The Mythology Book

210

See also: ■ Brahma creates the cosmos 200 ■ The game of dice 202–03 ■

The Ramayana 204–09

I

n Hindu mythology, the buffalo

demon Mahishasura sought

immortality to secure a victory

for his fellow Asuras over the

benevolent deities, the Devas. He

undertook a long penance to the

god Brahma, but the creator god

rejected his request. Mahishasura

then asked that he should not be

killed by any man, nor by the

Trimurti—the Hindu Trinity of

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma

agreed, knowing what was to be.

Mahishasura amassed his

troops, first devastating the earth,

then defeating the Devas in the

heavens, forcing them to flee. Indra,

king of the gods, begged the

Trimurti to find a solution. Brahma,

Vishnu, and Shiva focused their

power into a great flame, from which

emerged the goddess Durga, who

preexisted as a cosmic force and

was celebrated as a creator of the

universe. Clutching an array of

weapons given to her by the gods,

the many-armed goddess rode her

lion into battle and destroyed the

army of the Asuras. Mahishasura

attacked her repeatedly, sometimes

shape-shifting into different forms,

until finally the goddess cut off his

head, ending his terrible reign.

Durga’s victory is celebrated

during her annual 10-day festival,

called Durga Puja in northeastern

India and Dashain in Nepal. ■

I AM THE LADY,

RULER OF THE

WORLDS

DURGA SLAYS THE BUFFALO DEMON

IN BRIEF

THEME

Triumph of good over evil

SOURCE

“Devi Mahatmya” (“Glory of

the Goddess”), Markandeya

Purana, Anonymous,

5th–7th century ce.

SETTING

Heaven.

KEY FIGURES

Mahishasura Buffalo Demon.

Brahma The Creator in the

Hindu Trinity (Trimurti).

Vishnu The Preserver in the

Hindu Trinity (Trimurti).

Shiva The Destroyer in the

Hindu Trinity (Trimurti).

Indra King of the gods.

Durga Warrior goddess and

preexisting cosmic force, also

known as Devi and Shakti.

Durga slays Mahishasura in his

horned male form as she sits astride her

lion amid deities in this 19th-century

image by Indian painter Raji Ravi Rama.

US_210-211_Durga_Meenakshi.indd 210 06/12/17 3:01 pm

211

See also: The game of dice 202–03 ■ The Ramayana 204–09 ■ Durga slays the

buffalo demon 210

M

eenakshi is known as

the Fish-Eyed Goddess,

having been blessed

with beautiful fish-shaped eyes.

She was regarded as the divine

ruler of the city of Madurai by the

Pandyan Dynasty—sea traders and

sailors who adopted the symbol of

the fish on their coins and flags.

The legend of the Fish-Eyed

Goddess, who has inspired hymns

and rituals, tells of a Pandyan king

of Madurai named Malayadwaja

Pandya, who prayed for a child. The

gods brought forth a daughter with

three breasts from a pit of fire. A

divine voice told the king that the

third breast would vanish when his

daughter met the husband of her

destiny. The king named her

Meenakshi, and taught her shastras

(traditional sciences) to prepare her

for the throne.

Holy matrimony

Following the death of her father,

Meenakshi, now a powerful warrior,

traveled north to wage war on

his enemies. She conquered the

abodes of Brahma, Vishnu, and

the Devas, traveling farther to

the abode of Shiva. She triumphed

over Shiva’s attendants and his bull

guardian, Nandi. Next in her line

of attack was the hermit Shiva

himself, but the moment they

looked at each other, she realized

she must be an incarnation of his

consort Parvati, goddess of fertility,

love, and devotion. That instant,

Meenakshi lost her third breast.

Shiva and Meenakshi traveled to

Madurai and were married. ■

ASIA

O! MEENAKSHI!

FISH-EYED GODDESS!

GRANT ME BLISS!

THE FISH-EYED GODDESS FINDS A HUSBAND

IN BRIEF

THEME

Marriage

SOURCE

Tiruvilayaadal Puranam

(“The Sacred Sports of

Shiva”), Paranjothi Munivar,

17th century ce.

SETTING

Madurai, Tamil Nadu,

South India.

KEY FIGURES

Meenakshi Divine ruler of the

Pandyan Kingdom; avatar

(incarnation) of Parvati.

Malayadwaja Pandya

Second Pandyan king; father

of Meenakshi.

Brahma The Creator in the

Hindu Trinity (Trimurti).

Vishnu The Preserver in the

Hindu Trinity (Trimurti).

Shiva The Destroyer in the

Hindu Trinity (Trimurti).

Parvati Goddess of fertility;

consort of Shiva the Destroyer.

You shine with the

green emerald splendor!

You are the spouse of Shiva.

Your eyes resemble fish!

Sacred Songs of India

V. K. Subramanian (1998)

US_210-211_Durga_Meenakshi.indd 211 06/12/17 3:01 pm