Mahalakshmi

In the Devimahatmya, the earliest and
most important source for the mythology
of the Goddess, the three parts of this
text describe this goddess in three different manifestations: Mahasaraswati,
Mahalakshmi, and Mahakali. Unlike
the goddess Lakshmi, who is a sedate
and propitious married goddess,
Mahalakshmi is seen as a powerful warrior goddess, the premier divine power
on the earth. She is formed from the collected radiance (tejas) of all the gods, in
order to kill a demon named
Mahishasura, against whom the gods
have been unable to prevail. Her climactic act in the Devimahatmya is killing
Mahishasura, despite his desperate
attempts first to defeat and then to
elude her. For more information on
Mahalakshmi and all the goddesses of
Hinduism, see David R. Kinsley, Hindu
Goddesses, 1986.