The Invincible Demon
Mahishasura had performed intense tapasya and won a boon: no male being — god, demon, or human — could kill him. He took this as effective immortality. He stormed through all the worlds, defeated the gods, and took over all three realms.
The devas came to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva in despair. Each of the great gods poured their energy outward in a great blazing light — and those lights merged.
From the merged radiance of all the gods emerged Durga — the warrior goddess, the supreme Shakti, beautiful and terrible.
The gods gave her their weapons: Shiva gave his trident, Vishnu his chakra, Indra his thunderbolt, Varuna his noose, Agni his spear. The Himalayas gave her a lion to ride.
The Battle
Mahishasura's army met her first. She cut through it effortlessly, her eight or eighteen arms wielding weapons in every direction simultaneously, riding her lion with her hair flying loose.
The generals fell one by one. Mahishasura himself finally came forward.
He shifted shape: first a buffalo, then a lion, then a human archer, then an elephant. With every form, Durga engaged and struck. He returned to his buffalo form for the final battle — she caught him by the horns, pressed him down with her foot, and drove her trident into his chest.
He died.
The Victory
The gods rained flowers from heaven. They sang her praises.
The *Devi Mahatmya* records their words: "What Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva cannot accomplish alone, you accomplish. You are the energy that runs through all of creation. You are the basis on which every act of the cosmos rests."
Durga's victory over Mahishasura is commemorated every year in Navratri — nine nights of worship — and Vijayadashami — the tenth day of victory. It is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the Hindu world.