In Padayani too, the story part is related to the arduous battle between Goddess Bhadrakali and the demon Darikan which also forms the base of various other artforms. In the epic, it is said that the demon Darikan was an ardent devotee of Lord Brahma. And from Him, he received a boon that he could be killed only by a woman, that too without spilling a drop of blood. If a single drop spilled, a thousand Darikans would arise from it. With this boon, the demon is convinced that he can neither be killed and so wreaks havoc all over Earth and heaven. Left with no other option, Lord Shiva opened his third eye and created the fierce Goddess Bhadrakali. She travelled on the back of a demon called Vethala and confronted Darikan. The Goddess suffered a few setbacks at first but finally defeated Darikan and drank all his blood without letting it drop to the ground. She also wore the head of the demon as an ornament. Even after killing the demon, the Goddess’s fury unquenched and Lord Shiva sent Ganapathi and Nandi in the form of children in front of the enraged Kaali. On seeing the children, her mind was filled with motherly love and Padayani is performed in the glory of this Mother Goddess.

It is also said that the myth of Padayani is not the victory of Kaali over Darikan, but the victory of Lord Shiva over the uncontrollable and destructive power of Kaali.