
When
Goddess slew Shumbha and Nishumbha, Arunasura, one of the ministers, had fled
from the battlefield and saved his life. Later he became the leader of the
Rakshasas (demons). He began to disturb the sages and destruct their Yajnahs. As
a result, the Devas stopped raining, which resulted in total draught and
scarcity of water and food grains on the earth. Moved by the pathetic conditions
of the people Maharshi Jabali, the great sage decided to perform a Yajnah to
appease the Devas. He approached Devendra and requested him to send Kamadhenu (a
sacred cow) with him for the ritual. Since Kamadhenu had been to Varuna Loka,
Devendra permitted the sage to take Nandini, the daughter of Kamadhenu in order
to assist him as Homadhenu (symbolic cow for ritual) in his proposed Yajna.
Jabali went to Nandini and put forth his request. In reply Nandini abused the
earth and the people there and refused to accompany him. When the sage found
that Nandini was firm in her refusal, he cursed her to flow as a river on the
earth. As Nandini prayed Jabali for mercy, kindhearted sage advised her to pray
Adhishakti to get freed from the curse. Accordingly she prayed Adhishakti.
Pleased by her deep meditation Goddess appeared before Nandini and told her that
she has to flow as a river as a result of the curse, because nobody can trespass
the sentences (Rishi Vakya) of a holy sage. But she added "I shall take birth as
your daughter in due course and purify you from this curse". Satisfied by this
assurance Nandini emerged as a river from Kanakagiri on the day of Magha Shuddha
Poornima and made the earth green once again. Meanwhile Arunasura acquired a
boon from Brahma, which made him free from fear of death by Trinity, Devas, men
or women or by any two legged or four legged animals & creatures. Goddess
Saraswathi also blessed him with Gayathri Mantra (Holy chants). All these made
him the most powerful. He defeated the Devatas and conquered Heaven.
Disheartened by disastrous defeat, the Devatas, along with Trinity pleaded
Adhishakti for the rescue. Goddess said that unless and until Arunasura is
prevented from reciting Gayathri Mantra she too would not be able to destroy
him. She suggested them to send Brihaspathi (Guru of Devatas) to distract
Arunasura from his meditation of Gayathri, and make him get rid of Gayathri
recitation so that she would be able to kill him. Brihaspathi approached
Arunasura, flattered him, poisoned his ears and succeeded in diverting him from
his meditation. Now Arunasura vainly felt that he was more than God himself. He
not only ordered his subjects to worship him but also troubled the sages and
spoiled their Yajnas. As promised to the Devas, Goddess took the shape of
Mohini, a charming woman and began to wander in the garden of Arunasura. Chanda
& Prachanda, ministers of Arunasura saw her and informed the master about her
beauty. Arunasura decided to marry her and approached her. When she turned deaf
ears to his request & teased him for fleeing from the war field, in afraid of
the lady who killed his masters Shumbha & Nishumbha, he became furious. When he
tried to take her by storm, she disappeared inside rock. Arunasura broke the
rock with his sword. Suddenly, a vast swarm of bees emerged from the rock and
stung him. Devi had taken the form of a big, furious bee that is 'Bhramara' and
stung him repeatedly till his last breath. Now the Devas and the sages led by
Jabali performed "Abhishekham" (holy bath) to Devi with tender coconut brought
from the Kalpavriksha of Devaloka, and prayed her to bless the world with
'Soumya Roopa' (tender posture). According to this request Devi emerged in the
form of 'Linga' (symbolic holy rock) in the middle of the river Nandini and is
known as Shree Durga Parameshwari. KATI means waist and ILA means earth. So
Kateel stands for that area of the earth, which is the Kati, or the center of
the river Nandini. The Nandini is purified by the birth of Adhishakti in her
"Kati" and Durga Parameshwari is here for the good of the universe and blesses
those who come to her.