Sarvajayā Devī or Viṃśabhujā Gaurī

 Sarvajayā Devī or Viṃśabhujā Gaurī 

(सर्वजया देवी / विंशभुजा गौरी)

Introduction:— 

There is a temple of Goddess Pārvatī's special form in the Varanasi. She's Sarvajayā Gaurī (सर्वजया गौरी), the Slaughter of Raktāsura (रक्तासुर), the son of Mahiṣāsura. Her appearance story and Vrata vidhi are portrayed in the Saura Purāṇa and the Brahma Purāṇa respectively. 

Gaṇeśajananī Pārvatī

Goddess Pārvatī, who is— 

एकाक्षरीति विख्याता ब्राह्मी दाक्षायणीति या। उमा हैमवती दुर्गा सती माता महेश्वरी॥ 

आर्याम्विका मृड़ानी च चण्डी नारायणी शिवा। महालक्ष्मीर्जगन्माता कालिका मेनकात्मजा ॥ 

[[ Reference:— Saura Purāṇa: Chapter 49 : Raktāsura Vadh]] 

Goddess Pārvatī is known as Ekākṣarī, Brāhmī (daughter of Brahmā, mentioned in Varāha Purāṇa), Dākṣāyaṇī (Dakṣa's daughter), Umā (herself is Praṇava), Haimavatī (daughter of Himavāna), Durgā (slayer of Durgamāsura), Satī, Mātā, Maheśvarī (the supreme goddess), Āryā (the benign goddess), Āmbikā (Mother), Mṛḍānī (wife of Mṛḍa or Śiva), Caṇḍī (slayer of Caṇḍāsura), Nārāyaṇī (Nārāyaṇa's potential energy), Śivā, Mahālakṣmī (the supreme witnessing), Jaganmātā, Kālikā and Menakātmajā (daughter of Menā Devī). 

She takes various incarnations or manifestations to save the rights (Dharma) and destroy the evils — 

नानारूपधरा सैवमतीर्यैव पार्वती । 

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय निघन्ती दैत्यदानवान् ॥ 

~ Saura Purāṇa:49

Goddess Sarvajayā's Glorifications are also available in the Skanda Purāṇa, — 

मुने विंशभुजा गौरी विशालाक्षी पुरः स्थिता ।

संहरंती महाविघ्नं क्षेत्रभक्तिजुषां सदा ॥ 

शारदं नवरात्रं च कार्या यात्रा प्रयत्नतः ।

देव्या विंशभुजाया वै सर्वकामसमृद्धये ॥

यो न विंशभुजां देवीं वाराणस्यां नमेन्नरः ।

कुतो महोपसर्गेभ्यस्तस्य शांतिर्दुरात्मनः ॥ 

[[Reference – Skanda Purāṇa: Kāśī Khaṇḍa: 70]] 

 Meaning :— "O sage, Goddess Viṃśabhujā, an aspect of Gaurī is stationed in front of Viśālākṣī, destroying always the great obstacles of those having devotion to the holy spot. For the augmentation of all desired things the religious festival of Goddess Viṃśabhujā should be assiduously celebrated during the nine days of the Śarat season (first to the ninth day in the bright half of Āśvina). If any man does not bow down to Goddess Viṃśabhujā in Vārāṇasī, how can that evil-souled one get mental peace from great calamities. Those by whom Goddess Viṃśabhujā is eulogized and adored in Vārāṇasī, are never harassed by masses of obstacles. They are meritorious souls."

Iconography:— 

Sarvajayā Devī

देवीमम्वुजलोचनां शशिमुखीं पीनस्तनीं सुप्रभाम्। मध्ये क्षीणतरामनर्घ्यसुमतीं स्वर्णैः शुभालङ्कृताम्॥ 

विंशत्यग्रभुजां भजामि रुचिवैर्वस्त्रैः सदा शोभितां । गौरीं सिद्धसुरार्सुराच्चितपदां दारिद्र्यविद्रावणीम्॥ 

~ Brahma Purāṇa: Sarvajayā Vrata

Meaning:— I worship that Goddess Gaurī —whose eyes are like lotuses and whose face shines like the moon, whose breasts are full and whose body glows with radiant beauty, whose slender waist is adorned with precious golden ornaments. She has twenty arms and is always adorned with beautiful garments. Her feet are worshipped by gods, sages, and even asuras. She removes poverty and suffering — I bow to that divine Gaurī. 

The appearance story :— 

Vishwabhuja Gauri Temple 

In former times, there was a mighty and powerful being named Raktāsura, the son of Mahiṣāsura — as formidable and deceitful as Hiraṇyākṣa himself. This great and valorous warrior, strong of arm and filled with immense power, conquered Indra, Upendra, and the other gods, and ruled the three worlds without fear or resistance. 

He had thirty-three ministers named Dhūmrākṣa, Bhīmadaṃṣṭra, Kālapāśa, Mahāhanu, Vidyunmālī, Śaṅkukarna, Vibhāvasu, Vedāntaka, Vidharmā, Durbhikṣa, Krūra, Hayagrīva, Aśvakārṇa etc. All of them were fierce by nature, intoxicated with pride, broad-shouldered like lions, gigantic in size, and endowed with immense strength and valor. 

