Skandapurana 1.1.10

Brahmā said:

Then the gods, afflicted by the demon Mahiṣa, abandoned the earth;

bowing to Gaurī who was engaged in austerity, they agitatedly went [to her] for refuge. // 1

Then, seeing those immortals overwhelmed with fear, saying, “O Goddess, grant us fearlessness,”

that Goddess addressed them, asking, “What needs to be done?” // 2

Then the gods, led by Indra, with hands folded in reverent salutation,

reported to the Goddess their fear caused by the lord of Daityas: // 3

The gods said:

“Surrounded by apsarases, he plays blissfully in the Nandana grove.

He houses all the elephants of the quarters, headed by Airāvata, in his own palace

for amusement, along with the women who have arrived [with them];

he enjoys [the horses] headed by Uccaiḥśravas. // 4–5

Hundreds of thousands and millions are seen in his delightful stables.

He desires the ram, the mount of the Fire-God, for his son to ride. // 6

Having brought the buffalo of Yama, he harnessed it to a cart;

having seized all the supernatural perfections, he assigned them to domestic chores. // 7

He has brought the entire host of apsarases to serve himself.

Whatever other precious thing there was in the three worlds,

he, full of fury, does not rest until he seizes again what was not [yet] seized. // 8

And we have become his servants, constantly filled with fear;

and obeying his command, we see no other recourse. // 9

The protection of those who seek refuge is declared to be the fruit of austerity.

This excellent Daitya is unconquerable even by all the mighty ones,

both among gods and Daityas, for he has obtained the rise of boons from Śiva. // 10–11

Struck by his horn, the ocean, saying ‘I submit,’

constantly seeks his favor by offering jewels as gifts. // 12

And uprooting mountains with the tip of his horn, exceedingly haughty,

he sports, smeared with the dust of all the crushed minerals. // 13

His peerless strength, unassailable by others, cannot [be withstood];

understand [it] yourself, having slain [him] by your own splendor. // 14

That supreme power of Śambhu is seen here in the form of a woman;

he must be slain solely by you, for he has obtained a boon from Śiva. // 15

We do not know anything of Śambhu’s ways, O Goddess;

we are merely to be protected at all times by you, the Mother of the Universe.” // 16

Having heard this auspicious speech of those distressed by fear,

Then the goddess, gracious at heart, granting safety, spoke:

“While I abide in austerity, the protection of those who have sought refuge

must be performed [by me], O immortals; in time, the enemy shall be weakened.

Having lured the great asura by an expedient, I shall slay him.

For the slaying of one who is guiltless is not fitting for me today.

When one abides in righteousness, those who violate righteousness indeed go the way of moths.”

Hearing her words, the gods bowed to the daughter of the mountain,

and all departed as they had come, fearless and joyful at heart.

When those gods had departed, Gaurī of lotus-like eyes

became an enchanting Śakti, radiant, slender-waisted.

That goddess stationed on the hills in the four directions of the mountain Aruṇa

four excellent youths to guard [the realm].

When the mountain’s daughter had arrived from the summit of Kailāsa,

four Mothers had then followed her, attending [upon her]:

Dundubhi, the one named Satyavatī, another Anavamī,

and Sundarī—these four female attendants accompanied her.

“Admit any tired guest afflicted with hunger and thirst

to see this mountain Aruṇa, but none other,” she told them.

Having instructed those mighty heroes stationed on the boundary hills,

the mountain’s daughter performed austerity near the hermitage of Gautama.

While that slender-bodied [lady] performed austerity, there was no distress whatever;

the clouds rained in due season, and the trees bore fruit.

Naturally hostile creatures gave up their former enmity;

the hermitage became a refuge that dispelled fear for all living beings.

Extending to a distance of two yojanas, stationed on the boundary hills,

Aruṇācala was protected by four heroic youths.

No terror arose, nor was any onset of fear observed;

there was no affliction from disease, and no uprising of enemies there.

All the sages, fulfilled, praised the mountain’s daughter;

some praised that hermitage as equal to the abode of Śiva.

