Skandapurana 5.148

The seers said: / Regarding the goddess Kelīśvarī who is heard of, O son of Sūta, / tell us her māhātmya and her origin in full detail.

At what time was the ruler of gods born, and for what purpose? / What welfare arises through worshipping and bowing to her? (2)

You spoke of Kātyāyanī and of Cāmuṇḍā, the ruler of gods; / and Śrīmātā was born—for what purpose, O ruler of gods? (3)

And Śrīmātā, as well as the goddess Tārā, the destroyer of foes; / but Kelīśvarī was not described, so speak of her now. (4)

Curiosity has arisen in us regarding this matter, O son of Sūta. (5)

Sūta said: / In the beginning, one single deity remained in the world in manifold forms / for the welfare of the deities and for the destruction of the Daityas' faction. (6)

Whenever any affliction arises here for the gods, / then that supreme Śakti, having pervaded [all], remains. (7)

The supporter of this whole universe took birth on the surface of the earth; / she became Kātyāyanī on earth for the destruction of the demon Mahiṣa. (8)

Her supreme form descended and moved within these three worlds. / When Śumbha and Niśumbha, the two Dānavas arrogant with power, [arose], (9)

then she descended, having assumed the form of Cāmuṇḍā. / When Kālayavana arose, bringing fear to all the gods, (10)

she was born on the earth's surface in the form of the goddess Śrīmātā. / For the slaying of the demon Andhaka, Śambhu, his mind deeply affected, / brought forth the goddess Kelīśvarī, by whom this universe was pervaded. (11)

Then, through her power, having slain the Daityas without remainder, / Andhaka was subsequently killed, who had caused affliction to the three worlds. (12)

The seers said: / Whose son was this Andhaka, what was his prowess, and how was he slain? / Why was he killed in battle? Tell everything in detail. (13)

Sūta said: / Dakṣa had a daughter named Diti, an abode of all virtues; / she had a son named Hiraṇyakaśipu. (14)

By him all the gods, Indra and the others, were conquered on the battleground; / a great sovereignty was established by that high-souled one in heaven itself. / Through fear of him, all the gods in many ways [fashioned] various weapons, (15)

fashioned most foremost [arms] furnished with armor and shields. (16)

He himself was torn open in great rage by the all-powerful Viṣṇu / with his claws, having placed him upon his knees and on his back. (17)

To him two sons were born, endowed with the qualities of heroism and nobility; / the elder was called Prahlāda, and the second was Andhaka. (18)

When Hiraṇyakaśipu had gone to the mortal realm, / Prahlāda was then addressed by his companions and ministers endowed with modesty: (19)

"Rule this kingdom of your father and forefathers now; / bear the yoke arising from sovereignty, [and] strike down the gods in battle!" (20)

Prahrāda said: / "I shall not govern the kingdom in any manner whatsoever on the earth's surface; / therefore, understand my word right now. (21)

The gods led by Indra do not desire the dominion of the Daityas; / the lord Viṣṇu himself is ever their protector. (22)

I might abandon my life-breaths or my entire property, there is no doubt; / [yet] oh, I am not capable of waging war against Hari. (23)

The lord of gods who is worshipped daily and bowed to by me— / with him I shall not wage battle in any manner." (24)

Sūta said: / When the kingdom inherited from his father was abandoned by Prahlāda, / Andhaka was installed there after the ministers took counsel together. (25)

He was the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the crusher of the pride of gods and Dānavas. / He, too, having entrusted the kingdom to the ministers thereafter, (26)

performed austerity for a long time, meditating upon the Grandfather [Brahmā], / having abandoned desire as well as anger, hypocrisy, and envy, (27)

with senses subdued, exceedingly tranquil in mind, impartial toward all creatures, / dwelling at the roots of trees, peaceful, with a contented inner self. (28)

For a period of up to a thousand years he subsisted on fruits; / and for a thousand years he subsisted on withered leaves as food. (29)

Day and night he meditated upon the god of gods, the Grandfather [Brahmā]; / then for that much time he became a feeder on wind, O best of the twice-born. (30)

Then, when the fourth thousand of years arrived, / Brahmā himself, having approached him, delighted, spoke to him: (31)

