The Asura who appears in both the Indian Epics

Naraka - the son of Vishnu in his boar avatar and also killed by Vishnu himself in the form of Krishna. How can one person live for such a long time? Did he also have any boon like Bhishma, to choose the time of his death? But 4,320,000 years is not a short time. Let us find out more about him.

(Left) Boar avatar of Vishnu along with Goddess Prithvi (Right) Narakasura. Image Source: Pinterest

The founder of the Asura dynasty, Narakasura was never a calm ruler. His tyranny increased with time. He wanted to marry Goddess Kamakhya, stole the famous umbrella of god Varuna and the earrings of Aditi, the mother of Gods. Finally, Lord Krishna had to kill him and place his son Bhagadatta on the throne.

The Indian notion of calculating time begins with Yugas, a synonymous term with the scientific calculation of ages. According to the scriptures, the events of the Ramayana took place during the Treta Yuga while the Mahabharata war occurred in the Dvapara Yuga. The period between both the yugas is 4,320,000 years. Naraka was brought up by king Janaka, a character of the Ramayana while he met his end in the hands of Lord Krishna, a character in the Mahabharata. Is that even possible?

Historians have an answer to this problem. Just like the term ‘Janaka’, the name Naraka could also have been a title of some dynasty. It could also mean that a Naraka was brought up in the state of Janaka. It is obvious that the Naraka from the Ramayana was different from that of the Mahabharata; else this character would have been considered to be wise like Bhishma than being termed notorious.

Therefore, the Naraka who settled Aryans in the Brahmaputra Valley and wanted to marry Goddess Kamakhya was different from the one who was killed by Lord Krishna.

The kings in early India were dominantly Kshatriyas (warrior class), but Naraka has also been attributed with the title ‘Asura’. This brings a contrast to the image of Naraka. Probably, the Naraka in the Ramayana was of a Kshatriya class while the later Narakas probably assimilated with the tribal people and were thus termed as an ‘asura’. They might also be inclined towards Buddhism and, thus, labeled asura. The later generations of Narakas might just have continued with the title of their predecessor.

Historians also doubt the story of his birth. Naraka, born from the goddess Prithvi from the boar avatar of Vishnu, might have been a myth. This might have been an added story to legitimize his kingship showing his divine connection to the gods. Such incidents were quite popular and almost all the dynasties followed such a trend in those days.

His association with king Janaka can be concluded by mentioning that Naraka could just have been adopted by him or was an illegitimate son of the king.

Moreover, theories suggest that the story of Naraka can also be associated with Shakti worship, which was quite popular at that time. The name Maya (Naraka’s wife) and Katyayani (Goddess Prithvi impersonating a nurse) were the names of Goddess Durga. Moreover, his zeal to woo and marry Kamakhya was another way of propagating Shakti worship in the subcontinent.

But with the story of him being born from Vishnu and killed by Vishnu, can be seen as a way of introducing Vaishnavism to a society of Shakti worshippers.

At present, we cannot prove any of the theories. The definite knowledge of whether the first Naraka came from Vaideha introduced Shakti worship in the land, or subsequently, some other Naraka has done so remains a mystery. His Vaideha origin can also be doubtful. But for sure, it was Naraka who once led a dynasty - the Asura Dynasty.

The road to Kamakhya temple, supposedly built by Narakasura. Image Source: Youtube