And she, Gaurī, performing severe austerity day and night,

that maiden did not feel satisfied [with merely that, until] causing Śiva’s pleasure.

And Mahiṣa, endowed with great prowess, eager to hunt,

roamed throughout the forest far from the Red Mountain.

Accompanied by the army of Daityas, swiftly striking down herds of deer

in the forests, he wandered about, devouring them rapidly.

Pursued by heroic, powerful archers, some deer,

running in terror, entered that hermitage.

The Daityas following them, eager to kill those deer,

were stopped by the heroic youths who said swiftly: “Do not go here!”

When asked by the wicked Dānavas, “What is here?”,

the youths promptly replied, “Here a maiden of beautiful hips performs austerity.

No one, however strong, may enter this [place] frequented by sages;

this is the goddess’s place of austerity, protecting those who seek refuge.”

Hearing their words, the powerful, wicked Dānavas

agreed, saying “So be it,” turned back swiftly, and deliberated what should be done.

Assuming the form of birds by illusion, entering the hermitage with care,

they perched on the branches of the grove’s trees to see what was here.

Then, in that splendid forest adorned with flowers of all seasons,

the soldiers of the Daitya saw Māyā performing austerity.

Having observed her beauty and charm, and her steadfast resolve in austerity,

they were filled with wonder, and going to him, reported it.

Afflicted with love, he then entered the hermitage in the form of an old man;

honored by her female companions, he sat as if his exhaustion had passed.

The old man asked them: “For what purpose is her austerity?”

[They replied:] “For a long time here this maiden has performed austerity to win the favor of her beloved.

Yet that powerful beloved is never pleased.

[Her] wish should fittingly be fulfilled at the time of marriage

by that extraordinary lord with vast, new implements,

which, like pots produced by a potter, are newly fashioned and fired.”

and with instantaneous vessels, set out with cooked winter rice;

with all such means, with such accumulations of goods,

having powers never before seen, the preparation should be made.

When the preparation is thus accomplished, let her choice of a husband take place at once!"

Hearing their words, Mahiṣa laughed and said:

"I have attained the fruit of her tapas; truly, this is settled.

Listen to all my majesty, O girl performing tapas!

I am Mahiṣa, the great hero, the lord of the Daityas, praised by the gods.

All these three worlds are held by me alone.

Unrivalled heroism resides only in me, through the strength of my arms.

I take any form at will, O girl, and bestow all pleasures.

Accept me as your husband, the fruit of living beings' tapas!

I shall procure everything by means of wishing-trees brought together.

And through tapas I can create Viśvakarman from the beginning;

through tapas I can create thousands of wish-fulfilling cows in an instant.

With the nine treasures obtained, constantly standing at my side,

the attainment of any desired object is produced immediately."

Hearing his words, she who was mindful of the gods presently

abandoned her silence and, smiling gently, said to him:

"I shall be the wife of a mighty one; for a long time I perform

tapas. If you are strong, show me your strength!"

Hearing her words spoken in accordance with her female nature,

Mahiṣāsura roared in fury: "Who is this wretched one?"

Seeing Mahiṣāsura advancing, desiring to seize her,

that maiden became Durgā, unassailable, having the form of fire.

Seeing Mahāmāyā standing blazing before him,

he assumed the form of a buffalo, swelling up like Mount Meru.

Repeatedly hurling peaks of the principal mountains with his two horns,

he summoned his army, which filled the space between the directions.

Then the gods headed by Brahmā, having bowed down, worshipped Durgā,

who had the form of the fire of time, with their own diverse weapons.

Hari gave five weapons, and Sadāśiva gave ten,

and Brahmā then gave four to her, concealed by Māyā.

The guardians of the directions, the other gods, the mountains, and the oceans,

unassailable, worshipped her with their own ornaments and weapons.

She, Māyā, with many arms, with an array of blazing weapons,

wearing armor, quickly became Durgā mounted on a lion.

Unable to endure that splendour that filled the expanse of the directions,

seeing the terrible [form] of Durgā, Mahiṣa fled.