Brahmā said: / "I am fully pleased with you, child; choose a boon, O one of noble vows! / Pleased, I shall grant it to you, even if it be very hard to obtain." / Andhaka said: / "If you grant me the boon desired in my heart, O Brahmā, / let it be given for the cessation of old age and death, O best of gods!" (33)

The venerable Brahmā said: / "No one exists free of old age here on the surface of the earth; / nor indeed does anyone whose birth on earth takes place exist without death. (34)

Nevertheless, I shall grant [a boon] to you who are devoted to many virtues; / therefore, go to your own home, O illustrious one, and govern the kingdom. (35)

Let the kingdom yield great fruit, like a cremation-ground [becomes] a palace; / [though] strewn with many thorns and surrounded by cruel deeds." (36)

Sūta said: / Having spoken thus, the four-faced one vanished from sight. / Then, after some time, impelled by the law of time, / he spoke to his ministers, remembering the enmity of his father: (37)

Andhaka said: / "Our father was slain by the gods, and our uncle of great strength, / by deceit, not by valor; therefore, I shall destroy them. (38)

What purpose is served by a son who is born, if he does not attain prominence / everywhere by well-praised deeds, like a banner before a lineage?" (39)

The ministers said: / "This word which you have spoken, O illustrious one, is proper; / all the gods who are our adversaries deserve to be slain. (40)

Indeed, these worlds are ours; who are the gods, who are the twice-born? / Having slain the gods led by Indra, we shall seize their shares of the sacrifices." (41)

Having thus made an agreement, accompanied by a vast army, / they went swiftly to the place where Indra resided. (42)

Indra too, seeing the army of Dānavas that had arrived suddenly, / mounted his elephant Airāvata and set forth then for battle. (43)

along with all the host of gods headed by the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas. / Meanwhile, Śakra [hurled] the thunderbolt, which was exceedingly terrible,

aiming it at Andhaka, he, the slayer of enemy heroes, released [it]. / Struck by that thunderbolt, that best of Danavas laughed

and, greatly exhilarated, spoke to Śakra with a loud roar in the battle: / “The strength of your arms, O Śakra, has today been seen by me after a long time.

Now behold ours as well, O slayer of Bala!”

Sūta said: / Having spoken thus, he whirled and hurled a heavy mace / that made a great din with a hundred bells, fashioned by Viśvakarman,

made entirely of iron, heavy, like a second tongue of Yama, / a hundred cubits in measure, striking terror into living beings.

Struck by it, Śakra, his senses confounded by fainting, / leaned against his flagstaff and sank down on the elephant's head.

Then, seeing Śakra unconscious, Skanda was enraged; / he then released his own spear, unfailing and resembling the thunderbolt.

Seeing it approach, the mighty Dānava with sharp arrows / turned it back in play alone.

Then Skanda, too, taking up his bow, loosed against him / arrows resembling venomous serpents, displaying his lightness of weapon.

Meanwhile, all the gods with showers of weapons / covered the army of the Dānavas on every side.

Then all the Dānavas afflicted the army of the gods / with blows, and the heaven-dwellers fled.

Then, seeing the gods broken, he whose mount is the bull, accompanied by his gaṇas, / revealed himself, as if reassuring the gods:

“Fear not, all you deities! Watch my deeds!” / Having spoken thus, the Lord Śambhu, then, by means of Ātharvaṇa mantras,

summoned the supreme, unexcelled Śakti, ruler of the universe. / Being summoned, the supreme Śakti went into Hara's presence.

Seeing her arrived before him, accompanied by all the gods, / he bowed and praised [her] with devotion through this hymn:

The Lord said: / “Salutations to you, O ruler of the gods of gods! Salutations to you who love devotion! / O omnipresent, all-giving goddess, salutations to you, the bearer of the universe!

Salutations to you who, in the form of Śakti, bring about creation and dissolution! / Salutations to you who are endowed with radiance, whose earrings flare like lightning!

You are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, O goddess, you are creation, you are purity and fortitude; / you are Arundhatī as well as Indrāṇī; you are Lakṣmī, and you are Pārvatī.

Whatever female form exists in all the three worlds, / all that is your own form: such is the determination in the scriptures.”

The goddess said: / “For what purpose have I been summoned by you, O you whose mount is the bull, / by means of terrible Ātharvaṇa mantras? Proclaim all that to me,

so that I may accomplish your entire task as spoken.”

