Skandapurana 5.120

Sūta said: / Hearing those words of the gods, that Supreme Goddess / then said: "Let the gods quickly grant me a mount!" / Then Gaurī gave a lion with a fierce mouth to serve as a vehicle. / Mounting it, she then set out toward the Vindhya mountain.

Taking her place on a delightful peak of it, furnished with excellent trees, / strewn with fruits and flowers, and adorned with bowers of creepers,

the virtuous lady then performed austerity, dedicated to severe vows, / restraining her organs of sense, meditating upon Maheśvara.

In proportion as the increase of her austerity took place, O brahmins, / in that same measure beauty and luster increased upon her body.

In the meantime, the servants of the lord of the Daityas arrived there. / Seeing her devoted to vows and possessed of an exceedingly wondrous form, / they went and spoke to their lord, the evil-minded Mahiṣa.

The spies said:
"While wandering upon the surface of the earth, an unprecedented maiden was seen / by us today upon Mount Vindhya, endowed with twelve arms, / bearing various radiant weapons, her limbs covered in hide.

Neither goddess, nor Gandharva woman, nor Asura woman, nor Nāga maiden— / never before has such a fair-hipped woman been seen by us.

We do not know for what purpose that glorious maiden performs austerity— / whether desiring heaven, desiring wealth, or desiring a husband, O lord."

Sūta said:
Hearing their words, Mahiṣa, the lord of the Dānavas, / fell under the power of Kāmadeva the very moment he heard them.

Then, placing them in front and accompanied by a great army, / filled with curiosity, he went to where the maiden was staying.

Just as a foolish jackal, destined for death, [approaches] the beloved lioness / who is asleep in the forest, deeply trusting and utterly free from fear,

so that chief of the Dānavas, struck by Kāma's arrows at the very sight of her, / [acted] in that very moment, O good brahmins.

Then, keeping his army at a great distance, enamoured by her beauty, / he stood before her alone and spoke pleasant words:

"This vow is contrary to your youth, O lady of sweet smiles. / Therefore abandon it and become the sovereign of the three worlds.

I am indeed named Mahiṣa, the lord of the Dānavas, if you have heard of me, / by whom the thousand-eyed Indra was vanquished in single combat.

The entire three worlds are now subject to my control. / Therefore, O fair-hipped lady, become my dearly beloved wife.

I have another thousand most beautiful wives; / they all shall presently become your servants today.

And I too, having assumed the role of your devoted servant, / shall serve you, O fair-hipped lady, having bestowed all my wealth upon you."

Sūta said:
Hearing his words, the supreme goddess, / rebuking him, spoke with eyes reddened with rage:

"Fie, fie, O worker of evil! To me, who observe the vow of maidenhood, / your mind stricken with desire, why do you speak thus?

I was created by the foremost gods for your destruction. / Therefore I shall destroy you; remember what desire resides in your heart!"

Mahiṣa said:
"If so, O lovely-hipped lady, a maiden would be suitable, / since she is to be wooed by all living beings in this world.

Dharma and austerity are performed for heaven's sake, O fair lady, / so that one may enjoy pleasures, both divine and human.

Therefore give yourself to me in the Gandharva / marriage, O most beautiful lady, since among others that is proclaimed paramount."

As he spoke thus, the goddess, overwhelmed with anger, / instantly discharged an arrow aimed at his mouth.

It entered his mouth as a serpent enters an anthill. / Then, pierced in his mouth by those arrows and roaring,

he poured forth abundant blood, like red ochre from a mountain. / Then, his mind overcome with rage, retreating very slowly,

he quickly rejoined his army; yet still overcome by desire, / he said to all his soldiers: 'Let this wicked woman be seized, / so that she does not lose her life, shattered by blows.

She will undoubtedly become my beloved wife, / if she does not go to dissolution through the fall of weapons.'

Thus commanded by him, the Dānavas, reckless in battle, / ran towards her, discharging sharp arrows.

Meanwhile, the goddess, seeing them arrived, / resolved on battle and shouting threats again and again,

effortlessly released sharp, mighty arrows / and struck them all in their vital points at that very instant.

Then, slain by the sharp arrows, the Daityas and Dānavas— / some met their death, while others scattered here and there.

Then, seeing his army broken by her in battle, / the Daitya, filled with rage, rushed at her himself,

striking her hundreds and thousands of times with his horns, / repeatedly letting out fierce roars like an autumn cloud.

Meanwhile, the goddess uttered a loud, mocking laugh / by whose sound the entire cavity of the three worlds was filled.

And as she laughed thus, there came forth from her mouth / Pulindas, Śabaras, Mlecchas, and other forest dwellers,

Śakas and Yavanas in their hundreds, having assumed bodily form, / their limbs clad in armour, like other messengers of Yama.

They said: "O goddess, tell us for what task we were created on earth, / so that it may be accomplished swiftly, O lovely-faced one!"

The goddess said:
"These soldiers of that vile wretch, arrogant with might— / slaughter them swiftly at my command, as you please!"

Then, hearing her word, brandishing swords and bows, / they charged with great speed toward the Daitya host.

Then a great, terrible battle arose between them; / neither one's own nor the enemy could be distinguished there by anyone.

Then all those Dānavas were broken by the warriors born of the goddess, / and others were slaughtered, shattered by blows.

