1. Devi Visnumaya . I : Mahisasuramardini Prof. Couriswar Bhattacharya* Zillastrasse 1 1 3 10585 Berlin, Germany I n the private collection of an American gentleman there is a red sandstone image of Mahisasurarnardini, or the goddess who destroys the buffalo-demon, measuring 27 inches in height and 16 inches in . breadth. The stone-relief appears to have originated in Central India, and is to be dated in the 9th century AD approximately. (Figs. 1 and 4)' The eight-armed goddess stands in dlidha position, her right leg is bent, the foot being placed on the back of the buffalo, and the left leg is stretched out, the left foot being placed on the pedestal. The undecorated pedestal is of rectangular shape. The image is very lively, the goddess fights vigourously with the buffalo-demon (mahisasura) who appears to have come out of the body'of the animal. With her upper right hand, the goddess takes out (or puts) an arrow (bdna) from (or in) the quiver (isudhi), the second right hand holds an indistinct object (a disc, cakra?), the third a heavy sword. The upper left hand holds a shield, the second hand an indistinct object (a bell, ghantd?), and the third one a bow. With her front left hand she holds the tuft of hair of the demon, and pierces the neck of the buffilo with the trident (triiiila) held in her front right hand. She vanquishes the buffalo-demon. There is an exact description of the scene in the Devimdhdtmya (or CaMi), 111. 37 : evam uktvd samutpatya sdrwa tam mah-dsuram/padena cfkramya kanthe ca Siilena ainam atddayat//, i.e. uttering thus (and) springing up, she (the goddess) having ascended that great demon approached with (her) feet and pierced him in the throat with the trident. The goddess (devi) wears various ornaments, a necklace qassing through her fully developed breasts (a motif which was quite common with the Pratihilra sculptors), and very artistic is her hair-do, circular like a bun and