The Story Behind Mahishasur Mardini

When the Devi destroyed the army of Mahishasura – the King of Demons, Chakshura, the mighty general decided to fight the Devi himself. But very soon, after a fierce battle, the Devi slaughtered him into hundreds of pieces. As soon as the valiant general of Mahishasura was slain, Chamara, the afflicter of the gods came forward mounted on an elephant to try his luck in the great battle. The Devi’s lion pounced upon the elephant and the two battled fiercely till the end. The lion then struck Chamara with his paw and killed him.

Seeing his army being destroyed brutally by the Devi and her lion, Mahishasura took the form of a majestic and fierce Buffalo and terrified the troops of the Devi. Hitting some by muzzle, trampling some by his hooves, lashing at some with his tail, and tearing others with his horns. When he was done with the Devi’s army, Mahishasura rushed to slay the lion of the Devi. This enraged the Devi. Mahishasura, pounded the terrain with his hooves in rage, crushed the earth with flooded the oceans.

When the Devi saw Mahishasura advancing towards her in such rage, she was angered and flung her noose over the great asura and bound him. But Mahishasura soon relinquished his buffalo form and became a lion. When the Devi cut the head of his Lion form, he took a human form. The Devi slayed the human form too immediately, then the evil Mahishasura took the form of a huge Elephant. When the Devi cut off his trunk her sword asura resumed from buffalo form and shook the heads. The Goddess and Mahishasura did the battle ferociously, 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 mahishasura took a for of human but could not manage to reveal himself till waist. Soon he was beheaded by the Devi.

The battle thus ended and the entire army of Mahishasura perished.The gods along with the divine seers lauded the Goddess. The Gandharvas sang and the bevies of apsaras danced in celebration of Mahishasura’s end.

By: Yatin