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THE CANDIŚATAKA OF BĀŅA
Candi make her appearance as the opponent of the buffalo-shaped
demon. In the Mahabharata¹ we are told that on one occasion
Indra appointed Skanda (Kärttikeya) to be commander-in-chief
of the army of the gods, and sent him forth to do battle against
the hosts of the demons. In the contest the gods
first swept
everything before them, and were slaughtering their foes with
unexpected success, when the champion of the demons, Mahișa,
rushed forward to stem the tide. In his hand he carried a mass
of rock as big as a mountain, and throwing it, he killed ten thou-
sand of the celestial army. Then even Indra fled, and the
chariot of Rudra fell into the hands of the raging demon. But
just at this critical juncture, when the day seemed lost to the
gods, Skanda, encased in golden armor, and riding in a golden
car, came flying to the rescue, and hurling his fakti, severed
Mahişa's head. And this head, we are told, 'falling on the
ground, barred the entrance to the country of the Northern
Kurus, extending in length for sixteen yojanas, though at present
the people of that country pass easily by that gate."
Again, in another book of the Mahabharata, it is related in
similar fashion that Skanda was made general of the army of the
gods, and in one battle slew the demons Tāraka, Mahişa, Tripāda
and Hradodhara, and, according to Aufrecht, the Vāmana Purāṇa
1 Mahabharata, 3. 229-231.
I quote from the English translation of the Mahabharata, by P. C. Roy,
vol. 3, p. 706, Calcutta, 1884.
& W. Crooke, The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India,
vol. I, p. 45, 2d ed., Westminster, 1896, with evident reference to this
passage, says: 'But besides these dragons which infest rivers and lakes,
there are special water gods, many of which are the primitive water mon-
ster in a developed form. Such is Mahishasura, who is the Mahishoba of
Berår, and like the Bhainsäsura already mentioned, infests great rivers and
demands propitiation. According to the early mythology this Mahisha, the
buffalo demon, was killed by Kärttikeya at the Krauncha pass in the
Himalaya, which was opened by the god to make a passage for the deities
to visit the plains from Kailāsa."
See Mahabharata, 9. 44-46, especially 9. 46.74-75; and cf. Mahabharata,
8.5.57 and 7.166. 16. In a late book of the Mahabharata (13. 14. 313),
Siva is addressed as Mahişaghna, 'Slayer of Mahişa.'
THE CANDIŚATAKA OF BĀŅA
Candi make her appearance as the opponent of the buffalo-shaped
demon. In the Mahabharata¹ we are told that on one occasion
Indra appointed Skanda (Kärttikeya) to be commander-in-chief
of the army of the gods, and sent him forth to do battle against
the hosts of the demons. In the contest the gods
first swept
everything before them, and were slaughtering their foes with
unexpected success, when the champion of the demons, Mahișa,
rushed forward to stem the tide. In his hand he carried a mass
of rock as big as a mountain, and throwing it, he killed ten thou-
sand of the celestial army. Then even Indra fled, and the
chariot of Rudra fell into the hands of the raging demon. But
just at this critical juncture, when the day seemed lost to the
gods, Skanda, encased in golden armor, and riding in a golden
car, came flying to the rescue, and hurling his fakti, severed
Mahişa's head. And this head, we are told, 'falling on the
ground, barred the entrance to the country of the Northern
Kurus, extending in length for sixteen yojanas, though at present
the people of that country pass easily by that gate."
Again, in another book of the Mahabharata, it is related in
similar fashion that Skanda was made general of the army of the
gods, and in one battle slew the demons Tāraka, Mahişa, Tripāda
and Hradodhara, and, according to Aufrecht, the Vāmana Purāṇa
1 Mahabharata, 3. 229-231.
I quote from the English translation of the Mahabharata, by P. C. Roy,
vol. 3, p. 706, Calcutta, 1884.
& W. Crooke, The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India,
vol. I, p. 45, 2d ed., Westminster, 1896, with evident reference to this
passage, says: 'But besides these dragons which infest rivers and lakes,
there are special water gods, many of which are the primitive water mon-
ster in a developed form. Such is Mahishasura, who is the Mahishoba of
Berår, and like the Bhainsäsura already mentioned, infests great rivers and
demands propitiation. According to the early mythology this Mahisha, the
buffalo demon, was killed by Kärttikeya at the Krauncha pass in the
Himalaya, which was opened by the god to make a passage for the deities
to visit the plains from Kailāsa."
See Mahabharata, 9. 44-46, especially 9. 46.74-75; and cf. Mahabharata,
8.5.57 and 7.166. 16. In a late book of the Mahabharata (13. 14. 313),
Siva is addressed as Mahişaghna, 'Slayer of Mahişa.'