Matsyapurana 129.11

129.11

niṣprabhaṃ tu jagatsarvaṃ mandamevābhibhāṣitam
dahyamāneṣu lokeṣu taistribhirdānavāgnibhiḥ //

The three worlds were about to be consumed by the fire of their asceticism, when the Lord Brahmā appeared before them. The bold adventurers, those Dānavas, then, chanted the praises of the Supreme-Being. Brahmâ, who appeared there suddenly, and pleased Him with their devotion Brahmâ, then, pleased with those three ascetics who looked like Sun owing to their tapasyâ, cast an affectionate glance on them, and said — 'O children! I am much pleased with your devotion and have come to grant boons unto you Ask me what you wish" Hearing these words of Brahmâ, who was thus pleased, Maya, capable to build anything, was rejoiced and said — "In days gone by, in the great Târakâmaya war that ensued between the Devas and the Daityas, the former were victorious and mercilessly killed the latter with their weapons The Devas always oppress us on account of former enmity We then fled away with terror In our hour of trial and misfortune we could not rely on any one for help and protection Finding no source of solace, we have now resorted to this practice of penances and now with the help of our asceticism and through Your Grace, we wish to erect a most solid and impregnable fort which would defy the Devas The name of this would be Tripura Now O, Lord! grant me this boon that when the fort is completed it will be quite safe from the attacks of those residing on land and in water as well as from the curses of the sages and Munis and from attacks of the Devas." Hearing those words of Maya, capable to build another universe by his Mâyâ, Lord Brahmâ said smilingly — "O, Maya, leader of the demons! It is impossible to become immortal, where everything is not everlasting, knowing this, you can build your fort with mud' Maya again addressed Brahmâ with folded hands — "If this fort be not quite impregnable, then let it be that it would be destroyed by one arrow only, shot once by Śiva, in the course of warfare" Brahmâ said, "Be it so" and then went away — 11-25

These two began to perform their penances by the side of Maya and caught his fire and energy. They began to look like the three Fires or like the three worlds personified. They remained engaged in their penances, burning, as it were, the three worlds. They lived in water during the winter, warmed themselves with a ring of fire lit up around them during the summer with fierce sun overhead, and stood on their legs in the open space during the rains and began to waste their dear bodies. They lived only on roots and fruits and water and they worshipped with flowers, etc. They used to take their simple fare after one day's interval and the bark of wood that they had on their bodies was besmeared with mud. They practised austerities half immersed in the mud of aquatic plants and thus their minds became freed from all dirt. Their bodies became devoid of all flesh, they became lean and thin, the veins became visible all over their bodies. Owing to their severe austerities, the whole universe became devoid of any lustre, powerless, and began to look dull.—6-11.