Sri Mahishasura Mardini

[Mirtha Shikles]

Theauthorship of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotra is attributed to the theologian Adi Shankara. This hymn is mentioned in the 53rd chapter of the 1st portion of the text Shivarahasya Purana.[5] The hymn is based on the text Devi Mahatmya,[6] referencing a number of legends of the goddess Durga such as slaying Mahishasura, Raktabija, as well as Chanda and Munda, as well as generally praising her attributes.[7]

According to the Devi Mahatmya, in the legend called the Mahishasura Vadha,[8] furious about the asuras under Mahishasura expelling the devas and overrunning Svarga, the Trimurti (supreme trinity) of the deities Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva combined their energies, which assumed the form of a goddess called Durga. Armed with the weapons and attributes of the deities, Durga slew the shape-shifting Mahishashura, who assumed the forms of a lion, elephant, and a buffalo, and finally a man. She was glorified by the deities as the primordial being and the origin of the Vedas. Pleased by their hymns, the goddess promised the deities salvation whenever they faced danger.[9][10]

aigiri nandini nanditamēdini viśvavinōdini nandinutē

girivaravindhyaśirōdhinivāsini viṣṇuvilāsinijiṣṇunutē

bhagavati hē śitikaṇṭhakuṭumbini bhūrikuṭumbini bhūrikṛtē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē

O auspicious daughter of the mountain, who delights all of creation, who rejoices with the universe, who is praised by Nandi

who resides on the peak of Vindhyas, who dwells on Vishnu, who is praised by Indra,

O goddess,

who is the consort of the blue-throated one, who has a universal family, who created abundance

Victory to you, victory to you, O slayer of Mahishasura, who has beautifully braided hair, who is the daughter of the mountain

Mahishasura (Sanskrit: महषसुर, IAST: Mahiṣāsura) is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in Hindu literature as a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting.[1][2][3] Mahishasura was the son of the asura Rambha and a she-buffalo named Mahisi. He was ultimately killed by the goddess Durga with her trishula (trident) after which she gained the epithet Mahishasuramardini ("Slayer of Mahishasura"). Mahishasura had a son named Gajasura.

The Navaratri ("Nine Nights") festival eulogises this battle between Mahishasura and Durga, culminating in Vijayadashami, a celebration of his ultimate defeat. This story of the "triumph of good over evil" carries profound symbolism in Hinduism, particularly Shaktism, and is both narrated as well as reenacted from the Devi Mahatmya at many South and Southeast Asian Hindu temples.[4][5][6]

Mahishasura is a Sanskrit word composed of Mahisha meaning "buffalo" and asura meaning "demon", translating to "buffalo demon". As an asura, Mahishasura waged war against the devas, as the devas and asuras were perpetually in conflict. Mahishasura had gained the boon that no man could kill him. In the battles between the devas and the demons (asuras), the devas, led by Indra, were defeated by Mahishasura. Subjected to defeat, the devas assembled in the mountains where their combined divine energies coalesced into the goddess Durga. The newborn Durga led a battle against Mahishasura, riding a lion, and killed him. Thereafter, she was named Mahishasuramardini, meaning The Killer of Mahishasura.[3][8] According to the Lakshmi Tantra, it is the goddess Lakshmi who slays Mahishasura instantaneously, and extolling her feat is described to offer everlasting supremacy.[9]

Mahishasura's legend is told in the major texts of the Shaktism traditions known as the Devi Mahatmya, which is part of Markandeya Purana. The story of Mahishasura is told in the chapter where Markandeya is narrating the story of the birth of Savarnika Manu. Per the Markandeya Purana, the story of Mahishasura was narrated in the second Manvantara (approximately 1.3 billion years ago, as per the Vishnu Purana) by Maharishi Medha to a king named Suratha.[10] Mahishasura is described as an evil being who can change his outer form, but never his demonic goals.[8] According to Christopher Fuller, Mahishasura represents the forces of ignorance and chaos hidden by outer appearances.[11][2] The symbolism is carried in Hindu art found in South Asia and South-East Asia (e.g., Javanese art), where Durga is shown as a serene, calm, collected and graceful symbol of good as she pierces the heart and kills the scared, overwhelmed and outwitted Mahishasura.[12][2]

Durga slaying Mahishasura is a prominent theme which was sculpted in various caves and temples across India. Some of the prominent representations are seen at the Mahishasuramardini caves in Mahabalipuram, the Ellora Caves, in the entrance of Rani ki vav,[13] Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu and many more temples across India. The worship of Durga during Durga Puja in Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and other eastern states is represented in Pandal which depict Durga killing Mahishasura.[14] The legend of Mahishasura has also been inspiration for films, plays and dance dramas.[15]

