Skandapurana 14.36

Yayāti said: / 'O best of the twice-born, how did the hermitage of Caṇḍikā come to be there? / At what time, and what fruit would come to men when it is visited?'

Pulastya said: / 'Listen, O king, I shall relate the sin-destroying story, / hearing which properly a mortal is freed from all sins.

Long ago, in the age of the gods, O king, there was a Dānava named Mahiṣa, / arrogant due to a boon of the Grandfather, terrifying to all the gods.

By him the gods, Śakra and others, were conquered thousands of times in battle. / Out of fear of him, leaving heaven, they fled in all directions.

Bringing the three worlds under his control, he himself became Indra.

The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, the two Nāsatyas, and the hosts of Maruts / were replaced appropriately by him with more powerful Daityas.

Agni, having become fearful and abandoning the hosts of gods, / then gave the sacrificial share to the Dānavas, not to the gods.

The sun made its illumination just as approved by him, / even without a share of the sacrifice, out of fear, O best of kings.

Likewise, all the world-guardians carried out his work / like slaves, O best of kings, deprived of their sacrificial share.

Then, after some time, all the gods assembled / and humbly asked Bṛhaspati, the best of brahmins:

'O Venerable One, what shall we do? Where shall we go, without a refuge? / Therefore tell us the means to destroy the evil-souled Mahiṣa.'

Thus addressed by the gods, the preceptor meditated for a long time, O king; / then, as if bringing them back to life, he spoke to those gods, O ruler of the earth.

Bṛhaspati said: / 'The Daitya has obtained a boon from Brahmā and is steadfast in valor; / he is unslayable by all the gods, except by a single woman, O gods. / Therefore, go together to Arbuda, the best of mountains.

For the sake of austerity, may accomplishment arise there for you without delay! / The supreme goddess in the form of Power, Caṇḍikā, who can take any form at will—

worship her in solitude, by whom this universe is pervaded. / When she is pleased, for the slaying of the evil-minded Mahiṣa,

she will make an effort, arising through an incarnation; / by her hand that evil-minded one will surely meet destruction.

I shall proclaim to you the supreme Śākta mantra, / combined with the ritual of worship, auspicious, conferring enjoyment and liberation.'

Pulastya said: / Thus addressed, all the gods, filled with great joy, / went along with him, O king, to Mount Arbuda.

There the Lord of Speech initiated all of them, purified after bathing, / with supreme Śākta mantras that bestow immediate accomplishment, O king.

For three and a half watches there, accompanied by their attendants, / with offerings of sacrifices, worship, and presentations, with perfumes, garlands, and ointments,

with diverse mantras and beautiful praises, in devotion / they constantly prayed, concentrated on the light of the lamp,

free from possessiveness, free from egotism, dedicated to devotion to their preceptor, / endowed with the assignment of mantras to bodily parts, having attained equanimity.

As they remained thus, O best of kings, / seven months passed; then the ruler of the gods became pleased.

From the entry of the lamp's light into their bodies, O king, / their supreme splendor, fully purified by the mantra, grew.

Within six months they took on the radiance of twelve suns. / Then, O king, knowing them to be filled with fiery brilliance, Jīva

drew a maṇḍala that bestows all perfections. / Then, having seated all the gods [there],

he drew forth the fiery splendour residing in their bodies / with supreme mantras of the goddess and placed it into that maṇḍala, O king.

Thereupon, a maiden composed of fiery energy appeared there in bodily form, / the embodiment of Śakti, huge of body and marked with divine characteristics.

Indra gave her his thunderbolt, and the lord of waters his noose; / the divine Agni gave his spear, and the lord of wealth a lion for a mount.

And all the other hosts, full of joy, gave her their own weapons, / O best of kings, and with concentrated minds praised her:

The gods said: / 'Homage to you, goddess of the gods! Homage to you of golden radiance! / Homage to you with eyes like lotus petals! Homage to you, mother of the universe!

Homage to you who are all-formed! Homage to you who are praised by all! / You are intellect, you are resolve, you are beauty, you are nectar, you are the night!

