Chamunda
Chamunda | |
---|---|
Abode | Cremation grounds or fig trees |
Mantra | ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे oṁ aiṁ hrīṁ klīṁ cāmuṇḍāyai vicce |
Weapon | Trident and Sword |
Mount | buffalo[2] or Dhole[3] Corpse (Preta) |
Consort | Shiva as Bheeshana Bhairava or Bhoota Bhairava |
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Hinduism |
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Chamunda (
She is also one of the chief
The goddess is often portrayed as residing in cremation grounds or near holy fig trees. The goddess is worshipped by ritual animal sacrifices along with offerings of wine. The practice of animal sacrifices has become less common with
Origins
Iconography
The black- or red-coloured Chamunda is described as wearing a garland of severed heads or skulls (
These characteristics, a contrast to the typical depictions of Hindu goddesses with full breasts and beautiful faces, symbolise the inevitability of old age, death, decay and destruction.[16] Chamunda is often seen as a form of Kali. She appears as a frightening old woman, projecting fear and horror.[17][18]
Legends
In Hindu scripture
According to a later episode of the Devi Mahatmya, Durga created Matrikas from herself and with their help slaughtered the demon army of Shumbha-Nishumbha. In this version, Kali is described as a Matrika who sucked all the blood of the demon Raktabīja, from whose blood drop rose another demon. Kali is given the epithet Chamunda in the text.[20] Thus, the Devi Mahatmya identifies Chamunda with Kali.[21]
In the Varaha Purana, the story of Raktabija is retold, but here each of Matrikas appears from the body of another Matrika. Chamunda appears from the foot of the lion-headed goddess Narasimhi. Here, Chamunda is considered a representation of the vice of tale-telling (pasunya). The Varaha Purana text clearly mentions two separate goddesses Chamunda and Kali, unlike Devi Mahatmya.[11]
According to another legend, Chamunda appeared from the frown of the benign goddess Parvati to kill demons Chanda and Munda. Here, Chamunda is viewed as a form of Parvati.[22]
The
Association with Matrikas
Chamunda is one of the saptamatrikas or Seven Mothers. The
The Devi Purana describe a pentad of Matrikas who help Ganesha to kill demons.[26] Further, sage Mandavya is described as worshipping the Māṭrpaňcaka (the five mothers), Chamunda being one of them. The mothers are described as established by the creator god Brahma for saving king Harishchandra from calamities.[27] Apart from usual meaning of Chamunda as slayer of demons Chanda and Munda, the Devi Purana gives a different explanation: Chanda means terrible while Munda stands for Brahma's head or lord or husband.[28]
In the Vishnudharmottara Purana - where the Matrikas are compared to vices - Chamunda is considered as a manifestation of depravity.[29] Every matrika is considered guardian of a direction. Chamunda is assigned the direction of south-west.[22]
Chamunda, being a Matrika, is considered one of the chief Yoginis, who are considered to be daughters or manifestations of the Matrikas. In the context of a group of sixty-four yoginis, Chamunda is believed to have created seven other yoginis, together forming a group of eight. In the context of eighty-one yoginis, Chamunda heads a group of nine yoginis.[5]
Worship
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2021) |
A South Indian inscription describes ritual sacrifices of sheep to Chamunda.[30] In Bhavabhuti's eighth century Sanskrit play, Malatimadhva describes a devotee of the goddess trying to sacrifice the heroine to Chamunda's temple, near a cremation ground, where the goddess temple is.[31] A stone inscription at Gangadhar, Rajasthan, deals with a construction to a shrine to Chamunda and the other Matrikas, "who are attended by Dakinis" (female demons) and rituals of daily Tantric worship (Tantrobhuta) like the ritual of Bali (offering of grain).[32]
Temples
- In the Palampur, is the renowned Chamunda Devi Temple which depicts scenes from the Devi Mahatmya, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The goddess's image is flanked by the images of Hanuman and Bhairava. Another temple, Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham, also found in Kangra, is dedicated to Shiva and Chamunda. According to a legend, Chamunda was enshrined as chief deity "Rudra Chamunda", in the battle between the demon Jalandhara and Shiva.[citation needed]
- In Gujarat, two Chamunda shrines are on the hills of Chotila and Parnera.
