The Devi who slayed Durgama is known as Durga

The Devi who slayed Durgama is known as Durga.

Once there was an Asura named Durgama, who was son of Ruru and scion of Hiranyaksha Mahadaitya.

One day, Durgama had an awesome idea. He thought that Devas derive their powers by the Yagna that are performed in their names. The Yagna in turn are done by sages who consult Vedas for all rituals. Thus, if he could annex the Vedas, there would be no Yagna and directly no power source for Devas!

Excited, he went to do tapasya and did it tremendously for many, many years.

At last, Brahma came and Durgama expressed his desire for the boon "Lord, let every Veda merge into me and not exist anywhere else. Let the power of it's mantras materialise through me".

Brahma nodded and gave the boon.

The Vedas vanished from the world. All Yagnas stopped. The Devas were unable to acquire havis of the Yagna. Things started waning in absence of knowledge.

Devas were drained of their powers and finding the time apt, Durgama seized the Swarga and casted the Devas out.

The Devas, weak and terrified, went to mountain Sumeru and started worshipping Parashakti Bhagwati.

Meanwhile on earth, epidemic and plague broke off. Indra couldn't bring rain. Sun couldn't radiate it's energy. Varuna couldn't sustain his waters. The whole earth became a barren terrain of desert, decorated by corpses and bones of humans and animals. It was as if Death personified was dancing on earth.

All the learned ones gathered together and started worshipping Parashakti.

At last, pleased with their devotion, Parashakti appeared in a unique form.

She was as black as kohl and had four arms, each carrying bow,quiver, lotus and seeds of life.

Seeing the misery of her children, she sprouted thousands of eyes on her body which were filled with tears. Suddenly they started oozing and the tears gushed all the way down as a river. This form came to be known as Satakshi Devi.She sprinkled the seeds she was carrying and variety of plants came to life. Thunderstorms came and the earth quenched it's thirst.

The Devas came out from Sumeru and drank water to their heart's content. Devi herself fed everyone with her hands. She came to be known as Sakambari Devi.

Renewed with energy, everyone now asked her to restore the Vedas.

Durgama came with his army to attack on her. Calmly, she drew a protective circle around everyone and stood against Durgama.

The Asura and his army fired upon her thousands of weapons which pierced Devi. She hurled out a thunderous roar and many Devi emerged from her: Chinnamastika, Matangi, Mohini, Bhairavi, Baglamukhi and many more.

They created havoc in battle field and ate up all the Asuras. The blood dripped from their mouth as if betel-juice.

The battle continued for ten days. Eventually, Durgama invoked the Vedas and absorbed their powers. He fought all those Goddesses who were feeding themselves upon his army. None of them could defeat him.

At last, Durgama stood alone infront of Devi Bhagwati when other Goddesses have left the battlefield. He was on his black chariot in front of the Goddess who had expanded her form.

The war began between the two. Durgama attacked her with his weapons.Then, with a roar Devi hurled fifteen arrows at Durgama. The first four killed the Asura’s horses, the fifth beheaded his charioteer, the sixth and seventh striked on Durgama’s eyes, the eighth cut down his flag atop chariot, the ninth and tenth severed his arms, and the last five tore into his heart. A fountain of blood emerged. The Asura fell at the Devi’s feet as his soul slipped away from his mortal coils, absorbed into Devi.

She regained the Vedas through her powers and made them accessible to the world. And then she vanished.

Because she had killed Durgama, the Goddess came to be known as Durga.

Jai Maa Durga!