On a rocky slope, the powerful semen of a great ascetic fell, carrying a divine fragrance. Māhiṣmatī, noticing its purity and scent, turned to her companion and declared, “I shall drink this pure water.” With this, she consumed the sage’s seed mingled with the water, and in that moment, she conceived. In due time, she gave birth to a son—wise, mighty, and valorous—whom they named Mahisha. He became renowned as the enhancer of the Brahma lineage. Now, this Mahisha, having grown in strength, sought out the goddess herself, she who crushes the armies of the gods. Mahisha was no ordinary being. He had conquered the gods themselves in battle, subduing the three worlds. O flawless goddess, he desires you and is prepared to offer you everything, well-guarded and protected. By offering himself, he hopes you will accomplish a great deed. So spoke the messenger sent by Mahisha. Hearing these words, the radiant goddess only laughed. She, the supreme goddess, uttered not a single word. At the sound of her laughter, the messenger was struck with bewilderment, for in that instant he beheld the entire universe—everything moving and unmoving—contained within her belly. Overwhelmed by this vision, he was rendered speechless. Then, the goddess’s powerful attendant, Jaya, spoke aloud the thoughts held in the goddess’s heart. She said, “You have spoken of seeking the maiden, but if her vow of maidenhood is indeed eternal, there are other maidens here who follow the goddess. Yet not even one of them is attainable to you, let alone the auspicious goddess herself. Go, messenger, hasten away; there is nothing here for you.” Thus dismissed, the messenger departed. At that very moment, the great sage Narada appeared swiftly in the sky, dancing and resounding with his presence, his austerities shining forth. Declaring, “By fortune, by fortune,” he approached the goddess of beautiful eyes. Seated and honored, he bowed to her, the ruler of all, and addressed her with reverence. “O goddess,” said Narada, “I have come to you, sent by the gods who are pleased with you. The immortals have been conquered by the demon Mahisha, who now seeks to seize you for himself. Thus commanded by the gods, I inform you, O beautiful-faced one: now is the time to firmly oppose that demon.” Having delivered his message, Narada vanished at once by his own will. The goddess, resolute, commanded all the maidens in her retinue to arm themselves for battle. Obedient to her word, these highly fortunate maidens assumed terrifying forms, brandishing swords, shields, and bows. They stood ready, determined to destroy the demon forces. Meanwhile, the entire host of demons, abandoning the army of the gods, rushed quickly to confront the goddess’s formidable army of women. The proud maidens met the demons in fierce combat, and in a moment, they struck down the fourfold army. Heads were severed and fell, chests were torn open, and flesh-eating beings drank the blood of the fallen. Some demon leaders, transformed into headless bodies, danced madly. In but an instant, all those evil-minded ones were destroyed, and the survivors fled in terror to Mahishasura. Seeing his army in turmoil and confusion, Mahisha addressed his commander: “What is this? My army is shattered before my very eyes.” The demon Yajñahanur, who bore the form of an elephant, replied, “This defeat has been inflicted everywhere by the maidens.” Enraged, Mahisha rushed at the maidens, seizing his mace. One maiden, swift and fearless, charged toward him. Where the goddess stood, honored by gods and gandharvas alike, Mahisha advanced. Seeing him approach, the goddess transformed, manifesting twenty arms. In each hand she took up a weapon: bow, sword, spear, arrows, trident, mace, axe, drum, a mighty bell, a hundred-killer, a dreadful mallet, a bhuśuṇḍī, a spear, pestle, discus, sling, staff, noose, banner, and lotus—twenty weapons in all. Mounted upon a fierce lion, the goddess remembered Rudra, lord of the gods, the wrathful one, cause of destruction. At her remembrance, Rudra himself, the bull-bannered, arrived. The goddess bowed to him and declared, “O eternal Lord of gods, merely by your presence, I shall conquer all the demons.” Thus resolved, the supreme goddess defeated the demon host. She spared only Mahisha, slaying the rest, and then advanced upon him. When Mahisha saw the goddess approaching, he turned and fled. At times, the demon king fought valiantly; at others, he retreated, only to return to the fray again and again. For ten thousand divine years, the two battled across the field, Mahisha’s heart filled with fear as he wandered the battlefield. At last, on a great mountain with a hundred peaks, the goddess pressed Mahisha down with her feet and struck him with her trident. There, she severed his head with her sword, and the spirit within him departed, ascending to heaven, vanquished by her weapons. Witnessing the defeat of Mahisha, all the hosts of gods, together with Brahma, rejoiced and praised the goddess with hearts full of joy. They offered salutations: “O goddess, great in fortune, profound and fearsome in appearance, victorious, established in the principle of existence, three-eyed, facing all directions. In knowledge and ignorance, in victory and sacrifice, O slayer of Mahishasura; all-pervading, O goddess of all gods, of universal form, O Vaishnavi. Free from sorrow, steadfast, O goddess, with eyes beautiful as lotus petals; established in pure sattva and vows, fierce in form, radiant. O bestower of prosperity and accomplishment, knowledge and ignorance, immortality and auspiciousness; O Śāṃkarī, Vaiṣṇavī, Brāhmī, honored by all the gods. With a bell in hand and the trident as weapon, O great slayer of the buffalo demon; fierce in form, with distorted eyes, O supreme enchantress, source of immortality.” Thus, the gods celebrated the supreme goddess, their savior and the destroyer of evil.