The Demoness who Ruled Heaven: Mahishi

Mythology has demarcated places for evil and good. If the good resides in heaven the bad dwells below the earth. According to Hindu Puranas, there was one demoness, the symbol of evil, who smudged all boundaries and ruled heaven for quite a while until she was smashed by her nemesis, a child god called Ayyapan.

Mahishi was a she-buffalo and the queen of heaven for a while, Source: Pinterest

Her gait was hideous, her voice was like the brawl of a bull. She wore her hair like an animal because she was one, a she-buffalo and a demoness, all evil wrapped in one figure. Her name was Mahishi,  she was the sibling of Mahishasura and a lovely wife who was cursed in her previous birth. Mahishi was no ordinary demoness with just the nonsense of taming the gods in her brain.

Though it is every demon’s destiny to show the gods their right place,  Mahishi had a greater purpose. She always kept her brother in front of her. As a demoness, she tended to get overwhelmed with her emotions, but  Mahishi loved her brother, which is why the news of his death, naturally, filled her with anger, sorrow and a streak to seek revenge from the world of gods. But how can a demoness ever think of overthrowing all the gods together, by hijacking heaven and ruling over the gods?

To attain this goal, Mahishi set out to appease Brahma, the supreme god of the universe. Day and night, Mahishi worked hard in performing the toughest of austerities. Eventually, Brahma noticed her persistent efforts and descended on the earth, allowing her to ask for a boon. Quite smartly, Mahishi asked for a boon that would make her unbeatable. The boon granted to her was that Mahishi would remain unbeatable by every god, except the child of Shiva and Vishnu.

Mahishasura was killed by Durga, an incarnation of Parvati, Source: Google Images

Now, this proposition was impossible, so Mahishi, with her newly acquired powers, smashed the doors of heaven and overthrew Indra, becoming the Queen of heaven. It was a paradoxical moment for the gods when they were banished from their home, and a demoness ruled heaven. It was a moment of utter chaos.

Now the demons reigned over heaven, and this was the time when 'Samudra Manthan', the churning of the ocean took place. Shiva drank the poison that appeared from the ocean during the churning process and fell in love with Mohini, the female avatar of Vishnu. They made love and as a result of their union, Ayappan was born, the child god who was destined to kill Mahishi as he was the son of Shiva and Vishnu.

The legend might be exaggerated, but it is said that Ayappan with his little pudgy child's hands, grabbed Mahishi’s horns and threw her over to earth, freeing heaven from the clutches of demons, restoring equilibrium and peace. Mahishi’s tale is both empowering and heartbreaking. She was the only demoness who ever tried to commit the impossible act of ruling heaven, and what she did, was done out of pure love for her brother. One can judge her, but cannot blame her entirely. After all, everyone has the right to cope with their grief, and Mahishi coped with hers by seeking vengeance.