Bhagavati Katyayani

Bhagavatī Kātyāyanī Introduction:— Bhagavatī Kātyāyanī Goddess Kātyāyanī is a manifestation of Ādyāśakti. "Kātyāyanī"(कात्यायनी) means the daughter of Kātyāyana (कात्यायन). This very popular form is shown as the Slayer of Mahiṣa demon. By killing that demon, she got the name "Mahiṣāsuramardinī" (महिषाषुरमर्दिनी). Her father, sage Kātyāyana was a Śāstrakāra (composer of Śāstras), Gaṇitajña Mathematician and Māyāvid. He was a great devotee of Goddess Bhavānī. But according to many scholars, Kātyāyanī may not be the daughter of Kātyāyana. The Skanda Purāṇa's Nāgara Khaṇḍa relates Kātyāyanī (or Kārtāyanī? )with her son Kārtikeya . Kārtikeya invoked Ādyāśakti to take this form. The scholars think that Kātyāyanī was the Kuladevī of Kātyāyana clan or tribe. Kātyāyanī killed Mahiṣāsura in this present Kalpa named Śveta Varāha Kalpa (श्वेतवराह कल्प). According to the Cāmuṇḍā Tantra (चामुण्डा तन्त्र), Kātyāyanī Tantra (कात्यायनी तन्त्र) and various texts, she is al...