Kateel Devi, also known as Kateel Durgaparameshwari, is a
manifestation of Mother Goddess Durga. The story of this incarnation of Goddess
Shakti is part of two legends. The goddess is worshipped in this form in the famous Kateel Devi Temple at Kateel near Mangalore in Karnataka.
There was no water on earth and the living beings were dying out of thirst and
starvation. Sage Jabali who was meditating in a cave woke up on hearing the
cries of living beings.
Sage Jabali decided to perform a yajna and eradicate the
drought. But there was no material available for the Yajna. So the sage went to
heaven and requested Indra for help. Indra asked Nandini, the daughter of
Kamadhenu, wish fulfilling cow, to help Sage Jabali.
But Nandini was not ready to set foot on earth which had
housed demons like Ravana etc.
Sage requested her to forget the past and follow him to
earth. But Nandini was adamant.
Sage Jabali was a very calm saint. But this time he lost his
patience and cool and cursed Nandini that she will be a river flowing on the very
same earth which she desisted to visit.
Nandini soon realized her folly and begged for forgiveness.
The Sage relented and told her that only Mother Goddess Shakti can help her.
Nandini then offered prayers to Goddess Shakti at
Kanakachala on earth. After several years, Goddess Shakti gave darshan to
Nandini and told her that she will be relieved of her curse when she will
appear as a linga. She asked Nandini to become a river and flow on earth till
then.
foot of
the drought disappeared and once again the earth was fertile.
She then waited for the appearance of Mother Goddess Shakti.
The demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, who were killed by Goddess
Durga, had a minister named Arunasura who had escaped to the netherworld. Here
he built a city named Ekaveeradri and waited for the beginning of dark age –
Kali Yuga.
When Kali Yuga started, Arunasura performed penance at
Amaravana. The penance was so severe that Brahma and Goddess Vani Devi were
forced to make an appearance before him. The demon demanded immortality from
Brahma, which was denied.
Then Arunasura demanded the boon that he be not killed by
any God, demon, reptile, Yaksha, Gandharva, Kinnara, Kimpurusha, Siddha,
Sadhya, Vidhyadhara or by man or woman, by animals that move on two or four
legs or by any weapon. The boon was granted.
Goddess Vani Devi initiated him in the Gayatri Mantra and
told him that as long as he chanted the mantra, death will not approach him.
Demon Arunasura now became the most powerful on earth. He
conquered all the worlds and made Indra, the king of celestial beings, his
vassal. All living beings suffered under his tyranny.
The celestial beings, saints and living beings approached
Brahma. He was helpless so he directed them to Shiva. Mahadev decided to take
the matter to Bhagvan Vishnu. Here the Trimurtis decided to invoke Mother
Goddess Shakti.
She told them that as long as Arunasura practiced Gayatri Mantra, he could not
be killed. She asked Brihaspati to approach the Asura in disguise and instruct
him in atheism.
Brihaspati then went to Arunasura and had a long discussion.
Brihaspati tried to reason that Arunasura was the most powerful being and
therefore he should not offer prayers to anyone. In fact all beings should
offer prayers to him. Arunasura was not ready to accept the argument. But
Brihaspati continued his argument and instilled pride and arrogance in the
demon. The demon was finally convinced about his false power and soon decided
to stop offering prayers. He stopped chanting the Gayatri Mantra and ordered
that from that day onwards all prayers should be dedicated to him.
pleasure
ministers of Arunasura took the news of the damsel to their master. The demon
king soon appeared before Devi and was enamored by her beauty. He asked her to
marry him.
Goddess Shakti laughed and reminded him that She is the same
Chandika who had killed his masters Shumbha and Nishumbha.
Arunasura was taken aback by this revelation and he took out
his sword and charged to attack the Goddess. But She disappeared into a rock.
The demon scanned the pleasure garden but could not find the Goddess.
He then asked his army to ransack the garden. The demon army
was attacked by Mother Goddess as Raktheshwari. She killed the entire army.
Arunasura then came out and attacked the rock into which
Devi had disappeared. He stabbed and jabbed at the rock. Suddenly thousands of
bees emerged from the rock. They attacked Arunasura. Goddess Shakti herself appeared
as huge bee and alighted right on the demon’s chest and pierced his heart with
a sting and killed the demon.
two-legged nor four-legged; and the bee is neither god, nor demon, nor man nor
animal nor reptile and the sting of a bee is no weapon of any kind. Mother
Goddess Shakti, thus, killed Arunasura without violating the boon of Brahma.
beings and living beings were overjoyed by the divine act. They prayed to the
Goddess to abandon the fierce bee form and take a kind and benign form.
request and decided to appear as a Linga form. The Goddess then appeared in the
middle of
single river divided into two near the linga and joined again.
Thus Nandini was relieved of
the curse.