Aishi Sarkar M.A in AIHC&A

1. Internal Assignment on:
MAHISHĀSURAMARDINI: THE MALEVOLENT FORM OF
DEVĪ DURGĀ
By
Aishi Sarkar
M.A. Sem – IV
Paper – S. 30
Submitted to
Dr. Sujata Rakshit
Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology
Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan
West Bengal
2023

2. 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks and gratitude to my professor,
Dr. Sujata Rakshit, who not only gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful assignment on the topic of MAHISHĀSURAMARDINI: THE
MALEVOLENT FORM OF DEVĪ DURGĀ, but also shows me the way how to
finish the work. Therefore, I came to know about so many new things. I am
really thankful to her.
____________________________
(Signature of the student)

3. 2
MAHISHĀSURAMARDINI: THE MALEVOLENT FORM OF DEVĪ DURGĀ
Durgā is a major deity in Hinduism. She is worshipped as mother Goddess
Devī. She is associated with protection, strength, destruction and war. Durgā
is created with the destruction of many Asuras such as Mahisha, Madhu and
Koitava. By killing the demon Mahisha, she came to be called as
Mahishāsuramardini. Mahishāsuramardini is the malevolent form of Devī
Durgā.
The Goddess Durgā, as Mahishāsuramardini should have 10 hands,
according to the Silparatna, which describes her further as having 3 eyes, she
should wear on her head a jata-makuta and in there should be the Chandra-
kala or the digit of the moon. The colour of her body should be like that of
the atasi flower and the eyes should resemble the blue lotus (nilotpala). She
should have high breast and thin waist and there should be three bends in
her body (trivanga varity). In her right hands she should carry the triśūla,
khaḍga, saktyāyudha, chakra and astringed bow and in the left hands she
should carry pāśa, aṅkuśa, kheṭaka, paraśu and bell. At her feet should lie a
buffalo with his head cutoff and with the blood gushing from its neck. From
within this neck should be visible half emerged real asura bound down by
the naga-pāśa of the Devī. The asura should be made to carry a sword and
shield, although the Devī has already plunged her triśūla into his neck and
he is bleeding profusely. The right leg of the Devī should be placed on the
back of her lion and her left leg should touch the buffalo- body of Mahisasura.
The story of Mahishāsuramardini is preserved in the devotional text
from 600 CE, the Devī Mahatmya (Glory of the Goddess) which exalts the
divine feminine force Sakti also known as ‘Mahadevī’.

4. 3
18th-century painting of Durga slaying the buffalo
demon Mahishasura.
Source: Wikipediae
Five types of Durgā-
i) Goddess wrestling with buffalo and stands on Mahisa and
Mahisa looking upward;
ii) Goddess raising tail of buffalo and putting upside down and
piercing his neck with her triśūla;
iii) Goddess fighting with the demon who had buffalo head;
iv) Goddess sighting demon who torn the belly of the buffalo;
v) Goddess standing and killing buffalo with her triśūla in axial
pose.
The form of Durgā, Mahishāsuramardini became famous during the
time of Chalukyan Period (12 Century CE).

5. 4
Mahishāsuramardini is described in different Puranas:
Varaha Purana-
Varaha Purana refers to the Devī as Nanda, and here the De Devī vi appeared
as 8 armed, wearing a kirita and carring sankha, chakra, gadā, khaḍga,
dhanus, pāśa, bana and ghaṇṭa. She killed Vetsura an asura who was
disturbing the Gods, after which the Gods praised her and made a prophesy
that she would be called again in future to kill Mahisasura.
While Devī Vaishnavi was doing tapasya on the Mandara mountain
surrounded by her female attendant, Narada Muni passed the place and saw
the beautiful Devī. He described her beauty to Mahisasura and asura decided
to marry her. With courtship and marriage in mind he sent the Devī a
messenger who spoke about Mahisasura's greatness, power, intelligence,
bravery, story of his and lineage.
Source: Quora

6. 5
Viṣṇudharmottara Purana-
Viṣṇudharmottara Purana as quoted in the vachaspatya describes
Mahishāsuramardini under the name of Chaṇḍikā- Devī has the complexion
of gold and is very handsome youthful woman in an angry mood, seating
back of a lion. She has 20 hands, the right hands she carries sula, khaḍga,
sankha, chakra, bana, shakti, vajra, abhya, damaru and umbrella. In the left
hands she carries naga-pāśa, kheṭaka, paraśu, aṅkuśa, dhanus, ghaṇṭa,
dhvaja, gadā, a mirror and the mudgara.
The buffalo- part of the asura is lying decapitated with the real asura
proceeding from out of the neck. His eyes, hair and brows are read and he
vomits blood from his mouth. The lion of the Devī mauls him, and the Devī
herself thrusts the triśūla into his neck. The asura who is bound down by the
naga-pāśa, carries a shield and sword.
Source: Aapthamithra - Dreamstime.com

