[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975) › c8.2063.3 # Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2063.3 Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c8.2063.3 - **Language:** English ### [c8.2063.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.2063.3) Kaumārī with the javelin hanging round her waist and bright eyes entered the field. Vaiṣṇavī swinging her sword and whirling the mace with many weapons rushed to the field. Vārāhī breaking open the earth with its tusk and bearing a large wooden pestle came to fight. Indrāṇī with diamond on her sides came to fight. Nārasimhī brushing the manes on her breast, shaking the stars and whirling the planets and making a fierce appearance came to the field. (Cāmuṇḍī, Brahmāṇī, Māheśvarī, Vaiṣṇavī, Vārāhī and Nārasimhī are the different forms of Kātyāyanī. They are called Saptamātṛs (seven mothers). These saptamātṛs were born when Kātyāyanī in her wrath beat the earth with her matted hair. Cāmuṇḍī roared. The world became dark. Hearing the roar Śiva descended to the field. The Asuras surrounded the Devī again. But they all fell dead with blood flowing in a stream. The dead bodies of the asuras became heaped and in despair Śumbha and Niśumbha wept. Seeing that, Raktabīja got angry and rushed at Devī. The Saptamātṛs shouted and Cāmuṇḍī opened her mouth. The lower jaw of Cāmuṇḍī touched Pātāla when she opened her mouth from the sky. Raktabīja, wounded and bleeding by a dagger stroke of Cāmuṇḍī, fell into the mouth of Cāmuṇḍī and disappeared. Then Niśumbha interfered and the fight became one between Niśumbha and Devī. The fat and sturdy hands of Niśumbha and the mace he was carrying fell by an arrow sent by Devī. Then Devī struck him with her spike and Niśumbha was killed. - [Previous: c8.2063.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.2063.2) - [Next: c8.2063.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.2063.4) - [Up: c8.2063](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.2063) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.2063.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c8.2063.3) · Pramāṇa