Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1003

c8.1003

MUKTĀPHALAKETU. A Vidyādhara youth. The story of this young man who was born to kill Vidyud-dhvaja, a fire-brand of an asura, is told thus in Kathā-saritsāgara. An eminent asura of name Vidyutprabha performed penance to propitiate Brahmā to get a son. As a result of the blessings of Brahmā he got a son invincible to the Devas. He was named Vidyuddhvaja. Even from boyhood he was very brave and daring. Once when he saw some demons standing guard to protect the asura family he said "At present our country is being protected by the hands of others. I shall, therefore, perform penance and obtain boons to remove dhvaja went straight to the forests and performed penance to propitiate Brahmā. When the austerities became severe, Vidyuddhvaja observed fasting without break and the whole world became excited due to anxiety. So Brahmā appeared before him in person and gave him many divine weapons like Brahmāstra. For Brahmāstra the only counter-missile was Pāśupata and so Brahmā warned him that it should be used only when it was found absolutely necessary.