 |
| Mahishasur Mardini Lithograph by Raja Ravi Varma Press |
In the puranic times, Rambha the asura king fell in love with a water buffalo (a cursed princess herself) and Mahishasura was born from that wedlock. He had immense physical strength and mastered occult power like shifting forms. As a young boy, he always saw the wars between asuras and devas, and the constant trauma that they had on society. He wanted to end that forever, by defeating the devas and bringing in one world order. He did hard penance to become immortal and pleased Brahma. As Brahma said he cannot give the boon of immortality, the asura sought a boon that no man, God, or animal can ever kill him. He was confident that there is no feminine being that could defeat his powerful self, and thus get perpetual immortality.
Mahishasura, true to his nature misused the boon. He soon went into war and was undefeatable, and his tyranny spread across the three worlds. He collected his army and decided to charge Amravati, the capital of devas, and finish the war between asuras and devas for all times. He charged, defeated the devas, and drove the gods out of Amravati. The devas consulted Brahma, who could not change the boon. Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and all the gods went to war with their mightiest weapon. If Mahishasura one form was attacked and slain by any weapon, he took a different form and rebounded back on the battlefield. The Gods exhausted all their weapons but could not defeat the asura.
The trinity of Lord Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu consulted to find a way out. They agreed to combine all their powers and that of all devas to create an invincible feminine form, to destroy the evil asura. All the gods transferred all their energy to form a feminine form Devi Durga. You can read about the birth of Durga in the Story of the birth of Mahadevi Durga.
Durga roared to challenge Mahishasura to war in the outskirts of Amravati. Initially, the asura king ignored her and sent his army. Once the asura army was defeated he came to know that a female warrior has defeated them. He sent his strongest generals, and they too were vanquished. The asura king also took to trickery and took a human form to try to lure her to be his companion and queen. When she rejected this proposal, the asura king became ferocious and ordered his army to attack the Devi. The entire asura army attacked her from all sides. She created an army from her breath to fight the asuras. There was a war and ultimately the asuras were vanquished.
Mahishasura was in rage. He advanced towards the Devi with full might. She flung a large noose over the great buffalo that was charging, but the asura king changed his form to a roaring lion. When the Devi cut the head of the lion, it took the form of a human. When the human form was slain, it took the form of a huge elephant. The Devi was able to cut the trunk of the elephant, being injured the asura became very angry. He took the form of a giant buffalo and shook the world. The enraged Devi and the ferocious Mahishasura continued to battle ferociously, till the Devi jumped in the air and landed herself on the buffalo form of Mahishasura. She crushed his neck under her feet and struck him with her spear. Caught helplessly under her foot, Mahishasura tried to take human form again but could only manage to reveal himself till his waist. Soon he was beheaded by the Devi. The battle thus ended and the entire army of Mahishasura perished.
After nine days of intense fighting, and on the tenth day the world was relieved of the tyrant Mahishasura. The devas got back their capital back. This day is celebrated as Vijay Dashami.
 |
| Statue of Mahishasura at Mysuru |
A southern city in India, Mysore (Mahishooru) in the state of Karnataka, gets its name from Mahishasuramardini, another name of Mahadevi Durga. Mahishasura had terrified the local population. Goddess Durga (Chamundeshwari) killed Mahishasura on top of the Chamundi Hills, in the spot where the Chamundeshwari Temple stands today. This event is annually celebrated at Navaratri and Mysuru Dasara. The city name changed from Mahishooru to Mysore and later into Mysuru.