Forbearance, prosperity, light, Svāhā, Sāvitrī, Kamalā, Satī; / you are Gaurī, you are Mahāmāyā, Cāmuṇḍā, and Sarasvatī!

Bhairavī of terrifying form, bearer of the sword against Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, / dear to spirits, huge of body, Ghaṭālī of mighty prowess!

Ever fond of wine and meat, devoted to protecting your worshippers; / by you this entire threefold world, moving and unmoving, is pervaded!'

Pulastya said: / Thus praised by all the gods, the goddess rejoiced / and said to them: 'Let all you gods receive a boon from me.'

The gods said: / 'A dānava named Mahiṣa, possessed of a boon from the Grandfather, / has been made invincible to all beings and likewise to the gods,

excepting only a woman, O goddess; therefore, slay him!'

The goddess said: / 'Go, all you gods, to your own abodes in peace.

I shall destroy him when the proper time arrives.' / Addressed in this way, all the gods returned rejoicing to their realms.

The goddess remained right there upon the mountain slope, full of joy. / Then, after some time, the divine sage Nārada,

having seen the goddess there while devoted to pilgrimage to holy fords, / arrived at heaven, where Mahiṣa was residing.

Seeing that the sage had arrived there, the asura Mahiṣa bowed / and, full of humble respect, rose up to greet him.

He then worshipped him with the honey-offering, water for hospitality, and a seat; / and seeing him comfortably seated and well-rested, he spoke these words:

'From where have you come here, O best of sages, and for what purpose? / These sons, as well as the kingdom, wives, and riches,

and I together with my servants—what are these [to you], O best of brahmins? / I shall give you everything; speak of whatever you require.'

Nārada said: / 'I commend all this from you; it is well suited to you. / We, however, are ever free from desire, committed to the way of sages.

I came here out of curiosity, having come into your presence after a long time. / Having arrived from the mortal world, I shall go on to the realm of Brahmā.'

Mahiṣāsura said: / 'Have you seen any wonder on the earth, O sage, / whether divine or human, that has reached the dānavas, O lord?'

Nārada said: / 'I saw a great wonder on the surface of the earth, O lord of dānavas, / such as was [never] before seen anywhere in the three worlds, moving and unmoving.

There is a mountain on the surface of the earth known as Arbuda, / adorned with trees blossoming in all seasons, resembling heaven itself,

with bakula, campaka, mango, aśoka, and karṇikāra trees; / with śāla, palmyra, date, banyan, bhallātaka, and dhava trees;

with pine, jackfruit trees, tinduka, and karavīra bushes; / with mandāra, pārijāta, and Malabar sandalwood trees;

and with many distinct varieties of fragrant flowers, / surrounded by the finest fruits: all types to be chewed, licked, and sucked.

There is no tree, no vine, nor any medicinal plant on earth, / O foremost among asuras, that was not seen by me on that mountain.

There are sweet-sounding birds: cakoras, peacocks, cātakas, / cuckoos, white geese, and bees with pale wings.

Hearing their sound, even sages who are deeply absorbed, / knowers of past, present, and future, become agitated, tormented by the arrows of Kāma.

There are delightful cascades, rivers of crystal-clear water, / and hundreds and thousands of lakes filled with clusters of lotus plants.

There are women with broad eyes like lotus petals, slender waists, and bright smiles; / and discerning men endowed with knowledge of the scriptures and vows.

What need is there to say much more? Whatever is on that mountain, / whether born of sweat, born of eggs, born of sprouts, or born from the womb, / all are seen to be transcendent on that best of mountains.

Ten yojanas in extent and combined with two [more], / and five [yojanas] high, that glorious mountain has become a heaven in the mortal realm.

There, filled with curiosity, as I gazed here and there, / I beheld a woman full of all wonders, the beauty of the world.

Neither goddess, nor gandharva woman, nor asura woman, nor human female / of such beauty has ever been seen or heard of by me, an excellent lady!

Rati, Prīti, Umā, Lakṣmī, Sāvitrī, and Sarasvatī: / all these women are not equal even to a fraction of her beauty.

When I saw a woman of such form, afflicted with desire, / I fell into the deepest distress, O tiger among dānavas!

