Durgama (), also called Durgamasura (), is an

asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

king in

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology refers to the collection of myths associated with Hinduism, derived from various Hindu texts and traditions. These myths are found in sacred texts such as the Vedas, the Itihasas (the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Ramayan ...

. His legend is associated with the origin of the goddess

Shakambhari Shakambhari (Sanskrit: शाकम्भरी, IAST: Śākambharī), also referred to as Shatakshi, is a goddess of nourishment. She is regarded to be an incarnation of Mahadevi, and identified with Durga in Hinduism. After the malevolent a ...

Legend

Devi Bhagavata Purana

An asura belonging to the line of

Hiranyaksha Hiranyaksha (, ), also known as Hiranyanetra () was an asura king as per Hindu mythology. He is described to have submerged the earth and terrorised the three worlds. He was slain by the Varaha (wild boar) avatar of Vishnu, who rescued the ...

and the

daitya The daityas () are a race of asuras in Hindu mythology, descended from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the earth, and required three of Vishnu's a ...

clan, Durgama performed a penance to propitiate

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, the creator deity. After many years, Brahma appeared to grant him a boon of his choice. Departing from his ancestors' conventional wish for immortality, Durgama wished to be the sole owner of the texts and the knowledge of the

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

. After gaining this ownership, he locked them in

Patala In Indian religions, Patala ( Sanskrit: पाताल, IAST: pātāla, lit. ''that which is below the feet''), denotes the subterranean realms of the universe – which are located under the earthly dimension. Patala is often translated as u ...

, the netherworld, making them inaccessible to priests and sages on earth, who needed them to perform

yajnas In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas, as well a ...

. This led to the extinction of this practice, which in turn led to the devas losing their power. The worlds descended into famine and thirst. Durgama seized the opportunity to usurp the throne of

Svarga Svarga (, ), also known as Swarga, Indraloka and Svargaloka, is the celestial abode of the devas in Hinduism. Svarga is one of the seven higher lokas ( esoteric planes) in Hindu cosmology. Svarga is often translated as heaven, though it is reg ...

from

Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

, enslaving all the devas. Since Durgama's father had received a boon of protection for his entire family, the

Trimurti The Trimurti ( /t̪ɾimʊɾt̪iː/) is the triple deity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified as a triad of deities. Typically, the designations are that ...

were unable to intercede in this conflict. Hence, they summoned Jagadambika, the supreme goddess, to restore order. The goddess descended upon earth and shed tears of woe upon witnessing the state of humans, which led to the flow of rivers, and she also nourished the people with vegetables and herbs. Durgama attacked the goddess with his army. Dhāriṇī, Bālā, Tripurā, Bhairavī and Kālī emerged from Jagadambika's form, as manifestations of her

shakti Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...

. After Durgama's army was obliterated, a single combat ensued between the king and the goddess. The asura king was slain by the arrows of the goddess. The Vedas were liberated, and order was restored.

References

Asura Hindu mythology {{DEFAULTSORT:Durgasura

Legend

Devi Bhagavata Purana

See also

References