Vishnu Samhita says:
"Without a form how can God be mediated upon? If (He is) without any form, where will the mind fix itself? When there is nothing for the mind to attach itself to, it will slip away from meditation or will glide into a state of slumber. Therefore the wise will meditate on some form, remembering, however, that the form is a superimposition and not a reality."
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation is extremely happy to recognize the need to preserve and protect the traditions and customs. We feel that it is important to acknowledge the literary contributions of many scholars. These are the scholars who strengthened our culture, morals and ethics creating pride among Hindus.  Bala Samskar students in Andhra Pradesh are taught about the importance of Image worship and multidimensional forms of ONE GOD. God means Shakti, energy, force and power. Shakti can take any number of shapes and forms. One such manifestation is Durga Mata who has taken Mahishasura form to vanquish the demon. 
“Mahishasura Mardhini” means one who killed the Asura Mahishasura and refers to Goddess Durga. The demon was in the form of a buffalo and hence the name “Mahish Asura”. She was created by the Gods to eradicate evil and many Asuras and Dhanavas were killed by her.
The beautiful Stotra is very captivating and describes in detail her beauty, power, emotions, skills, compassion and divinity. The verses have great poetry and use various alliterations to describe the divine nature of the Goddess.
The author of these verses is not clearly known but according to some sources it is said to be Kavi Ramakrishna (Tenali Ram of Krishnadeva Raya fame – Vijayanagar Empire), while others attribute it to Adi Shankara.
It may initially sound like a tongue twister, but once you have spent 4 -5 years learning to chant along with an Audio the rhythm and words are mesmerizing and you will enjoy chanting it. These verses are traditionally chanted in South Indian homes during Navarathri. It is also chanted in the early morning of Mahalaya which marks the onset of Navarathri & Durga Puja.
Although called Mahishasura Mardhini the Shlokas cover 3 aspects of the Devi – As Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswathi 
Mahishasura Mardini Stotram is said to bring peace to the devotee and removes all fear and sadness. It drives away negative emotions like doubt, anger, ego and inertia. This stotram also removes obstacles from the path of the believer. One can listen to the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram, however reciting the chants are considered to be more powerful. 
Ai Giri Nandini Nanditha Medini Vishwa Vinodhini Nanda Nuthe
Girivara Vindhya Shirodhini Vassini Vishnu Vilassini Jishnu Nuthe
Bhagawathi Hey Shithi Kantha Kutumbini Bhuri Kutumbini Bhuri Krithe
Jaya Jaya Hey Mahishasura Mardhini Ramya Kapardhini Shaila Suthe
(Source: https://vak1969.com/2020/09/29/mahishasura-mardini-aigiri-nandini-context-meaning-learning/)
The slaying of Mahishasura
When the Devi destroyed the army of Mahishasura – the King of Demons, Chakshura, the mighty general decided to fight the Devi himself. But very soon, after a fierce battle, the Devi slaughtered him into hundreds of pieces. As soon as the valiant general of Mahishasura was slain, Chamara, the afflicter of the gods came forward mounted on an elephant to try his luck in the great battle. The Devi’s lion pounced upon the elephant and the two battled fiercely till the end. The lion then struck Chamara with his paw and killed him.
Seeing his army being destroyed brutally by the Devi and her lion, Mahishasura took the form of a majestic and fierce Buffalo and terrified the troops of the Devi. Hitting some by muzzle, trampling some by his hooves, lashing at some with his tail, and tearing others with his horns. When he was done with the Devi’s army, Mahishasura rushed to slay the lion of the Devi. This enraged the Devi. Mahishasura, pounded the terrain with his hooves in rage, crushed the earth by his whirling speed and flooded the oceans.
When the Devi saw Mahishasura advancing towards her in such rage, she was angered and flung her noose over the great asura and bound him. But Mahishasura soon relinquished his buffalo form and became a lion. When the Devi cut the head of his Lion form, he took a human form. The Devi slayed the human form too immediately, and then the evil Mahishasura took the form of a huge Elephant. When the Devi cut off his trunk with her sword, the asura resumed his buffalo form and shook the three worlds. The enraged Goddess and Mahishasura continued to battle ferociously, till the Devi jumped in the air and landed herself on the buffalo form of Mahishasura. She crushed his neck under her feet and struck him with her spear. Caught helplessly under her foot, Mahishasura tried to take human form again but could only manage to reveal himself till his waist. Soon he was beheaded by the Devi. The battle thus ended and the entire army of Mahishasura perished.
The Gods along with the divine seers lauded the Goddess. The Gandharvas sang and the bevies of apsaras danced in celebration of Mahishasura’s end.
Mahishaasura, who kept transforming from a buffalo, to a lion, to a man, to an elephant, and then back to a buffalo, represents the never ending chain of desires in us. When one desire is fulfilled another springs and takes its place. There is a never ending transformation and multiplication of multifarious desires. This is called Vikshepa Shakti and its rooted in Rajo Guna or Rajas. This conquest of Mahishasura is symbolic to winning over the rajasic tendencies in us.
Significance of the Devi vanquishing the buffalo demon
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says: Navratri is a celebration of the spirit or prana which alone can destroy mahishasura (inertia), shumbha-nishumbha (pride and shame) and madhu-kaitabh (extreme forms of craving and aversion). They are complete opposites yet complementary. Inertia, deeply ingrained negativities and obsessions (raktabeejasura), unreasonable logics (chanda-munda) and blurred vision (dhoomralochan) can be overcome only by raising the level of prana and shakti, the life-force energy.
Devi Durga, in her form as Mahishasura Mardini, is the destroyer of Mahisha. The word Mahisha means buffalo which is a symbol of laziness, lethargy, small-mindedness, tamogun and inertia. In that we say, ‘oh, everything goes, everything happens, everything is okay, corruption is okay, without that life will not go on. Things will not work, one has to be corrupt.’ This kind of attitude, and mind-set is wrong, this is Mahishasura.
These are the qualities which impede the spiritual, material progress of an individual and must be conquered. The Devi is a storehouse of positive energy, and any trace of laziness or inertia dissolves in her very presence.
Only the Mother Divine could destroy this demon with the collective energies of the Holy Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara (representing Creation, Maintenance, and Renewal).  (Source: https://shlokam.org/ayigirinandini/}
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