AṄGĀRAKĀ . (SIṂHIKĀ).
1)
Genealogy. Descended in the following order from
Viṣṇu. Brahmā-Marīci-Kaśyapa-Aṅgārakā.
2)
Birth. In the battle between the Gods and the
Asuras, most of the Asuras were killed and one Asura
fled from the clutches of death to Pātāla (the nether
world). Surasā was the daughter of that Asura. Kaśyapa
married Surasā. To them were born the two daughters,
Aṅgārakā (Siṃhikā) and Ajāmukhī, and four sons,
called Śūrapadma, Siṃhavaktra, Tārakāsura and
Gomukha. Thus Siṃhikā is the sister of Tārakāsura.
(Skanḍa Purāṇa, Asura Kāṇḍa).
Other details. This giantess Aṅgārakā had a clash once,
with Hanūmān. Sugrīva had sent a large number of
monkeys under the leadership of Hanumān to search
for Sītā. He gave Hanūmān certain instructions regard-
ing the route he had to follow. Sugrīva said, “There is
a giantess in the middle of that Southern Sea. Her
name is Aṅgāra. She pulls the shadow towards her and
feeds on the object of the shadow.”
From this it is clear that she was a giantess who lived
in the sea between Laṅkā and South India. She knew
the art of bringing to her side, anybody who passed
over the sea, by pulling at his shadow. When Hanūmān
jumped to Laṅkā from the mountain of Mahendra the
giantess attacked Hanūmān. It is seen that the name
Siṃhikā also is used for Aṅgārakā. Hanūmān who was
subjected to the excessive attraction of Siṃhikā, felt a
great storm raging round him. Finally he found her out,
a monster with such an uncouth face and a mouth as
wide as the hole of Pātāla (the nether world). There
was a terrible fight between Hanūmān and the monster,
in which Siṃhikā, fell on the ground beaten. After the
fight Hanūmān resumed his journey. (Vālmīki Rāmā-
yaṇa, Sundarakāṇḍa, Sarga 1, Stanzas 178 to 186).