Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.966

c5.966

The ruler of Kāśī in those days was Divodāsa. It was a prosperous period in the country. As a rule, man turns to God only when faced with misfortunes. So Śiva decided to bring about a famine among the people of the country by ruining it. For that he sent sage Kumbhaka to Vārāṇasī. Kumbhaka arrived in Kāśī and appeared to the barber Karṇaka to whom he communicated Śiva's intentions. The barber cheerfully fell in with the proposal and built a temple on the next day for the residence of Kumbhaka. Living in the temple, Kumbhaka began to participate in the spiritual matters of the people. His blessings were much sought after and people came to have deep faith in him.