How Shiva Burned the Tripura With A Smile

Following the death of Tarakasura, who was killed by Lord Muruga, his sons Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali and Kamalaksha undertook severe penances by which they pleased Lord Brahma. They requested that they be blessed with impregnable fortresses that could be destroyed by a single arrow only.

Fortified by Brahma's boons, the asuras got the three fortresses, called Tripura or three cities, built by the great Asura architect Mayasura. Maya, the divine architect, constructed the golden fort in the heaven for Tarakaksha; the silver fort on the skies for Kamalaksha and iron fort on the earth for Vidhyunmaali. The three cities were mobile and moved in such a way that they would be in a single line for a few moments in three thousand years.

  The asuras felt invincible, and started tormenting the Deavas. Indra and the rest of the Devas despondently approached Lord Brahma for respite, Lord Brahma redirected them to Shiva and also informed them of the vulnerability of Tripura to a single arrow. Nandi, the leader of Lord Shiva's Ganas, slayed Vidyunmali and other Asuras, but the magical pool of Tripura would revive the dead asuras, and the Devas were frustrated. As the furious war continued between the Asuras and the Devas, even the Earth began to slip from its place. Just as Brahma and Shiva were worrying about the Earth's descent, the Protector god Vishnu, in the form of a massive boar, lifted the earth and restored it to its original place. He then entered Tripura and drank dry, the pool of magic water that rejuvenated the dead Asuras.

Lord Shiva made a special chariot with the earth whose wheels were constituted by the sun and the moon and driven by Brahma as the charioteer using the four vedas as horses. Shiva also made a special bow with Mount Meru with its arc formed by Adisesha, and Vishnu would function as the arrow.  Offended, Ganesha caused the axle of Lord Shiva's chariot to break and get stuck, stranding Shiva. The mighty god realized the error of his ways and immediately prayed to Ganesha, who then removed all obstacles from his path.(Tiruvirkolam is the site where a temple for Lord Shiva, called as Tiruvirkolanathar, has been built. The Lord Ganesha in this temple is named as 'Achcharutta Vinayakar'.)

Just as the cities aligned, when the Pushya nakshatra positioned appropriately, Lord Shiva was about to strung the mighty bow, the Pinaka with the arrow, the Devas were overjoyed that Tripura was going to be destroyed because of them. Lord Shiva, knowing what the Devas were thinking, did not fire the arrow but merely smiled. All the three purams were burned immediately. Shocked at this act, Brahma pleaded that Devas thoughts were faulty, and that Shiva should forgive and release the arrow. Else the Devas would have a permanent bad name, and the reason behind making this chariot would become meaningless. Shiva then fired the arrow on the already burning Cities. Thiruppugazh in which the reference appears:

1. சினத்தவர் முடிக்கும்
   
   சினத்தையு முடற்சங் கரித்தம லைமுற்றுஞ்
   சிரித்தெரி கொளுத்துங் கதிர்வேலா
   
2. saraththe udiththay
   
   புரத்தார் வரத்தார் சரச்சே கரத்தார்
   பொரத்தா னெதிர்த்தே வருபோது
   பொறுத்தார் பரித்தார் சிரித்தா ரெரித்தார்
   பொரித்தார் நுதற்பார் வையிலே
   
3. kirimozhi
   
   தறி வளைத்து உற நகை பொறி எழ புரம் எரித்
   தவர் திரு புதல்வ