Then, having summoned my courage, I resolved in my mind: / 'I must never engage in conversation with her.

If at the mere sight of her desire flared in my heart, / what would happen to me if I were actually to converse with her?'

For a long time austerity was performed by me through celibacy indeed; / it will all go to destruction if I am conquered by sense-objects. / Therefore I shall go elsewhere, before an alteration of mind occurs. (68)

An obstacle to austerity, named woman, was created of old by the self-manifest [Brahmā]; / a bolt across the path to heaven, and a staircase to hell. (69)

So long does patience last, austerity, truth; so long does firmness and modesty of family endure, / only until one sees a woman, especially in solitude. (70)

Reflecting much on this, closing both eyes then, / without speaking to that lovely-hipped lady, I departed from there. (71)

Pulastya said: / Having heard the words of Nārada, Mahiṣa, tormented by desire, / simply from hearing, O king of kings, asked that sage again: (72)

Mahiṣāsura said: / Who is she, O tiger among brahmins, that fair lady of such beauty, / by whose very sight you yourself were seized by love? (73)

Is she a goddess, a mortal woman, a yakṣiṇī, or a serpent-maiden, O sage? / An unmarried girl, or one with a husband? Tell me all in full! (74)

Nārada said: / She was not asked anything by me; I do not know her lineage. / This exists in my awareness: she is a renowned maiden; (75)

a girl holding a rosary, equipped with a water-pot; / the auspicious one performed austerity on that mountain for some reason. (76)

As for me, O lord of Daityas, I am going to the eternal world of Brahmā; / afflicted by the fear of the arrows of desire, I do not dare to talk of her. (77)

Having spoken thus, O king, the sage went to the world of Brahmā. / And Mahiṣa, seized by desire, dispatched a spy after her, [saying]: (78)

Going swiftly there and seeing that fair woman, / [find out] why she performed austerity, and who indeed is her guardian. (79)

Then that messenger, going to Mount Arbuda by order of Mahiṣa, / having seen her who shines like the interior of a lotus, and having learned all her actions, (80)

reported to that Mahiṣa with wonder: / O best of Daityas, a woman marked with all auspicious marks was seen. (81)

A maiden born from the splendor of the gods, that lady of excellent complexion, even today, / having undertaken the vow of maidenhood, performed austerity for the sake of slaying you. (82)

Thus all the ascetics residing there were questioned [by me]. / This is the truth, O noble one; do what comes next! (83)

Her beauty, youth, and radiance cannot at all be described. / That girl does not speak with anyone, O lord! (84)

Pulastya said: / Having heard that speech, Mahiṣa, further tormented by desire, / sent an envoy, the Dānava named Vicakṣaṇa: (85)

Vicakṣaṇa, go swiftly for my sake and bring that ascetic woman / by conciliation, division, gifts, or even force! (86)

Then that Vicakṣaṇa, having bowed down, departed swiftly / to Arbuda, the best of mountains, where that Supreme Goddess was. / Having bowed with humility, he spoke these words to her: (87)

The mighty one known by name as Mahiṣa, the ruler of the three worlds, / born in the lineage of Danu, endowed with the power of shape-shifting— (88)

he desires you, O blessed lady, as his lawful wife according to his own law. / Therefore choose him as your husband, who grants all desires—blessing be upon you! (89)

If he were to be your beloved and you likewise his darling, / then the youth of both would indeed be fulfilled; there is no doubt about this. (90)

Thus addressed by him, the goddess then spoke a word, / joined with a little wrath, her lower lip repeatedly quivering. (91)

The goddess said: / A messenger is said everywhere to be inviolable in every way; / because of that circumstance, you have not been suddenly reduced to ashes. (92)

Go and speak to Mahiṣa of evil conduct, lowest of Dānavas: / I cannot be obtained by you, O wicked one, nor by anyone else! (93)

All this preparation has been made by me for your slaying! / Having heard that speech of hers, he returned to Mahiṣa. (94)

Seized by great fear, astonished by her beauty, / he reported all her conduct to Mahiṣa, / and also her words and her utter lack of desire. (95)

Hearing that, O king, Mahiṣa, tormented by the arrows of desire, / summoned his general and spoke these words: (96)

