Durga and Mahishasura
In Swarga live the Devas. They make sure that order is maintained in the cosmos. Bhuloka is home to us, manavas, and to millions of other creatures. In Patala live the Asuras.
Once upon a time, there lived a mighty Asura named Mahishasura. His name was derived from mahisha, meaning buffalo. Mahishasura wanted to rule not only his world of Patala but also Bhuloka and Swarga. And so, he decided to perform tapas and obtain powers that would help him fulfil his ambition.
Mahishasura focused his mind on Brahma and performed tapas for many years. He stood on one leg with his eyes closed and arms raised in a namaskar. Days, seasons, and even years went by. But neither the heat of the sun nor the relentless rains and cold affected Mahishasura. His body grew thin from lack of food. Still, the power of his tapas radiated a heat that reached even Indra in Swargaloka.
Finally, Brahma took notice of Mahishasura’s austerities and appeared before him.
“What do you seek?” Brahma asked.
Mahishasura replied, “I should not be killed by any man, neither Deva, nor human, nor any other kind.”
“Tathaastu,” Brahma said, and granted him the boon.
Mahishasura had finally succeeded in winning the boon he desired. He used his formidable might to defeat all the kings of Patala and Bhuloka. Then, he gathered his forces and set out to conquer Swarga. Indra, the king of the Devas, could not stop the Asura. Even Indra’s mighty Vajrayudha was helpless before Mahishasura’s boon. Mahishasura sat on Indra’s throne, secure in the belief that no man could ever defeat him.
Mahishasura soon displaced all the Devas from their roles. The rains became erratic as Indra lost his power to control them. The rivers flowed violently, or not at all, as Varuna did not tame them any longer. The winds, flames, night, and day grew unpredictable as Vayu, Agni, Surya, and Chandra were removed from their places. All beings were displaced from their homes as the land became harsh and food ceased to grow.
The Devas could not bear to watch the suffering of those who depended on them. And so, they went to seek the counsel of the Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They described how all living beings suffered. The Devtas told the Trimurti that manavas were helpless against the tyranny of Mahishasura.
“He is blinded by his power and the boon he earned. His adharma has grown out of bounds. We must act now to protect the helpless,” Indra said.
As the Devas spoke, the Divine Mother’s power within them stirred. From Vishnu rose blazing light. From Shiva burst fierce flame. From Brahma streamed steady brilliance. From every Deva came forth their inner radiance.
The Devas watched in awe as these energies combined in a brilliant flash of light brighter than the light of a thousand suns. And from this combined shakti emerged the form of Durga. The Devas immediately understood that Shakti had taken this form to relieve the suffering of her children.
The Devas bowed to Durga in reverence and offered her their weapons. Soon, she was armed with Vishnu’s Sudarshana Chakra, Indra’s vajrayudha, and countless other weapons. Himavan, the ruler of the mountains, brought a lion for Durga to ride on. Durga mounted her lion and let out a roar. The sound shook the mountains and rolled across the heavens.
The sound of Durga’s arrival reached Mahishasura. He sent his guard to investigate the source of the sound.
“O Ruler of the three worlds, it is a woman, and she challenges you to battle,” the guard reported.
“A woman! Challenging me to battle? I shall not stoop so low. If it is battle she desires, you may fight her,” Mahishasura guffawed and sent Chikshura, his general, to confront her.
The Asura general summoned his troops and set out with a vast army. The soldiers attacked Durga with their full might, brandishing strange and mighty weapons. The Devi met them calmly. She easily broke their formations and struck them down.
Mahishasura was stunned. He had not expected his invincible general to fall in battle with a woman. He summoned his other generals and sent them out in quick succession. Chamara, Udagra, Mahahanu, and dozens of other commanders took on fearsome forms and launched attacks on the Devi. But none could harm her, and she defeated them all.
Mahishasura was enraged. He finally rose to action and entered the battlefield himself, taking his special troops with him.
The mighty Asura took the form of a massive, wild buffalo. The ground trembled as he rushed towards the Devi and hurled rocks with his mighty horns. Durga cast her noose and trapped him.
Mahishasura broke free of Devi’s noose and took the shape of a lion. He sprang forward, but she struck him down. The Asura rose again as a towering elephant and charged with all his might. But the Devi cut him back.
Mahishasura shifted his shape once more, returning to the form of a buffalo. He bellowed so loudly that the mountains echoed. Durga’s lion roared in reply.
Mahishasura’s buffalo form attacked the Devi in rage. Durga stepped forward, pressed him down with her foot, and pinned him to the earth. As he struggled and began to rise in his own form, she lifted her spear and struck him down.
Mahishasura looked up at Durga in wonder and realised that the Divine Mother did not fight him in anger. He finally let go of his ambition to rule the worlds he had conquered. Instead, Mahishasura requested that his name should always remain associated with Devi’s.
Devi smiled and accepted Mahishasura’s wish. Thus ended Mahishasura’s reign of terror. Since that day, Durga has also been known as Mahishasura Mardini.
The Devtas came to the battlefield and sang praises of the Devi. She promised them that she would always come to protect her children whenever they were helpless against adharma. The Devtas returned to their world, and order was restored in the cosmos.
