Vaiṣṇavī
Vaiṣṇavī is a twenty-armed divine Śakti born from the rajas (energy of action) of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. She is one of three forms of Tri-kāla Devī, who arose from the joint gaze of the Trimūrti (Brahmā, Viṣṇu 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 Mahiṣāsura 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, Viṣṇu 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 Sṛṣṭi-śakti (power of creation). The red rājasic aspect became Vaiṣṇavī, the Viṣṇu-māyā who carries the śaṅkha and cakra. The dark tāmasic aspect became Raudrī.
So Vaiṣṇavī is the rajo-guṇa form of the one supreme Śakti. The Varāha Mahā Purāṇa names her plainly as Viṣṇu-māyā, who keeps and protects the whole cosmos.
Appearance and weapons
Vaiṣṇavī has a blood-red colour and surpassing beauty. She is young and bright. When the asura Mahiṣāsura 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, Vaiṣṇavī 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, Viśālākṣī, Jayā, Vijayā, Jayantī and Aparājitā, along with hundreds more.
For these maidens (kanyā-gaṇas), Vaiṣṇavī 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). Ṛṣis and devas did pūjā to her. She wore garlands of campaka, aśoka, punnāga and nāgakeśara blossoms. The ṛṣi 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, yakṣas, kinnaras or rākṣasas.
The war against Mahiṣāsura
After visiting Vaiṣṇavī’s city, Nārada went on to the fortress of Mahiṣāsura, which stood in the ocean. He described the glory of the Devī to him. Mahiṣāsura was filled with desire. He sent his councillors to plan, and then sent his envoy Vidyutprabhā to Vaiṣṇavī with an offer of marriage.
Vaiṣṇavī 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. Mahiṣāsura was furious. He gathered his four-part army under his general Virūpākṣa and launched a great attack on the devas. In the war that followed, eight rākṣasas drove back the eight Vasus. Twelve rākṣasas 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 Vaiṣṇavī again. He bowed to the ground and begged her to kill the asura who had now shamed all the devas.
Victory over Mahiṣāsura
At Nārada’s request, Vaiṣṇavī 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.
Mahiṣāsura himself, mace in hand, rushed at the gathered maidens. When Vaiṣṇavī 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 Vaiṣṇavī and Mahiṣa 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 puruṣa came out of Mahiṣa’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 Vaiṣṇavī plainly as the rajo-guṇātmaka Śakti (Śakti of the nature of rajas) of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. Her work is sthiti, the keeping of the universe. Her forms fill the cosmos, eighteen crores in number. The text says, “Vaiṣṇavī’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 Mahiṣāsura is celebrated in this Purāṇa as its main account of the Mahiṣāsura-vadha (the slaying of Mahiṣāsura).
Sources
- Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 89–95