tArakAmaya again

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 01:44 PM 12/15/97 +0100, you wrote:
>2. There does not seem to have been any fight
>between the two lovers of TArA, Brhaspati and Candra, at all. I do not know
>all the Puranic versions of the myth, but should like to refer to Vettam
>Mani, Puranic Encyclopaedia (Delhi 1975), p. 786, s.v. TArA II: "... The
>Devas were very angry when they found the wife of their preceptor staying
>with a disciple of his. Brhaspati sent word to her to return home, but she
>did not heed. At last the Devas decided to fight against Candra. Then they
>came to a compromise and TArA was sent back to Brhaspati. ..."

This is not so according to purANAs.

"tatazca samastazastrANyasureSu rudrapurOgamA dEvA, dEvESu cazESadAnavA
mumucuh. Evam dEvAsurasamkSObhakSubdhahRdayamazESamEva jgadbrahmANam
zaraNam jagAma. tatazca bhagvAnabjayOnirapyuzanasam sankaramasurAndEvAnzca
nivArya bRhaspatayE tArAmAdApayat."    viSNu purAN 4.6.16-19

Not only that. candra actually took part in the battle. Because ziva was
the disciple of aGgiras the father of bRhaspati, he fought for bRhaspati.

"dhanurgRhItvAjagavam purArir jagAma bhUtEzvarasiddhajuSTah
yuddhAya sOmEna vizESadIptatRtIyanEtrAnalabhImavaktrah.  37
sahaiva jagmuzca gaNEzakAdyA vimzaccatuSSaSTigaNAstrayuktAh
yakSEsvarah kOTizatair anEkair yutO~nvagAt syandanasamsthitAnAm.  38
vEtAlayakSOragakinnarANAm padmEna caikEna tathArbudEna
lakSais tribhir dvAdazabhI rathAnAm sOmO~pyagAt tatra vivRddhamanyuh.  39
nakSatradaityAsurasainyayuktah zanaizcarAGgArakavRddhatEjAh
jagmur bhayam sapta tathaiva lOkAz cacAla bhUr dvIpasamudragarbhA.  40
sa sOmamEvAbhyagamat pinAkI gRhItadIptAstravizAlavahnih
athAbhavad bhISaNabhImasEna(?)sainyadvayasyApi mahAhavO~sau.  41
azESasattvakSayakRtpravRddhas tIkSNAyudhAstrajjvalanaikarUpah
zastrair athAnyO~nyam azESasainyam dvayOr jagAma kSayamugratIkSNaih.  42
patanti zastrANi tathOjjvalAni svarbhUmipAtAlamathOdahanti
rudrah kOpAd brahmazIrSam mumOca sOmO~pi sOmAstramamOghavIryam."  43
                                        matsya PurAN 23.37-43

In the above slOkAs we find another explanation for the word `tArakAmaya'.

"nakSatradaityAsurasainyayuktah zanaizcarAGgArakavRddhatEjAh"

Stars and some planets took part in the battle on the side of candra.
This can be another possible explanation for calling it tArakAmaya.


regards,

sarma.