Was Mahishasura a form of Shiva ?
If you just want a single word answer it is an "YES" but if you wish to know more you can read the below passage which has explanation regarding the same.
A brief summary of the story from wiki as usually we have usually heard.
Rambha, the king of Asuras, was enticed with the beauty of a she-buffalo and eventually married her. The child who was born from this bestial union was named Mahishasura, because he was half-buffalo and half-human (Mahisha literally means buffalo). As an Asura, Mahishasura wanted to wage war against the Devas, who were the Asuras' arch-enemies. To make himself invincible Mahishasura performed austerities (tapas) to Brahma and asked to be granted immortality. Brahma refused him the boon of immortality and instead gave him a boon such that his death would happen only at the hands of a woman. Mahishasura imagined that this was the equivalent of immortality, since he believed it was impossible for a woman to slay a person of his strength.Emboldened by this belief, he started a war with the Devas. In the battle that ensued, the Devas, led by Indra, were defeated. At this point the Devas approached the trinity of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu to seek help. The three great gods combined their divine energies and created a woman. The Goddess thus created was Durga. Durga led a battle against Mahishasura and killed him, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would meet his death at the hands of a woman.
Kalika Purana, Chapter 60, verses 141–164
उर्व्व उवाच :-
आराधितौ महादेवौ रम्भेण सुरवैरिणा।
चिरेण स सुप्रितस्तपसा तस्य शङ्करः।। 141
Sage Urvva said:-
An Asura named Rambha once propitiated Mahadeva by performing austerities. Shankara was thus appeased by his penances.
अथ तुष्ठा महादेवः प्रत्यक्षं रम्भमूचिवान्।
प्रीतोऽस्मि ते वरं रम्भ वरयस्व यथेप्सितम्।। 142
A satisfied Mahadeva appeared and said "Oh Rambha! I am appeased with you. Ask for your desired boon."
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच रम्भस्त्वं चन्द्रशेखरम्।
अपुत्रोहहम् महादेव यदि ते मष्युनुग्रहः।। 143
मम जन्मत्रये पुत्रो भवान् भवतु शङ्करः।
अवध्यः सर्वभूतानां जेता च त्रिदिवौकसाम्।। 144
चिरायुश्च यशस्वी च लक्ष्मीवान् स च शङ्कर।
एवमुक्तस्तु दैत्येन प्रत्युवाच वृषध्वजः।। 145
Upon hearing thus, Rambha spoke to Chandrashekhara "Oh Mahadeva! I am childless. Oh Shankara! If you are appeased with me, then incarnate as my son in my three births, and be invulnerable to all living entities, invincible to Tridevas, long-living, renowned and prosperous." Upon listening to the plea of that Daitya, the lord with bull-emblem said thus.
भवत्वेतद्वाञ्छितम् ते भविष्यामि सुतस्तव।
इत्युक्त्वा स महादेवस्तत्रैवास्तरधीयत।
रम्भोहपि यातः स्वस्थानं हर्शोत्फ़ुल्लविलोचनः।। 146
"To fulfill your desired wish, I would incarnate as your son." Saying thus, Mahadeva vanished from there. Rambha too left that place for his residence, with eyes brimming with joy.
पथि गच्छन् स रम्भोहथ ददर्श महिषीं शुभाम्।
त्रिहयायणीञ्चित्रव्रणाम् सुन्दरीमृतुशालिनीम्।। 147
On his way home, Rambha saw a female buffalo in heat, who was three years old, of unique complexion and lovely to behold.
स त्वां दृष्ट्वाथ महिषीं रम्भः कामेन मोहितः।
दोरभां गृहीत्वा च तदा चकार सूरतोत्सवम्।। 148
Seeing that buffalo, Rambha became deluded with lust, and grabbing her with both his hands, he indulged into sexual intercourse.
तयोः प्रवृत्ते सुरते तदा सा तस्य तेजसा।
दधार महिषी गर्भं तदाभून्महिषासुरः।। 149
Upon the conclusion of their sexual dalliance, the buffalo conceived with Rambha's seed, and from her womb, was born Mahishasura.
तस्यां स्वांशेन गिरीशस्तत्पुत्रत्वमव्यप्तवान् ।
ववृद्धे स तदा राम्भिः शुक्लपक्षशशाङ्कवत्।। 150
Due to the contact with a buffalo, Girisha thus incarnated as Rambha's son. Mahishasura thereafter grew day by day like a digit of moon in the bright fortnight.