Arrange an army that is exceedingly hard to resist on Mount Arbuda, / composed of elephants and horses, terrible, filled with chariots and foot-soldiers! (97)

Then he prepared a fourfold army, / variegated with banners and parasols, adorned with the sounds of musical instruments. (98)

Then armored elephants, mounted by warriors, were seen, / running hither and thither like mountains with wings. (99)

And horses spotless, swift as the wind, of splendid radiance, / equipped with body armor, by hundreds and thousands; (100)

chariots shaped like aerial chariots were prepared by him, / adorned with clusters of tinkling bells, fine bells, and banners; (101)

and foot-soldiers of huge bodies, great archers of great might, / others bearing swords and shields, and holding spears and battle-axes in their hands. (102)

One hundred thousand elephants, thrice that number of chariots, / horses ten times as many, O king, and innumerable foot-soldiers. (103)

Then reaching Arbuda and encircling it from afar, / he rushed near to her along with chosen ministers. (104)

Seeing that goddess engaged in meditation, tormented by the arrows of Kandarpa, / he then spoke these words to her, filled with humility: (105)

Having heard of your beauty such as this, I have arrived, O fair-faced lady; / therefore choose me swiftly through a gandharva marriage! (106)

I have sixty thousand wives, O woman of radiant smiles; / making me your proud beloved, become their mistress! (107)

Austerity is unfitting for you, O girl; enjoy desired pleasures, / having become the mistress of the three worlds together with me day and night! (108)

Although spoken to thus by him, she did not speak an answer in return. / Then, possessed by desire, he approached her presence. (109)

Then, seeing him lustful, that goddess was filled with anger; / she remembered her lion mount, and when it arrived, she mounted it.

She spoke harsh words, repeatedly saying, “Go away, go away! / Otherwise I will kill you in this place, lowest of Dānavas!”

Then, afflicted by the arrows of love, he, together with his ministers, / surrounded that goddess on all sides in order to seize her.

Then that goddess, the supreme sovereign, laughed aloud. / From that [laugh], day and night together, dense hordes of men came forth,

well-armoured, bearing weapons, and endowed with great fury. / Then the goddess said to them: “Let this wicked one be killed!”

Then all of them together rushed against Mahiṣa, / shouting, “Halt, halt!” and releasing weapons in abundance.

Then a battle ensued between the Gaṇas and the Dānavas; / thereupon all those ministers went to the abode of Vaivasvata.

Now that Mahiṣa, enraged because his ministers had been struck down, / brought his army to that mountain slope.

Mounting his excellent chariot, he addressed his charioteer: / “Charioteer, lead me swiftly to where she remains stationed.

Having slain her today, I shall reach the far side of my insurmountable anger!” / Addressed thus, O king, the charioteer urged on

the chariot by that very path where she firmly stood. / At that very time, terrible portents occurred there,

many [of them] along that road by which he had set out, O king: / a harsh wind, filled with gravel, blew straight against his face;

a great meteor fell, striking the disk of the sun; / wild animals kept him on their right as he went on the path, O best of kings;

crouching, they vomited and discharged abundant urine; / a vulture settled upon the flagstaff of his chariot and let out a cry.

Disregarding all those very dreadful, great portents, / dedicated to wrath, he advanced directly toward that goddess,

discharging arrows and shouts, and crying out, “Halt, halt!” / None was seen there in the midst of them, O best of kings,

who could hold back Mahiṣa when he was filled with fury in battle. / By him, slaying the hosts of Gaṇas, a mire of blood was made.

Then, having approached the goddess, he said with arrogance, O king: / “Truly, timid woman, it is not fitting for you to fight with me.

Foolish woman, you do not know my valor, nor my beauty, nor my wealth; / for that reason, you do not heed my word in any way.

Indeed, I truly know you are haughty, beautiful woman; / yet even now heed my word: become my beloved wife!

I, steadfast in my manhood, am not eager to slay you, a woman; / repeatedly in battle Śakra along with the gods has been conquered by me.

