Most people know the story of Goddess Durga defeating Mahishasura after a fierce battle. But there is another detail that makes this ancient legend even more intriguing. Some Puranic accounts describe the emergence of a powerful goddess from the combined energies of the gods, while a version associated with the Narada Purana connects Mahishasura’s defeat with Goddess Lakshmi. Why do these accounts differ, and what does each story reveal about the divine feminine?
