.jpg)
A goddess who possessed the powers of all gods. The one indestructible woman, who ended Mahishasura's reign.
Dusshera is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm all over India. An auspicious period of 10 days with so many stories around it.
Rama (Vishnu Avatar) defeated Ravana by beheading his 10 heads, Arjuna defeated the whole Kuru army single handed at the end of their Agyatvas. Goddess Durga defeated Mahishasura after 9 days of battle. These events all occurred during the Navratri/Dusshera period and so have a lot of significance in Hindu mythology.
Let’s kick start the festive week with the story of Goddess Durga and Mahishasura.
This is another story of the fight between the gods and a powerful demon, who was finally defeated to restore peace.
Rambha was a king of the asuras (demons). He fell in love with a lady buffalo and married her. The son born to them was named Mahishasura (‘Mahisha’ – Buffalo).
He was born very powerful as he was half buffalo and half demon. As he grew up, his pride and ego, grew with him. He wanted to grow to become the most powerful being ever. Immortal, like the gods.
He knew he could only achieve something like that, through intense penance.
He prayed on one foot to Lord Brahma, with no food or water, for many years. He prayed so hard, for so long, that the word of his penance spread far and wide. Even Lord Brahma felt the prayers, as they got stronger with time. He was pleased by Mahishasura’s devotion and commitment.
One day, he appeared in front of him Mahishasura, and expressed how happy he was by his devotion.
"Ask for what you want, and it shall be yours", he said.
Mahishasura knew exactly what he wanted.
“I want to be immortal”, he instantly said.
Brahma politely declined the request by explaining, that it was impossible.
Immortality was something only the gods could have. Every other being was born to eventually die, and then be reborn again.
It was the law of nature. He urged him to think of something else.
He thought hard, and said,
"I want to be unbeatable. No god, demon or magical creature should never be able to kill me. If I have to die, it shall be at the hand of a woman."
Mahishasura was very confident he could never be defeated by a woman.
"Tathastu"
The wish was granted.
Mahishasura was overjoyed. This is what he had always wanted.
At the first chance he got, he gathered an army of asuras and began to torture the people on earth and the heavens.
As Mahishasura triumphed over more and more gods, the other gods grew more and more anxious. They were all aware of Lord Brahma’s boon, and that Mahishasura was invincible at that time. They knew, he would soon come for Indra’s kingdom – Amravati.
The gods deserted the kingdom and went into hiding.
Lord Vishnu, Shiva, Indra and Brahma however fought Mahishasura for a long time.
But Mahishasura's power to shape shift and the demon powers, in addition to the boon by Lord Brahma made him impossible to defeat.
Even the celestial weapons the gods possessed (Lord Vishnu’s Chakra, Lord Shiva’s Trident , Lord Indra’s thunderbolt) seemed useless.
The gods slipped away and went into hiding again.
Their only hope was a woman, powerful enough to defeat Mahishasura.
There was nobody as strong, in all the worlds.
So the gods decided to bring all their powers together and bring a woman to life, a goddess who possessed the powers of every god together.
A bright burst of energy surged in the sky as the gods focused all their powers into creating the goddess.
It is believed that, Lord Shiva gave her a face, Lord Brahma her legs and Lord Vishnu her hands. The other gods adorned her with beautiful gifts – jewellery, a red saree, accessories.
Vishwakarma the artist made her the most beautiful ornaments.
Once her form was almost ready, Lord Vishnu presented her with a chakra similar to his, Lord Shiva with a trident, Lord Agni with sadagni and Lord Brahma with a kamandal filled with holy water. Vayu gave her bow and a quiver of infinite arrows, Varun gave her ever blossoming lotuses, Indra gave her the thunderbolt and Vishwakarma made her an axe.
The gifts kept coming. Kuber gave her a cup of kabasura (herbal tonic), Yama a staff, Tvastha a gadha and Lord Surya presented her with bling rays of light. Finally, she was presented with a tiger, by the god of the mountains for her to ride on.
Everybody gave her something, anything that could make her beautiful, powerful and strong. She was now complete. They named her Durga or Mahadevi. She was indestructible. The only one who could defeat Mahishaura.
Durga is known by 108 names, that describe her power, her beauty and her nature. Some of the most popular ones being - Adi Shakti, Parvati, Sati, Saraswati, Mahishasura Mardhini etc.
She set out on her tiger, to Amravati, fight him. When Mahishasura heard of the woman on the tiger, he was barely intimidated.
"Defeat me?", he laughed.
"I'll marry her if she's pretty", he teased.
His army was enough to defeat the woman, he thought. He sent out his army and his best henchmen to fight her, and she defeated all of them.
Mahishasura was furious. He decided to end this himself.
He at first changed his form into a handsome man and tried to woo her to marry him. But she firmly declined.
The war began.
Goddess Durga, defeated all his remaining warriors and soldiers.
He was fuming with rage. He shifted from one form to another, attacked her from every angle. But he was wounded by her weapons every time. The battle went on for 9 days. Finally, Mahishasura, showed himself in his true buffalo form, and goddess Durga beheaded him with the chakra Lord Vishnu has gifted her.
The world was free from the reign of terror.
The gods returned to their kingdoms, and everything was back to what it was. Navaratri symbolizes the 9 days of battle between Mahishasura and goddess Durga. The 10th day – Vijaydashmi is the final day, when Mahishasura was beheaded.
Trivia:
Goddess Durga is created from scratch using clay, straw and other bio-degrable materials, as a symbolic representation of her birth to end Mahishasura. A lot of effort goes into the details of her idol including the weapons she carries, the red saree, the tiger she rides on, her fiery divine eyes and of course the beheaded Mahishasura. She is welcomed with several rituals. The festivities end on the 10th day - Vijaydashmi, when the idol is immersed into the water, proceeded by a grand procession and celebration symbolically representing the defeat of evil and her final journey to her celestial home in Kailash.
Durga is addressed also the daughter of the god of the mountains - Himavan, sister of Ganga and the wife of Shiva.
Would you like to hear more stories like these? Have you heard a different version of this? We'd love to know! Let us know in the comments section below.
Comments