Skandapurana 1.1.14.11

1.1.14.11

10 atha tatra tapasyantīṃ devī prati mahiṣāsuratrastānāṃ sarveṣāmindrādidevānāmāgamanam, indrādidevairdevyai mahiṣāsurakṛtanijavitrāsanivedanama, devānāṃ dainyamālokya devyā mahiṣāsuravadhārthaṃ pratijñāṃ kṛtvā devānāmāśvāsanakaraṇam, devīta āśvāsanaṃ prāpya deveṣu gateṣu satsu devyā svātmanaḥ paritaścaturṣu dikchaileṣu sthānarakṣārthaṃ caturbaṭukasthāpanam, tathā ca catasṛṇāṃ nijaparicārikāṇāmaruṇādriṃ prati kevalamatithipreṣaṇārtha- mājñākaraṇam, evaṃ vyavasthāṃ kṛtvā gautamāśramasaṃnidhau pārvatyāstapaḥkaraṇam, pārva- tītapaḥsāmarthyāttatrāśrame sarvataḥ śāntatāvarṇanam; atha kadācinmahiṣāsurasya mṛgayārthaṃ śoṇādriparisare bhramaṇam, atha devīsthāne baṭubhirniruddhena mahiṣāsureṇa vṛddhā- tithibrāhmāṇarūpeṇa devīṃ prati gatvā nijapraśaṃsākaraṇapūrvakaṃ svavaraṇārthaṃ svābhiprāyanivedanam, atha devyā mahiṣāsuraṃ prati yuddhārthaṃ nijābhiprāyakathanam, tato yuddhodyataṃ mahiṣāsuraṃ dṛṣṭvā kanyārūpāyāstasyā jagadaṃbāyā bhavyabhayaṃkaradurgārūpeṇāvasthānam, mahiṣāsureṇa nijasenāhvānam, brahmādidevairdevyai vividhanijāyudhasamarpaṇam, devīsva- rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhayena palāyitaṃ mahiṣāsuraṃ prati devyā vānaramukhasuragurudvārā'ruṇācalaṃ pratyāgantuṃ niṣeddhuṃ sandeśapreṣaṇam, suraguruproktaṃ devīsaṃdeśaṃ niśamya bhṛśaṃ kruddhena mahiṣāsureṇāruṇācale devyā saha yuddhārthaṃ sarvadaityasainyapreṣaṇam, āgataṃ daityasainyaṃ vilokya devyā svatejasā vividhabhūtavetālamātṛkāyoginyādigaṇānāṃ sṛṣṭikaraṇam, daityasainyadevīsainyayoḥ pracaṇḍayuddhavarṇanam, tatra yuddhe mahiṣāsureṇa saha devyā yuddhārambhaḥ. 229 1

10. Then, the arrival of all the gods headed by Indra, terrified of the demon Mahiṣa, before the Goddess as she was performing austerity there; the report made by the gods headed by Indra to the Goddess concerning their terrorization by the demon Mahiṣa; seeing the misery of the gods, the Goddess taking a vow to slay the demon Mahiṣa and consoling the gods; after receiving consolation from the Goddess and when the gods had departed, the Goddess stationing four youths (baṭukas) on the hills in the four directions around herself for the protection of the place; and likewise giving orders to her four female attendants solely to send guests toward Aruṇādri; having made such an arrangement, Pārvatī's performance of austerity in the vicinity of Gautama's hermitage; the description of universal tranquility in that hermitage through the power of Pārvatī's austerity; then, once upon a time, the demon Mahiṣa wandering in the environs of Śoṇādri for hunting; then, the demon Mahiṣa, having been blocked by the youths at the Goddess's place, going toward the Goddess in the form of an old brahmin guest, and stating his intention to choose her [in marriage] while singing his own praises; then the Goddess declaring her intention to fight the demon Mahiṣa; then, seeing the demon Mahiṣa intent on battle, the Mother of the Universe, who was in the form of a maiden, assuming the grand and terrifying form of Durgā; the demon Mahiṣa summoning his army; the offering of their various personal weapons to the Goddess by the gods headed by Brahmā; the Goddess sending a message via the monkey-faced preceptor of the gods (Bṛhaspati) forbidding the demon Mahiṣa, who had fled in terror upon seeing the form of the Goddess, to come back toward Aruṇācala; hearing the Goddess's message spoken by the preceptor of the gods, the demon Mahiṣa, highly enraged, dispatching the entire Daitya army to fight with the Goddess at Aruṇācala; seeing the arriving Daitya army, the Goddess creating through her own splendor various hosts of bhūtas, vetālas, mātṛkās, yoginīs, and others; the description of the fierce battle between the Daitya army and the Goddess's army; therein, the commencement of the Goddess's battle with the demon Mahiṣa. 229 1