Mohini, the goddess of enchantment, was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He took on the deceptively attractive and irresistible female form to defeat the asuras after the Samudra Manthana, as they were after the amrita or the elixir of life that had come out of the sea. According to another legend, Mohini even seduced Lord Shiva into a union to fend off a future catastrophe. She is also often closely associated with Krishna, having adopted this form in the South Indian folktale that tells of the Mahabharata hero Aravan. Interestingly, Devi Mohini is known for her ability to change her gender as per the necessity of the time, and in the process, she enriches the understanding of Hindu folklore.
The name Mohini means ‘erotic magic’ or ‘spell’. In this regard, she is also associated with the legend of Dasa Mahavidyas. As Kinsley notes, the Mahavidya goddesses intertwine the themes of sex and mortality, symbolising enlightenment for the sadhaka. These depictions encourage the seeker to confront life’s ultimate realities, stripping away comforting illusions about one’s transience and inevitable mortality. By doing so, they help the sadhaka transcend the veil of maya, the illusion born from self-obsession.
The origin of the name comes from the word moha, which means ‘delusion personified’ or ‘to enchant and perplex’. The root word ‘moha’ also means to have desire or to be desirous; desire here has the ability to override the self-awareness of the rational mind; in a way, it is turning away from consciousness to sense gratification.
In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Mohini is one of the 24 avatars of Lord Vishnu. She is often mentioned as one of the most delightful forms of Vishnu. However, many scholars believe that the goddess cannot truly be called an avatar, since that requires the descent of Vishnu’s energy on earth to establish dharma. After accomplishing the purpose of the birth, the avatar merges once again with Lord Vishnu’s primal essence.
The Mohini avatar appeals to feminine energy because it is capable of driving all reason out of one’s mind. However, this is rarely considered a purpose of establishing dharma and Mohini is thus more a manifestation of God than an avatar. While unravelling the Mohini form of Vishnu, it is important to understand that Mohini is perhaps a manifestation that comes into play when Vishnu, as the Preserver, has to intervene to maintain the balance of the universe. The way in which Radha is Krishna’s pleasure (raas), Mohini can be thought of as Vishnu’s purpose and potency.
The emergence of Mohini dates back to the Samudra Manthana episode, as narrated in the Mahabharata. When the amrita emerged, the asuras stole it to prevent the devas from keeping it all for themselves. To avoid a war and its collateral damage, Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini and offered to mediate between the devas and the asuras. Both sides, taken by the beauty and eroticism of the woman, were unable to understand anything that was occurring before them. Meanwhile, Mohini continued giving the amrita to the devatas until not a single drop was left for the asuras. As the last of the devas were getting the amrita, i.e., Suryadeva and Chandradeva, a demon stole the kalasha (urn) to take the last of the immortality elixir for himself.
In that instant, Vishnu assumed his form and, with his Sudarshana Chakra, severed the head of the demon from his body; the head then became Rahu, always ravenously hungry, and the body became Ketu, who is consistently detached from all things. The asuras lost their rational mind to the illusion of Mohini and hence moved away from divine consciousness. As seen in this legend, Mohini also refers to the illusion and trappings of the material world that keep us in a cycle of loss. Yet, interestingly, if we compare Devi Mohini to Maya, we would notice the similarities and dissimilarities, with reference to how unique the conception of illusion, or maya, became in Hindu mythology.
Another tale from the Vishnu Purana tells us a story of the time when Shiva granted Bhasmasura the boon that gave him the ability to turn everything he touched into ash. It was a destructive power but a weapon of great intensity; having received this boon, the demon wanted to try it on Shiva. To protect himself, Shiva ran away from the demon, with Bhasmasura chasing after him through all planes of the universe. It was an impossible situation where no one could intervene, lest they stood in the way of destruction themselves.
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Lord Vishnu then appeared before Bhasmasura in the form of Mohini. The demon immediately fell in love and proposed to marry the goddess, who laughed at the ease with which he had offered marriage and said that she had vowed to only marry a man who could match her ability to dance. As a bhakta of Shiva, the demon would perhaps be a good dancer, thought Mohini. To impress her, he initiated a competition.
The goddess would dance, and Bhasmasura would follow, in a truly wondrous performance. Soon, Mohini began to use various mudras (hand gestures). So intoxicating in nature was this dance that Bhasmasura forgot everything— about chasing after Shiva, his boon, etc. As the goddess frequently started touching her forehead, Bhasmasura followed, instantly turning into a pile of ash. Unable to control his moha (attachment to desire), the asura brought on his own end. It is believed, as stated in the Vishnu Purana, that when Shiva laid eyes on Mohini, his seed fell on earth and from this seed, Hanuman was born, who was to assist Rama and serve Vishnu in his every incarnation.
According to the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Mohini—an apsara created by Shiva—falls in love with Brahma, the Creator. Despite her attempts to seduce him, Brahma rebuffs her advances, claiming to be too old for her and comparing her to a daughter. Mohini, angered by his rejection, reminds Brahma of his past desires. Vishnu then explains to Brahma that the purpose of this incident was to humble him.
Another folktale from South India recounts the story of Aravan, a hero from the Mahabharata who later became Kuttantavar, a Tamil deity. Before his sacrificial ritual, known as kalappali, to secure the Pandavas’ victory, Aravan married Mohini. Seeking three boons from Krishna, his guide, Aravan requested to be wed before his sacrifice—an uncommon request. In the legend, Krishna assumes the form of Mohini to fulfil Aravan’s wish. After the sacrifice, Mohini mourns Aravan’s death, symbolising widowhood, before reverting to the original form. This narrativeforms the focal point of an 18-day annual festival held at Koovagam during the Tamil month of Cittirai (April–May). In this festival, transgenders, or hijras, enact the marriage ceremony, embodying the role of Mohini–Krishna.
This excerpt from ‘Devi and Her Avatars’ by Alka Pande has been published with permission from Rupa Publications India.