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The demon Mahishasura was born from the union of
Rambha, an
asura
king, and Mahishi, a princess who was
cursed to be a buffalo. Born with the head of a buffalo
and the body of an
asura
, he could change form at will.
Mahishasura desired invincibility, and began severe
penances to please Brahma. When Lord Brahma appeared
before him, Mahishasura asked for immortality—a boon
which could never be granted. The
asura
instead asked that
he die only at the hands of a woman, assuming that his
invincibility would be guaranteed with such a boon.
The boon gave Mahishasura insurmountable powers, and
he wreaked havoc on earth. When he turned to vanquish
the
devas
and chase them out of heaven, they approached
Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu and sought their help to
defeat him. The Trinity and the
devas
appeared before
Mahishasura and engaged in fierce battle with him. But the
asura
proved to be too powerful and cunning, even against
their combined might. Suffering an ignominious defeat at
his hands, the gods retreated. With no one to stop him,
Mahishasura and his army took over the three worlds. He
installed himself in the throne of Indra in Amravathi, and
appointed his generals in the positions once occupied by
the
devas
. The
devas
wandered aimlessly in exile for many
years.
Soon Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu and the
devas
gathered
together in Vaikuntha to find a solution to defeating
Mahishasura. Aware that his death was only possible at the
hands of a woman, they realised that there was no one who
could defeat him. Vishnu then suggested that they create
a goddess who would possess their combined powers.
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and the
devas
poured in their divine
powers and Durga emerged. A manifestation of Shakti,
Durga was born of their best and most powerful parts. She
was peerless in beauty and unmatched in strength. Each of
the gods gave her weapons: Vishnu his Sudarshan
chakra
,
Shiva his trident, Brahma his
kamandalu
which held water
from the Ganga, Indra his
vajra
, and the other
devas
their
most powerful attributes. Armed thus, Durga proceeded
to Amravathi to face Mahishasura.
When she reached the city, Durga roared, calling
Mahishasura out to fight her. Besotted by her, yet enraged
by her challenge, Mahishasura sent his troops to battle
her. Durga defeated them effortlessly and slaughtered
Mahishasura’s most powerful soldiers. Mahishasura then
decided to fight her himself. A horrific battle ensued as
the
asura
gave her a tough fight. Changing forms, he deftly
attacked her and her mount. This epic battle is believed
to have played out over eons. On the final day, when
Mahishasura assumed the form of a buffalo and charged
at Durga, she overpowered and beheaded him. At that
moment, Mahishasura emerged in human form and Durga
slayed the demon with her trident. She earned the name
Mahishasuramardini, or the one who slew Mahishasura.
The gods then heaped praises on her and worshipped her.
The mythology of Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura has stoked the creativity
of artists and sculptors through the ages. Mahishasura is a central subject in
modernist Tyeb Mehta’s work.
Tyeb Mehta’s
Mahisasura
(1997) on the cover of Ranjit Hoskote, Ramchandra Gandhi et. al.,
Tyeb Mehta: Ideas Images Exchanges
, New Delhi: Vadehra Art Gallery, 2005
“In her triumph over the buffalo‒demon, she annihilates the forces of
evil, no matter what their form. She is the omnipotent protector and the
universal mother.”
SUSAN S BEAN