Bhasmasura was born of the ashes (Bhasma dust) on the body of Lord Siva. Pleased with the great devotion of the demon, Siva asked him to name any wish. Bhasmasura said that he wanted the power to burn someone to ashes, simply by touching his hand to their head. With that power, Bhasmasura created a nightmare for the whole world.
The demigods prayed to Lord Vishnu to stop this bully. So Vishnu appeared to Bhasmasura as the avatar Mohini-Murti. She is the only female incarnation of Vishnu, and because of her deep mysteries, she is known as the goddess of enchantment.
Bhasmasura was taken with Mohini's beauty and danced with her. She offered to teach him a dance called Muktanritya. He followed her movements to learn the dance, so when she touches her head in the dance, he does the same. And he burned to ashes.
Mohini-murti was also present at the churning of the Milk Ocean. When the demons got the nectar of immortality from the ocean, Mohini-murti took the jug away and gave it to the demigods. The only demon who got to taste the nectar was Rahu, but she cut his head off before the nectar went into his body. Thus, Rahu's head became a planet (node of the moon).
Another photo of my Mohini-Murti. My father brought home Mohini-Murtu when he traveled around India in 1978. She sat on a small end table in his office from then until he died. Soon after the deity passed to me, a friend, who was a Hindu priest, stopped by one time and noticed my deity. I asked him who it was and he knew right away this was Mohini-Murti. He pointed out how she is touching her head. This is the pastime of Bhasmasura. I am forever grateful to have this rare and beautiful deity.
