In Hindu mythology, tapas refers to deep meditation, austerity, and intense self-discipline undertaken to achieve spiritual power, favor from the gods, or extraordinary abilities. Several stories feature demons (Asuras) performing tapas to gain boons from deities. Here are some notable examples:
1. Hiranyakashipu
Hiranyakashipu, a powerful Asura king, performed intense
tapas to gain immortality. He meditated for years, causing such intense heat
that it affected the cosmos. Lord Brahma, impressed by his devotion, granted
him a boon that made him nearly invincible: he could not be killed by man or
beast, inside or outside, during day or night, on earth or in the sky, and not
by any weapon. However, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Narasimha, a half-man,
half-lion, to circumvent these conditions and ultimately defeated Hiranyakashipu.
2. Ravana
Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka, performed rigorous
tapas to please Lord Shiva. He stood on one leg for thousands of years,
sacrificing one of his heads every 10,000 years. Eventually, Shiva appeared and
granted him immense strength and a powerful boon that made him invincible to
gods, humans, and demons. This boon made Ravana a formidable force until he was
defeated by Lord Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, in the epic Ramayana.
3. Mahishasura
Mahishasura, a buffalo demon, performed severe tapas to gain
power. He pleased Lord Brahma with his austerities and was granted a boon that
no man could kill him. This made him arrogant, and he started tormenting the
gods and humans. Finally, Goddess Durga, who was neither man nor god, fought
Mahishasura and killed him after a fierce battle, as depicted in the story of
Durga Puja.
4. Tarakasura
Tarakasura performed great penance to obtain a boon from
Lord Brahma. He asked that only a son of Shiva could kill him, believing it
impossible as Shiva was an ascetic. However, Shiva married Parvati, and their
son, Kartikeya (also known as Skanda or Murugan), eventually defeated
Tarakasura.
5. Bhasmasura
Bhasmasura, an ambitious demon, performed intense tapas to
please Lord Shiva. Pleased by his devotion, Shiva granted him the power to turn
anyone he touched on the head into ashes. Bhasmasura, in his arrogance, tried
to test this power on Shiva himself. Lord Vishnu, in the guise of the
enchanting Mohini, tricked Bhasmasura into placing his hand on his own head,
thereby turning himself into ashes.
6. Shumbha and Nishumbha
These two brothers, Shumbha and Nishumbha, performed severe
austerities to gain boons from Lord Brahma. They asked for invincibility
against gods, demons, and humans, which made them powerful tyrants. Eventually,
Goddess Durga incarnated to destroy them, as detailed in the Devi Mahatmyam.
These stories highlight the Asuras' ambition and the lengths
they would go to gain power through tapas. However, their boons often led to
arrogance and tyranny, ultimately resulting in their downfall at the hands of
divine beings, emphasizing the moral that misuse of power and knowledge can
lead to one's destruction.