Varaha Purana

एवमुक्त्वा तु सा पीत्वा तच्छुक्रं मुनिसंभवम् । प्राप्ता गर्भं मुनेर्बीजात् सुषाव च तदा सतो ।। ९४.

Having said this, she drank the sage's semen mixed with water, and thus, from the sage's seed, she conceived and gave birth at that time.

तस्याः पुत्रोऽभवद् धीमान् महाबलपराक्रमः । महिषेति स्मृतो नाम्ना ब्रह्मवंशविवर्धनः । स त्वां वरयते देवि देवसैन्यविमर्दनः ।। ९४.

Her son was wise, of great strength and valor; he was known by the name Mahisha, the enhancer of the Brahma lineage. He now seeks you, O goddess, the one who crushes the armies of the gods.

स सुरानपि जित्वाऽऽजौ त्रैलोक्यं च तवानघे । दास्यते देवि सुप्रोतस्तव सर्वं महासुरः । तस्यात्मोपप्रदानेन कुरु देवि महत् कृतम् ।। ९४.

Having conquered even the gods in battle and the three worlds, O faultless one, that great asura will give you everything, O goddess, well-protected. By offering himself, O goddess, accomplish a great deed.

एवमुक्ता तदा देवी तेन दूतेन शोभना । जहास परमा देवी वाक्यं नोवाच किञ्चन ।। ९४.

Thus addressed by that messenger, the radiant goddess laughed; the supreme goddess spoke not a single word.

तस्या हसन्त्या दूतोऽसौ त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । ददर्श कुक्षौ संभ्रान्तस्तत्क्षणात् समपद्यत ।। ९४.

As she laughed, the messenger, bewildered, saw the entire universe of moving and unmoving beings within her belly, and at that moment he was overcome.

ततो देव्याः प्रतीहारी जया नामातितेजना । देव्या हृदि स्थितं वाक्यमुवाच तनुमध्यमा ।। ९४.

Then the goddess’s attendant, named Jaya, exceedingly powerful, spoke the words held in the goddess’s heart, she of slender waist.

जया उवाच । कन्यार्थी वदते यद्धि तत्त्वया समुदीरितम् । यदि नाम व्रतं चास्याः कौमारं सार्वकालिकम् । अपि चान्याः कुमार्योऽत्र सन्ति देव्याः पदानुगाः ।। ९४.

Jaya said: What you have spoken regarding seeking the maiden has been expressed by you. If indeed her vow of maidenhood is eternal, there are other maidens here who follow the goddess.

तासामेकाऽपि नो लभ्या किमु देवी स्वयं शुभा । याहि दूत त्वरन् मा ते किञ्चिदन्यद् भविष्यति ।। ९४.

Not even one of them is attainable, let alone the auspicious goddess herself. Go, messenger, hasten; nothing else will come of this for you.

एवमुक्तो गतो दूतस्तावद् व्योम्नि महामुनिः । आयातो नारदस्तूर्णं नृत्यन्नुच्चैर्महातपाः ।। ९४.

Thus addressed, the messenger departed, and at that moment the great sage Narada arrived swiftly in the sky, dancing loudly, possessed of great austerity.

दिष्ट्या दिष्ट्येति वदतस्तां देवीं शुभलोचनाम् । उपविष्टो जगादाथ आसने परमेऽर्चितः ।। ९४.

Saying, 'By fortune, by fortune,' he addressed the goddess of beautiful eyes, and, seated and highly honored, he then spoke.

प्रणम्य देवीं सर्वेशीमुवाच च महातपाः । देवि देवैरहं प्रीतैः प्रेषितोऽस्मि तवान्तिकम् ।। ९४.

Having bowed to the goddess, the ruler of all, the great ascetic said: O goddess, sent by the pleased gods, I have come to you.

विजिता देवि दैत्येन महिषाख्येन निर्जराः । त्वां गृहीतुं प्रयत्नं स कृतवान् देवि दैत्यराट् ।। ९४.

O goddess, the immortals have been conquered by the demon named Mahisha; that king of demons has made efforts to seize you, O goddess.

एवमुक्तोऽस्मि देवैस्त्वां बोधयामि वरानने । स्थिरीभूता महादेवि तं दैत्यं प्रतिघातय ।। ९४.

Thus addressed by the gods, I inform you, O beautiful-faced one. O great goddess, now firmly oppose that demon.

उक्त्वैवान्तर्हितः सद्यो नारदः स्वेच्छया ययौ । देवी च कन्यास्ताः सर्वाः सन्नह्यन्तामुवाच ह ।। ९४.

Having spoken thus, Narada vanished at once by his own will, and the goddess commanded all the maidens to arm themselves.

ततः कन्या महाभागाः सर्वास्ता देविशासनात् । बभूवुर्घोररूपिण्यः खङ्गचर्मधनुर्धराः । संग्रामहेतोः संतस्थुर्दैत्यविध्वंसनाय ताः ।। ९४.

