English
Mahishasura Mardini
Source: Markandeya Purana, Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati), chapters 2–4
Long ago the gods and the demons fought a terrible war for a hundred years. Indra led the gods, and the king of the demons was Mahishasura. In the end the gods were defeated, and Mahishasura took Indra's place on the throne of heaven.
The defeated gods, led by Brahma, went to where Lord Vishnu and Shiva were seated. They told the whole story: “Mahishasura has seized the rights of the Sun, the Moon, Agni, Vayu and all of us. We have been driven out of heaven and wander the earth.”
Hearing this, Vishnu and Shiva were filled with anger, their brows knit. From that anger a great radiance came forth from their faces. Then radiance came from the bodies of Brahma, Indra and all the gods, and it all merged in one place.
That mass of light looked like a blazing mountain, its flames spreading in every direction. And from that wondrous light a woman's form appeared, whose radiance lit up the three worlds.
From Shiva's radiance her face was formed, from Yama's her hair, from Vishnu's her arms. From each god's radiance some part of the Devi was formed.
Then the gods gave her their weapons. Shiva gave a trident, Vishnu a discus, Varuna a conch, Agni a spear, Vayu a bow and arrows, Indra the thunderbolt and the bell of Airavata. Himavan gave her a lion to ride.
Armed with every weapon, the Devi laughed aloud again and again. At that roar the sky resounded, the earth trembled, the oceans heaved and the mountains shook. Mahishasura heard it, and rushed towards it with his vast army…
Mahishasura's generals, Chikshura, Chamara, Udagra and many great demons, fell upon the Devi with their armies. As if in play, she cut down their weapons. From her breath hundreds of thousands of attendants appeared and fought the demons. The Devi's lion too kept leaping upon them.
One by one all of Mahishasura's generals were slain. Then Mahishasura himself came in the form of a buffalo. He trampled the earth with his hooves, tossed mountains with his horns, and the ocean surged at the lash of his tail.
The Devi threw her noose and bound him. Then he left the buffalo form and became a lion. When the Devi moved to cut off its head, he became a man with a sword. When she pierced him with arrows, he became a huge elephant and began dragging her lion with his trunk. The Devi cut off the trunk with her sword, and he became a buffalo again.
Filled with fury, the Devi drank a divine drink and said with a laugh, “Roar, you fool, roar for a moment while I drink. When I have slain you, the gods will soon roar here in joy.”
Then the Devi leapt, mounted the great demon, pressed his neck down with her foot and struck him with her trident. Mahishasura came half out of his own buffalo mouth, and the Devi struck off his head with her great sword.
The demon army fled, wailing. Flowers rained from the sky, the gandharvas sang and the apsaras danced.
Indra and all the gods bowed their heads and praised the Devi. She was pleased and said, “Ask a boon.” The gods said, “Mother, you have given us everything. Only this: whenever we remember you in distress, come to protect us.”
The Devi said, “So be it,” and vanished. Ever since she has been called Mahishasura Mardini, the slayer of Mahishasura.
What this story teaches
When all powers become one, even the greatest arrogance cannot stand. The Devi's promise is that she protects in distress whoever remembers her with a true heart.
During Navratri the Durga Saptashati is recited, and this story is its middle section. The Devi's victory over Mahishasura is also celebrated with Vijayadashami.
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