The Story of Brahmand

The Start Of Creation

It is said for any great event to occur one should have knowledge, or rather aatmagyaan. Ancient scholars recommend meditation as one such way. So, the divine gods at tbe behest of adishakti started meditating to find a way to achieve their goals.

One day when Naarayan was deep in meditation, lying in a reclining pose called yoganidraa, some earwax fell from his ear onto the sea. The new world, full of power to give forth life, converted that ear wax into two asuraas Madhu (the sweet words spoken to hide truth, he who gave rise to ego, the asura of rajas guna)  and Kaithabh (jealousy of others, the asura of tamas guna). Both asuras were confused about their origin, who are they, who is the guy sleeping on the ocean, and the guy on the lotus. So they decided that they should conquer. The man on the lotus ( Brahma) seemed to be the elder of the two, so the demons first attacked him. A fleeing Brahma, realised that as they were ansh of Naarayan, he couldn't defeat them. He prayed to Adishakti, who manifested as Mata Mahamaya. She stopped the demons "Why do you attack Brahma so, what do you want" to which the demons replied, "We want a identity, we are the greatest, yet we don't know ourselves". The devi told them "So be it, from today you are Madhu and Kaithabh. For your eagerness to know yourselves I give you the boon that you can choose the time and place of your death. Don't attack Brahma".

The asuras now felt they were immortal, and were satisfied for some time however very soon they again felt like conquering. So this time they decide to attack Naarayanaa who was in yoganidraa. Sensing the attacks and by Mahamaya's grace, he woke and fought with the asuras. Due to their boon he couldn't defeat them for a long time. Then Brahma again invoked Mahamaya who befuddled the asuras. They told Naarayana " We are pleased with your skills, so we want to grant you a boon". Naarayana with great humility replied "Then do me the honour of dying at my hands". The asuras realised their folly and agreed, but plaved the condition that no water should be there where they die. Naarayan agreed and catching both the asuras rose in the air, he ripped each asura into five pieces and threw them into the sea. The parts of the asuras became the 10 tectonic plates on which today's Earth stands.

Brahma wanted to provide stability to these plates so he created elephants who held up the Earth, they were Airavata, Pundarika, Vamana, Kumunda, Anjana, Pushpa-danta, Sarva-bhauma, Supratika along with 8 female counteparts and  four elephants supporting the earth from the four directions, Viroopaaksha (east), Mahaapadma (south), Saumanasa (west), Bhadra (north). It is said earthquakes occur when these elephants move. Thus was the baby steps to create todays world taken.

After this incident Brahma declered "For killing Madhu and Kaitabha, Naarayana I Brahma give you the name Madhusudan and Maata Mahamaya you will also be known by the name of Kaitabhi".