7. 6
Vamana Purana
The powerful asura king Mahisasura defeated all the Gods. Bramha went to
Viṣṇu and Śīva for protection and help. After hearing the tribulations faced
by the Gods, flames of anger emitted from the eyes of Śīva, Viṣṇu and other
Gods, and a large luminescence was created, from which emerged the
Trinayni Devī Katyni, shining with the glory of thousand suns, hair is as black
as night and with 18 hands. The Gods armed with their own weapons, and
presented her with various ornaments and a lion. The Devī then moved to
the Vindhaya mountains. Two asuras Chanda and Munda who saw her when
she arrived, informed their king Mahisasura about the arrival of a beautiful
Devī. The king after hearing of her beauty wanted to marry her, and sent
Dundubhi the son of maya, to speak to the Devī. Katyani agreed to hear the
message brought forth by Dundubhi, who then went on to praise
Mahisasura. Katayani agreed to marry Mahisasura, but on the condition that
he should battle with her as a form of wooing and if he could defeat Katayani
she would marry him. Mahishasura agreed to this condition, and became
ready for the battle. Just prior to the battle the Devī was given a shield by
Viṣṇu to protect herself, as Mahishasura was deemed invincible owing to a
boon by Brahma. When the battle was started, the Devī attacked the asuras
with a barrage of arrows, Mahishasura decided to go into a direct combat
with the Devī and thus started a fierce war that carried on for a long time
with both the Devī and the asura king, not showing any signs of defeat.
Finally, tried of it all, the Devī jumped down from her lion and sprang up on
the back of the Mahisha, put her feet on his head, and cut it off in one stroke.
Once Kattayani kills Mahishasura, there after she is known by the name of
the Mahishāsuramardini

8. 7
source : Reddit

9. 8
Iconology of Mahishāsuramardini
Mahishasura was a gigantic strong demon, and he was quite sure that a
woman could never defeat him and promptly proposed marriage. Devī's cool
reaction let to battle at the end.
Mahishasura along with his huge asura army attacked Amravati, the capital city
of Indorekhera, the abode of lord Indra. Lord Indra, the king of Devas tried to
fight with Mahishasura but failed. Mahishasura was invincible, no Goddess could
defeat him. Indra ran for help to the ‘Trimurti’ Lord Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śīva and
asked for help from them. Lord Brahma remembered the boon given to
Mahishasura, that no woman living in ‘three worlds’ is strong enough to kill the
evil demon. So ‘Trimurti’ decided to create a strong powerful woman. They
closed their eyes and concentrated their energy and soon a fiery pillar of light
appeared in the sky. From this, the Gods created Goddess Mahishāsuramardini,
who was strong enough to kill the Mahishasura. Śīva created her face, Viṣṇu her
arms, she has 10 hands. Bramha gave her legs. The God of Oceans of milk gave
her red saree and a diamond necklace. Vishwakarma, the architect of the Gods
presented her with earrings, bracelets etc.
Once she was dressed beautifully, the Gods armed with all weaponries, need to
kill the demon.
i) Indra is giving Vajra and Bell
ii) Yama is giving Katadanda
iii) Viṣṇu is giving Discuss (Sudarshan Chakra)
iv) Varuma is giving Noose /Pāśa
v) Vayu is giving Bow and Arrow
vi) Prajapati is giving Necklace
vii) Bramha is giving Kamandalu/ Lotus
viii) Surya is giving Kheṭaka/ Shield
ix) Śīva is giving Trishula
x) Himavan is giving Lion

10. 9
Finally, she was given a Lion to sit on. With all blessings from Gods, she mounted
on the lion and set out to destroy Mahisasura. The battle lasted for 9 days. At last
Mahisasura took the form of buffalo to fight with Mahishāsuramardini. On the
last day, she beheaded him with the Chakra. Thus, she freed the world from
Mahisasuras evil doings and peace came back to the heaven.
Mahishāsuramardini appears in Hindu mythology in numerous forms and
names, but all these are different aspects of one Goddess. She is imagined to be
terrifying and destructive when she has to be, but benevolent when she needs to
be. Anthropomorphic icons of her, such as those showing her riding a lion and
holding weapons. The Hindu traditions use an iconic form and geometric design
to remember as well as revere what she symbolises. Mahishāsuramardini is
believed to release her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the
oppressed and entails destruction to empower creation.
Source: The Playbook

11. 10
Reference:
1. Coomaraswamy. A.K. – Early Indian Iconography
2. Banerjea. J. – Development of Hindu Iconography
3. Rao G. N. T. – Elements of Hindu Iconography, Vol-1 pt. II