Durga Saptashati
॥ The Third Chapter ॥
Chapter 3:
The Slaying of Mahishasura, along with his Commanders
॥ Meditation ॥
The splendour of Jagadamba’s divine limbs is like that of thousands of suns at the time of their rising. She is clad in a silken garment of red colour. A garland of skulls adorns Her neck. Her two breasts are smeared with red sandalwood paste. In Her lotus-hands, She holds a rosary, knowledge (book/manuscript), and the gestures (mudras) of fearlessness (Abhaya) and granting boons (Vara). Her lotus-face, adorned with three eyes, is exceedingly beautiful. A jewel-studded crown, along with the moon, is tied on Her head, and She is seated on a lotus-throne. I devoutly bow to such a Goddess.
The Rishi said – Seeing the army of the Asuras being thus destroyed, the great Asura commander Chikhshura, filled with rage, advanced to fight with Goddess Ambika.
That Asura started showering arrows upon the Goddess on the battlefield, just as a cloud pours streams of water upon the peak of Mount Meru.
Then the Goddess easily cut down his multitude of arrows with Her own arrows, and also killed his horses and charioteer. Simultaneously, She instantly cut down his bow and his exceedingly tall banner. When his bow was cut, She pierced his limbs with Her arrows.
With his bow, chariot, horses, and charioteer destroyed, that Asura rushed towards the Goddess with a shield and a sword.
He struck the lion’s head with his sharp-edged sword and also fiercely struck the left arm of the Goddess.
O King! As soon as that sword reached the arm of the Goddess, it broke. Then, that furious Rakshasa, with eyes red with anger, took a spear in his hand. And that great demon hurled it at the divine Bhadrakali. That spear blazed with its own energy, like the disc of the sun falling from the sky.
Seeing that spear coming towards Her, the Goddess also hurled a spear. That spear shattered the demon’s spear into hundreds of pieces, and simultaneously, the great demon Chikhshura was also torn to shreds. He lost his life.
Upon the slaying of that mighty Chikhshura, the commander of Mahishasura, Chāmara, who tormented the gods, arrived riding an elephant. He also hurled a shakti (a weapon/javelin) at the Goddess, but Jagadamba merely disabled and rendered it powerless with Her Hunkāra (a fierce roar), instantly throwing it to the ground.
Seeing the shakti broken and fallen, Chāmara became extremely angry. Now he threw a spear, but the Goddess cut that too with Her arrows. Just then, the Goddess’s lion leaped and mounted the elephant’s forehead, and began a fierce hand-to-hand combat with that demon.
Fighting, the two fell from the elephant onto the ground and, filled with extreme rage, continued to fight, striking each other with terrible blows.
Thereafter, the lion leaped fiercely into the sky, and descending from there, it separated Chāmara’s head from his torso with a strike of its claws.
Similarly, Udagra was also slain by the Goddess on the battlefield, struck by blows from rocks and the chest, etc., and Karāla also fell to the ground from the impact of teeth, fists, and slaps.
The Goddess, filled with rage, crushed Uddhata with the blow of a mace. She sent Bāshkala to his death with a Bhindipāla (a type of sling or spear) and Tāmra and Andhaka with arrows.
The three-eyed Supreme Goddess killed the demons named Ugrāsya, Ugravīrya, and Mahāhanu with Her Trident (Trishūla). She severed Vidāla’s head from his body with the blow of a sword. Durdhara and Durmukha – these two also, She sent to the abode of Yama with Her arrows.
Seeing the destruction of his army in this manner, Mahishasura took the form of a buffalo and began to torment the Goddess’s attendants (Ganas).
He threw some down by striking with his snout, some by striking with his hooves, some by whipping with his tail, some by tearing with his horns, some by his speed, some by his roar, some by making them spin, and some by the blast of his exhaled breath.
Having thus felled the army of Ganas, that Asura rushed to kill the lion of the Great Goddess. This greatly angered Jagadamba.
On the other side, the mighty Mahishasura, also filled with rage, began to dig up the earth with his hooves, and started lifting and throwing high mountains with his horns, and roaring.
Due to the spinning velocity of his body, the earth became agitated and started to split. The oceans, struck by his tail, began to flood the earth from all sides.
Clouds were torn to pieces, rent by the impact of his shaking horns. Hundreds of mountains, tossed by the strong wind of his breath, began to fall from the sky.
Seeing that great demon, thus filled with rage, approaching Her, Chandi felt a tremendous wrath to slay him.
She threw a noose and bound that great Asura. Being bound in that great battle, he abandoned the form of a buffalo. And instantly, he appeared in the form of a lion. As Jagadamba was about to sever his head in that state, he immediately appeared as a sword-wielding man.
Then the Goddess instantly pierced that man, along with his shield and sword, with a shower of arrows. Just then, he transformed into a mighty elephant.
And he began to pull the Goddess’s huge lion with his trunk and roar. As he was pulling, the Goddess cut off his trunk with a sword.
Then that great demon again assumed the body of a buffalo and, just as before, began to torment the three worlds, including all movable and immovable beings.
Then, the world-mother Chandi, filled with rage, repeatedly drank the excellent Madhu (wine) and began to laugh with red eyes.
Meanwhile, that demon, intoxicated by the pride of his strength and valour, roared and began to throw mountains at Chandi with his horns.
At that time, the Goddess pulverized the mountains thrown by him with Her multitude of arrows, and spoke. As She spoke, Her face was flushed with the intoxication of the Madhu, and Her voice was slurring.
The Goddess said -॥ O fool! Roar to your heart’s content for a moment, while I drink Madhu. After your death here by My hand, the gods too will soon roar with joy.
The Rishi said -॥ Saying this, the Goddess leaped and mounted that great demon. Then, pressing him down with Her foot, She struck his neck with a spear.
Even though pressed down by Her foot, Mahishasura began to emerge from his mouth [in another form]. He had only emerged halfway when the Goddess restrained him with Her power. Even though half-emerged, that great demon continued to fight with the Goddess. Then the Goddess severed his head with a very large sword.
Then, the entire army of demons fled, crying hāhākara (a sound of distress), and all the gods became exceedingly pleased. The gods, along with the divine Sages, praised Goddess Durga. The Gandharva kings began to sing, and the Apsaras began to dance.
Thus, in the Shrimārkandeya Purana, in the story of Sāvarnika Manvantara, the third chapter named ‘Mahishasura-Vadha’ (Slaying of Mahishasura) in Devi Mahatmya, is completed.