The popular legend is that Mysore (Mahishooru) gets its name from Mahishasuramardini, a manifestation of goddess Durga. The buffalo demon Mahishasura, states the regional tradition, had terrified the local population. It is believed that goddess Durga (Chamundeshwari) killed Mahishasura on top of the Chamundi Hills. The spot was constructed as the Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru, an event that is annually celebrated at Navaratri and Mysuru Dasara. The British Era in India saw the name of "Mahishooru" change to "Mysore" and later Kannadized into "Mysuru".[16]

The temple of the city's guardian deity, Chamundeshvari, has a giant statue of Mahishasura on the hill facing the city.[17][18] The earliest mention of Mysore in recorded history may be traced to 245 B.C., i.e., to the period of Ashoka when on the conclusion of the third Buddhist convocation, a team was dispatched to Mahesha Mandala.[19]

ayi girinandini nanditamēdini viśvavinōdini nandinutē

girivaravindhyaśirōdhinivāsini viṣṇuvilāsini jiṣṇunutē

bhagavati hē śitikaṇṭhakuṭumbini bhūrikuṭumbini bhūrikr̥tē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 1

suravaravarṣiṇi durdharadharṣiṇi durmukhamarṣiṇi harṣaratē

tribhuvanapōṣiṇi śaṅkaratōṣiṇi kalmaṣamōṣiṇi ghōraratē [kilbiṣa-, ghōṣa-]

danujanirōṣiṇi ditisutarōṣiṇi durmadaśōṣiṇi sindhusutē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 2

ayi jagadamba madamba kadambavanapriyavāsini hāsaratē

śikhariśirōmaṇituṅgahimālayaśr̥ṅganijālayamadhyagatē

madhumadhurē madhukaiṭabhagajini kaiṭabhabhajini rāsaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 3

ayi śatakhaṇḍa vikhaṇḍitaruṇḍa vituṇḍitaśuṇḍa gajādhipatē

ripugajagaṇḍa vidāraṇacaṇḍa parākramaśuṇḍa mr̥gādhipatē

nijabhujadaṇḍa nipātitakhaṇḍavipātitamuṇḍabhaṭādhipatē [caṇḍa]

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 4

ayi raṇadurmada śatruvadhōdita durdharanirjara śaktibhr̥tē

caturavicāradhurīṇa mahāśiva dūtakr̥ta pramathādhipatē

duritadurīhadurāśayadurmatidānavadūtakr̥tāntamatē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 5

ayi śaraṇāgatavairivadhūvara vīravarābhayadāyakarē

tribhuvana mastaka śūlavirōdhiśirōdhikr̥tāmala śūlakarē

dumidumitāmara dundubhināda mahō mukharīkr̥ta tigmakarē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 6

ayi nijahuṅkr̥timātra nirākr̥ta dhūmravilōcana dhūmraśatē

samaraviśōṣita śōṇitabīja samudbhavaśōṇita bījalatē

śiva śiva śumbha niśumbha mahāhava tarpita bhūta piśācaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 7

dhanuranusaṅga raṇakṣaṇasaṅga parisphuradaṅga naṭatkaṭakē

kanaka piśaṅgapr̥ṣatkaniṣaṅgarasadbhaṭa śr̥ṅga hatāvaṭukē

kr̥tacaturaṅga balakṣitiraṅga ghaṭadbahuraṅga raṭadbaṭukē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 8

suralalanā tatathēyi tathēyi kr̥tābhinayōdara nr̥tyaratē

kr̥ta kukuthaḥ kukuthō gaḍadādikatāla kutūhala gānaratē

dhudhukuṭa dhukkuṭa dhindhimita dhvani dhīra mr̥daṅga ninādaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 9

jaya jaya japya jayē jaya śabdaparastuti tatpara viśvanutē

bhaṇa bhaṇa bhijimi bhiṅkr̥tanūpura sijitamōhita bhūtapatē [jha-, jhiṁ-]

naṭitanaṭārdha naṭīnaṭanāyaka nāṭitanāṭya sugānaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 10

ayi sumanaḥ sumanaḥ sumanaḥ sumanaḥ sumanōhara kāntiyutē

śrita rajanī rajanī rajanī rajanī rajanīkara vaktravr̥tē

sunayana vibhramara bhramara bhramara bhramara bhramarādhipatē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 11

sahita mahāhava mallama tallika mallita rallaka mallaratē

viracita vallika pallika mallika bhillika bhillika varga vr̥tē

sitakr̥ta phullasamullasitāruṇa tallaja pallava sallalitē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 12

aviralagaṇḍagalanmadamēdura mattamataṅgaja rājapatē

tribhuvanabhūṣaṇabhūtakalānidhi rūpapayōnidhi rājasutē

ayi sudatījana lālasamānasa mōhanamanmatha rājasutē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 13

kamaladalāmala kōmalakānti kalākalitāmala bhālalatē

sakalavilāsakalānilaya kramakēlicalatkalahaṁsakulē

alikula saṅkula kuvalaya maṇḍala maulimiladbhakulāli kulē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē 14

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