In the three worlds, foolish woman, there is no man equal to me.” / Thus addressed, the goddess, filled with great anger,

grasped her bow along with an arrow and spoke this speech: / “O wicked one, it is not proper for you to converse with me,

a maiden, while you are filled with lust. Even so, hear my word! / Śakra was not conquered by you on the battlefield through your own valor.

The gods respect the boon of the Grandfather, lowest of Dānavas; / out of deference to him, you deem yourself superior.

Excepting a single woman, O wicked one, you were made by the lotus-born [Brahmā] / invulnerable to all living beings born male on the earth.

Because of that boon of the Grandfather, you are victorious here, O Dānava. / If you possess manhood, display it quickly!

With sharp arrows, I am about to dispatch you to the realm of Yama.” / Having spoken thus, the goddess then released eight arrows.

With four she sent the four steeds to the realm of Yama, / and with a single arrow she struck off the charioteer's head from his body.

With one she cut down his standard, and then with another he was wounded in the chest; / pierced in his body and afflicted, he clung to the flagstaff,

overcome by swoon, O king, his head lowered for a brief time. / Then, regaining consciousness, he released sharp arrows.

He struck the goddess together with her companions on every part. / Then, with a razor-headed arrow, she cut his bow in two.

His bow broken, the Daitya, equipped with shield and sword, / rushed violently toward the goddess, shouting, “Halt, halt!”

As he charged swiftly, laughing, she cut off his sword with two / arrows, and his spear with a crescent-headed arrow.

Disarmed and chariotless, O king, that lowest of Dānavas / then remembered arrows, O king, and diverse kinds of weapons.

Meditating in his mind on the Brahmāstra, he discharged a blade of grass at her; / and as that weapon was hurled, a column of smoke arose.

At that very time, the sky-dwellers along with Brahmā, / seeing his valor, became filled with extreme fear.

Then, meditating for a moment, O best of kings, the goddess swiftly struck / that weapon down with a Brahmāstra; thereupon it became useless.

When the Brahmāstra became futile, the foremost of Dānavas in fury / sent the fire-weapon against her, but she struck it down with the water-weapon.

In this way, the various kinds of weapons released by him / in their thousands were rendered entirely futile by the goddess.

When his weapons were completely exhausted, that exceedingly powerful Dānava / employed supreme illusion. With divine weapons the ruler of the gods

repelled that huge-bodied buffalo, shaped like a mountain, / equipped with long, sharp horns and resembling collyrium.

Then that goddess mounted upon the shoulders of her lion; / with a sharp sword the goddess severed his head.

The ruler of the gods pierced him in the back with her trident; / then from that body a great man emerged.

Bearing a shield and sword, furious, he cried: "Halt, halt!"
Seizing him too by his mass of hair, the queen of gods

Struck [him] mightily with her sword, and his life was severed,
O best of kings, as the demon's flank was torn open by the lion.

Then, filled with wrath, she slew the demons once more.
And those Daityas who survived the slaughter, splitting the earth's surface,

Entered Pātāla, terrified with fear, seeking their lives.
Then all the hosts of gods—the Vasus, Maruts, and Aśvins,

The Viśvedevas, Sādhyas, Rudras, Guhyakas, and Kinnaras,
And the Ādityas together with Śakra—approached the supreme goddess.

From all sides they showered that goddess with divine flowers,
Praising her with diverse hymns, bowing down, intent on devotion:

"A fitting deed has been done, O Maheśānī, in that the greatest wrongdoer has been slain!
The entire triple world had been ruined by this sinner, O beautiful one!

By you, kingship in heaven has again been given to Vāsava.
Therefore choose a boon, may it be well with you, whatever your heart desires!
All the gods are pleased with you and will grant it without a doubt."

The Goddess said:
"If the gods are pleased with me, if a boon is to be given to me,
let my holy hermitage, full of renown, come to be right here.

And on this excellent mountain, O gods, I shall abide forever."

"O queen of gods, those men who shall behold you in this form
in this greatly holy hermitage will attain the supreme goal.

Those men will become endowed with knowledge of Brahman.

Because a fierce deed was done by you in destroying the demon,
therefore you shall attain renown in the world under the name Caṇḍikā.

