Home | Raakshas Home |  Names of Raakshas
Back to Names

Narakaasur was a great Raakshas. He was the son of Prithvi. He won Trilok and took away Aditi's (Kashyap's wife) earrings together with many kinds of gems, Indra's Airaavat elephant, Uchchshraivaa horse, Kuber's gems, Padmnidhi named conch etc.

He used to wander in sky and used to live in a city built in the sky. One day all Devtaa, along with Indra, went to Krishn and told their plight. Krishn remembered His ride Vinataa's son Garud and Garud immediately appeared there. Krishn rode on him with His wife Satyabhaamaa and went to that Raakshas' city. His city was shining like Soorya. That city was inaccessible even to Devtaa. In fact it had several layers of protection. Krishn cut all of them with His Chakra (Divine disc).

As its layers were cut, thousand of Raakshas came out of that city to fight and started hitting Krishn. Krishn also cut all of them with His Shaarng bow. Then He killed all the Rakshas also and blew His Paanchjanya conch.

Hearing the sound of that conch, Narakaasur came out of the city riding on his Divine chariot. Both had a fierce fight. At one moment, Krishnn cut his bow with His half-moon shaped arrow and hit his chest with a Divine Astra. Narakaasur fell down on the ground.

On the request of Prithvi, Krishn asked him to ask for any Var. Narakaasur said - "Hey Krishn, I don't need any Var, but for the good of others I ask one Var, that who take bath on my death day, they should not go to Narak." Krishn said - "So be it." And that day was the Chaturdashee (14th day) of Krishn Paksh (dark fortnight) of Kaartik Maas.

After that Krishn entered Narakaasur's city and returned all the wealth which he took from Devtaa. Aditi's earrings, Uchchshraivaa horse, Airaavat elephant etc were given to Indra. Narakaasur abducted 16,000 girls from all the kingdoms. They were all imprisoned in his palace. Seeing Krishn all of them took Him as their husband, so Krishn married to all of them at the same time.

He gave Narakaasur's kingdom to his sons, and sent all his queens to Dwaarakaa on Indra's Vimaan (airplane). Then He went to see Aditi. Aditi welcomed Him and worshipped Him. Satyabhaamaa went to see Shachee. Shachee also worshipped Satyabhaamaa. The then some servants of Shachee brought her some Paarijaat flowers. She tucked them in her own hair, ignoring Satyabhaamaa, thinking that she was not supposed to use those flowers as she was only a human being.

Satyabhaamaa got very angry at this and came back from there. She told everything to Krishn. Hearing the incident, Krishn uprooted the Paarijaat tree from Swarg, and kept it on Garud to bring it to Dwaarakaa Indra came to fight with Him for the tree but later prayed Him and said - "Paarijaat tree is for Devtaa. In earlier times you yourself gave it to Devtaa, now how will it survive on Prithvi?"

Krishn said - "Shachee has insulted Satyabhaamaa in your house, that is why I am taking this tree to Dwaarakaa. I have promised Satyabhaamaa to put this tree in her palace so you cannot get this tree now. It will stay there until I will be there. You may take it when I leave Prithvi." So He brought it to Dwaarakaa and planted it in Satyabhaamaa's garden. It stayed there till He was there on Prithvi, later Indra took it when He left for HIs Param Dhaam.

Home | Raakshas Home |  Names of Raakshas
Back to Names