Trinavarta

Whirl-wind demon slain by the Hindu deity Krishna
Krishna slays Trinavarta, depicted on a folio

Trinavarta (Sanskrit: तृणावर्त, IAST: Tṛṇāvarta) is an asura who is featured in Hindu literature, most prominently in the Bhagavata Purana.[1] He is described to be a whirl-wind asura dispatched by Kamsa to murder Krishna, but is slain by the deity instead.[2]

Legend

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Kamsa sent Trinavarta to kill his nephew.[3] Assuming the form of a whirl-wind, Trinavarta carried away the sitting Krishna.[4][5] He enveloped the whole of Gokulam with a cloud of dust and darkness, the resultant cover of sand particles causing great distress to Yashoda, who attempted to find her son with the help of the gopis.[6] Even as the asura carried the deity to the sky, Krishna caused himself to possess enormous weight, halting the asura in his ascent, who was unable to carry him farther.[7] The deity then proceeded to clasp his captor's throat with intense force, which paralysed him and pushed out his eye-sockets. The asura descended back to the region of Vraja, where he was crushed to death upon a rock.[8] Nanda and the gopas discovered the infant dangling upon the chest of the slain asura, completely unharmed.[9]

Literature

The Brahma Vaivarta Purana offers details regarding the previous birth of Trinavarta. According to the text, Trinavarta was previously a mighty Pandya king named Sahasraksha. Infatuated with passion, the king is stated to have engaged in amorous activities with a hundred damsels along the banks of a river named Pushpabhadra, located near the Gandhamadana mountain. The sage Durvasa appeared before Sahasraksha and the women, surrounded by his disciples. When the king failed to offer the sage the customary respect, he was cursed to be reborn as an asura, one whose liberation was to be received at the hands of Krishna.[10][11]

The third volume of the Rukminisha Vijaya begins with Krishna's vanquishing of this asura.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Narayanan, Anand Chandrasekar (2020). The meaning of Generosity: A subjective culture study in India.
  2. ^ Prasad, Dev (2015-01-27). Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8495-170-7.
  3. ^ Nurani, Sangameswaran. SATYAM PARAM DHIMAHI ( Part 1). Sankalp Publication. ISBN 978-93-90468-91-1.
  4. ^ Debroy, Bibek (2005). The History of Puranas. Bharatiya Kala Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8090-062-4.
  5. ^ Narain, Laxmi (2021-09-24). KRISHNACHARITAM: The Essence of Life. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-68523-405-8.
  6. ^ Prabhupāda, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1976). Kṛṣṇa: The Supreme Personality of Godhead : a Summary Study of Ṡrīla Vyāsadeva's Ṡrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
  7. ^ Dasa, Matsya (April 2017). Srimad Bhagavatam Tenth Canto Symphony of Commentaries. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1-5453-5987-7.
  8. ^ Shastri (ed.), J. L.; Tagare (tr.), G. V. (August 1994). Bhagavata Purana Pt. 1 (Aitm Vol. 7) Ancient Indian Tradition And Mythology (Vol. 7). Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Limited. ISBN 978-81-208-0096-0. {{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2022-09-02). "Destruction of the Cart and Tṛṇāvarta [Chapter 7]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  10. ^ Brahma Vaivartha Purana: 4 Sri Krishna Janana Khanda: English Translation only without Slokas: English Translation only without Slokas. Kausiki Books. 2021-07-09. p. 136.
  11. ^ Chaturvedi, B. K. (1900). Brahmavaivarta Purana. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 978-93-5296-763-6.
  12. ^ Vadiraja Tirtha (2008). Rukminisa Vijaya. Part 3 (3rd, 4th Sargas). p. 15.