Jai Maa - Devi Mahatmya

Mahalakshmi - Slayer of Mahishasura

Mahalakshmi, the destroyer of Mahisasura, is seated on the lotus.

She is of coral's complexion and holds in her eighteen hands rosary, ax, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, pitcher, rod, Sakti, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose, and the discus Sudarsana. 

when Mahisasura was the lord of asuras and Indra the lord of devas, there was a war between the devas and asuras for a full hundred years.

 In that, the army of the devas was vanquished by the valorous asuras.

 After conquering all the devas, Mahisasura became the lord of heaven.

Then the vanquished devas headed by Brahma, the lord of beings, went to the place where Siva and Vishnu were. 

The devas described to them in detail, as it had happened, the story of their defeat wrought by Mahisasura.

Mahisasura himself has assumed the jurisdictions of Surya, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Candra, Yama and Varuna, and others (devas).

 Thrown out from heaven by that evil-natured Mahisa, the hosts of devas wander on the earth like mortals.

 All that has been done by the devas' enemy has been related to you both, and we have sought shelter under you both.

 May both of you be pleased to think out the means of his destruction.

Having thus heard the words of the devas, Vishnu was angry and also Siva, and their faces became fierce with frowns.

The issued forth a great light from the face of Vishnu who was full of intense anger, and from that of Brahma and Siva too.

 From the bodies of Indra and other devas also sprang forth very great light. And (all) this light united together.

The devas saw there a concentration of light like a mountain blazing excessively, pervading all the quarters with its flames.

 Then that unique light, produced from the bodies of all the devas, pervading the three worlds with its luster, combined into one and became a female form.

By that which was Siva's light, her face came into being; by Yama's (light) her hair, by Vishnu's light her arms; and by Candra's (light) her two breasts.

 By Indra's light her waist, by Varuna's (light) her shanks and thighs, and by earth's light her hips.

By Brahma's light her feet came into being; by Surya's light her toes, by Vasus (light) her fingers, by Kubera's (light) her nose; by Prajapati's light her teeth came into being and similarly by Agni's light her three eyes were formed.

 The light of the two sandhyas became her eyebrows, the light of Vayu her ears; the manifestation of the lights of other devas too (contributed to the being of the ) auspicious Devi.