The gods sent an army to fight with the army of the demons and protect Vaishnavi devi. But the gods were easily defeated and the demons were triumphant.

The messenger, whose name was Vidyuprabha, went to Vaishnavi devi and told her that Mahishasura wished to marry her. Could there possibly be a better and more worthy husband for her? Vidyutprabha also told Vaishnavi devi about the origin of Mahishasura.

The terrible demon Viprachitti had a daughter named Mahishmati who was exceedingly pretty. Mahishmati once went on a trip to a lovely valley wit her friends. There was a pleasant hermitage (ashrama) there and Mahishmati thought it might be a good idea if she could acquire the hermitage. She therefore adopted the form of a she-buffalo (mahishi) so that she might scare the sage who owned the hermitage away. The sage was initially a bit frightened at the sight of the she-buffalo. But through his mental powers he realised that this was only Mahishmati in disguise. He therefore cursed her that she would remain in the form of a she-buffalo for a hundred years.

Mahishmati pleaded with the sage for mercy and consented to make the conditions of the curse slightly less stringent. The new conditions were that Mahishmati would remain in the form of a she-buffalo until she gave birth to a son. The birth of her son would herald her release from the curse.