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Introduction
No one knows how many years, centuries or probably millenia have passed since the incident took place. But the memories of the great struggle and its aftermath still remain. It happened like this. There was an asur by name Tripura. An inordinately ambitious fellow, his sole aim in life became the conquest of the Universe. But unlike his predecessors and successors who pursued the same grand objective, he never launched himself on a ‘blood and iron’ course. Instead, he chose a path that was totally peaceful but made success practically certain.
He undertook a severe penance. In the best traditions of the tapasvins he discarded even the ordinary necessities of life like food and water, not to speak of luxuries. With arms raised towards the sky he stood erect on the mountain Meru. He was fed by nothing more than air. Centuries passed by. But the rigid form on the mountaintop did not bend or break. Every passing moment added to his moral strength. And it soon reached a stage when it caused anxiety to the gods. They became apprehensive of Tripura’s growing strength and warned their leader Indra, about the danger.
Author - Madhukar Shripad Mate
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