Rahu
From MegatenWiki
Games:
- Digital Devil Saga Asura race (Boss, Mick the Slug's atma avatar)
- Digital Devil Saga 2 Asura race (Boss)
About
In Hindu mythology, Rahu was a serpentine asura who tried to betray the gods and drink the elixir of immortality. His plans were foiled and he ended up losing his body. He was believed to be the cause of the solar and lunar eclipses. He is depicted as a dragon with no body riding on a chariot drawn by eight black horses.
When the devas lost their powers due to a curse put on them by the sage Durvasa for Indra's disrespect, they turned to Brahma for help. Brahma told them to churn the ocean of milk and obtain the elixir of immortality if they wanted to regain their powers. To aid them, Vishnu took the form of a great tortoise to act as a churning rod while the Vasuki agreed to become the churning rope. Meanwhile, the asuras agreed to help by controlling the sway of Vasuki.
Among the asuras was a serpentine deity known as Rahu, who planned to drink the elixir of immortality himself, and gain incredible power. Once the elixir was made, Rahu took the first opportunity he could and drank from it. As he started to drink, the solar deity Surya and the lunar deity Chandra saw him and alerted the other devas. As quick as she could, Vishnu's avatar Mohini cut Rahu's head from his body before the elixir could pass his neck.
Although Rahu's body now lay dead, his head was immortal and lived on. From then on he sought revenge on Surya and Chandra for robbing him of his dreams, and endlessly chased them accross the sky. Every time he caught them, he would swallow them, causing the solar or lunar eclipse, but they would soon pass through the hole in his neck and continue onward.
