🔱 Dev Diwali – Shiva Destroys the Three Flying Cities of Tripurasura
By Hindu Herald Staff
Everyone knows the Diwali that celebrates Lakshmi, but did you know there’s another Diwali that honors Lord Shiva? It’s called Dev Diwali, and it occurs two weeks after the more popular Diwali for Lakshmi. Dev Diwali is celebrated on Kartika Purnima. On this day, Shiva is honored for destroying three demons collectively called Tripurasura, who terrorized the gods from three floating cities in the sky. When Shiva finally defeated them, the devas lit rows of diya lamps in his honor — which is why it’s called Dev Diwali (Deva = “god”) — the Diwali of the Gods, as opposed to the Diwali celebrated by humans.
Keep reading to discover how Tripurasura cunningly rose to power – twisting sacred rituals and corrupting the very system meant for spiritual upliftment. Read on to learn how Lord Vishnu had to create a false religion to break the demon’s protection and how Dev Diwali is celebrated today.
📜 Source: Shiva Purana – Rudra Samhita – Yuddha Khanda – Chapters 1-12
🧬 The Rise of Tripurasura and the Deadly Boon
The story begins with the death of the demon Tarakasura who was killed by Lord Shiva’s son, Kartikeya. Tarakasura had three sons. The three asura brothers performed severe austerities to earn a boon from Lord Brahma. They first asked for immortality. Brahma explained what lives must die and told them to ask for something else. The asuras asked for three indestructible flying cities made of gold, silver, and iron.
Their boon came with terrifying conditions:
The three cities would merge into one only once every thousand years, and they could only be destroyed by a single arrow fired by Lord Shiva himself.
Confident that Shiva would never harm his own devotees, the demons believed themselves untouchable.
Brahma then ordered the famed asura architect Maya (not the Goddess Māyā) to construct the three cities, which floated through heaven, sky, and earth. Once completed, they became mobile, weaponized fortresses.
🏰 The Three Flying Cities of Tripura
The three cities of Tripura shimmered in unimaginable splendour: one of gold soaring in the heavens, one of silver drifting across the skies, and one of iron anchored on Earth. Each was built by the architect Maya and crowned with gem‑set palaces, aerial chariots gleaming with padmarāga stones, and minarets that rivalled Mt Kailāsa. Gardens and parks teemed with kalpa‑trees bearing every kind of fruit, vast tanks and ponds mirrored lotus blooms, and aquatic channels wove through elegant pavilions. Dancers and gandharvas filled ornate halls, brahmins chanted in sacred temples of Rudra, and elephants roamed majestic courts — a kingdom of boundless power, beauty and deceit.
The Tripura cities moved independently and only aligned once every thousand years — a celestial vulnerability that would prove to be their undoing.
🚫 The Gods Panic — Shiva Refuses
The devas became alarmed as the demons began ravaging the worlds with growing arrogance. But they weren’t just evil — they were exploiting the system.
- They’d commit violent and sinful acts
- Then worship Shiva to have their sins instantly erased
- Wake up the next day and do it again
Because of their devotion, Shiva’s blessings continued to purify them of sin, no matter how evil their actions were.
So when the devas went to Shiva and begged for help, he refused:
“They follow Vedic dharma. They worship me sincerely. They are not punishable because they have no bad karma. They’re worship of me erases their sins.”
Shiva told the devas to speak to Lord Vishnu instead.
📜 Asuras worshipping Shiva to erase sins: Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda, Chapter 3, verses 41-42
🔥 Vishnu’s First Attempt Fails
Vishnu created an army of bhūtas (beings of fire) from a yajna pit to destroy the demons — but the demons defeated the bhutas on the strength of their purity. After doing evil, the demons would simply worship Shiva and be cleared of sin again.
Vishnu realized:
“So long as they worship Shiva, their karmas will keep vanishing.”
He needed to break the cycle by stopping the worship itself.
🎭 Vishnu Creates a False Religion
Vishnu decided to create a false religion and convert the demons into it. Once the demons stopped worshipping Shiva, their sins would no longer be erased, they would acrue bad karma and then could be destroyed.
To accomplish his plan, Vishnu created a being from himself named Arihant. Arihant had:
-
- A shaven head
- Dirty robes
- A wicker vessel and a roll of cotton in hand
- His face was pale and weak
- In a faltering voice he muttered, “Dharma, Dharma”
- (Some versions say he had a broom in his head)
He shook the cotton roll at every step — a symbolic rejection of fire sacrifice and Vedic ritualism.
Arihant’s mission:
- Compose a scripture in Apabhraṃśa
- Contradict Shruti and Smriti
- Deny heaven, hell, and a creator god
- Promote karma-erasing through action alone
He created four disciples like himself — slow-walking because they were afraid of injuring living beings, mouth-covered, and robe-clad. With help from Narada Muni, who went to the demons and pretended to be a convert, the demons abandoned Vedic worship and stopped worshipping Shiva. Their sins now stuck since Shiva was not clearing away their bad karma anymore. Their downfall began.
