The Face of Dreams and Despair

Durga: The Trinity

Indra looked in awe as Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Protector and Shiva, the Destroyer finally stood together; power and energy radiating from them like rays of the sun.

“Mahisha is an Asura of great power,” Brahma said, his wrinkled face sagging, “What's worse is that he has acquired a boon that wouldn’t make it easy to defeat him.” “And who do we have to blame for it?” Vishnu asked, leaning casually against a huge snow covered boulder. Brahma shook his head, strands of his white hair swaying with the wind, “I was bound by my promise. I couldn’t grant him immortality so I asked him to choose the way he would meet his end.” Indra’s eyes gleamed with hope. “What was his condition?” he asked.

It was Shiva who replied, “He asks for death in the hands of a woman. Only a woman can defeat him.” “A woman? I haven’t heard of an army of women trained to fight!” Indra burst out, disbelief etched on his face, “How can a mere woman deal with this monster who chased out entire phalanxes of Devas?”

“Mahisha made his condition quite clear, Indra,” Vishnu said while examining a melting snowflake on his palm, “And unless you are secretly a woman disguised as a man, and believe me, I’d like nothing more than to listen to your story if you actually were, you just cannot defeat him.” Indra felt annoyed but knew better than to retort to Vishnu. “Then defeating him is next to impossible!” he exclaimed to the Trinity.

But then they heard the tinkling of bangles as a charming voice interrupted, “Oh, King of the Devas, you underestimate women so much, don't you?”

A lovely woman appeared next to Shiva’s side. She smiled at her husband who grinned back at her. Her long plait was woven with wildflowers, her face shone like the moon and she wore a simple yellow sari that fluttered in the strong wind. She too, wore meagre jewellery made of Rudraksha seeds and the same feeling of warmth radiated from her.

As Indra bowed deeply to her and as Brahma and Vishnu joined their palms in respect, Parvati, Shiva’s consort, smiled at them and said, “Esteemed Devas, I know exactly how to defeat Mahisha.”