The Avatara of Mahakalika

The rishi said

There was an asura named Rambha, crest jewel of the daitya line, and from him was born the very energetic danava Mahisha. In battle the lord of danavas beat all the gods. He set himself on great Indra's seat and ruled the kingdom of heaven. The beaten gods took refuge with Brahma, who took them to where the two Vrishakapis, Shankara and Keshava, were. All the gods bowed to them and told them in order what the asuras had done. They said: Bhagavans, we have all been ousted by great-souled Mahisha, who has conquered heaven in battle; we roam this mortal world and find peace nowhere; there is no hardship the gods with Indra have not faced. The asura has taken over the tasks of Surya, Chandra, Varuna, Kubera, Yama, Indra, Agni, the wind god, the gandharvas, vidyadharas, charanas and others, and the evil-souled one, who gives the daityas freedom from fear, does all these himself. So we have taken refuge in you; save the gods, lords; the two of you should quickly find a way to kill him. Damodara and Sati's lord heard the gods.

They were filled with great anger and their eyes rolled in rage. A great mass of energy came out of the mouths of Vishnu and Shambhu, full of great wrath, and energy came from the bodies of other gods too, a great mass blazing in the ten directions. All the gods saw it and sank into meditation on Durga. The extremely terrible energy that came from the bodies of all the gods gathered and united in the form of a woman, Mahishamardini herself. Her very bright face was formed of Shambhu's energy, her hair of Yama's, her arms of Vishnu's, her two breasts of Chandra's, her waist of Indra's, her hips and thighs of Varuna's, her buttocks of the earth's, her feet of Brahma's and her toes of Surya's. Her fingers came from the Vasus' energy and her nose from Kubera's. Her teeth came from Prajapati's energy, her three eyes from Pavaka's, her two brows from Sandhya's and her ears from Anila's. All the other heaven-dwellers gave their energies to form her. Parameshvari, seated on a lotus, appeared, made from the mass of energy given by all the gods, and seeing her the gods were filled with great delight. Brahma and the other lords of the gods saw that she had no weapons, and resolved to give Shivaa weapons. Mahesha gave Maheshani a trident, Bhagavan Krishna a discus, the noose-holder a conch and noose, Agni a spear, Maruta a bow and a quiver full of arrows, Indra a vajra and a bell, Yama the staff of Kala, and Prajapati Brahma a string of beads and a water-pot. The maker of the day filled all the pores of her body with his rays. Kala gave her a sword and a bright shield. The ocean of milk gave her a bright necklace and garments that do not wear out. Vishvakarma gave her a divine jewel for her head, earrings, bracelets, bright half-moon armlets for all her arms, bright anklets, an excellent necklace, rings and jewels for all her fingers, a very beautiful battle-axe, many kinds of weapons and impenetrable armour. The ocean gave her garlands of unfading lotuses and a very beautiful lotus. Himalaya gave her a lion and many kinds of gems. Kubera gave her a vessel full of liquor. Shesha, lord of serpents, who holds up the whole earth, gave her a wonderful serpent necklace studded with many jewels. All the other gods gave Devi ornaments and weapons. Thus honoured by the gods she roared and laughed loudly again and again. The sound of that terrible roar filled the sky and echoed everywhere and shook the three worlds. In the four directions the oceans quivered and the earth shook. Suffering because of Mahisha, the gods cried "Victory." Their words choked with devotion, all the gods praised Ambika, the supreme Shakti who had taken the form of Mahalakshmi.

Seeing the worlds shaken, the gods' enemies roused themselves and armed and armoured their soldiers. Enraged, Mahisha rushed toward the sound and saw Devi there, filling the three worlds with her radiance. Meanwhile crores of very valiant asuras gathered under Mahishasura's protection with raised weapons: Chikshura, Chamara, Udagra, Karala, Uddhata, Vashkala, Tamra, Ugrasya, Ugravirya, Bidala, Andhaka, Durdhara, Durmukha, Trinetra and Mahahanu, and many other brave ones skilled in fighting. Skilled in shastras and astras, they fought Devi in that battle, and as the terrible fight went on a long time passed. Enraged, the enemy hurled heaps of weapons of many kinds, but by Mahamaya's powers they were at once made useless. Devi struck Chikshura and the other hordes with club, arrows, spears, tridents and battle-axes. Mahishasura saw his soldiers being slaughtered by the ganas born of Devi's breath. He struck some with his hooves and some on the chest with his horns, and repeatedly with his tail and snout. When Devi's ganas were killed so, the lord of asuras rushed at the lion, wishing to kill it. Devi grew angry. The very valiant one, enraged too, tore up the ground with his hooves, uprooted and flung down mountains with his horns and roared, whirling great mountains and hurling them with force, supreme among kings, so that they fell from the sky to the ground. Clouds struck by his horns were torn to shreds. Struck by his tail, the ocean overflowed in every direction. Seeing Mahishasura enraged, Ambika, who frees the gods from fear, thought how to bring about his death. Ishvari raised her noose and threw it over him. When Mahisha was bound he gave up his buffalo form. Skilled in maya, he took a lion's form, and Ambika at once cut off its head. He took a man's form with a sword in hand, and as he stood holding sword and shield, Devi struck him with arrows. He took the form of an elephant that dragged the lion with its trunk, and Devi cut off the trunk with her great sword. Then the rakshasa took his own form again and shook the three worlds with all moving and unmoving things. Mahamaya Chandika, revered for valour, grew angry. She drank the liquor again and again and, eyes rolling, laughed aloud. Insolent from strength and valour, the asura roared too, and uprooted mountains and hurled them at her, and she quickly struck them with arrows and with force reduced them to pieces. Flushed from the varuni liquor, her face red and her senses heightened, Maheshani spoke to him in a voice like thunder: foolish one, you have lost your wisdom, why act so rashly and uselessly? In the three worlds no asura can stand before me. Saying this, Devi, mistress of every art, leapt on him, pressed his throat with her foot and struck him with her fierce trident. Held down by Devi's valour, with her foot on his throat, he could only half come out of his own mouth. Though only half his body could emerge, the wretch went on fighting. With a great sword she cut off his head and it fell to the ground. All his followers cried "Alas" and, frightened, fled the battlefield shouting "Save us." Indra and all the other gods praised Devi, gandharvas sang and dancers danced. King, Medha said he had thus told Mahalakshmi's origin, and with a calm mind the king should now hear Sarasvati's.