Devi Kills Mahishasura

Direct fight between Devi and Mahishasura is going on. Devi has already eliminated most of his commanders. Mahishasura keeps on changing his form—as a buffalo, like a human, elephant.

We know that she already has a chashaka in her hand. She started drinking liquor—not once, again and again. What is this? Devi drinking liquor? Isn't this a weird depiction?

Understand one thing clearly. Devi has three forms—Sattwika, Rajasika, and Tamasika. She can display all these qualities as the situation demands. This is what Sapta Shati is teaching. Here she is in the battlefield. She is killing demons in crores. Her behavior will be like a brave commander.

वीरपानं तु यत्पानं वृत्ते भाविनि वा रणे

There are two purposes for this drinking:

1. To boost courage and enthusiasm.
2. To remove fatigue.

This is what most people who drink also say. Even those who commit crimes—most of them will be in an inebriated state. Then what is the difference? The purpose for which it is done. Soldiers drink—their enthusiasm and courage are boosted to protect the motherland. Criminals drink to harm others, hurt others.

This property is inherent in liquor. Even Ayurveda connects Madya to Mada—high-headedness. It brings high-headedness; it is a material property of liquor. Self-confidence is needed for courage. Timidness should go. But what you use it for is what matters.

Don't you see that in the armed forces, they are allowed to drink? They have a monthly quota. This is not just in cold areas. Liquor consumed in limited quantity can boost courage. A civilian government official doing this—he would be punished. Drinking liquor is allowed for Kshatriyas. But for Brahmins, it is one among the Panch Maha Patakas.

Devi doesn't need to boost her courage using liquor. But she is displaying one of the aspects of battle. This is her Avirbhava as Mahalakshmi. But still, as the situation demands, she is in a real battle. She conducts herself like how a brave commander would.

Two points to be understood clearly here:

1. Dharma—let's say Ahimsa—is not common for all roles. An ordinary citizen should observe Ahimsa. But for soldiers and rulers, Himsa is allowed as long as it is for a good purpose.
2. Everything is Devi's own manifestation. Everything is she alone. Mahatma Gandhi is one of her aspects. Bhagat Singh is also one of her aspects. The purpose of Sapta Shati is this. You can't exclude anything from the world and say that other than this, everything else is Devi.

This is the real explanation of this shloka. People shy away from this, thinking, 'How can you say that Devi is drinking liquor?' Her eyes have become red—one because of anger, two because of her drinking liquor. But Mahishasura was in a different kind of Mada—arrogance about his own strength, which is built into Asuras.

Devi needed to transform herself. Drinking of liquor from her soft aspect—earlier she was playful. Now the battle is with Mahishasura himself. She has to become more serious, more fierce. That's why she is drinking liquor—to transform herself into the Veera aspect. This is symbolic. But Mahishasura need not drink liquor. He is always angry, arrogant, in Mada—like an elephant in must. He kept on roaring and, with his horns, picked up huge mountains and threw them towards Devi.

Devi shattered all those mountains with her arrows and said to Mahishasura in a drunken voice. Her speech was unclear, like how a drunken person would speak.

'You roar, you roar, you fool! Let me finish this drink. Your life is only till then. Once I finish you right here, the Devatas such as Indra are going to roar, laugh aloud in happiness.'

Devi swiftly climbed on top of Mahishasura, now in buffalo form, wrapped one of her legs around his neck, and hit at his neck with a spear. His body and head were already half separated. He still struggled to release himself from the firm grip of Devi's leg. He still kept on struggling and fighting. At that time, Devi took out a big sword and cut off his head. His head fell on the ground.

The remaining soldiers of Mahishasura ran away. All the Devas became happy. Devas and Maharshis of Swarga praised Devi. Gandharvas sang. Apsaras danced. Thus ended the terror created by Mahishasura.

The third chapter of Durga Sapta Shati is ending here.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi