Chapter 3: The Slaying of Mahishasura
Seeing the great asura swollen with rage and advancing
towards her, Chandika displayed her wrath in order to slay him.
She flung her noose over him and bound the great asura. Thus
bound in the great battle, he quitted his buffalo form. Then suddenly he became
a lion. While Ambika cut off the head (of his lion form), he took the
appearance of a man with sword in hand. Immediately then the Devi with her
arrows chopped off the man together with his sword and shield. Then he became a
big elephant. (The elephant) tugged at her great lion with his trunk and roared
loudly, but as he was dragging, the Devi cut off his trunk with her sword. The
great asura then resumed his buffalo shape and shook the three worlds with
their movable and immovable objects.
And she with showers of arrows pulverized (those mountains)
hurled at her, and spoke to him in flurried words, the colour of her face
accentuated with the intoxication of the divine drink. The Devi said: 'Roar,
roar, O fool, for a moment while I drink this wine. When you will be slain by
me, the devas will soon roar in this very place.'
The Rishi said: Having exclaimed thus, she jumped and landed
herself on that great asura, pressed him on the neck with her foot and struck
him with her spear and thereupon, caught him under her foot. Mahishasura half
issued forth (in his real form) from his own (buffalo) mouth, being completely
overcome by the valour of the Devi. Fighting thus with his half-revealed form,
the great asura was overpowered by the Devi who struck off his head with her
great sword. Then, crying in consternation, the whole asura army perished; and
all the hosts of deva were in exultation. With the great sages of heaven, the
devas praised the Devi. The Gandharva chiefs sang and the bevies of apsaras
danced.
Here ends the third chapter called 'The Slaying of
Mahishasura' of Devi-Mahatmya in Markandeya Purana during the period of
Savarni, the Manu.
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