Tarakamaya War In the
Padma Purana, Kalanemi fought on the side of
Soma and the rest of the
daityas in the Tarakamaya War against the
devas. He showered mountains upon the devas, who were terrified by the very sight of him as he had grown to immense proportions. He breathed flames from his mouth, and launched a number of divine missiles on his foes. Vishnu rode upon
Garuda in order to meet him in battle. He shouted obscenities at the preserver deity, who merely smiled and announced his impending doom. Furious, Kalanemi launched a multitude of weapons on Vishnu's chest from his hundred arms. When the asura smashed Garuda's head with his mace, Vishnu retaliated by employing the
Sudarshana Chakra to chop all of the former's arms, causing his lifeless form to shake the earth upon its collapse.
Sons Kalanemi had six sons: Hamsa, Suvikrama, Kratha, Damana, Ripurmardana, and Krodhahanta, who in their previous births had been the sons of
Marichi, a
manasaputra (mind-born son) of
Brahma. Due to the fact that they had performed a penance to Brahma, their grandfather, Hiranyakashipu, cursed them first to be condemned to sleep for a long period in
Patala, and then altered their curse to be born on earth as the first six sons of
Devaki. Their father, Kalanemi, would be reborn as
Kans, the son of
Ugrasena, and would be their uncle, killing them all immediately after their birth.
Samudra Manthana According to the
Skanda Purana, after the
churning of the ocean of milk, when the nectar
amrita was denied to the
daityas and
danavas by
Vishnu in the form of
Mohini, a battle ensued between the two asura races and the
devas. The devas were led by
Indra, the king of
Svarga, while the asuras were led by the sons of Virochana, initially by
Bali, the chief of the asuras, and later by Kalanemi. After Indra had slain Bali with a thunderbolt, another daitya king named
Vrishparva attacked Indra, and was also killed. Kalanemi, riding a lion as his mount, fiercely attacked Indra and his followers, which unnerved the devas. They were then advised by
Narada to seek the help of Vishnu, as only he could kill Kalanemi, who had immense powers acquired by meditation. On the request made by the devas, Vishnu, riding his mount
Garuda, attacked Kalanemi, and rendered him unconscious. Regaining consciousness, Kalanemi realised that he was confronting Vishnu, and accepted his defeat, requesting Vishnu to grant him beatitude as he had been defeated by a divine being. Thus, Vishnu acquired the epithet of
kalanemi-niha. == References ==