Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comMahishasura Vadh Katha
The Mahishasura Vadh Katha tells how Goddess Durga emerged from the combined radiance of the gods, defeated by Mahishasura, and how, after a fierce nine-day battle, she slew him and freed the three worlds from his tyranny, it is in memory of this victory that Durga Ashtami and Navratri are observed.
Chapter 1 · The Gods' Defeat, and the Creation of Maa Durga
A demon named Mahishasura pleased Lord Brahma with severe penance and obtained the boon that no man, whether human or god, would ever be able to kill him. Intoxicated by this boon, he attacked the three worlds, defeated Indra, the king of the gods, along with all the other gods, seized control of heaven, and declared himself the lord of all three worlds.
The defeated and helpless gods went to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva for help. Hearing of Mahishasura's tyranny, the three gods were filled with rage, and blazing flames of radiance poured forth from their faces. This radiance merged with the combined radiance of all the other gods, and from this united mass of light emerged a supremely radiant female form, this was the manifestation of Maa Durga, whose face was formed from Shiva's radiance, whose arms from Vishnu's, and whose hair from Yama's.
Read the Durga Chalisa →Delighted at the goddess's manifestation, each god gave her their finest weapon, Shiva gave his trident, Vishnu his Sudarshan Chakra, Indra his thunderbolt and bell, Varuna his conch and noose, Agni his spear, Vayu his bow and arrows, Surya arrows as radiant as his own rays, Vishwakarma an axe, and the Himalaya gave her a lion, which became her mount. Thus armed with every weapon, Maa Durga mounted her lion and set out to battle Mahishasura.
Chapter 2 · The Slaying of Mahishasura, and the Goddess's Victory
Hearing Maa Durga's lion's roar and the clang of her weapons, the three worlds trembled. Mahishasura advanced to battle with his vast demon army, which included fearsome generals such as Chikshura, Chamara, Udagra, Mahahanu, and Asiloma. In the fierce battle, the goddess began destroying the demon army with her various weapons, spreading chaos across the battlefield.
When Mahishasura saw his entire army being destroyed, he entered the battle himself. To deceive the goddess, he took the forms of a buffalo, a lion, an elephant, and a man in turn, but in every form the goddess confronted him resolutely. Finally, as he attempted to attack her while half-emerged from his buffalo form as a man, the goddess pinned him to the ground with her foot and slew him with her trident.
The gods rejoiced at Mahishasura's death and hailed the goddess with praise. Because of this victory, Maa Durga came to be called 'Mahishasuramardini,' the slayer of Mahishasura. It is in memory of this nine-day battle that Navratri's nine days are observed, and Ashtami tithi, the day on which the goddess slew Mahishasura, is worshipped specially as Durga Ashtami.
Read the Durga Aarti →How to Read Mahishasura Vadh Katha
On Durga Ashtami, bathe in the morning and perform a full sixteen-step worship of Maa Durga, meditating on her Mahishasuramardini form. Kanya pujan and a havan hold special significance on this day. It's also traditional to observe a fast across Navratri's nine days and recite the Durga Chalisa or Durga Saptashati daily.
About Mahishasura Vadh Katha
This story is told across two chapters. The first tells of Mahishasura's boon, the gods' defeat, and the manifestation of Maa Durga from their combined radiance along with her divine weapons. The second describes the fierce battle with Mahishasura, his shape-shifting deceptions, and finally his slaying.
This story is connected to Durga Ashtami and the festival of Navratri. This page presents both chapters' full text in plain Hindi, with adjustable text size and print support.
About The Markandeya Purana (Durga Saptashati)
The Mahishasura Vadh Katha has no single authoritative printed 'katha text', it is a well-known and widely recited Puranic legend from the Madhyama Charitra of the Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmya), part of the Markandeya Purana. The wording here has been composed independently, so it is not a word-for-word copy of any single website's or publication's text, though the sequence of events follows the Purana's well-established tradition. Note: the story of the slaying of Shumbha-Nishumbha, a separate episode from the Uttama Charitra of the Durga Saptashati, is covered on its own page on this site, and is not included here.
Frequently asked questions
What boon did Mahishasura possess?
Pleased by his severe penance, Brahma granted him the boon that no man, human or god, could ever kill him, which led him to consider himself invincible.
How was Maa Durga created?
Enraged at their defeat by Mahishasura, the combined radiance that poured forth from Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and all the other gods united into one supremely radiant female form, this was the manifestation of Maa Durga.
What weapons did the gods give the goddess?
Shiva gave his trident, Vishnu his Sudarshan Chakra, Indra his thunderbolt, Varuna his conch, Agni his spear, Vayu his bow and arrows, and the Himalaya gave her a lion, which became her mount.
How did the goddess slay Mahishasura?
During the battle, Mahishasura repeatedly took the forms of a buffalo, a lion, an elephant, and a man to deceive the goddess. As he emerged half-buffalo, half-man, the goddess pinned him with her foot and slew him with her trident.