An asura named Andhaka performed penance and gained a boon of infallibility from anyone belonging to Devayoni, from Brahmā. To test his new-found powers, he proceeded to Kailāsa parvata, where he spotted the supremely beautiful Dēvī Pārvatī seated beside Lord Mahādēva. He tried to kidnap Umā, and was fiercely attacked by Mahārudra who shot arrows at him from his Mahāpināka. When the arrows pierced the body of Andhakāsura, drops of blood fell to earth and from those drops, thousands of Andhakas arose. When Rudra shot arrows at them, each drop of their blood further resulted in the appearance of many more Andhakas. In a short time, the entire Kailāsa was filled with these demons.
To control this plague of demons, Mahārudra created Mātr̥kā śaktis and ordered them to drink the blood of the demons and drain them dry. These ferocious śaktis created by Rudra, called Rudrayōginīgaṇa, were:
Māhēśvarī, brāhmī, kaubērī, analī, sauparṇī, vāyavyā, śākrī, nairr̥tī, saurī, saumyā, śivadūtī, cāmuṇḍā, vāruṇī, vārāhī, nārasimhī, vaiṣṇavī, lalantikā, śatānandā, bhagānandā, picchalā, bhagamālinī, balā, atibalā, raktā, surabhī, mukhamaṇḍikā, mātr̥nandā, sunandā, biḍālī, śakunī, rēvatī, mahāraktā, pilipicchakā, jayā, vijayā, jayantī, aparājitā, kālī, mahākālī, kāladūtī, subhagā, durbhagā, karālī, dēhanī, aditi, diti, mālinī, mr̥tyu, karṇamōṭinī, yāmyā, ulūkī, ghaṭōdarī, kapālī, vajrahastā, piśācī, rākṣasī, bhēruṇḍī, huṅkārī, caṇḍā, śaivā, kaṭakī, ghaṇṭā, sulōcanā, dhūmrā, ēkavālī, kapālinī, viśālā, dr̥ṣṭikā, śyāmā, trijaṭī, kukuhū, vināyakī, vaitālī, unmattā, śubhanā, siddhi, lēlihānā, kēkarā, gārdabhī, tarkaṭī, bahuputrā, prētayānā, viṭampurā, kauñcī, sūkaramukhī, vitatā, saramā, danu, uṣārambhā, vaṣaṭ, svāhā, dhr̥ti, jyēṣṭhā, kapardinī, māyā, vicitrā, kāmarūpā, vaśaṅgamā, svakambilā, siñjikā, mahānāsā, mahāmukhī, kaumārī, rōcanā, bhīmā, sadāhāsā, madōddhatā, āraktākṣī, kālakarṇī, bhartukarṇī, mahāsvanī, kēśinī, śikhnī, lambā, piṅgākṣī, lōhitamukhī, ghaṇṭāravā, ḍaṁṣṭrālā, lōcanā, kākajaṅghikā, gōkarṇā, gōmukhī, mahāgrīvā, mahāmukhī, ulkāmukhī, dhūmraśikhā, kavanā, parikampitā, mōhinī, kuṇḍinī, iḍā, nirbhayā, bāhuśālinī, śūrpakarṇī, ēkākṣī, viśōkā, nandinī, rucā, jyōtsnāmukhī, varaparā, nikumbhilā, raktakampanā, sudarśanā, mahācitrā, citrasēnā, manōramā, sudarśanā, haratpāpā, mātaṅgī, lambamēkhalā, subālā, bālakartarī, pramōdā, lāṅgalāvatī, cittā, vittā, jaḍā, kōṇā, śāntikā, bhasitāśanā, lambastanī, lambhaghaṇṭā, vāmacūḍinī, svalatī, dīrghakēśī, sulatā, sundarī, samā, adhōmukhī, kaṭumukhī, krōdhinī, vasuvāśinī, arāviṇī, śuktikā, caṇḍikā, balamōhinī, māmsāsyahāsinī, lambā, gōvidārī and samāgadhī.
Though these Rudra-śaktis continued to drink the blood of the demons, Andhakas continued to appear and began attacking Rudra from all directions. At this point, he sought refuge under the lotus feet of Mahānr̥simha. Overcome with compassion at the plight of Shambhu, Mahāsaṅkarṣaṇa created a Nārasimhī śakti named śuṣkarēvatī. Within a second, this ferocious śakti drank and dried the blood of the demons, who were then killed by Rudramūrti.
