[2] She was created before Parvati's conflict with the asura brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha, and was also the reason the Matrikas come into existence.

Their eulogies that were intended to be a plea for help caused her to manifest from Parvati's form as a fair-skinned and bright being, earning the epithet 'Gauri'.

[3] The minions of the asura brothers, Chanda and Munda, caught a glimpse of Kaushiki and rushed to urge Shumbha to claim her.

With the help of the Matrikas, who were the female forms of the Trimurti, consisting of Brahmani, Vaishnavi, and Maheshwari, along with Varahi, Narasimhi, and Shakti, and her other half, the goddess Chamunda (Kali), Kaushiki and her forces fought the asuras in a pitched battle in order to vanquish them and restore the natural order.

She is called Mātaṅgī after the source from which she manifested herself.Kalika Purana describes Kaushiki as the shakti that was born from the body of Goddess Matangi.