Karma Sutra: Durga, the slayer of Mahishasura, the buffalo demon

Since Mahishasura was very strong, he knew that no woman would ever be able to slay him. So, he considered himself to be as good as immortal. With this belief, he waged a war with the devas. The devas who were led by Indra, were defeated. Unable to tolerate Mahishasura’s cruelty, the gods pleaded with the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva) to annihilate the tyrant demon king.

Together the trinity combined their ‘Tejas’ (spiritual energy) and created Durga. The goddess led a battle against Mahishasura and eventually killed him with the trident (given to her by Shiva), thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would meet his end at the hands of a woman.

Mahalaya, which heralds the advent of goddess Durga also marks the beginning of ‘Devi’ paksha or phase and the end of ‘Pitra’ paksha. Pitra paksha is a sixteen day period of homage to ancestors. On the last day of this phase, people offer ‘Tarpan’ (prayers) in the memory of their deceased forefathers by taking a dip in the gangas.
The traditional six-day countdown to Durga Puja starts from Mahalaya. The goddess visits the earth for only four days along with her four children, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati and Laxmi, representing- the protector, the initiator (of the puja), knowledge and the provider (respectively). But the enchanting recital of versus heard on Mahalaya at pre-dawn hours mark the beginning of ‘Devi Paksha’.

The rendition of shlokas from ‘Chandi Mantra’ (hymns from Devi Mahatmya) tells the story of the descent of Devi Durga to Earth and goes on to describe the epic battle fought between goddess Durga and Mahishasura. The divine aura of the narration is an enchanting experience. It transports one to another realm of existence. The serenity of the early morning hours resonates with the sound of the conch shell (shankha dhwani). The chorus of invocation sets the stage for the ‘Chandi Mantra’.

‘Mahalaya Mahisasura mardini’ or the subjugation of the negative or asuric forces represented by Mahishasura, is also a reminder for us to destroy the asuric (demonic/ evil) tendencies thriving in us. Like Mahishasura, we have ravaged our world of flora and fauna, our mother earth who sustains us. If we don’t check our destructive tendencies, nature in the form of Durga will !