Likewise, this hermitage will be renowned by your name.

Those who, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight in the auspicious month of Āśvina,
bathe with focused mind and offer the funeral rice ball here,

Shall obtain the fruit of performing the śrāddha at Gayā, O goddess;
and from the darśana of you there shall be liberation from sin."

Kṛṣṇa said:
"Those endowed with faith who stay here for a single night
intent on fasting—their sin will go to destruction.

And whatever sonless man or focused woman,
mindful of this, shall bathe and make an offering of the rice ball,
being sonless, will quickly obtain a good son; of this there is no doubt."

Indra said:
"Whatever king who has lost his kingdom bathes and gives gifts here,
his enemies will all be destroyed and he will regain his kingdom."

Agni said:
"Whatever pure person, having come here, performs a śrāddha
according to his wealth, shall have the fruit of a sacrifice."

Yama said:
"He who, having bathed here, gives sesame seeds to brahmins
will never have any fear of premature death."

The Rākṣasas said:
"Those men who offer the rice ball here in your hermitage,
O goddess, shall have no fear anywhere arising from ghosts."

Varuṇa said:
"He who gives water here for the bathing of noble brahmins
shall always be spotless in this world and in the next."

Vāyu said:
"He who gives pure and especially fragrant ointments
to brahmins here shall become free from disease."

Dhanada said:
"He who gives wealth according to his ability to brahmins here
will by no means be bereft of wealth in the world."

Īśvara said:
"He who, observing a vow, dwells here during Cāturmāsya
shall always have happiness in this world and in the next."

The Vasus said:
"The man who properly observes a fast for three nights
shall be freed from the sins accumulated from birth to death."

Āditya said:
"Those men who, filled with devotion, give parasols and shoes
in this holy hermitage abode shall attain eternal worlds."

The Aśvins said:
"He who, filled with faith, offers sweet food to a brahmin here
shall have supreme, imperishable joy."

The sacred fords said:
"From this day forward, the presence of all the sacred fords
will be established particularly here in this world-renowned hermitage.

He who, intent on fasting, bathes here with devotion
on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Āśvina
shall indeed obtain the fruit of all sacred fords."

The Gandharvas said:
"And whatever person performs songs and instrumental music here
shall be handsome across seven successive births."

The seers said:
"He who fasts for three nights in this hermitage
shall attain the fruit of a thousand Cāndrāyaṇa penances."

Pulastya said:
Having thus granted boons to the goddess, O best of kings, all the gods
went to heaven with her permission, while the goddess remained right there.

Then mortals went to heaven upon seeing the goddess in that hermitage;
heaven was filled effortlessly with mortals.

All rituals such as the Agniṣṭoma perished on the face of the earth,
as did other religious rites, except for the worship of the goddess.

Then, terrified, the thousand-eyed [Indra], consulting with his preceptor,
speedily summoned Desire, Anger, Fear, Pride,

Delusion arising from house and sons, and Thirst accompanied by exertion:
"Go quickly to the mortal realm, to the men and women wishing to stay

In the holy sanctuary of Caṇḍikā, and attend on them by my command, / especially in the month of Āśvina on the final day of the dark fortnight."

Having been spoken to thus, all those headed by Desire went swiftly, / and in the mortal realm, O great king, they kept guard on every side.

Knowing this, go quickly there, O best of kings, / if you desire the highest welfare in this world and the next.

Whoever goes to Arbuda to see Caṇḍikā, O king, / his ancestors dance and his grandfathers roar [with joy]:

“That son who, having gone to this hermitage of Caṇḍikā, / performs a śrāddha with concentrated mind, will deliver us all.”

By one pilgrimage a kingdom is attained, and heaven indeed by a second; / by a third pilgrimage there, liberation is attained, O king.

Therefore, by every effort, one should make a pilgrimage there, / to Arbuda, the best of mountains, composed of all sacred fords and auspicious.

On this point a verse was sung in ancient times by the great seer Nārada: / “Having bathed in that sacred hermitage, where many brahmins assemble,

other sacred fords certainly purify through ablutions and gifts, / but merely from the sight of Arbuda, one becomes freed from sin there.”