Madurantaka, known as Sendhan Amudhan, turned to his mother, the venerable Sembiyan Maadevi, and said, “Mother! In this world, there are countless people who wander about, possessed by the madness of war. To them, any day without battle seems a day wasted. My friend Vandiyathevan and Ponniyin Selvan both belong to that group. But you—if there is a day when you do not speak of the Lord, you consider it a day not lived at all! It is truly astonishing to hear you speak in support of the profession of war!”

At this, Sembiyan Maadevi replied, “My beloved son! Let anyone else speak ill of the profession of arms, but not you. Nor should Poonguzhali. Is it not because the kings of our lineage are skilled in the art of war that you are alive today, singing hymns of praise to the Lord that melt both my heart and body?”

“Mother! Let it be that I saved your precious son’s life. But I can never forget that both he and your daughter-in-law, whom he took by the hand, saved my life as well. Is it not Poonguzhali Ammaiyar’s martial spirit that is the reason I am alive today?” said Vandiyathevan.

“Parameswaran and Durga Parameswari are the ones who protect us all! Without their grace, how could we protect one another?” said Madurantaka.

“Child! Even Lord Shiva, who is the very embodiment of compassion, has had to wage war many times. Durga Parameswari, the Mother of the Universe, who is the form of love, grace, and peace, too, has found it necessary to fight. In this sacred place, the Goddess presides in the temple as the Lady who fosters righteousness. Yet, have you not noticed that in the temple’s circumambulatory path, she also appears as Mahishasuramardhini, the Slayer of the Buffalo Demon?”

“Yes, Mother! I noticed and marveled at it. I wondered why the Mother, who gave birth to and protects all the worlds, stands upon the head of a buffalo and reveals herself thus!” said Madurantaka.

“Yes, yes! In this temple, the Goddess has already slain Mahishasura. That is why, in the face of the Goddess standing on the buffalo’s head, we see love and grace shining forth. In the cave sculptures at Mamallapuram, there is a depiction of the Goddess battling Mahishasura. There, Durga Parameswari appears as the fierce, terrifying, warlike Kali. As the Mother of all worlds—” Why, O Durga Parameswari, must there be such a commotion over a mere quarrel with a buffalo? To the onlooker, it may seem excessive to make such a spectacle of it. My dear prince, every event that dawns in the hearts of our elders holds a deeper meaning. To understand them, one needs maturity. One must also possess the earnestness to seek that understanding!”

“Devi! Whether we possess such maturity, I do not know. But earnestness, we surely have. We listen with utmost attention to every word that blossoms from your sacred lips! Why, even the ever-restless eyes of our Vallathu king seem unable to look away from you,” said Arulmozhi.

These words stirred a ripple of mirth among those present. The women, realizing that Arulmozhivarman was alluding to Vandiyathevan’s frequent glances at the young princess’s radiant face, laughed softly among themselves.

Sembiyan Madevi spoke: “If you are listening with such attention, then I shall speak—listen well. Our puranas and epics are replete with tales of wars between the devas and asuras. They tell of how Lord Vishnu incarnated in this world and battled the demons. From the very moment the Lord created this universe, the divine forces and the asura forces have been in constant conflict. If one were to ask why the Lord created the asura forces, we, with our limited understanding, cannot answer. It can only be said that it is part of His divine play. But one thing is certain: the divine and the asura forces are locked in unending battle. At times, it appears as if the asura forces are triumphant, as though they will rule the world forever. Surapadman, Hiranya, Ravana—how many thousands of years did they reign! Yet, for each of them, the end came in but a fleeting moment.”

“Yes, yes! When the ten-headed Ravana, who had made even the gods bow before him and serve him, met his end, was it not two men and a few monkeys who brought about the destruction of his entire clan?” said Madurantaka Thevar.

“Therefore, when the asura forces seem to prevail, men must not lose heart. One must hold fast to dharma and truth, believing that in the end, the divine forces will surely triumph. For those who fight thus, the gods themselves will certainly come to their aid.”

“Mother! You were about to speak of Mahishasura!” Poonguzhali reminded her.

“Yes; you have reminded me at the right moment, my daughter! There are two kinds of asura forces. One is the brute asura force; the other is the asura force endowed with cunning intelligence. Our ancestors personified the brute asura force as Mahishasura.

Have you ever seen a wild buffalo, maddened and frenzied, running amok? At that moment, the buffalo gains strength greater than even an elephant. It destroys every living creature that crosses its path. Brute force is like that wild buffalo, powerful in its madness. Sometimes, brute force even ascends the throne and begins to rule. This is what our ancestors called the reign of Mahishasura. When Mahishasura sat upon the throne of Devaloka and began his rule, chaos and turmoil spread across the three worlds. ‘No need for knowledge, no need for books of wisdom, no need for the arts of intellect, no need for music. Sculpture, painting, temples, towers—none of these are necessary. Destroy everything!’—thus commanded Mahishasura. Gods, sages, and men all trembled in fear. Many among them bowed before Mahishasura and accepted his rule. This only increased Mahishasura’s arrogance and cruelty. When arrogance and brutality join hands with brute force, need I tell you the result? Unable to bear Mahishasura’s