Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.1122

c5.1122

DURDĀMA. Son of a Gandharva called Viśvāvasu. The following story about him is told in the Skanda Purāṇa, Chapters 1, 3 and 4). While maharṣis like Vasiṣṭha and Atri were once engaged in the worship of Lord Śiva at Mount Kailāsa, Durdāma, with his thousands of wives came there. In the Hālāsyatīrtha near-by they got engaged in water sports with their bodies stark naked. On seeing their naked sports Vasiṣṭha cursed Durdāma to be turned into a Rākṣasa. When his wives begged of Vasiṣṭha for redemption from the curse he told them that seventeen years thence Durdāma would regain his old form. Durdāma thus turned Rākṣasa tried once to devour sage Gālava when the Sudarśana Cakra of Viṣṇu killed him. He regained his old form and returned to Gandharvaloka.