CHAPTER 4. FEMALE DEITIES DPuranic female deities 1. Evolution oiMahishasurmardini in ^Q Purans - The concept of Mahishasurmardini is Puranic. The Markandey Puran gives a detailed description of evolution of this deity in its chapter titled Devi Mahatmyam. It is compiled in the form of 579 Shloks\ The Markandey Puran is divided into 5 distinct parts out of which chapter 79-90 provide references to Durga under the title Devi Mahatmyam'^. This was further extended to 700 Shloks which included elaborate rituals. This documentation is called as Durga Saptshati'\ The Markandey Puran is assigned to the 10* century and a copy of the same was found in the Royal Library' of Nepal which was dated to 998 CE**. However the date of Devi Mahatmyam being written is considered to be of 5th-6'*' century^ It is also concluded that this Puran must have originated in western India^. This makes the Puran more relevant for this study. The Devi Mahdtymydm mentions a detailed description of the evolution of this deity. In its Chapter 2 titled Madhyam-Charit it mentions that a demon named Mahishasur has defeated all the gods along with their chief Indra in a battle which lasted for nearly 100 years^. This chapter corresponds to chapter 79 of Markandey Purdn^. This demon had taken control over the Sury, Indra, Agni, Vdyu, Chandra, Yum, Varun, Kuher etc. Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma were approached by the gods to save them from this menace^. On hearing this all the three gods sent out Tej through their body. Shankar 's Tej created her face while Yum's Tej created her hair. Vishnu's Tej created her arms while Chandra's Tej, created her breasts. Indra's Tej created the middle portion of her body. From Varun's Tej her stomach and thighs were created while the Tej from the Prthvi formed her back portion^". Brahma's Tej gave her legs while Sury's Tej gave her fingers. Kuber 's Tej created her nose; from the Prajdpati she got her teeth, while Agni's Tej created her three eyes". The Morning and the Evening'^ gave her eyebrows. Vdyu's Tej gave ears. All the other gods came together and gave her life". 150 The following table gives the attributes given to her by the various gods mentioned in the Devi Mahatmvam^'*. Sr.no Deity who gave Name of the weapons/attributes weapons/attributes 1 Shiva Trishul 2 Vishnu Chakr 3 Vayu Bow and arrows 4 Indra Vajr 5 Prajapati Akshmala 6 Kal or Death Khadg & Khetak 7 Khsirsagar (Ocean of Milk) Har, Vastr, Chudamani, Kundal, Kankan, Keyur, Ardh-Chandra, Nupur. 8 Himalay Lion as Vahan, precious gems 9 Kuber PanPatr 10 Shesh-Nag Nag-Har The battle between the goddess and the demons began. She slew demons like Chiksur who was Mahish 's general. This was followed by the killing of demon Chdmar, Udgar, Ugrasy, Ugrvir, Mahdhanu, Biddl, Durdhar, Durmukh^^. In chapter 80 of the Markandey Puran the description of killing the Mahishasur is given as follows;- She flung her noose {Pash) on him. Then he took the form of a lion. When she was about to cut his head off with a Khadg, he attained the form of a human. The goddess then pierced him with a Khadg while she held a Charm in her other hand. He then assumed the form an elephant. Finally he took the form of a buffalo.'^ The goddess then leaped and sat on his neck kicking him on his neck with her foot and struck him with a Shool. He was killed in the form of half man emerging from the body of a buffalo'^. From that day she was known as Mahishasurmardini. 2. Early sculptures oiMahishasurmardini (outside Goa) relevant to this stud\. The images oi Mahishasurmardini were present during Kushan period'^ But it was during the Gupt period the images became more popular'^. Today's Goa as we know had come under the sway of many dynasties. The earliest dynasty which encouraged sculptural art were the Badami Chaluky. The Badami Chalukyan sites like Aihole & Pattadakal are findspots of various sculptures of Mahishasurmardini. Many miniatures of this deity are found carved in these temples. Nevertheless only 151 prominent independent sculptures have been taken into consideration for this study. The Durg temple of Aihole which can be assigned to circa S-e"' century CE has a sculpture of Mahishasurmardini in its Pradakshinapath. The temple has not got its name due to the goddess Durgd but due to the enclosure around the temple The goddess is shown eight armed killing a buffalo near her feet with a Trishul in her upper most right hand. The hands below that hold a Chakr, a Vajr and a Khadg. The upper most left hand holds a Ghanta while the hand below it, though mutilated holds a conch. The attributes of the hands below are not