Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3306

c9.3306

TRIŚIRAS II (VIŚVARŪPA). Once there was a celebrated Prajāpati of name Tvaṣṭā. Though he was of a pious nature interested in the welfare of Brahmins, he hated Indra. He thought of destroying Indra somehow. With that purpose in view he produced by his wife Recanā, a powerful son and named him Viśvarūpa. The boy had three heads and so he was called Triśiras (Tri=Three Śiras=head) also. He could use his three heads for three different purposes at a time. He would drink wine with one head and mutter the Veda-mantras by another head and see the world by the third.