Seeing his army broken, Mahiṣa, frantic with rage, / angrily spoke to the goddess with harsh words:

"Ah, wicked one! Thinking you a woman, you were not killed by me in battle today. / Therefore behold my strike! You will learn the truth, not otherwise!"

Having spoken thus, he furiously dealt blows / with both horns at great speed, threatening her again and again.

Then, seeing that Dānava come near, the goddess / swiftly leaped in anger upon his back.

Then that Daitya, taking to the path of the sky, screamed, / pierced through the sole [of her foot] upon his back and drenched in streams of blood.

Meanwhile, her lion, born of light, / seized him furiously by the hindquarters with the tips of his sharp fangs.

Then, rendered immobile and pinned down by her foot, the Dānava / uttered terrible cries, unable to move a single step.

At that moment, all the gods along with Indra arrived; / standing in the sky, filled with joy, they then said to the goddess:

"O ruler of the gods, quickly cut off his head / with this sharp sword, before he goes elsewhere!"

Hearing their words, the goddess, filled with rage, / applied the sword to his massive throat.

By that sword-stroke, the Daitya's throat, though thick and hard, / was cleaved in two, bringing satisfaction to the gods.

Resembling twelve suns, emerging from the mouth, holding a shield and sword, / threatening the great goddess whose hand was raised with the sword, / he then swung his sword, which resembled the morning sun, at her body.

Then, seizing him by the hair, as she struck [him] / to destroy his body, the Dānava spoke:

The Dānava said: / "Victory, O goddess! Victory, O inconceivable one! Victory, O ruler of all the gods! / Victory, O all-pervading goddess! Victory, O beloved of all beings!

Victory, O eternal giver of desires! Victory, O beauty of the three worlds! / Victory, O fearless one, intent upon protecting the three worlds!

Victory, O joyful goddess! Victory, O destroyer of Daityas! / Victory, O destroyer of distress, O lovely one! Victory, O deluder of the non-devoted!

You are creation, you are the supreme goddess, you are Lakṣmī, you are Sarasvatī, / you are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, contentment, nourishment, intellect, firmness, forgiveness.

Therefore grant me your favor, preserve my life, have mercy / upon one who bows down, who is very wretched, and especially humbled.

I am the mighty son of Hiraṇyākṣa, cursed by Durvāsas / and brought to the state of a buffalo; by you, O goddess, I have been liberated.

Therefore my pride born of the Dānavas has been abandoned today; / I will henceforth become your servant, O ruler of the gods!

Victory, O all-pervading goddess, destroyer of all wicked ones!"

Hearing his pathetic plea, that ruler of the gods, / moved by compassion, then spoke these words to the gods standing in the sky:

"What shall I do? Compassion for him has arisen in me, O gods; / therefore I will not slay this Dānava who speaks so piteously.

Even if an enemy were the killer of my father, I would not strike him in battle / if he has turned away his face, laid down his sword and weapon, and says, 'I am yours.'"

The gods said: / "O ruler of the gods, if you do not slay this lowest of Dānavas, / he will destroy the entire three worlds with all that moves and is still.

All our labor will thus be in vain, / as will the trouble born of your manifestation, and your entire exertion."

The goddess said: / "I shall not kill him, nor shall I let him go, O immortals; / grasping him by the hair, I shall hold him always."

The gods said: / "Well done, well done, O highly fortunate one! You have spoken fitting words; / this indeed is proper to do at this time, O ruler of the thirty [gods]!

Now, assuming this form in the mortal realm— / terrifying, with weapon raised in hand, standing atop the buffalo—

you will receive supreme worship, difficult even for the immortals to obtain. / Whoever worships you standing in this form—

united with him, you will become renowned as Vindhyavāsinī. / What need is there of saying much to you? Hear our words in brief:

Our supreme truth brings welfare to all worlds: / the strength of earthly kings shall be dependent on you, O goddess,

when the time of battle arises for your devotees—of this there is no doubt. / Whatever person undertakes a departure or an entrance

having remembered you, bowed down, and especially worshipped you, / success will be accomplished for him in all tasks at all times; / even for a coward in this world, let alone for a valiant warrior!

Whatever mortal worships you with true devotion / in the bright fortnight of Āśvina on the ninth and the eighth day,

for him, O beautiful one of the gods, for an entire full year / there will be no illness, no fear, no defeat, / no untimely death, and no affliction arising from thieves and the like."

Sūta said: / Having spoken thus to that goddess, those gods, filled with joy, / permitted by her, went to their own city, Amarāvatī.

Going there, having regained his kingdom after a long time, Indra, / delighted, protected the three worlds from which hostile forces had been destroyed.

And after that, all the worlds became endowed with happiness; / the gods once again became enjoyers of sacrificial shares in the three worlds.

And after that, that goddess attained fame in the three worlds, / especially in all sacred fields, sacred fords, and holy shrines.

Meanwhile, a king named Suratha was born / in Ānarta; by him, with true devotion, [an image of her] was fashioned right in this sacred field.

Whoever beholds her with true devotion on the bright eighth day of Caitra, / that man will have his purpose achieved for a year, there is no doubt.

Thus ends the one hundred twenty-first chapter, named 'Defeat of Mahiṣāsura and Description of the Glory of Kātyāyanī,' in the Hāṭakeśvarakṣetramāhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, the sixth [section], in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].