Mahishasura

A statue of Mahishasura in Chamundi Hills, Mysore.

In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was an asura.

Mahishasura's father Rambha was king of the asuras, and he once fell in love with a water buffalo (Princess Shyamala, cursed to be a buffalo); Mahishasura was born out of this union. He is, therefore, able to change between human and buffalo form at will (mahisha is Sanskrit word for buffalo).

The legend

This painting shows a pivotal battle between Durga and a powerful demon named Mahasura. The demon, with an animal head and purple skin, appears three times, attacking the goddess with bow and arrow, sword and shield, and trident (this weapon is shown snapped in two, a sign that he will eventually lose).

Durga is worshiped in her Mahishasuramardini form, during Durga Puja

The Devas and Asuras often wage wars against each other. In one such war, Rambha was killed by Indra. As Mahishasura grew up, he came to know how his father died. He collected a band of loyal soldiers and started terrorising Heaven (Swarga Loka). He invaded heaven, defeating Indra, and drove all the Devas out of heaven. Thus his revenge was complete.

The Devas formed a conclave to decide how to defeat this invincible asura. Since he was invincible to all men, they created his nemesis in the form of a young woman, Durga (a form of Shakti or Parvati). She combined the powers of all the devas in a beautiful form. After that, she marched against the demons on her mount, the Lion (wrongly depicted as a Tiger).

Mahishasura, upon hearing about her, sent his army to defeat and capture her. Durga kills all of the demons and challenges Mahishasura to a one-to-one fight. After nine days of fierce fighting (Mahishasura gave Durga a stiff opposition, as legend says of Durga re-gaining her spent energy by drinking honey), Durga finally manages to kill the powerful Mahishasura on the tenth day of the waxing moon. Durga is, therefore, called Mahishasuramardini (literally the slayer of the buffalo demon), the destroyer of Mahishasura.

Mahishi- his wife

In Kerala there is a story about his wife mahishi. After the death of mahishasura, mahishi-the asura princess took the throne and continued the war against gods. she was with the head of female buffalo. lord ayyappan while his journey to forest for tigermilk killed this mahishi. so ayyappa is termed as mahishimardaka

During several future battles, she appears in her incarnation of Kali; particularly while fighting Raktabija (Rambha reborn), who has the magic boon that every drop of blood shed from his body give rise to another Raktabija (literally the blood borne). Here, Kali rolls out her giant tongue and drinks up all the blood before it falls to the earth.

The event is celebrated in various versions as Durga Puja in Bihar, Bengal and Odisha, Assam and as Dussehra and navaratri in other parts of India, celebrating this victory of good over evil.

This story is found in the Devi Mahatmya (Glory of the Goddess) text within the Markandeya Purana.

According to another philosopical legend, Mahishasura was not as evil as his popular portrayal. He was a one of the greatest devotees of mata Shakti Durga. Devi is mother of all. She is the power which drives the Universe Kalika Purana. When she saw her greatest creation Devas are becoming corrupted by their endless power, she summoned her greatest devotee and gave him power to defeat Devas. Devi wanted to teach devas a lesson and bring them back from verge of fall.She asked Mahishasura that if he worship her in form of Enemy then he will gain the Punya of his thousand life of devotion. Mahishasura agreed and took birth as a demon. He was powerful by devi Durga's power from beginning.But he gained a boon from Brahma that made him invulnerable to men of any species. When devas tried to fight Mahishasura they realized that he alone has the power of all of them. Their powers lost its specialty against him as he withheld power of Devi Durga. Defeated they ran here and there for hundreds of years and understood that they were nothing without their power Shakti. So they met together and put all their specialty and power together. From this power Devi Durga took form (Remember she is Adya Shakti Devas did not created her they just summoned her). Devas worshiped Devi Durga and she promised them to give their heaven back. When Mahishasura saw her he understood that he can never win against her. But he kept his Ashura dharam and fight her with all his power.At the end when he took a Muscular and handsome man form Devi caught him with her pash (A magical rope) and pierced his heart with trident. Before dying the Asura worshiped Goddess Durga and Devi granted him a boon that he will be worshiped with her till end of time. So whenever we see Devi durga is being worshiped we also see Mahishasura is standing under her feet pierced by trident at chest, towards goddess feet.

References

• Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions, David Kinsley. (ISBN 81-208-0379-5)
• Mahishasura Mardini Stotram (Prayer to the Goddess who killed Mahishasura), Sri Sri Sri Shankara Bhagavatpadacharya

External links

• Devī Māhātmya by Swami Sivananda at Divine Life Society