After the hosts of Pramathas were scattered, the mighty demon Mahisha, burning with fury, charged forward with the intent to slay the lion of Mahadevi. Witnessing this, Ambika’s anger flared. The demon, in his wrath, stamped the earth with his hooves, hurled mountains into the sky with his horns, and let out a thunderous roar. His furious spinning and unrestrained speed shattered the earth itself, and with a single lash of his tail, the ocean’s waters overflowed in every direction. The clouds were torn apart by his swinging horns, scattering in fragments across the heavens, while hundreds of mountains, swept upward by the force of his breath, tumbled down from the sky. Seeing this great demon, swollen with rage and rushing to attack, Caṇḍikā’s anger intensified, intent on his destruction. She cast her noose upon him and bound the great asura. Even as he struggled in her bonds amid the tumult of battle, he abandoned his buffalo form. In an instant, he became a lion, but as Ambikā struck off his head, a man wielding a sword appeared before her. The goddess immediately cut down this man with her arrows, and together with his sword and shield, he assumed the form of a great elephant. With his trunk, he seized the goddess’s lion and roared, but as he dragged the beast, Ambika severed his trunk with her sword. The great demon then once more took the form of a buffalo, shaking the three worlds—everything that moves and does not move—with his might. Now Chandika, the enraged Mother of the Universe, drank the excellent liquor again and again, laughing with eyes reddened with wrath. The demon, intoxicated by his own power, roared in defiance and hurled mountains at Chandika with his horns. She shattered those mountains with volleys of arrows, then spoke to him, her words agitated and colored by intoxication: “Roar, roar for a moment, fool, while I drink my liquor; when I slay you here, the gods will soon roar instead.” Having spoken thus, she leapt upon the great demon, mounted him, pressed his neck beneath her foot, and struck him with her spear. As she pressed him down, the demon began to emerge from his own mouth, but the goddess restrained him with her power. While he was still half-emerged, fighting desperately, the goddess struck off his head with her mighty sword and cast him down. Thus, Mahisha by name, together with his army and his circle of friends, who had bewildered the three worlds, was destroyed by the goddess. When Mahisha was slain, all the beings present in the three worlds—gods, demons, and humans—cried out in triumph, “Victory!” Thereafter, the demon army was overcome with grief and perished, while all the hosts of gods rejoiced in supreme happiness. The gods, joined by the divine sages, praised the goddess; the Gandharvas, lords of celestial music, sang her glory, and the Apsaras, heavenly nymphs, danced in celebration. Then all the hosts of gods, led by Indra, began to offer hymns to the goddess after the slaying of Mahishasura. With their heads bowed in reverence, their bodies thrilled with joy, and their words full of delight, the gods, led by mighty Indra, praised her: “To her by whom, with her own inherent power, this universe is pervaded, who is the very form of the combined energies of all the gods, to Ambika, worshipped by all gods and sages, we bow in devotion—may she grant us auspiciousness. Whose incomparable power neither the infinite Lord, nor Brahma, nor Shiva can describe or comprehend—may that Chandika, who protects the whole world and destroys all that is inauspicious, direct our minds. She who is prosperity itself in the homes of the virtuous, misfortune among the wicked, wisdom in the hearts of the wise, faith among the good, and modesty in noble families—to you, O Goddess, we bow; protect the universe. How can we describe your form, which is beyond thought? How can we recount your immense power that destroys the demons? How can we tell of your wondrous deeds in battle among all the hosts of gods, demons, and others? You are the cause of all worlds, though composed of the three gunas, you are not known even by Vishnu, Shiva, and others, being boundless. You are the support of all; this entire universe is but a portion of you. Indeed, you are the primordial, unmanifest Supreme Nature. O Goddess, by whose utterance all the gods are satisfied and rejoice in every sacrifice; you are indeed Svāhā, the cause of fulfillment for the hosts of ancestors, and thus you are invoked by people as Svadhā as well. You are the source of liberation, of inconceivable and great vows, practiced by those whose senses and understanding are well-disciplined; by sages free from all faults who seek release, you are that supreme knowledge, O blessed Goddess. You are the essence of sound, the pure repository for those who perform sacred offerings, the delight of those who recite the melodious Sāman hymns; O Goddess, you are the threefold Veda, the blessed one who brings forth the world, and the supreme destroyer of all suffering. You are wisdom, O Goddess, known as the essence of all scriptures; you are Durgā, the boat that carries across the difficult ocean of existence; you are Śrī, dwelling solely in the heart of the slayer of Kaitabha; you are Gaurī, established by the moon-crested one. When Mahiṣāsura suddenly beheld your face—slightly smiling, spotless, resembling the full orb of the moon, radiant with the finest golden brilliance, wondrous and fierce in its wrath—O Goddess, seeing your angry face, terrible with furrowed brows and yet shining like the rising moon, it is truly astonishing that Mahiṣa did not at once give up his life; for who can endure the sight of death itself enraged? O supreme Goddess, be gracious! For the sake of the world, you instantly destroy entire lineages in your wrath. It is now clearly known that the immense power of Mahishasura has been brought to its end. Those in whose lands you are honored possess wealth and fame, and their paths of righteousness never falter. Truly blessed are those whose children, servants, and spouses are secure, for you, when pleased, always grant them prosperity. O Goddess, the virtuous person, ever devoted, performs all righteous deeds daily; by your grace, he attains heaven, and you indeed bestow rewards in all three worlds. O Durga, when remembered, you remove the fear of all beings; when remembered by the healthy, you grant supreme auspiciousness. Who but you, destroyer of poverty, sorrow, and fear, is ever compassionate, intent on helping all? With these slain, the world attains happiness; let these others commit evil and go to hell for a long time. Thinking thus, you surely destroy the wicked, O Goddess, sending them to death in battle so they may ascend to heaven. Why do you not reduce all demons to ashes just by your sight? Yet, you send forth weapons against your foes so that, purified by arms, even enemies may reach the worlds; such is your exceedingly noble intention toward them.” Thus, the gods, sages, and celestial beings praised the great goddess for her victory, her boundless power, and her ever-compassionate heart.