Then all those highly fortunate maidens, by the goddess’s command, assumed terrifying forms, armed with swords, shields, and bows; they stood ready for battle, to destroy the demons.

तावद् दैत्यबलं सर्वं मुक्त्वा देवचमूं द्रुतम् । आययौ यत्र तद् देव्याः संनद्धं स्त्रीबलं महत् ।। ९४.

Meanwhile, all the demon forces, abandoning the army of the gods, quickly came to where the goddess’s great army of women was assembled.

ततस्ता युयुधुः कन्या दानवैः सह दर्पिताः । क्षणेन तद् बलं ताभिश्चतुरङ्गं निपातितम् ।। ९४.

Then those proud maidens fought with the demons; in a moment, they struck down that fourfold army.

शिरांसि तत्र केषांचिच्छिन्नानि पतितानि च । अपरेषां विदार्योरः क्रव्यादाः पान्ति शोणितम् ।। ९४.

There, some heads were cut off and fell; others had their chests torn open, and flesh-eating beings drank their blood.

अन्ये कबन्धभूतास्तु ननृतुर्दैत्यनायकाः । एवं क्षणेन ते सर्वे विध्वस्ताः पापचेतसः । अपरे विद्रुताः सर्वे यत्रासौ महिषासुरः ।। ९४.

Other demon leaders, turned into headless bodies, danced; thus, in a moment, all those evil-minded ones were destroyed. The rest fled to where Mahishasura was.

ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं यथा दैत्यबलं महत् । एवं तदाकुलं दृष्ट्वा महिषो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । सेनापते किमेतद्धि बलं भग्नं ममाग्रतः ।। ९४.

Then, seeing the entire army in turmoil, as the mighty force of the demons was thrown into confusion, Mahisha spoke these words: 'Commander, what is this? My army is shattered before my eyes.'

ततो यज्ञहनुर्नामा दैत्यो हस्तिस्वरूपवान् । उवाच भग्नमेतद्धि कुमारीभिः समन्ततः ।। ९४.

Then the demon named Yajñahanur, who had the form of an elephant, replied: 'This defeat has been caused everywhere by the maidens.'

ततो दुद्राव महिषस्ताः कन्याः शुभलोचनाः । गदामादाय तरसा कन्या दुद्राव वेगवान् ।। ९४.

Then Mahisha rushed at those maidens with beautiful eyes; seizing his mace, one maiden charged swiftly toward him.

यत्र तिष्ठति सा देवी देवगन्धर्वपूजिता । तत्रैव सोऽसुरः प्रायाद् यत्र देवी व्यवस्थिता । सा च दृष्ट्वा तमायान्तं विंशद्धस्ता बभूव ह ।। ९४.

Where the goddess stood, honored by the gods and gandharvas, there the demon went, to the place where the goddess was stationed; and seeing him approaching, she became twenty-handed.

धनुः खङ्गं तथा शक्तिं शरान् शूलं गदां तथा । परशुं डमरुं चैव तथा घण्टां विशालिनीम् । शतघ्नीं मुद्गरं घोरं भुशुण्डीं कुन्तमेव च ।। ९४.

She took up a bow, sword, spear, arrows, trident, mace, axe, drum, a great bell, a hundred-killer, a dreadful mallet, a bhuśuṇḍī, and a spear.

मुसलं च तथा चक्रं भिन्दिपालं तथैव च । दण्डं पाशं ध्वजं चैव पद्मं चेति च विंशतिः ।। ९४.

She also took up a pestle, discus, sling, staff, noose, banner, and lotus—thus, twenty weapons.

भूत्वा विंशभुजा देवी सिंहमास्थाय दंशिता । सस्मार रुद्रं देवेशं रौद्रं संहारकारणम् ।। ९४.

Having become twenty-armed, the goddess mounted a lion, fierce in appearance, and remembered Rudra, the lord of the gods, the wrathful one, the cause of destruction.

ततो वृषध्वजः साक्षाद् रुद्रस्तत्रैव आययौ । तया प्रणम्य विज्ञप्तः सर्वान् दैत्यान् जयाम्यहम् ।। ९४.

Then the bull-bannered Rudra himself arrived there; she bowed to him and declared, 'I shall conquer all the demons.'

त्वयि सन्निधिमात्रे तु देवदेव सनातन । एवमुक्त्वाऽसुरान् सर्वान् जिगाय परमेश्वरी ।। ९४.

O eternal Lord of gods, merely by your presence, having spoken thus, the supreme goddess defeated all the demons.

मुक्तवा तमेकं महिषं शेषं हत्वा तमभ्ययात् । यावद् देवी ततः साऽपि तां दृष्ट्वा सोऽपि दुद्रुवे ।। ९४.

Having released Mahisha alone and slain the rest, she approached him; and when the goddess saw him, he too fled.