Devi Mahatmya: Durga and Mahishasura
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When no god can defeat the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, their combined powers take form as Goddess Durga.
Source: Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati), part of the Markandeya Purana
Festivals
- Navratri
- Durga Puja (UNESCO)
- Vijayadashami
The lesson
Shakti, the divine feminine power, protects dharma. Unity of strengths overcomes evil.
Mahishasura has a boon that no man or god can kill him. The gods pool their energies, which take the form of the Goddess. Riding a lion and armed with the weapons of every god, she battles him for nine days and slays him on the tenth: Vijayadashami. The 700 verses of the Durga Saptashati are recited during Navratri across India.