Mahishāsura Vadha and Devīpattana

Mahishāsura was an asura with the form of a buffalo. He conquered the three worlds and drove Indra out of svarga (heaven). The devas went to Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva, and their combined tejas (radiance) became Śrī Mahishāsuramardinī Devī. She slew Mahishāsura at the Dharma Pushkariṇī in the Setu-kshetra. That place is now called Devīpattana.

This account is told in the Setu Māhātmya of the Brahma Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa.

The birth of Mahishāsura

A daughter of Diti, the great mother of the daitya line, performed intense tapas (austerity). By the power of this tapas, Mahishāsura was born. He had the nature of an asura and the form of a buffalo. At birth he had the combined power of the daitya line and the fierce energy of his mother’s tapas.

(Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 6)

The conquest of the three worlds

Mahishāsura grew in power and pride. He made war on the devas and conquered all three worlds: bhūloka, the middle worlds and svargaloka. He drove Indra out of svarga and took the throne of the king of the devas. All the divine beings lost their places and the order of the worlds was broken. The devas could not stand against his power. They fled and went to Brahmā for help.

(Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 6)

The devas ask for help

Indra and all the devas went to Brahmā. Brahmā then led them to Vishṇu and Śiva. Brahmā, Vishṇu, Śiva and all the devas spoke together of their distress at Mahishāsura’s conquest and asked for a way to be freed from him.

In answer to this joint prayer, all the devas sent their divine tejas together. The tejas of every deva came together and took the form of Śrī Mahishāsuramardinī Devī. Each deva also gave her his weapons. Śiva gave his trident. Vishṇu gave his discus. Brahmā gave his kamaṇḍalu (water pot) and lotus. Indra gave his vajra and bell. The other devas gave their weapons in the same way.

(Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 6)

The battle and the slaying of Mahishāsura

Holding all the weapons of all the devas, Devī fought Mahishāsura in a great battle. The deciding fight took place at the Dharma Pushkariṇī, on the Gandhamādana mountain in the Setu-kshetra. There Devī slew Mahishāsura and ended his rule of terror over the three worlds.

The devas returned to their places. Indra took back his throne in svarga. Dharma was set right again.

(Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 7)

The founding of Devīpattana

The place where Devī won her victory became holy as Devīpattana, “the city, or abode, of the Devī”. This sacred ground on the Gandhamādana mountain, on the shore of the southern ocean, has been joined ever since with Devī’s presence and her victory over adharma.

Later, Bhagavān Rāma gathered his forces at this same place to begin building Rāmasetu. The holy history of the kshetra grew deeper still, for the ground made holy by Devī’s victory became the starting point of Bhagavān Rāma’s setu (bridge).

(Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 7)

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 6
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 7