⚠️ Arihant’s Heresy: 4 Signs of a False Path
As described in Shiva Purana – Yuddha Khanda
- ❌ Rejection of Vedic Authority
Scripture was in Apabhraṃśa, not Sanskrit, and contradicted Shruti and Smriti.- ❌ Denial of God and the Afterlife
No creator, no heaven or hell — karma could be erased through effort alone.- ❌ Ritual Subversion
Shaking cotton instead of burning it in yajnas symbolized rejection of sacrifice.- ❌ Cult of Mimicry
Four disciples imitated Arihant — symbolic purity over divine devotion.👉 Their goal: not liberation, but breaking devotion to Shiva and diverting dharma.
📜 Creation of Arihant: Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda, chapter 4
🛡️ The Gods Petition Shiva Again — This Time He Accepts
Now that the asuras had abandoned dharma and were accruing bad karma, Shiva agreed to destroy them. But he lacked the necessary divine weapons. Vishwakarma, the architect of the Gods, built his chariot.
🔱 The Divine Chariot
- Sun & Moon – wheels
- Four Vedas – 4 horses
- Brahma – charioteer
The Divine Weaponry
- Mount Meru – bow
- Vasuki – bowstring
- Saraswati – bells
- Agni – arrowhead
- Vishnu – arrow shaft
🐾 The Gods Must Become Animals
Shiva told the devas that they must become animals in order to win the battle. He would become Pashupati. After the war, the Pashupata rite would liberate them.
📜 Pashupata Rite: Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda, Chapter 9, verses 13-21
⚔️ A 100,000-Year Battle
The war lasted for 100,000 years. Shiva heard a voice say that the demons could not be defeated until Ganesh was worshipped. Shiva called Bhadrakali and together they worshipped Ganesh. At that moment, the three cities aligned.
📜 Worshipping Ganesh: Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda, Chapter 10, verses 5-14
🎯 Shiva Fires the Arrow
Shiva fired a single arrow — and the three cities, and their demonic lords, were incinerated. But not all were killed.
Those who were not hostile or who surrendered to Shiva in that moment were spared by his brilliance.
🪔 The Birth of Dev Diwali
The devas, overwhelmed with gratitude, lit lamps for Lord Shiva to honor him. This celebration became Dev Diwali. In Varanasi, 87 ghats are still lit today and fireworks light up the sky to honor Shiva’s victory.
🙏 Maya the Architect Is Forgiven
Maya, the demon architect who built the three cities, was spared. He asked for:
- Deeper bhakti for Shiva
- Companionship with Shiva’s devotees
- Freedom from demonic instincts
Shiva granted his wishes and sent him to Vitala, a heavenly underworld more beautiful than the heavens.
🏜️ What Happened to Arihant?
Arihant and his followers returned to Vishnu, fearing damnation. Vishnu reassured them:
“You followed my command. Go to the desert. In Kali Yuga, you may return and spread your doctrine.”
India has the Thar desert in Rajasthan. It’s the 18th largest desert in the world.
📜 Arihant’s instructions: Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda, Chapter 12, verses 26-32
🧠 Symbolism: The Three Cities Are Inside You
Tripura represents:
- Body (iron)
- Mind (silver)
- Intellect (gold)
When aligned, they become the ego. Shiva’s arrow is spiritual insight that burns illusion and brings liberation.
⚖️ Addressing Common Misconceptions and Hinduphobic Critiques
🔥 “Shiva burned innocent people alive.”
This is not true and the Shiva Purana itself proves this point. All demons who did not oppose the gods and who were not evil were saved by Lord Shiva.
Shiva Purana – Rudra Samhita – Yuddha Khanda, Chapter 10, Verses 40–41
40. “Those who were not opposed to the Gods were saved by Śiva’s brilliance, those who devoutly sought refuge in lord Śiva at the time of adversity.”
41. “Whether Asuras or other beings those whose collective activities were not destructive were saved; others of contrary activities were burnt in fire.”
Verse 40 means any demon who sincerely sought refuge in Shiva at the moment of destruction — right then and there, on the battlefield — was spared. Shiva didn’t destroy blindly; he distinguished between the wicked and those who turned to him in genuine surrender. His brilliance (tejas) saved those who were not hostile and who turned to him in that moment. That’s how merciful Lord Shiva is.
🧿 “Shiva killed them just because they stopped worshipping him.”
This is a distortion. The demons were killed not for lack of worship, but because they were exploiting the system — committing evil, worshipping Shiva to wipe their slate clean, and repeating the cycle.
It was not devotion, but **abuse of grace**. Once they gave up Shiva under Arihant’s doctrine, their karma returned. Then — and only then — did Shiva act.
✨ Why Dev Diwali Still Matters
- Dharma protects the sincere
- Devotion is not a loophole
- Even the gods must wait for the right moment
- Ganesha comes before victory
- Shiva sees who you really are
When you light a lamp on Dev Diwali, you honor the Lord who waits, watches, and strikes only when illusion aligns perfectly — so that truth may shine again.
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