Shiva and Parvati were enjoying a very pleasant day at Mandar parvat. Parvati closed the eyes of Shiva playfully and darkness descended on the universe. Parvati was perplexed and her palms were wet with perspiration. As she removed her hands from the eyes of Shiva, the universe emerged out of darkness. Yet, from the droplets of sweat of Parvati that fell on ground, a child was born. He was hideous and blind at birth. He was noticed by the divine couple when he roared. Shiva and Parvati accepted him as their child.

At the same time, the demon Hiranyaksha was perfoming severe penance with the desire of having a son. Satisfied with his penance, Shiva appeared before him. But he was not destined to have a son. To honor the penance of his devotee, Shiva gave Andhak to Hiranyaksha and asked him to consider him as his own son.

Hiranyaksh returned home with Andhak and started taking care of him lovingly. But his brother Hiranyakashyap’s sons Hlad, Suhlad, Ahlad and Prahlad used to consider Andhak as inferior and ridiculed him. Andhaka was chased away after Varaha killed Hiranyaksha. Angered, Andhak performed severe penance to obtain a boon from Brahma.

He asked for a boon from Brahmaji, “May I get eyesight, may I become the emperor of my kingdom, and may I become immortal.” After giving the first two boons, Brahmaji refused to grant immortality and asked him to choose an instrument for his death.

Andhaka said, “Whoever my mother may be, may I attain salvation at the hands of Lord Shiva by having lust for her.”

After receiving this boon from Lord Brahma, Andhak became the ruler of his father’s kingdom and attacked the gods. Then, on being inspired by Vishnuji, Naradji praised the beauty of Parvati in front of him and inspired him to snatch her away from Shiva. Blinded by lust, Andhak went to kidnap Goddess Parvati and after a fierce battle, Lord Shiva hung her on a trident and left her to dry.

Then Andhak praised Lord Shiva in very beautiful verses. Pleased with this, God granted him salvation and made him his group.

“Reference – Shiva Mahapuran | Linga Purana”

What do we learn from this story?

Kartikeya was born out of the united energy of Mahakal and Mahakali, which embodies the power of creation and destruction. On the other hand, Andhakasura was born out of the heat of Shiva’s eyes and the sweat of Parvati’s palm, signifying that he was formed by the divine power of Lord Shiva himself. Despite their equal power, they were opposite in consciousness – Kartikeya represented the consciousness of action and discipline, while Andhakasura embodied the consciousness of lust and greed.

It’s been said that your genes don’t matter as much as your own state of consciousness, and this is evident in the upbringing of King Bali and Andhakasura. Both were trained under Demon Guru Shukracharya, but their paths diverged greatly. While King Bali grew to be a virtuous ruler, Andhakasura succumbed to the negative influences around him and ultimately met his demise at the hands of Lord Shiva.

It’s important to acknowledge that holding grudges for others’ actions can be damaging, both to oneself and to society as a whole. Negative emotions such as rage, vengeance, and greed can lead to destructive decisions that may have irreversible consequences. The story of Andhakasura serves as a reminder that staying focused on one’s goals and avoiding outside influences is crucial to achieving a higher level of consciousness.

Though the story may seem negative at first glance, it ultimately highlights the importance of staying true to oneself and maintaining focus on one’s goals. While Andhakasura was undefeated as long as he stayed on track towards his goal of capturing the three worlds, his focus was ultimately swayed by external influences such as Sage Narada. Thus, rising consciousness requires not only dedication and determination, but also a steadfast commitment to one’s own values and beliefs.