Once, Raktāsura, seated in the assembly surrounded by his host of daityas, addressed the gathered humans, saying, “You shall worship and praise none but me. From this day forward whoever performs rites for the gods will be put to death by me.” By that decree of the demon-king, all yajñas, Vedic studies, worshipping of the gods and festivals were immediately ruined. At that time the whole world took on the character of the asuras. Everyone, having abandoned dharma, began to appear like barbarians. Thus, through the loss of righteousness the power of the gods was gradually diminished. Soon the daityas, believing Indra to be weak, began to rush upon him in attack.

Overwhelmed by the prowess of the asuras, the king of gods abandoned his heaven and went to Bṛhaspati. He said, “O teacher, on Raktāsura’s command millions upon millions of daityas are relentlessly harassing me everywhere to destroy me. I cannot remain here for fear of assault, nor can I go elsewhere. Therefore I wish to make a resolute stand in battle.”

Hearing the words of Indra, Bṛhaspati replied, “O lord of the gods, this is not the time for fighting. What will anger accomplish? Do not be distressed — the course of events is such that living beings repeatedly experience gain and loss by fate.” As Indra and Bṛhaspati thus spoke to one another, Brahmā then arrived and said, 

मा विषादं कृथाः शक्र शरणं व्रज पार्वतीम्।

या जघ्ने महिषं दैत्यं रुरुं चित्रासुरं तथा ॥

Meaning —“O Śakra, do not be disheartened; take refuge in the Goddess Pārvatī. She had killed Mahiṣāsura,  Ruru and Citrāsura in the previous times.”*

*( These stories are portrayed in the Varāha Purāṇa, where Goddess Pārvatī or Trikalā Devī killed Citrāsura / Vetrāsura as Nandādevī or Brāhmīdurgā, Mahiṣāsura as Vaiṣṇavīdurgā and Ruru as Kālarātrī or Raudrīdurgā )

Following the advice of Brahmā, the lord of the gods, Indra, began to perform austerities in honor of Goddess Pārvatī and chanted hymns in her praise. He said,

जयानन्दे महावर्णे महिषासुरघातिनि। 

जयाशेषगुणावासे जय वेत्रासुरान्तके॥ 

~ Saura Purāṇa: 49

Meaning — "Hail to thee, O radiant One, source of joy divine,
O slayer of Mahiṣāsura, thy glory shines!
Abode of endless virtues, pure and bright,
Hail, O vanquisher of Vetrāsura’s might!"

When the king of the gods thus offered his eulogy to the Divine Mother, the Goddess Pārvatī, adorned with every ornament, appeared before Indra. The other gods, hearing of her manifestation, bowed down to that destroyer of fear and prayed, “O Mother, deliver us from this great terror.”

Then the three-eyed, moon-crested Goddess Pārvatī, hearing the words of the gods, granted them assurance and, assuming a wondrous and awe-inspiring form, prepared to act for their protection.

Then the Divine Mother Ambikā, with thunderous laughter, began to roar again and again like a lion. The terrifying sound of her laughter spread throughout the entire universe. At that time, the whole earth—adorned with lofty mountains for her bosom and the oceans as her girdle—trembled like a frightened maiden.

Hearing of these events, the mighty asuras—fierce as Death himself—gathered together with their fourfold armies and advanced to the battlefield. All the rākṣasas, daityas, and dānavas dwelling in the nether regions also came by the millions to join their lord, the demon-king Raktāsura.

Then thirty-three thousand akṣauhiṇīs of asura troops launched a massive attack upon the Supreme Goddess. In a mere moment, the Goddess annihilated them all. Many demons then rushed toward her wielding dreadful weapons—Prāsa, Paṭṭīśa, Muṣala, Gadā, Cakra, Khaḍga, and Parigha—but the Goddess, with effortless grace, destroyed countless asuras by releasing eighty million arrows in an instant.

ततः चण्डिका चण्डकोदण्डमुक्तैदिवाहारिणां कोटय़ोहष्टौ तथाष्टौ। हताः पट्टिशै राक्षसानाञ्च लक्षास्त्रयस्त्रिंशदाष्टादशैवात्र कोट्यः॥

Thereafter Devī Caṇḍikā killed the demon commanders — Hayagrīva, Nikumbha, Maṇika, Vaka, Sūryaka, Keyala etc. With a roar as deep and thunderous as the ocean at the time of dissolution, the Goddess released a torrent of arrows and advanced toward Raktāsura. She spoke to him, saying, “O wicked demon! Having disturbed the minds of the gods, where will you flee now to save your life?” Saying this, the Goddess struck his heart with her trident. Pierced by the weapon, Raktāsura took on a dreadful and bewildering form, as though to confound the Goddess Pārvatī herself. But soon, the mighty Goddess Ambikā, assuming her fierce aspect, slew that shape-shifting demon on the battlefield.

Afterward, the gods, including Indra, freed from the fear of the demons, joined their palms in reverence and began to praise the Goddess Girijā. Whoever worships Goddess Pārvatī, the destroyer of Raktāsura, on the ninth day (Navamī Tithi) of the Śukla Pakṣa of the month of Āśvina, the Goddess graciously fulfills all of their heartfelt desires. 

Stay tuned for more stories of the Divine plays of Goddess Pārvatī!