It was a time of the early period of Dwapara Yuga, long after the events of Ramayana and the end of the Ikshvaku Dynasty;
City of Amaravati, Svargaloka;
Svargaloka, the realm of heaven is no doubt the place where souls who have done nothing but good deeds or those who purified themselves after experiencing punishment in Narakaloka (Hell).
The texts left by ancestors often say that it is the most peaceful place in the universe, but unfortunately, it is only for the departed souls, not for the beings that actually reside in them.
Devas, the celestial beings, since ages ago, were always in rivalry with Asuras, the demonic creatures that reside in Patalaloka (netherworld).
Devas were blessed with immortality after they drank the immortal celestial nectar, Amrit, while desperate Asuras always sought immortality as a reward for their tapasya to either the Creator, Lord Brahma, or the Destroyer, Lord Shiva.
Naturally, they won't be given such a boon due to their negative predisposition. Hence, the Asuras always ask for a boon that can halt their immortality giving their death certain conditions that are almost impossible to achieve.
Once such a boon is granted, they start their cruel ruling on earth and try to ouster the Devas from Svarga, occupying heaven for themselves, leading to a heavy imbalance in the universe for a long time.
Hence, every time an Asura King or a significant Asura starts doing the tapasya, the devas get worried.
One such meeting is going on at the assembly of the Devas.
Lord Indra, the King of Devas, was looking grave, as he sat on his throne. The other Devas were also intensely listening to their teacher, Guru Brihaspati who was explaining the situation to them.
"Hey, Lord Indra, Asura Maharaksha is a being born out of a combined malice of Asuras. Guru Shukracharya, the teacher of Asuras sacrificed thousands of those demons to create him. He is devoid of love, lust, happiness, ego, and such things.
Neither he will be enticed by the celestial dance art of Apsaras nor he will be hurt by the prowess of Agni (Fire God), Vayu (Wind God), Varuna (Sea God), or even your own Vajra (weapon of Lord Indra)."
"But, we cannot just sit here and wait for him to snatch my throne, right?" Lord Indra fumed at Brihaspati's words. He couldn't help but tightly grab the armrests of the throne and complain, "I don't really understand what Lord Brahma thinks. Over and over, those Asuras keep on using his boon to do nothing but destruction. Even then, he will still grant them those boons."
Brihaspati could only sigh in response, "That's the ultimate law of nature, Oh Lord Indra. When someone prays for a god with pure devotion, regardless of their existence, as long as their prayer reaches the god and disturbs their meditation, one would have to grant them their wishes."
"Yeah, I know that. Don't need to remind me," The frustrated King of Devas forcefully grabs the drink from the platter held by a servant nearby and gulps it down in one shot, "Fine. If there is nothing we can do, then, we will work out on those conditions they will put out."
Meanwhile, on Earth;
On an unnamed cliff, a muscular asura with long hair was seen praying for Lord Brahma, standing on one of his legs with his hands together but stretched above his head.
If not for his red skin, two pairs of eyes, and the fifth eye on the forehead, he would quite resemble a human.
"Om Brahmaya Namah
Jagatambaya Namah,
Vishvakarman Namah,
Sarvasiddhaya Namah.
Aum Vidyasyaya,
Mahasiddhaye,
Vajrapadaya,
Dehi Mama.
Anatham Rajavasyam,
Bhumipatim,
Dasyami Sadaiva,
Yajnapurvakam,
Asistam Vrnisvam,
Brahmapradam."
(Meaning: Om to Brahma, The Creator of the Universe, The Source of All Wisdom, The Bestower of Knowledge. Grant me wisdom, To achieve great success, Endowed with power, Bestow upon me your favor. To the Lord of the Earth, I offer my devotion, With sacrifice and respect, Grant me the boon I seek, O Brahma, the Giver of Blessings)
As he kept chanting in Sanskrit until the wind around him became violent and the waters in the rivers beneath the cliff became restless, eventually, his prayers were answered by the divine appearance of the Creator, Lord Brahma.
The four-headed God with a long white beard and four arms, each arm holding a Vedic text scroll, a water pot, a rosary, and a lotus flower, looked at him with a soft gaze and gave off a pleasant smile, interrupting the Asura's prayer, "Child, I'm here. Open your eyes."
The Asura opened his eyes to look at the Creator. However, he couldn't feel any peace in his heart even after seeing that divine appearance. He merely asked, "Lord Brahma, are you here to grant me the boon?"
Lord Brahma didn't mind his rude tone and nodded, "Yes, my child. Speak. What is it that you wish for?"
The Asura then voiced his inner feelings, "From the past experiences, I understood that you never give the boon of immortality, and even when my brethren ask for the conditions of their death, you reveal them to Devas and they take advantage of it to kill us. So, this time, unless you promise me that you will never reveal the conditions of my death to anyone, I cannot speak of my wish. Will you accept this?"
Lord Brahma was slightly taken aback by the request. Pure-blooded Asuras were always known for their dimwit, sheer arrogance, and malice. Hence, the request came off as a surprise for Lord Brahma, but in the end, he accepted it with a nod. "Speak, my child."
The Asura then spoke, "My death should only occur in the hands of the child of Lakshmi but without Vishnu's role in it. Moreover, that child should also have the attributes of an asura."
"Preposterous…" Even the Creator felt anger for a moment, making thunders roar in the sky, waves struck the land all over the world, and some volcanoes erupt at the same time.
The Asura shivered at the sight of the Creator turning into his red skin, which often indicates his destructive side.
He couldn't help but laugh out loud, controlling his fear, "It is my wish, Lord Brahma. If you don't want to give it, then, you can return. I will continue to do my tapasya even more rigorously until I get what I want, or you tridev (the three Supreme Gods) kill me.
Lord Brahma forced to calm himself down and raised his hand, "So be it. Granted." A divine ray of light beam exited his palm and struck the Asura, enveloping him for a second before being absorbed into his body."
As Lord Brahma disappeared, Asura Maharaksha flexed his muscles and pushed out a layer of thickened demonic energy, "Devas were arrogant because they are immortals, right? Now, they will cry for eternity for not being able to die. Hahahaha hahahaha hahaha."
His laugh echoed all over the mountainous region, causing a minor earthquake over hundreds of kilometers.