Kushmanda

From the glance of Kushmanda's left eye, a ferocious lady with pitch-black complexion was created. She had ten faces, ten arms, ten feet, thirty eyes, fifty fingers and fifty toes. Her hair was disheveled and tongue lolled. Her white teeth bit her ten tongues. She was clad in space except a girdle of severed arms and a garland of skulls. She was seated on a burning funeral pyre and cackled in a ghastly manner. She was armed with cleaver, trident, discus, arrow, shield, severed head, skull-cup, conch-shell, cross-bow and a club. She was collecting blood dripping from the severed head in the skull-cup and sipped it while eating carrion. Kushmanda named her Mahakali.

From the glance of Kushmanda's third eye, a ferocious lady with complexion of lava was created. She had eighteen arms. She was clad in saffron clothes and wore a warrior's armour and helmet. She was armed with battle-axe, trident, discus, mace, thunderbolt, arrow, sword, lotus, rosary, conch-shell, bell, noose, spear, goad, bow, shield, a waterpot with handle. She was seated on a jeweled throne and roared viciously. Kushmanda named her Mahalakshmi.

From the glance of Kushmanda's right eye, a benevolent lady with complexion of milk was created. She had eight arms and three placid eyes. She was clad in white clothes and wore a crescent moon on her forehead. She was armed with trident, discus, pestle, arrow, conch shell, bell, bow and a ploughshare. Her face was glorious like the full moon and she wore pearl ornaments. She was seated on a fully bloomed lotus and maintained a serene smile. Kushmanda named her Mahasaraswati.

Kushmanda's person from her feet fell upon Mahasarawati. Immediately, a man and a woman sprang out of Mahasarawati's body. The man had four faces and four arms. His complexion was red and he was clad in saffron clothes. He wore expensive ornaments. He held lotus, book, rosary and a waterpot. Kushmanda named him Brahma. The woman had four arms and complexion of milk. Clad in white, she held a goad, a rosary, a book and a lotus. She wore white ornaments. Kushmanda named her Saraswati.

Kushmanda's person from her arms fell upon Mahalakshmi. Immediately, a man and a woman sprang out of Mahaslakshmi's body. The man had four arms. His complexion was dark and he was clad in yellow clothes. He was heavily decked with ornaments. He held a discus, a conch-shell, a mace and a lotus. Kushmanda named him Vishnu. The woman had four arms and fair complexion. Clad in gold, she held two lotus buds in her two upper arms while her two lower hands were held open. She was heavily decked with ornaments. Kushmanda named her Lakshmi.

Shakti and Shiva then created this universe together, by merging with each other into the half-and-half form Ardhanarishvara. The two parts, man and woman, created the universe and other Gods and Goddesses too. Among all the gods and goddesses, the goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi and Shakti are the ones who are closest to Kushmanda, with Shakti being the most perfect of the three. Much later on, when Saraswati, Lakshmi and Shakti combined themselves into one goddess, called Chandi, in order to defeat a powerful demon, the three reflections of Kushmanda were thus unified once more. Kushmanda is also known as Smaanda Devi.