As with so many myths, this tale has multiple versions; however, there is one well recognized source we can look to: the Devi Mahatmyam. Its foundation is the Markandaya Purana, which is dated to the around the 3rd Century C.E., with the Devi Mahatmyam (“The Glory of the Goddess”) being added between the 5th and 6th centuries.

As the story goes, there were two demon brothers, Rambha and Karambha, both of whom were childless. In the hope of having children and a future lineage, they both performed tapas, a form of meditative penance. Karambha went to the edge of a lake, and Rambha performed a ritual known as the five fires, which is presided over the God of Fire, Agni.

When Indra, King of the (lesser) Gods, heard of this, He decided to be proactive. Taking the form of a crocodile, He attacked Karambha and drowned him. Next, he went after Rambha, but Agni intervened.

While Agni had saved his life, Rambha was despondent at the death of his brother. He decided to cut off his own head as a final offering, but again Agni stopped him – telling him that suicide was even worse than murder. I’m not sure if I agree with Agni on that point, but who am I to argue with an Elemental deity? To sweeten the deal, Agni granted him any wish he wanted.

Rambha wanted a son, but not just any son. His son should shine brighter than Agni Himself, and he should have the strength of the Wind God, Vayu. He should conquer the three Realms (the Earth, the Heavens, and the Underworld) and be unbeatable by the Devas (the Lesser Gods) and the Asuras (his fellow Demons). Plus, he should be devastatingly handsome, and good at archery as well.

Got all that? Agni did – and even threw in a bonus – Rambha could pick any consort he longed for.

I am not going to kink shame Rambha – different strokes for different folks. As he was making his way back to the underworld, he was smitten by a she-buffalo, whom he took be his bride. I will not be describing their wedding night.

In time, he impregnated his bovine companion. However, one day, when she was frolicking through the fields of hell, a male buffalo caught sight of her, and attempted to seduce her (is this what buffalo do?) Rambha saw this and attempted to fight off the intruder but was gored to death instead.

Rambha was avenged by his soldiers, and his widow, whether out of sorrow or custom, cast herself onto his funeral pyre. As she burned, a being rose from the flames. In time, he would be known as Mahishasura, and he was everything that Raktabija had wished for. Agni had granted him a handsome son, full of strength and power, with devastating battle prowess.

Then another sprung to life. This was Rambha, reborn. In this new body, he would be known as Raktabija. As his new form Raktabija he performed austerities to the God Shiva and secured a boon. Now, those of you familiar with the myth of Camdus, and the soldiers born of dragon’s teeth, might hear a parallel; it also has a resonance with Heracles and the Hydra. asked, that if should he ever bleed, another version of himself would spring from the ground where his blood had dropped. Each would be just as powerful as Raktabija himself; he would create a veritable host of Demon clones. Shiva yielded to his desire.

Time passed, as it does. A new order of Demons came to power and, as they are wont to do, they successfully overtook the Heavens. Indra and the other Devas fled. Amongst these triumphant Demons was Mahishasura, the half buffalo, half Asura Lord. He had practiced penances as well, in this case, to Brahma the creator, wanting another boon.

Finally, for this first time in this tale, a request was denied. Maybe Brahma was anti-buffalo, but whatever His reason, when Mahishasura asked for immortality, Brahma refused and told him to ask again. This time, Mahishasura waved his anti-feminist flag, flying tall and proud: “then let me only be slain by a woman”, with the inference being that no woman could possibly do so.

Loopholes, always loopholes.

And so, as Mahishasura, and his reincarnated father, Raktabija, were wrecking the Cosmos, the Lesser Gods (the Devas) and the Greater Gods (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) concocted a plan.

Her Name is Durga.

And she single-handedly dispatched Mahishasura. This is a very common scene depicted in sculpture, painting and dance throughout Southeast Asia. Only a woman could…

Depictions of Durga have between eight and eighteen arms, and she bears the weapons of Shiva and Vishnu – a trident (trishula) an energy disc and several other implements of violence (Brahma is not iconographically depicted with weapons), as well as several other implements of violence. Her vehicle (Vahana) is a lion, which cross-culturally associates her with Inanna/Ishtar. And while She Herself is a sacred female manifestation of the powers of the trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva), her sisters, the Sacred Mothers, are equally as powerful incarnations of their male counterparts.

They are respectively Narasimhi, Vaishnavi, Kaumari, Maheshvari, Brahmani, Varahi, Indrani, Chamunda.

The first is an emanation of Narasihma, the fourth incarnation of Vishnu, a lion Avatar. Vaishnavi is a direct emanation of Vishnu; Kaumari manifests from Kumara, also known as Karthikiya or Murigan, a tribal War God who is also one of Shiva’s sons. Maheshvari comes from another name for Shiva, which is Maheshvara, (literally the Great God). Brahmani is a projection of the power of Brahma, the creator God. Varahi is the power of Varaha, the third Avatar of Vishnu, who appeared as a wild boar, while Indrani is the wife of Indra, the Storm Bringer.

Chamundi, a fierce form of Kali, gets her name from two of the Asuras/Demons she slayed at the beginning of this battle – Chanda and Munda. She is also associated with Kali as one of her ten manifestations, known collectively as the Mahavidyas, the ten Great Wisdoms.

So Raktabija stands as the last Demon Boss, now this has son Mahishasura has been slain. The 8 Sacred mothers (7 in some counts, but we’re sticking with the account in the Devi Mahatmyam) came to deal with him – but were quickly overpowered by his army of clones.

Durga, seeing the issue, commands Chamundi:

“O Chamunda! Open out your mouth quickly, and no sooner I strike Raktabija with weapons, you would drink off the blood as fast as it runs out of his body. Instantly I will kill those Danavas sprung from the blood with sharpened arrows, clubs, swords and Musalas; and you would then be able to devour them all at your will, and, then, roam in this field as you like.

Devi Bhagavata Purana, Book 5, Chapter 29, translated by Swami Vijñanananda

As Chamundi readied herself to foil Raktabija’s attempts at regeneration, Durga came at him him with Her Axe, and felled the Demon King.

While the next part of the story is more oral tradition, it is popular and bears an interesting resemblance to the Egyptian tale of Sekhmet, who went on a similar blood hunt. Having given Chamundi free reign to drink all of the blood she wanted, she did just that, indiscriminately killing anything that crossed her path. As the body count grew immeasurable, Shiva intervened and decided to lie down in her path. Chamundi blindly trampled him.

Finally, she realized what she had done to her husband (Chamundi being an emanation of Kali/Shakti, Shiva’s consort). Aghast, she stuck out her tongue and ended her rampage. This image is iconic amongst Kali worshipers, not to mention fans of the Rolling Stones.

And the takeaway? Well, I gave you a story with Gods and Demons, bestiality and blood lust, Goddess-Bosses and Monkey-pawed boons. But the real takeaway.

Always act kindly,
to your sweet Lady,
‘Cause you don’t want to see
Her Inner Chamundi

It’s either that, or to quote the band Drowning Pool

Let the bodies hit the floor…