तञ्च कात्यायनमुनिः शप्तवान्महिषासुरं।
दुर्नयं वीक्ष्य शिष्यार्थे शिष्यानुग्रहकारकः।। 151
Since Mahishasura had tormented the disciple of Katyayana, that Muni who is redeemer of disciples cursed the son of Rambha.
कात्यायनेन शप्तं तं विज्ञाय महिषासुरं।
प्राह प्रणामपूर्वन्तु चण्डिकां चन्द्रशेखरः।। 152
Upon seeing Mahishasura cursed by Muni Katyayana, Chandrashekhara after having prostrated before Chandika, spoke to Her thus.
ईश्वर उवाच :-
देवी कात्यायनेनायं शप्तोहद्य महिषासुरः।
योषिद्वि नाशकर्त्रीति भवितेति जगन्मये।। 153
Ishvara said:-
"Oh Devi Jaganmayi! Katyayana Muni has cursed Mahishasura by saying 'A woman would be cause of your death'.
निःसंशयमृषेर्वाक्यं भविष्यति न संशयः।
मदीयो महिषः कायस्त्वया देवी जगन्मयी।
हन्त्वयः सततं योगयुक्तः पूर्व्वे परेहपि च।। 154
There is no doubt that the words of that Muni would turn true. Oh Jaganmayi Devi! Through Yogic union, that continence of buffalo is mine; it was vanquished by you in former times, and same will happen in future as well.
हरिर्हरिस्वरूपेण न त्वां वोच्यक्षमोहधुना।
ममायं माहिषः कायस्तव वोढाम् भविष्यति।। 155
At the present time, Hari in the form of lion is unable to bear you; therefore, this buffalo incarnation of mine too shall bear you."
इति पूर्वं महादेवो देवीं प्राथित्वान् पुरा।
तेन देवी महादेवं जग्राह महिषासुरं।। 156
In the former times, Mahadeva had thus prayed to Devi; therefore, Devi gave refuge to Mahadeva's incarnation Mahishasura under Her foot.
त्रिषु जन्मेसु पुत्रोहभूद्रम्भस्य भगवान् हरः।
सृष्टित्रये स रम्भोहपि रम्भ एव व्यजायत।। 157
Bhagavan Hara incarnates as Mahishasura thrice, and so does Rambha. In all his three births, Rambha bears the name "Rambha" like before.
आसुरं तादृशस्तेपे तपः परमदारुणम्।
तथैवारधितः शम्भुः पुत्रार्थे प्रददौ वरं।। 158
Like before, that Asura Rambha chases a buffalo in his sexual excitement; and like before, Shambhu incarnates from the buffalo's womb as Rambha's son Mahishasura.
तथैव महिषीं भेजे प्रथमं सूरताय सः।
तस्यां तथाभवद्वीरो दानवो महिषासुरः।। 159
तथैव शेपे भगवान् मुनिः कात्यायनस्तु तम्।
इति प्रवृत्ते पूर्व्वेहस्मिन् परस्मिन् स तु जन्मनि।
महिषः पूजयित्वाथ देवीं वरमयाचत।। 160
In first and subsequent births, Danava Mahishasura desires to enchant Katyayana's disciple and then gets cursed by the Muni. In all births, Mahishasura propitiates Devi for attainment of boons.
तृतीये जन्मनि वरं प्राप्य कल्पान्शेषतः।
नेह मे जन्म भवितेत्येवं वरमयाचत।। 161
In every Kalpa, Mahishasura asks boon thus "May I never reincarnate in the material realm." and procures his desired wish.
तेन देवी पादतले तिष्ठत्येषोहसुरोहधुना।
नोत्पत्तिरपि तस्याथ संवर्तास्तादभुन्नृप।। 162
Oh king (Sagara)! This is the reason why this Asura Mahisha is under Devi's foot. For the period of many Kalpas, he won't reincarnate.
एवं देवीप्रसादेन महादेवांशसम्भवः।
परामवाप सततं प्रतिपङ्क्तिम् महासुरः।। 163
By Devi's grace, Mahishasura, who incarnated from Mahadeva's portion, has attained eternal and exalted recognition.
इति ते कथितं राजन् यथा स महिषासुरः।
देवीपादतलं प्राप्य यथा सोहद्यापि मोदते।
प्रस्तुतं शृणु भो राजन् कथयामि नृपोत्तम।। 164
Oh king! The way that Mahishasura attained bliss by taking refuge under Devi's foot, I have narrated to you the same. Oh king! Now listen from me the eulogy of the current topic.
From the above description we see that Mahishasura was a form of Shiva himself. As Devi was going to kill him with her trident, she viewed the Shiva within and asked " Oh, Lord...is it you ?"
