Durga: A Most Powerful Warrior

The consort of Siva now assumes a very different character from that in which she has so far been represented. In those incarnations, though the wife of Siva, she acted as an ordinary woman, and manifested womanly virtues; as Durga she was a most powerful warrior. And appeared on earth, under many names, for the destruction of demons who were obnoxious to gods and men. She obtained the name Durga because she slew an asura named Durga, the name of the goddess being feminine form of Demons name. A giant named Durga , the son of Ruru , having performed penance in favor of Brahma, obtained his blessing, and grew so mighty that he conquered the three worlds, and dethroned Indra and the other gods. Durga is said to have assumed ten forms for the destruction of two giants. The troops of the giants poured their arrows on Parvati as she sat on the mountain, thick as the drops of rain in a storm; they even tore up trees, mountains, and hurled them at her; in return she threw a weapon which carried away the arms of many of the giants. Durga himself then hurled a flaming dart at the goddess, which she turned aside; another being sent, she stopped it by a hundred arrows. He next aimed an arrow at Parvati’s breast , this too she repelled, and two other weapon, a club and a pike. At last coming to close quarters, Parvati seized Durga and set her left  foot on his breast, but he, managing to disengage himself, renewed the flight, then a number of helpers to issue from her body, which destroyed the soldiers of the giants. In return Durga sent a dreadful shower of hail, the effect of which counteracted by an instrument called Susana.