The Birth of the Great Goddess

When Mahishasura became powerful enough to defeat the gods, he proclaimed himself the ruler of Heaven and of the universe. The gods, unable to overcome him, were filled with anger. Vishnu released a brilliant light from his forehead, while Shiva, Brahma, Indra and the other gods also released their own rays of light. All these rays came together and formed a single, dazzling mass of energy. From this concentrated light the figure of a woman gradually appeared.

She was Devi, the Great Goddess, and her form was created from the combined powers of the gods. The light of Shiva formed her face, while Yama gave her hair and Vishnu her arms. Chandra gave her breasts, Indra formed her waist, Varuna her thighs and Brahma her feet. Agni gave her three eyes. Thus the different powers of the gods became united in the form of the Goddess.

When Devi had appeared before them, the gods offered her their weapons and ornaments. Shiva gave her his trident, Vishnu his discus, and Indra his thunderbolt. Varuna gave her a lotus, while Surya gave her the rays of his own light. Other gods also presented her with ornaments and weapons, so that she stood before them fully armed and adorned with the gifts of the divine powers.

The Goddess then went forth to meet Mahishasura and his army. The demon king had believed that his strength had made him master of Heaven and the universe, but now he was confronted by a power formed from the combined strength of the gods themselves.

The battle that followed was fierce. The Goddess faced the armies of the demons and destroyed those who came against her. Mahishasura himself changed his forms during the battle, attempting to overcome her by every means available to him. Yet the Goddess remained victorious, and the power of the demon was finally brought to an end.

The appearance of Devi marks an important moment in the story of the Divine Mother. She is formed from the powers of the gods, yet once those powers have become united in her, she stands before them as an independent and overwhelming force. Her many weapons are reminders of the powers that have been entrusted to her, while her presence reveals the strength of the Goddess when all these forces become one.

But the story does not end with Mahishasura. Another demon will appear, and his power will create a far more difficult problem for the Goddess. His name is Raktabija, and there is something extraordinary about his blood: every drop that falls upon the earth gives rise to another demon.

It is in the encounter with Raktabija that the story takes a darker turn, and the fierce form of the Goddess known as Kali appears.

Source & Note

This article is based on Elizabeth U. Harding’s Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar (Nicolas-Hays, 1993). The material has been edited and adapted for this publication.

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