Koka and Vikoka
Koka and Vikoka are figures from Hindu mythology, twin generals who will aid the demon Kali in his battle against Kalki, the 10th and final avatar of the god Vishnu, whose coming will herald the end of the age.[1][2] The story is told in the Kalki Purana, is a relatively recent text, although composed no later than 1804, the date which appears on a manuscript held by the University of Dhaka.[3]
The prophesy of Kalki and his battle with Kali appears in the Kalki Purana, a collection of predictions concerning when, where and why Kalki will manifest himself and what he will do.[2] According to Hindu cosmology the world will experience four immensely long ages, or yuga, of which the Kali Yuga is the last.[4] The Kali Yuga began in 3102 BCE and has 427 centuries to left;[5] Kali, the demon-king of the Kali Yuga, will be assisted by his generals, the twin brothers Koka and Vikoka, who will threaten to defeat Kalki by raising themselves from the dead faster than he can kill them. The god Brahma eventually appears to Kalki and reveals to him that no earthly or celestial weapon can kill the brothers if they are allowed to hold on to one another; the only way Kalki can defeat them is to separate and attack them both simultaneously. Kalki then forces himself between the two and lands crushing blows to each demon’s temple at the same time. They both die, this time for ever.
The Kalki Purana states Koka and Vikoka are the grandsons of Shakuni and sons of Bakasura, who are not to be confused with the Shakuni and Bakasura from the Mahabarata - former are father and son, whereas the latter are unrelated. The etymology of Koka's name is obscure, and the Monier-Williams Sanskrit dictionary gives no ready definition; Vikoka's name is formed by adding Vi-, used to form names from other names, to "Koka".[6]
References
Citations
- ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 73.
- ^ a b Gulati 2008, p. 47.
- ^ Rocher 1986, p. 183 and fn.230.
- ^ Cotterell 1986, p. 94.
- ^ Cotterell 1986, p. 95.
- ^ Monier-Williams 2002, p. 949.
Bibliography
- Cotterell, Arthur (2008). A Dictionary of World Mythology. Oxford University Press.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Gulati, Mahinder N. (2008). Comparative Religious And Philosophies : Anthropomorphlsm And Divinity. Atlantic.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. Vol. I. Rosen Publishing Group.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Monier-Williams, Sir Monier; Leumann, Ernst; Cappeller, Carl (2002). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Rocher, Ludo (1986). The Puranas. Otto Harrassowitz.
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Source.
- Kalki Purana ISBN 81-288-0588-6