While the Gods stood sinking in their own infinities of meditation, the mighty Mahishasura rose and took claim of the three worlds. The Devas were exiled and the humans were tortured. The Asura had a boon (or curse) that eventually a woman would kill him. A meeting of gods took place, where they contemplated on the ways of slaying the Asura. When their hopes were on the brink of vanishing, their inner powers channelled out and fused into a big bolt of energy. From that accumulated power arose the Goddess having ten arms, whose sight rejuvenated the hope in gods. This was the primordial Goddess, Devi Durga, who had been invoked when despair had shrouded the world. With weapons in her arms, and riding on a lion, she marched into the battlefield and challenged Mahishasura into a duel. An intense battle began between Devi and army of Mahishasura. Single-handedly, Devi vanquished the evil forces and in the end, pierced the mighty Asura into his chest, thereby bringing peace to the three worlds. Thus, she was hailed as Mahishasura Mardini, the slayer of Mahishasura.