Mahishasura asks for liberation as boon and Devi confers upon him the same. She decrees that Mahishasura would be worshiped by all living entities along with Her.
The following is Puja Mantra of Mahishasura from Brihannandikeshvara Purana, which is used while offering ritual worship to Mahishasura during the five-day long Vangadeshiya Durga Puja:
ॐ महिषस्त्वं महा वीरं शिवरूप सदशिवम्।
अतस्त्वां पूजयिष्यामि क्षमस्व महिषासुरः।।
Om. Oh buffalo! You are formidable, form of Shiva, incarnation of Sadashiva. I am offering you ritual worship. Oh Mahishasura, kindly accept it and forgive any offences/anomalies on my part.
But there is no need for heavy discussions on this until the students of JNU shouted rubbish about this. It was truly insulting and anti national and anti vedic that they spoke. All auras and rakshasas we see in Puranas are forms of Gods or some divinities who take birth in such forms due to the play of time. Here the time himself has been part of the play.
For example :
When Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by the Sanat Kumaras at the gateway of Vaikunthaloka, Shri Vishnu appeared before them and the gatekeepers requested Shri Vishnu to lift the curse of the Kumaras. Shri Vishnu says that curse of Kumaras cannot be reverted. Instead, He gives Jaya and Vijaya two options. The first option is to take seven births on Earth as a devotee of Vishnu, while the second is to take three births as His enemy. After serving either of these sentences, they can re-attain their stature at Vaikuntha and be with Him permanently. Jaya and Vijaya cannot bear the thought of staying away from Vishnu for seven lives, they agree to the second option to become enemies.
In the first birth as enemy to Shri Vishnu, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Hiraneyaksha and Hiraneyakashyipu in Satya Yuga. Hiranyaksha was an asura, the son of Diti and Kashyapa rishi. He was slain by the Lord Vishnu after he (Hiranyaksha) took goddess Bhumi to the bottom of what has been described as the "Cosmic Ocean". Lord Vishnu assumed the Avatar of a boar - Varaha and dove into the ocean to lift the Earth, in the process slaying Hiranyaksha who was obstructing Him. The battle lasted one thousand years.
He had an elder brother named Hiranyakashipu, who after having undertaken penances which made him incredibly powerful and invincible unless several conditions were met, was later slain by Lord Narasimha, another incarnation of Shri Vishnu.
In the next Treta yuga - Jaya and Vijaya were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna, and were killed by Lord Vishnu in His forms as Ramachandra and Lakshmana.
At the end of the Dwapara Yuga - Jaya and Vijaya were born their third birth as Shishupala and Dantavakra (an ally of Jarasandha, a friend of Shishupala and an enemy of Vasudeva Krishna) and Lord Krishna appreared Himself along with Balarama and killed them. Therefore, two attendants of the Lord in Vaikuntha named Jaya and Vijaya became Hirakyakasipu and Hiranyakka in Satya-yuga, Ravana and Kumbhakarna in the Treta-yuga, and as Shishupala and Dantavakra at the end of Dvapara-yuga. Because of their fruitive acts, Jaya and Vijaya agreed to become the Lord's enemies, and when killed in that mentality, they attained salvation in oneness.
Another example :
Mahishasura had a sister by the name of Mahishi. After the death of Mahishasura, Mahishi continued the war against Devas. Mahishasura had received the boon that no man could kill him but he was eventually killed by Goddess Shakti in her Durga form.
Mahishi went a step ahead and performed intense tapas and austerities to please Brahma. Finally, Brahma relented and as a boon Mahishi asked that a son born to Shiva and Vishnu should only kill her. She asked this boon as Vishnu and Shiva had got better of all the boons that the demons had received earlier. Now it was impossible for a son to be born to Shiva and Vishnu as they were of same gender.
Vishnu had taken the form of Mohini to rescue Amrut got during the Samudra Manthan. Shiva once expressed a desire to see the Mohini form which had enamored both the Devas and Asuras. Vishnu again appeared in the form of Mohini. Thus Shiva and Mohini united to give birth to Ayyappa.
The king of Panthalam in Kerala found Ayyappa in the forest and he was brought up as a prince and He later annihilated Mahishi.
Now as Lord Ayyappa was going to kill her he saw the great goddess within her. Here the story has changed upside down the time has made the Goddess herself to be born as the Demon and Shiva incarnates as Dharma Sastha, who is Lord Ayyappan.
With Ayyappa killing Mahishi, she attained reprieve from curse.
Ayyappa also told her that He will marry her when no first timers (kanni Ayyappa* is a name given to the person who comes to Sabarimala for the first time) comes to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
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