Vaishṇavī
Vaishṇavī is a twenty-armed divine Śakti born from the rajas (energy of action) of Bhagavān Vishṇu. She is one of three forms of Tri-kāla Devī, who arose from the joint gaze of the Trimūrti (Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva). She has the red colour of rajo-guṇa and carries the śaṅkha (conch) and cakra (discus).
She does tapas (austerity) on Mount Mandara and builds a city of golden palaces. She then fights a war of ten thousand years against the asura Mahishāsura and kills him with her śūla (trident) on Mount Śataśṛṅga. Brahmā and all the devas praise her victory as the greatest act of Śakti. The Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 89 to 95, tells her account.
Origin and birth
In the beginning, Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva turned their eyes on one another at the same time on the peak of Kailāsa. Their joined gaze gave rise to a shining maiden of three colours: white, red and black. She said she was the Śakti-form (Śakti-svarūpiṇī) of all three, the Parameśvarī born of their yogic sight. The Trimūrti named her Tri-kāla and charged her to protect the universe for ever.
The three aspects then parted. The white sāttvic aspect stayed with Brahmā as the Sṛshṭi-śakti (power of creation). The red rājasic aspect became Vaishṇavī, the Vishṇu-māyā who carries the śaṅkha and cakra. The dark tāmasic aspect became Raudrī.
So Vaishṇavī is the rajo-guṇa form of the one supreme Śakti. The Varāha Mahā Purāṇa names her plainly as Vishṇu-māyā, who keeps and protects the whole cosmos.
Appearance and weapons
Vaishṇavī has a blood-red colour and surpassing beauty. She is young and bright. When the asura Mahishāsura comes against her, she shows twenty arms and takes up twenty weapons. They are:
- a bow
- a sword
- a śakti spear
- arrows
- a śūla
- a gadā (mace)
- an axe
- a ḍamaru (drum)
- a great bell
- a śataghnī
- an iron pestle
- a ghoura bhuśuṇḍi
- a javelin
- a musala
- a cakra
- a bhinḍipāla
- a daṇḍa (staff)
- a pāśa (noose)
- a dhvaja (banner)
- a padma (lotus)
She rides a lion and wears armour. Before she enters battle she calls on the presence of Rudra, that is, Bhagavān Śiva.
Tapas on Mandara and the building of the Devī-pura
After the Trimūrti gave her freedom and a presence in all places, Vaishṇavī left for Mount Mandara. She went in the form of a kaumāra-vrata-dhāriṇī, one bound by the vow of lifelong celibacy. While she was doing tapas there, the strength of her inner focus made countless beautiful maidens spring from her mind. Their foremost names include Vidyutprabhā, Candrakānti, Sūryakānti, Ghṛtācī, Urvaśī, Śaśinī, Viśālākshī, Jayā, Vijayā, Jayantī and Aparājitā, along with hundreds more.
For these maidens (kanyā-gaṇas), Vaishṇavī built a grand city on the mountain by the power of her tapas. It had wide golden roads, palaces set with gems, jewelled gateways and fragrant gardens on every side.
She sat there on her throne, fanned with white cāmaras (yak-tail fans). Ṛshis and devas did pūjā to her. She wore garlands of campaka, aśoka, punnāga and nāgakeśara blossoms. The ṛshi Nārada visited this city. He was so struck by her matchless beauty, courage and calm detachment that he said she had no equal in the three worlds, among devas, gandharvas, siddhas, yakshas, kinnaras or rākshasas.
The war against Mahishāsura
After visiting Vaishṇavī’s city, Nārada went on to the fortress of Mahishāsura, which stood in the ocean. He described the glory of the Devī to him. Mahishāsura was filled with desire. He sent his councillors to plan, and then sent his envoy Vidyutprabhā to Vaishṇavī with an offer of marriage.
Vaishṇavī received the envoy with calm dignity. But her door-keeper Jayā sent him away firmly. She said that the Devī keeps the vow of kaumāra for ever and that none of her maidens would ever agree. Mahishāsura was furious. He gathered his four-part army under his general Virūpāksha and launched a great attack on the devas. In the war that followed, eight rākshasas drove back the eight Vasus. Twelve rākshasas drove back the twelve Ādityas. Eleven asura chiefs routed the eleven Rudras. The devas fled in confusion to Brahmaloka.
With the devas in disorder, Nārada came before Vaishṇavī again. He bowed to the ground and begged her to kill the asura who had now shamed all the devas.
Victory over Mahishāsura
At Nārada’s request, Vaishṇavī ordered all her maidens to take up arms. The whole asura army that had been ravaging the deva hosts turned and rushed at this force of women. With great courage, the maidens broke the four-part army in an instant. Heads rolled, chests were split, and headless bodies danced.
Mahishāsura himself, mace in hand, rushed at the gathered maidens. When Vaishṇavī saw him come, she showed her twenty arms, took up her twenty weapons, mounted her lion, put on her armour and called silently on Rudra. Bhagavān Śiva, with the bull banner, appeared at once. She bowed to him and said, “I shall conquer these asuras. Stay near me.”
The battle between Vaishṇavī and Mahisha lasted ten thousand divine years. The whole brahmāṇḍa (universe) shook. At last, on Mount Śataśṛṅga, she set her foot on the asura, pierced him with her śūla and cut off his head with her sword (khaḍga). At the moment her weapon fell, a shining purusha came out of Mahisha’s body and rose to svarga (heaven). This shows his liberation through her grace.
Brahmā and all the devas gathered and praised her with warm stotras (hymns of praise). They asked that whoever recites this praise with devotion should have all wishes fulfilled. The Devī gave this vara (boon). She settled there and sent the devas back to their own worlds.
Her place in the Purāṇa
The Varāha Mahā Purāṇa names Vaishṇavī plainly as the rajo-guṇātmaka Śakti (Śakti of the nature of rajas) of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Her work is sthiti, the keeping of the universe. Her forms fill the cosmos, eighteen crores in number. The text says, “Vaishṇavī’s distinct forms number eighteen crores. She is the rājasa Śakti who rules the worlds.”
She is at once protector, warrior and mother of the cosmos (viśva-rūpiṇī). Her defeat of Mahishāsura is celebrated in this Purāṇa as its main account of the Mahishāsura-vadha (the slaying of Mahishāsura).
Sources
- Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 89–95