Kaushiki (,) is a Hindu goddess, a deity who emerged from the sheath of Parvati. She was emerged from Parvati's cells to defeat the asura brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha, and was also the reason the Matrikas come into existence.
The story of Kaushiki is described in Devi Mahatmyam of Markandeya Purana. According to the Devi Mahatmyam of the Markandeya Purana, the gods approach the goddess in the Himalayas and praise her, whereupon Parvati appears and asks for whom their hymn is intended. As she does so, a dark, fierce goddess emerges from her sheath (kosha), and the Devi Mahatmyam identifies this manifestation as Kaushiki, while Parvati herself is thereafter called Gauri.
Goddess Kaushiki also known as Ambika or Chandika is an incarnation of Mahasaraswati. She has eight hands. Lion is her mount. She went on Himalaya to kill the demon brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha, and was also the reason the MatrikaâÂÂs came into existence.
The generals Chanda and Munda caught a glimpse of Kaushiki and told Shumbha to marry her. With the help of the Matrikas, who were the feminine forms of the Trimurti consisting of Brahmani, Vaishnavi, and Maheshwari, also Varahi, Narasimhi, Sakti and her dark form Chamunda(Kali) Kaushiki and her forces fought the asuras in a pitched battle in order to vanquish them and restore the natural order.
Devi Bhagavata Purana describes Kaushiki as the Shakti that came out from the body of Goddess Parvati, and she is called âÂÂKaushikiâ in the beginning of Devi Bhagavata Purana. The Linga Purana also details her manifestation in its Pà «rvabhÃÂga, describing her as YoganidrÃÂ, born of Yaà ÂodÃÂ, and intimately connected to the Supreme Lord: <blockquote style="background-color:none;margin-right:5em;margin-left:0em;border-left:solid 6px #FFE0BB;padding:1.0em"> "The Supreme Lord JanÃÂrdana, together with HalÃÂyudha (BalarÃÂma), shone with the radiance of pure silver. In order to dispel the effect of Bhá¹ÂguâÂÂs curse, He accepted the human form, and thus JanÃÂrdana was born of Devakë through Vasudeva. From the very body of Umàarose the goddess YoganidrÃÂ, known as Kauà Âikë. By the divine ordinance (niyoga) of the Lord of lords, she became the daughter of Yaà ÂodÃÂ. She is verily Praká¹Âti herself, directly worshiped by all the devas; while the Puruá¹£a, BhagavÃÂn Ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa, is He who bestows the fruits of Dharma and Moká¹£a."<br> â Linga Purana, Pà «rvabhÃÂga 70 </blockquote>
According to the PrÃÂdhÃÂnikam Rahasyam (The Secret Pertaining to Primordial Matters), the supreme sovereign Mahalakshmi created Mahasarasvati who is Kaushiki from her pure Sattva nature. Mahasarasvati, in turn, created a male-female pair which included the white-complexioned goddess Gauri.
Following this lineage, the Vaiká¹Âtikam Rahasyam states that the goddess who was later born from the body of Gauri to destroy the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha is an incarnation of this same Sarasvati. The eight-armed manifestation, she is described as wielding an arrow, a pestle, a spear, a discus, a conch, a bell, a ploughshare, and a bow.
The AjitÃÂgama describes Brahmàpresenting the newly manifested Kauà Âikë, emphasizing her equivalence to the supreme deities: <blockquote style="background-color:none;margin-right:5em;margin-left:0em;border-left:solid 6px #FFE0BB;padding:1.0em"> Brahma says to Uma:<br> "This dark complexion that has come out of your sheath is endowed with your supreme power. O devë, know this goddess as Kauà Âikë who is united with Hari and revere her as you revere Hara."<br> Saying so, Brahmàplaced the goddess in PÃÂrvatë's hands and then she (Kauà Âikë) manifested her à Âakti and various weapons.<br> â AjitÃÂgama, KriyÃÂpÃÂda 53/7-8 </blockquote>
In the RudrayÃÂmala-Uttaratantra, Kaushiki is listed as one of the thousand names of KumÃÂri. According to the text, simply reciting these names brings spiritual rewards, even if a person does not perform formal rituals like puja or ritual bathing.
In the Lakshmi Tantra (Chapter 9), a major Pancharatra text, Kauà Âikë is described as a Kevala-AvatÃÂra, meaning a "separate descent" or independent incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. The text explains that while Lakshmi is never truly separated from Vishnu, she occasionally manifests on her own to protect the world.
In this chapter, Lakshmi reveals to Indra that she is the supreme shakti who took the form of Kauà Âikë from Gauri to slay demons like Shumbha and Nishumbha:
<blockquote style="background-color:none;margin-right:5em;margin-left:0em;border-left:solid 6px #FFE0BB;padding:1.0em"> â Lakshmi Tantra 9/20-27 </blockquote>
In Jainism, Kauà Âikë (or Kauà ÂikëvidyÃÂ) is the name of one of the sixteen VidyÃÂs. According to the Jain text Trishashtishalakapurushacaritra by Hemachandra, this power is associated with a specific group of supernatural beings known as the Kauà Âikëpà «rvaka Vidyadharas. The text states that these beings will instantly lose their magical abilities if they disrespect Jain teachers (Jinas), harm ascetics, or commit severe crimes.