077: Concept Of Bhadrakali In Kerala

The story of Bhadrakali is also very important because that actually it is based on Markandeya Purana and in Markandeya Purana there is an elaborate description of this Bhadrakali and that actually story is very interesting because that is influenced Theyyam so much that is because Theyyam is actually my source of inspiration so it has a direct to me.
See, in Markandeya Purana the story goes almost like this that there was an Asura called Dharuka and Dharuka is very powerful … he becomes so strong he prayed to Shiva and got a boon that he cannot be killed by man… by man either from the sky or water.
So, he become actually more powerful and started disturbing the rishis and other pious people. Then the gods decided to get revenge and so gods together went to Brahma and asked for help to eliminate Dharuka, the Asura.
Then, Brahma said "I can’t do it, let us go to Vishnu".
Then they went to Vishnu… Vishnu could not resolve it so Vishnu, Brahma and all other gods and rishis went to Shiva.
Shiva was actually listened to them then he created Bhadrakali from his third eye and instructed Bhadrakali to go and kill Dharuka. So, Dharuka took that as a big challenge and collected a lot of soldiers… and all the other gods gave their soldiers.. the God Chandra gave his troops … Surya gave his troops …different gods give their soldiers and went to Asura Dharuka .
At that place when he reached the battlefield she, that is Bhadrakali rode on a mythical animal called a Vedala and reached the battlefield. And Bhadrakali become so enormous … so huge she took to wild elephant and put as ear rings that was actually the size of Bhadrakali and her laughter was thunder and lightning came from her eyes and she became so ferocious.
And then she challenge of Asura Dharuka and that Dharuka came from his seventh floor he started losing his strength each when he came down from each floor.
When he reached down to floor level Bhadrakali took his tuft… lifted him up … placing him on the tongue of Vethala the mythical animal off Dharuka ...his head…
Then blood was coming out… then Vethala the animal licked the blood. Otherwise every drop of blood falling on the earth would have become another Asura.
So, Dharuka was killed by Bhadrakali.