Durga
Durga
Durga
The generals then go to the goddess, but she tells them of a vow taken in her youth to only marry
the one who can defeat her in battle. Upon hearing this from his emissaries, Sumbha is angry to
think that a mere woman would thus suggest challenging him. He calls another of his generals,
Dhumralochana (Smoky-Eyes), and tells him to take sixty thousand of his forces, grab the woman
by the hair and return her to him. Dhumralochana goes forth to Chandika and at first tries to
persuade her to come peacefully to Sumbha. She is not so inclined, and when Dhumralochana
attempts to attack her, Chandika turns him and his battalions to ashes. The goddess is not easily
had. Sumbha quickly hears about his generals defeat. He is so filled with hatred and desire to
overcome and possess the goddess that he next summons Chanda and Munda, his most trusted
officers. These two, acting on their commanders request head off with the rest of the demon
entourage and find Chandika in the Himalayas. They immediately begin firing arrows at her, and
with this, the goddess lets her rage be known. She turns black in anger and fury, and from her
brow, Kali emerges. This emanation of the goddess is her most fierce and gruesome.
She is depicted as emaciated, with red eyes, protruding tongue set for lapping up blood, black
countenance, and wild, long, disheveled hair. She carries multiple weapons, a skull-topped staff,
and emits alternatively hideous shrieks and deafening roars. Her only clothing, if any, is a tigerskin wrapped about her waist, and she wears as ornaments a garland of freshly severed human
heads and dead infant earrings. Kali easily slays the generals and offers their heads to Chandika,
who then names her Chamunda, or slayer of Chanda and Munda. Then, both Chandika and Kali
set out to kill Sumbha and his remaining armies.
The gods at this point send their power, or sakti, to the aid of the goddesses. Together, these
forces, along with the sakti of Chandika, called Aparajita, decimate all foes while those demons
still able to do so flee the battleground in terror. One demon though, named Raktabija (Blood
Seed, or Drops of Blood), comes forward again to fight. He has the special gift of being able to
multiply wherever one of his drops of blood falls upon the earth. But Chandika and Chamunda
team up to defeat him. Chandika lances the demon, weakening him, while Chamunda laps up his
blood before it can reach the ground, thus ensuring his death. Now, only Sumbha and Nisumbha
are left to challenge the goddesses. To make a long story short, however, devi withdraws Her
emanations back into herself, kills Nisumbha first and renders Sumbha powerless, finally
destroying him with one fatal pierce of her spear. The Goddess is yet again victorious.
(From Net Resources)
Shree Mahishasuramardhini Stotram
Ayi giri nandini, nandita medini, visva vinodini, nandinute ||
Giri vara vindhya shirodhini vasini vishnuvilaasini jisnunute ||
Bhagavati he shitikanthakutumbini bhoorikutumbini bhoorikrute ||
Jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute |||| 1
Suravaravarshini durdharadharshini durmukhamarshini harsharate ||
Tribhuvanaposhini shankaratoshini kilbishamoshini ghosharate ||
Danujaniroshini ditisutaroshini durmadashoshini sindhusute ||
Jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || || 2
Ayi jagadamba madamba kadambavanapriyavaasini haasarate ||
Shikharishiromani tungahimaalaya shringanijaalaya madhyagate ||
Madhumadhure madhukaitabhaganjini kaitabhabhanjini raasarate ||
Jaya jaya he mahishaasuramardhini ramyakapardini shailasute || || 3
Ayi shatakhanda vikhanditarunda vitunditashunda gajaadhipate ||
Ripugajaganda vidaaranachanda paraakramashunda mrigaadhipate ||