Bhandasura

Bhandasura was a demon created from the ashes of Kamdeva by Ganesha. This character makes his appearance in, and is the main antagonist of the Lalitopakyanam, part of Brahmanda Purana.

Bhandasura was created from the ashes of Kamadeva and performed severe austerities to please Lord Shiva, for which he was rewarded with the boons that whomsoever dares to fight Bhandasura would forfeit half of his strength and masculinity to him. Bhanda was also given the city of the demons, Shonitapura to live in and was promised emperor hood of the multiverse for sixty-thousand years without any obstructions in his path. For obvious reason, no god, man or demon dared to attack him. He created two brothers, Vishukra and Vishanga from his shoulders. From his heart he created his sister, Dhumini. He also brought to life four wives with whom he had thirty sons in total.

Fearing him and his vicious boons, the gods of the multiverse went into hiding where they worshiped the Goddess Para Shakti for the last few thousand years of Bhandasura's uninterrupted rule, while he was immersed in lust and luxury by Lord Vishnu's Maya. When Bhandasura came to know of the gods' conspiracy against him, he attacked them at the spot where they were performing a yagya to appease the goddess. In fear, the Devas entered the fire pit and immolated themselves. When a relieved Bhandasura had gone, the Goddess Para-Shakti took birth from the fire pit as Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari and resurrected all the gods of the multiverse and restored their duties.

Goddess Lalita went to war against Bhandasura, with an army strong enough to destroy him and the inhabitants of Shonitapura. Her army was led by Goddess Sampatkari on an elephant and Goddess Ashwarudha on a horse. She herself went to war on the Sri-Chakra, the Chakraraja-Ratha with every weapon known to god and man alike. Her commander in chef, Goddess Varahi followed on the Kiri-Chakra and her prime minister Goddess Matangi followed on the Geya Chakra.

The war was in favor of Goddess Lalita. Her daughter Bala successfully killed all thirty of Bhandasura's sons, while Matangi killed his brother Vishanga. His other brother Vishukra was killed by Varahi. Before dying however, Vishukra had placed a jaya-vighna-yantra in the middle of the Goddess's troops. This froze everyone except Lalita, Bala, Kameshwara Shiva, Matangi and Varahi. Lalita then, with her husband Kameshwara, created Maha-Ganapati, who destroyed Vishukra's yantra, thus reanimating the Mother's army.

Bhandasura now recreated the demons killed by Vishnu in each of his seven incarnations. Goddess Lalita brought forth each of Vishnu's incarnations from her fingernails, that put the demons to an end. Bhandasura brought forth the demons of the Durga Saptashati, who were once again killed by Goddess Durga at Goddess Lalita's behest.

The Mother put out ever firebrand send by the demon in her way, and destroyed his army with the Maha-Pashupatastra. She finally killed Bhandasura and destroyed Shonitapura with the Kameshwarastra. When Bhandasura incinerated by her arrow, the Goddess recreated Kamadeva from his ashes and restored peace to the multiverse.