Though the demons were all killed, including the original Andhakāsura, the mātr̥kāgaṇa created by Rudra were still hungry and they began to attack the three worlds, devouring Devas and humans. Failing to perform the upasamhāra of such a huge magnitude of śaktis, Rudra meditated on Mahānr̥simha thus:
anādinidhanaṁ dēvaṁ sarvalōkabhavōdbhavam |
daityēndravakṣōrudhiraprōkṣitōrumahānakham ||
vidyujjihvaṁ mahādaṁṣṭraṁ sphuṭakēsarasaṅkaṭam |
kalpāntamārutakṣubdhasaptārṇavamahāsvanam ||
vajrāṅjatīkṣṇanakharamākarṇāddāritānanam |
mēruśailapratīkāśamudayārkasamēkṣaṇam ||
himādriśikharākārāṁ cārudaṁṣṭrōjjvalānanam |
khavinisr̥tarōmāgniṁ jvālākēsaramālinam ||
baddhāṅgadaṁ sumukuṭaṁ cārukēyūrabhūṣaṇam |
śrōṇīsūtrēṇa mahatā kāncanēna virājitam ||
nīlōtpaladalaśyāmaṁ vāsōyugavibhūṣitam |
tējasā’krāntasakalabrahmāṇḍāntaramaṇḍapam ||
āvartaiḥ sadr̥śākāraiḥ saṁyuktaṁ dēhalōmajaiḥ |
sarvapuṣpavicitrāṁ ca dhārayānaṁ mahāsrajam ||
Immediately, Lord Nr̥kēsarī appeared in front of Mahādēva who offered a stotra to him thus:
namastubhyaṁ jagannātha narasiṁhavapurdhara |
daityanāthāsthisaṁpūrṇanakhaśuktivirājita ||
tadasrakaṇasaṁlagnahēmapiṅgalavigraha |
mērōḥ sapadmarāgasya śōbhāṁ dhatsē jagadgurō ||
kalpāntāmbōdhanirghōṣa sūryakōṭisamaprabha |
sahasrayamasaṁkrōdha sahasrēnduparākrama ||
sahasradhanadasphīta sahasravaruṇātmaka |
sahasrakālacarita sahasraniyatēndriya ||
sahasrabhūmisaddhairya sahasrānantamūrtimat |
sahasracandrapratima sahasraharivikrama ||
sahasrarudratējaska sahasrabrahmasaṁstuta |
sahasravāyuvēgōgra sahasrajyōtirīkṣaṇa ||
sahasrayantramathana sahasrābādhamōcana ||
Pleased with Rudra’s prayers, Narasimha created four Vyūhaśaktis:
1 Vāgīśvarī from his tongue
2 Mahāmāyā from his heart
3 Bhagamālinī from his genitals
4 Atibhadrakālī from his bones, who was none other than śuṣkarēvatī
The Lord created a group of Nr̥simha yōginīs to accompany the three main śaktis.
Sarvakliṣṭā, kaṇṭhakarṇī, trailōkyamōhinī, cakrahr̥dayā, vyōmacāriṇī, śaṅkhinī, lēkhinī, kālasaṅkarṣiṇī, ājitā, sūkṣmahr̥dayā, vr̥kṣāvēśā, aśmadarśanā, nr̥simhabhairavī, kurukullā, garutpakṣahr̥dā, mahānayā, ākarṣiṇī, bhārūṭī, uttaramālikā, jvālāmukhī, bhīṣaṇikā, kāmadhēnu, bālā, and padmakarā.
All of them, under the command of śuṣkarēvatī, attacked the Rudraśaktis, subdued them and pacified them to attain benevolence.
These Nr̥simha śaktis continue to be worshiped during nyāsa, Bali and āvaraṇa saparyā of Dvādaśamukha Gaṇḍabhēruṇḍa Mahānr̥simha, but also in the original school of Guhyakālī during the invocation of Nr̥simhabhairava, following the Haharava Tantra.
In both the above schools of Tantra, an additional eight śaktis are added to the list (which were probably lost by the time this tale entered the purāṇic pantheon), mapping them with the letters of the famous Mantrarāja.
The four primary śaktis are also the āmnāyanāyikās of Nr̥simha Tantra. The thirty-seven lettered Vāgvādinī presides over the Pūrvāmnāya. The thirty-two lettered Mahāmāyā presides over the Dakṣiṇāmnāya. The vidyā of Bhagamālinī well-known to Srīkula, with an additional three bījas, presides over the Paścimāmnāya, which also includes the Mantrarāja. Finally, the fourteen-lettered śuṣkarēvatī presides over the Uttarāmnāya which houses the fierce mantra of Gaṇḍabhēruṇḍa Nr̥simha.