Then, seeing Mahiṣa fleeing, unable to endure

her own terrible, blazing splendour, she reflected:

"This wicked Mahiṣāsura must be slain by a stratagem.

Deer are turned back in the forest by hunters with tricks.

Drawing him back with the words of a messenger, gentle yet piercing his vitals,

and arousing his anger, I will turn him to face me in an instant.

From hearing words of dharma, in those committed to adharma

anger arises immediately, causing the destruction of their own life.

Or, if he becomes calm, possessing a mind of dharma,

then by salutary instruction no loss of dharma would occur.

Renunciation of anger must always be practiced by those performing tapas, producing good fruit;

yet loss of dharma must not be tolerated, for anger directed at that is supreme tapas."

Reflecting thus, Gaurī conceived a sage named Suraguru

with the face of a monkey, and sent him to the asura:

"Go, endowed with māyā, O great seer with a monkey's face!

Admonish Mahiṣa with these words and return swiftly:

'Do not oppress the Lord of Aruṇādri, O evil-minded one!

Here the valor of the evil-minded vanishes in an instant.

Here there is no torment from the Kali [age], nor affliction even from asuras;

and rashness brings no good fortune, even to devotees of Śiva.

You whose great rise of valor was obtained by merits performed in a previous birth—

Do not become like a moth in the fire of the Lord of the Crimson Mountain, O Asura!

Your royal powers were bestowed by Śiva through the power of your past austerities;

elsewhere they would burn away swiftly, like trees in a forest fire.

Here is ever the dwelling of righteous souls endowed with devotion to Śiva;

for those intent on tormenting others, it becomes beset with hundreds of diseases.

Having obtained peerless sovereignty and other strength difficult to overcome,

why, being small-minded, will you go to destruction through your own faults?

Though a maiden has been seen by me, and is considered especially a weak woman,

the Lord of the Crimson Mountain resides within her; therefore she is extraordinary.

Or else, if by various reasonings or by scriptures approved by Śiva

your mental attitude is ungovernable, bring forth your army.

That [army] with which, arrogant with power, you oppress all the worlds,

that great army of yours I shall burn up in an instant with my fiery energy.

Having brought your entire army, station it in front, armed with weapons;

I shall instantly destroy it on the spot with my own hosts born of creation.

When your life, along with your army, is cut down by my weapon,

liberation will occur right here; who knows the will of Śiva?

A person, even when restrained, is impelled by past karma;

helpless, one performs action and experiences the corresponding fruit.

Even by you, compassionate words ought indeed to be spoken abundantly

in order to turn back from what ought not to be done, in the observance of eternal dharma.”

Thus instructed by Gaurī, the monkey-faced sage,

acting as an envoy, related everything while standing in front of Mahiṣa.

Having heard everything, agitated by the rush of anger,

he began to devour him, but he departed by the power of illusion.

Then, summoning his entire army, that evil-minded one

ordered [it], equipped and armed for battle, terrifying to the world.

Resembling the four oceans overflowing at the time of the end of the aeon,

the matchless army of armies completely surrounded the Crimson Mountain.

Then Gaurī, beholding the wondrous army of the Daityas,

dispatched many fiery, valiant, and dreadful hosts of spirits.

Some had a single foot, eye, and leg, with pendulous ears and breasts;

some came forth with [multiple] hands, feet, heads, bellies, and faces.

“I shall devour all; this is not enough for me!

I alone will slay the Daitya army in its entirety!

What need is there for you to do anything here? You just stand and watch!

I alone shall fight here!” Thus they spoke to one another.

While those hosts were speaking, along with the hosts of yoginīs,

the Goddess blew her conch to slay that circle of Daityas.

Beholding her in such a form, his soldiers rushed forward,

displaying their prowess in front of their lord, holding weapons aloft.

The Daityas rained showers of weapons in every direction;

she, however, warded them off with arrows released from her bow.

Against hundreds of thousands of crores of chariots, lordly elephants, and horses,

the invincible bhūtas and vetālas created by the Goddess fought.