A fierce and terrible battle raged between the gods and the Asuras, as the Ādityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, and Rudras struck down countless Asuras and Yātudhānas. Yet, as fast as their enemies fell, the ranks of the Asuras seemed to replenish, their numbers tallied only by count. The struggle was not one-sided: the armies of the gods, too, suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Asuras. When defeat loomed for the Devas, they abandoned Indra and fled the battlefield, overwhelmed by the relentless assault. Assailed by a barrage of weapons—spears, pattiśas, and heavy maces—the gods, tormented and battered, retreated to the world of Brahmā, seeking refuge and counsel. At this time, Śrī Varāha narrates, the Daitya named Vidyutprabha was dispatched as a messenger. He approached the goddess, she of slender waist, with devotion and composure, bowing low before her. Entering a place vibrant with hundreds of maidens, Vidyutprabha, humbled, spoke respectfully to the goddess. He began his tale: "O goddess, at the dawn of creation, there was a sage named Supārśva, a friend of Sarasvata, renowned and powerful. His son was the mighty Sindhudvīpa, full of great energy, who performed intense austerities in the illustrious city of Māhiṣmatī. While Sindhudvīpa was deep in penance, abstaining from food, the eldest daughter of Vipracitti—equal in beauty to the daughters of the gods—became known on earth as Māhiṣmatī, unmatched in loveliness. One day, Māhiṣmatī, surrounded by her companions, wandered freely and arrived at the slopes of Mount Mandara. There, she saw the hermitage of the sage Ambara, a place adorned with many kinds of trees—creeper bowers, vakula and lakucha, sandalwood, spandana, śāla, and sarala trees—flourishing in the sage’s groves. Enchanted by the delightful hermitage, the auspicious demon maiden Māhiṣmatī began to plot: 'I will frighten this ascetic in his hermitage and remain here, playing with my companions and being honored.' With this thought, Māhiṣmatī, O mistress of the universe, assumed the form of a buffalo, bearing sharp-tipped horns, and, along with her companions, went to scare the sage. But the sage Ambara, perceiving her true nature with his eye of knowledge, became angry and cursed her: 'Because you frighten me, taking the form of a buffalo, therefore, O doer of evil, become a buffalo for a hundred years.' Stricken with fear, Māhiṣmatī and her companions fell at the sage’s feet, pleading, 'End the curse.' Moved by her words, the sage’s anger softened, and he granted her release: 'By giving birth to a son in this very form, O blessed one, the curse will end; my words shall not be in vain.' Thus instructed, Māhiṣmatī went to the excellent bank of the Narmadā, where Sindhudvīpa, the great ascetic, was performing severe penance. There, a demon maiden named Endumatī, surpassing in beauty, was seen by the sage, unclothed and plunging into the water. The great ascetic’s semen fell onto a rocky slope; Māhiṣmatī, noticing its divine fragrance, said to her companion, 'I will drink this pure water.' She drank the sage’s seed mixed with water, and thus, from his seed, she conceived and gave birth. Her son was wise, strong, and valorous—he became known as Mahisha, the enhancer of the Brahma lineage. Now, O goddess, he seeks you, the crusher of the armies of the gods. Having conquered even the gods and the three worlds in battle, that great Asura wishes to give you everything, offering himself to you. O goddess, by accepting him, accomplish a great deed." When Vidyutprabha finished speaking, the radiant goddess laughed, but uttered not a single word. As she laughed, the bewildered messenger beheld a wondrous sight: within her belly, he saw the entire universe of moving and unmoving beings, and he was overcome with awe. Then the goddess’s powerful attendant, Jaya, voiced the thoughts held in the goddess’s heart: "What you have said about seeking the maiden has been expressed. If her vow of maidenhood is indeed eternal, there are other maidens here who follow the goddess. Not even one of them is attainable, let alone the auspicious goddess herself. Go, messenger, hasten; nothing more will come of this for you." Thus dismissed, Vidyutprabha departed. At that very moment, the great sage Nārada arrived swiftly through the sky, dancing and resplendent in his ascetic glory. Declaring, "By fortune, by fortune," he addressed the goddess of beautiful eyes, and, once seated and honored, spoke to her: "O goddess, sent by the pleased gods, I have come to you. The immortals have been conquered by the demon Mahisha; that king of demons now seeks to seize you, O goddess. Thus instructed by the gods, I inform you—now, O great goddess, firmly oppose that demon." Having delivered his message, Nārada vanished at once by his own will. The goddess, resolute, commanded all her maidens to arm themselves. At her word, these highly fortunate maidens assumed terrifying forms, arming themselves with swords, shields, and bows, standing ready for battle to destroy the demons. Meanwhile, the demon forces, abandoning their fight with the gods, quickly gathered where the goddess’s great army of women was assembled. The proud maidens met them in battle, and in a moment, struck down the fourfold demon army. Heads were cleaved and fell to the ground; chests were torn open, and flesh-eating beings drank the blood of the fallen. Some demon leaders, transformed into headless bodies, danced in frenzy. Thus, in but a moment, all those evil-minded ones were destroyed, and the survivors fled in terror to where Mahishasura was.