How was Mahishasura born ?

Birth of Mahishasura (महिषासुर)

Regarding the birth of Mahishasura, there seems two different versions.

  • Srimad Devi Bhagavata Purana (देवीभागवतपुराण)
  • Skanda Purana (स्कन्दपुराण)

Devi Bhagavata Purana – Skanda 5 chapter 2

Rambha (रम्भ) and Karambha (करम्भ) were the Asuras, born as sons of Danu (दनु) and Kashyap (कश्यप).

Since they both were without a sons, so they started doing Tapasya for getting  powerful sons.

Rambha started penance standing inside burning fire to please Agni Deva, while Karambha stood inside water to please Varuna Deva. When Indra came to know about them, he decided to kill both the brothers. Indra converted himself into crocodile and killed Karambha inside the water.

When Rambha came to know about his brother death, he too decided to cut his head and attempt a suicide. Agni Deva saved him from doing the same  and said ” O Rambha, soon you will have a powerful son, from the women you see first and get attracted”

Rambha soon get attracted to a buffalo and fell in love with her. Rambha had sex with her and took her along with him. Once an another male-buffalo saw the female buffalo and got attracted towards her. Rambha and male-buffalo had a long fight finally resulting in Rambha’s death.

Female buffalo than somehow manage to escape and was protected by Yaksha, who finally killed that male buffalo and took the body of Rambha and put it on altar, when the fire started burning, the female buffalo also jumped in that fire of her husband.

महिषस्तु चितामध्यात्समुत्तस्थौ महाबलः ।
रम्भोऽप्यन्यद्वपुः कृत्वा निःसृतः पुत्रवत्सलः ॥ 
रक्तबीजोऽप्यसौ जातो महिषोऽपि महाबलः ।
अभिषिक्तस्तु राज्येऽसौ हयारिरसुरोत्तमैः  ॥ 

Mahish (महिष) was born out of the burning fire and Rambha too take form of Ratkabija (रक्तबीज) and was born out of the same fire.

Skanda Purana (स्कन्दपुराण) – Nagarkhanda, Chapter 119

In ancient times, the son of Hiranyaksha (हिरण्याक्ष) had a son called Mahish (महिष) demon, who took form as a male buffalo and ruled this world.

हिरण्याक्षसुतः पूर्वं महिषोनाम दानवः ॥
आसीन्महिषरूपेण येन भुक्तं जगत्त्रयम्॥

This son of Hiranyaksha was named as Chitrasam (चित्रसमः) , he was fond of riding Buffalos. Once Chitrasam was riding on a buffalo near ganga beach and was hunting the water birds. Rishi Durvasa was siting there on the ganga beach in padmasana and meditating. Chitrasam did not saw the rishi and his buffalo injured the Rishi Durvasa with her hooves .

Rishi Durvasa opened his eyes and saw that Chitrasam was riding buffalo and gave him a curse –

ततः प्रोवाच तं क्रुद्धस्तोयमादाय पाणिना ॥
यस्मात्पाप मम क्षुण्णं गात्रं महिषजैः खुरैः ॥ १२ ॥
समाधेश्च कृतो भंगस्तस्मात्त्वं महिषो भव ॥
यावज्जीवसि दुर्बुद्धे सम्यग्ज्ञानसमन्वितः ॥ १३ ॥

“O Sinner, since you have injured by body with buffalo hooves and disturbed my state of Samadhi, so you should also become a buffalo until you are alive”

So based on this curse the Chitrasam became the Mahishasura. 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!