Mahishasura

Mahishasura
Mahishasura
	Sculpture of Mahishasura in Mysuru
Affiliation	Asura
Texts	Puranas
Personal information
Parents	Rambha (father);
Children	Gajasura

Mahishasura (Sanskrit: महिषासुर, IAST: Mahiṣāsura) is a bovine asura in Hinduism. He is depicted in Hindu literature as a deceitful demon who pursued his evil ways by shape-shifting.^[1]^[2]^[3] Mahishasura was the son of the asura Rambha and a she-buffalo named Mahisi. He was ultimately killed by the goddess Durga with her trishula (trident) after which she gained the epithet Mahishasuramardini ("Slayer of Mahishasura"). Mahishasura had a son named Gajasura.

The Navaratri ("Nine Nights") festival eulogises this battle between Mahishasura and Durga, culminating in Vijayadashami, a celebration of his ultimate defeat. This story of the "triumph of good over evil" carries profound symbolism in Hinduism, particularly Shaktism, and is both narrated as well as reenacted from the Devi Mahatmya at many South and Southeast Asian Hindu temples.^[4]^[5]^[6]

The Mahishasura Mardini Stotra by Adi Shankara was written to commemorate her legend.^[7]

^ Bane, Theresa (2012). Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures. McFarland. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-7864-8894-0.
^ Cite error: The named reference amazzone96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Kinsley, David (1988). Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. University of California Press. pp. 96–103. ISBN 978-0-520-90883-3.
^ Jones, Constance; Ryan, James (2014). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p. 399. ISBN 978-0816054589.
^ Rocher 1986, pp. 191–192.
^ McDaniel 2004, pp. 215–216, 219–220.
^ Marlow, Chris (29 October 2019). Navaratri: Prayers, Praises and Hymns. Lulu.com. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-244-22986-3.

[1] Bane, Theresa (2012). Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures. McFarland. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-7864-8894-0.

[amazzone96-2] Cite error: The named reference amazzone96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Kinsley1988p96-3] Kinsley, David (1988). Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. University of California Press. pp. 96–103. ISBN 978-0-520-90883-3.

[4] Jones, Constance; Ryan, James (2014). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p. 399. ISBN 978-0816054589.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986191–192-5] Rocher 1986, pp. 191–192.

[FOOTNOTEMcDaniel2004215–216,_219–220-6] McDaniel 2004, pp. 215–216, 219–220.

[7] Marlow, Chris (29 October 2019). Navaratri: Prayers, Praises and Hymns. Lulu.com. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-244-22986-3.

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