known as they are completely mutilated. The temple of Virupaksh in Pattadakal also has a very dynamic image of Mahishasurmardini. The dynamism in the sculpture depicts She is depicted 3. Worship o(Mahishasurmardini in Goa The various Puranic female deities in Goa are represented in the form of Mahishasurmardini irrespective of their iconic description given in the Purans. The deities like Shdntddurga , Navdurga, Kdmdkshi, Bhagvati, Arya Durgd, Kdtydni, Vijayddurgd. All the deities of the Shakti cult are a symbolic of fertility. The etymology of the word Bhagvati is a good example to explain this. It is traced to the original word Bhagv or Bhagvo which means the color of Kdv^^ or Urdmunj. Kav is a local name for red color pigment wadely used in Goa once upon a time for decorating temple walls. The Mahishasurmardini concept of the percolated amongst the local art displays a complete change in the attributes of the sculpture. Some sculptures depict the deity holding Shankh and Chakr in her upper most hands^^. This is noticed even in the sculptures of eariy Choi period in South India While there are some sculptures found in Goa which depict her holding di Khadg and aKhetak in the uppermost hands. This could perhaps be local influence where the Khadg and the Khetak were widely used in local warfare. A text by name Hayasirsh Panchratrd gives details of the worship of Shdkt cult. It dates to the 9* century CE^^. It makes references to places like Kacchdesh, Kdveri, Konkan. Ang, Kdmrup, Kaling, Kanchi. Kashmir and Kosald indicating a strong Shakti worship in these areas much before the text had been redacted. The above mentioned places can be safely indentified with ,modem da\ Kutch, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam, Odisha^'*. 4. Classification of Mahishasurmardini sculptures found in Goa The Mahishasurmardini sculptures found in Goa can be broadly classified into two broad categories as given below. 152 i) Based on the distinctive elements of^Mahishasurmardini found in Goa they can be classified as:- a) DvibhuJ (two armed) b) Chaturbhuj (four armed) c) AshtbhuJ (eight armed) ii) Based on the type of type of demon showed the sculptures can be classified into:- a) Right leg of the deity stamping back of the demon Mahishasur in the form of half man- half animal and killing him with a trident. In this case the lower left hand of the deity presses or holds the head of the demon. b) Right leg of the deity stamping the demon Mahishasur in the form of buffalo and killing him with a trident. In this case the lower left hand of the deit>' pulls the tongue of the animal. c) Buffalo turned so that his face lies on her right leg and his tail caught by her left hand. A. DvibhuJ sculptures of Mahishdsurmardini There is just one sculpture oiMahishasurmardini in DvibhuJ form found in Goa. The sculpture was found in the village of Lolye of Kankona taluka It can be assigned to the 14* century CE. The sculpture is small and not highly ornamented. B. Chaturbhuj sculptures of Mahishdsurmardini a) Navdursd/ Dursa The chapter 11 of Devi Mahatmyam mentions the goddess got its name Durgd after she slew a demon named Durgarr^^. The Durgd worship can be traced to the Purans. The earliest instance of Durgd pujd is attributed to Ram. It is said that he performed the Durga puJd for acquiring extraordinary energy for destroying Ravan^^. Durgd was also worshipped by Devki too . Brahmd worshipped her when he was attacked by the demons Madhu and Kaitabh who had sprung up from Vishnu's ears^^. However some Sanskrit texts mention nine different forms of Durgd as given below^^:- \) Nilkanthi 2) Kshemankari 3) Harasiddhi 4) Rudramsh Durgd 5) Van-Durgd 6) Agni Durgd 7) Jaya Durgd 8) Vindhydvdsi Durgd 9) Ripumari Durgd But none of these forms are found worshipped in Goa Durgd was worshipped in many talukas of Goa but due to the Portuguese Inquisition many sculptures were destroyed or the worships cease to exist today. The Portuguese archival record dating to 10* December, 1567 CE mentions that in the village of Veroda of the Salcette taluka a temple by name Durgua deui existed^" but today the worship does not exist. 153 There are many more such examples. There are around 8 worships of Navdurga found in Goa: out of which five are found in the Ponda taluka while one in Kankona taluka and two in Bicholim taluka. The villages in which these worships are found are Bori, Paingini, Khandola, Surla, Pale Adkon, Madkai and Kundai. All these sculptures are worshipped in the form of Mahishasurmardini. The sculptures of Madkai, Kundai, and Adkon being of the later period; are not included as a part of the study.