point of the arrow, take the form of a bull and raise the vehicle. At that time Eeshaan was looking at Asur's cities. While in this posture, Rudra cut off the teats of the horses and clove the hoofs of the bull. Since then horses do not have teats, and hoofs of all animals, bovine, have been cloven.

Then Eeshaan took his bow, united it with his Paashupat Astra, and thought about the three cities. During those moments they became united losing their separate identities. They appeared as one in front of Eeshaan and he drew his arrow and shot at it. The cities started to fall down burning Asur and making a great noise. They fell down in Western Ocean. hen the first-born of his own wrath said to him - "Do not burn the three worlds to ashes." Then all Devtaa, Rishi and Prithvi were restored to their original forms. Thus Rudra did the needful to Devtaa."

After telling this story of Taarakaasur's sons Duryodhan said to Shalya - "As Brahmaa, the super Devtaa, the Creator of all the worlds agreed to become the Saarathee of Rudra, in the same way you also become the Saarathee of Karn to save us from defeat."