The Lord said: / “All these gods, Śakra and the others, have been driven from heaven / by Andhaka, O highly fortunate one, the overlord of the Daityas.

Therefore, listen to me as I go forth for his destruction: / render me aid quickly, and I shall destroy him on the field of battle.

All these hosts of mothers have now been given by me to you; / wasted by hunger, they shall destroy the Dānavas who stand before [us].

Because, assuming a form of play in a thousand ways / with many deformed shapes, you were summoned from the midst of the fire,

therefore you shall be known as Kelīśvarī in the three worlds. / Whoever worships you in this very form with devotion

on the eighth and fourteenth [tithis] will have their desire fulfilled. / Moreover, when the time of battle has arrived, whatever king

praises you with this hymn shall attain victory; / even with a small army of his own and few horses in battle,

victory will surely be his by your grace, without doubt.” / Thus addressed by the God of gods at that time, Kelīśvarī

set forth joyfully in front of the army of Bhava, / along with all the hosts of mothers, with fierce, terrifying roars,

intent on eagerness for battle, terrible, striking with various weapons. / Then, seeing that female army arrived,

deformed, deformed in shape, roaring with hideous forms, / their hands raised with weapons, all intent on the desire for war,

some Dānavas laughed loudly, while others taunted [them]; / other Dānavas, knowing they were women, would not strike,

feeling ashamed even when being struck, steadfast in their manly code. / Meanwhile, the best of sages, Nārada, arrived.

He related the entire matter to Andhaka: / “These are not [ordinary] women, O best of Danu’s race, who have assembled for battle!

This is a destructive spirit fashioned by Rudra for your slaying. / She who stands mounted upon a lion, her hands marked with discuses,

is named Kelīśvarī, emerged from the fire-pit / together with these terrible women through the power of mantras,

when a fire-offering was performed by the God of gods, Śambhu, with his own blood. / That enraged Lord is himself approaching your presence

for battle, having stationed those best of gods in his own palace, / and having vowed your destruction before the Supreme Lord.

Knowing this, O highly fortunate one, do whatever is fitting.”

Andhaka said: / “I do not fear Rudra, nor anyone else; / I will not strike women, maintaining the vow of a man.”

Sūta said: / As that great-souled Dānava was speaking thus, / an exceedingly great wailing arose all around in that place.

Some Dānavas were devoured, while others were slain; / and others, their limbs half-eaten, perished.

Likewise, other powerful dānavas who were fighting / were devoured there by the Mothers, along with their weapons and mounts.

Hearing that great outcry, Andhaka, frantic with rage, / took up his sword and rose, saying, “What is this? What is this?”

Then he saw the dānavas, once proud of their might, shattered, / others being devoured, and still others devoted to flight.

And he saw the beloved wives of the slain standing nearby, / weeping and lamenting, utterly distraught.

Then, seeing that slaughter, Andhaka, frantic with rage, / berated all those Yoginīs engaged in battle.

Yet they felt no fear at all of that daitya; / they merely slaughtered and devoured the dānavas.

Then, seeing their action with fury, that dānava, / overcome with fear, sought to protect his own body.

Emitting a roar, he immediately released the terrible darkness-weapon; / meanwhile, the entire three worlds were enveloped in darkness.

Nothing could be discerned there, neither level nor uneven ground; / only the lord of the dānavas saw everything, no one else.

Then he slaughtered those Yoginīs with sharp arrows; / [yet] the more [they fell], the more other women appeared in the very same form.

Then, seeing that supreme multiplication of the Yoginīs, that dānava, / overcome with fear, withdrew that weapon.

Then, approaching Śukra, miserable and with folded hands, he said: / “Behold, best of the Bhārgavas, the slaughter wrought by women!

Immune to my weapons, produced through the power of mantras, enemy of the gods, / manifold, they have destroyed my army on every side.

Therefore, O highly wise one, you too must master that lore, / if you desire my welfare; otherwise there is no victory in battle.”

Thus ends the one hundred and forty-ninth chapter, titled 'The Description of the Manifestation of Kelīśvarī Created by Śaṃkara in the Account of the Slaying of Andhakāsura,' in the Māhātmya of the Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, the sixth section of the holy Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.