- There are multiple Chamunda temples in Odisha. The 8th-century Baitala Deula is the most prominent of them, also being one of the earliest temples in Bhubaneswar. The Mohini temple and Chitrakarini temple in Bhubaneswar are also dedicated to Chamunda. Kichakeshwari Temple, near Baripada; and Charchika Temple, near Banki, enshrine forms of Chamunda.[33][34]
- Another temple is Chamundi Hill, Mysore. Here, the goddess is identified with Durga, who killed the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. Chamundeshwari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity held in reverence for centuries by the Maharaja of Mysore.
- The Chamunda Mataji temple in iṣṭa-devatā (tutelary deity) of the Parihar rulers — was moved from the old capital of Mandore by the then-ruler Jodha of Mandore. The goddess is still worshiped by the royal family of Jodhpur and other citizens of the city. The temple witnesses festivities in Dussehra: the festival of the goddess.
- Another temple, Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetram is near Jogipet, in Medak District in Telangana State.
- Sree Shakthan Kulangara temple is one of Chamundeshwari temples. It is located in Koyilandy, Kozhikode District in Kerala.
- One Chamunda Mata temple is situated in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, It is situated on a hill top named Tekri above 300 feet. Chamunda Mata in Dewas is also called Choti Mata (the younger sister of Tulja mata, situated at the same hill top).[35]
In Buddhism
In
In Jainism
Early
Another Jain legend tells the story of conversion of Chamunda into a Jain goddess. According to this story, Chamunda sculpted the
See also
- List of Kuldevi of Rajput Clan
- Mahakali
- Maheshvari
- Tridevi
References
- PMID 15578390.
- ^ "Goddess Chamundi".
- ^ "Sapta Matrika | 7 Matara - Seven Forms of Goddess Shakti".
- ^ Wangu p.72
- ^ a b Wangu p.114
- ^ "About Goddess Chamunda Maa: Story, History & Significance - Rudra Centre". www.rudraksha-ratna.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ^ OmniMaster (2020-05-25). "Hinduism: Shaivism". omnilogos.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
- ISBN 81-206-0122-X
- ^ Wangu p.174
- ^ See:
- Kinsley p. 147, 156. Descriptions as per Devi Mahatmya, verses 8.11-20
- "Sapta Matrikas (12th C AD)". Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
- Donaldson, T. "Chamunda, The fierce, protective eight-armed mother". British Museum.
- "Chamunda, the Horrific Destroyer of Evil [India, Madhya Pradesh] (1989.121)". In Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/07/ssn/ho_1989.121.htm (October 2006)
- Kalia, pp.106–109.
- ^ a b c d e Goswami, Meghali; Gupta, Ila; Jha, P. (March 2005). "Sapta Matrikas In Indian Art and their significance in Indian Sculpture and Ethos: A Critical Study" (PDF). Anistoriton Journal. Anistoriton. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2010-05-05. Retrieved 2008-01-08. "Anistoriton is an electronic Journal of History, Archaeology and ArtHistory. It publishes scholarly papers since 1997 and it is freely available on the Internet. All papers and images since vol. 1 (1997) are available on line as well as on the free Anistorion CD-ROM edition."
- ^ a b Kinsley p.147
- ^ "Durga: Avenging Goddess, Nurturing Mother ch.3, Chamunda". Norton Simon Museum. Archived from the original on 2006-10-03.
- ^ "Goddess Chamundi".
- ^ "Sapta Matrika | 7 Matara - Seven Forms of Goddess Shakti".
- ^ Wangu p.94
- ^ a b "Ancient India".
- ^ "Glossary of Asian Art".
- ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 81.
- ^ Kinsley p. 158, Devi Mahatmya verses 10.2-5
- ^ "Devi: The Great Goddess". www.asia.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2017-05-29.
- ^ a b Moor p.118
- ^ Handelman pp.132–33
- ^ Handelman p.118
- ^ Kinsley p.241 Footnotes
- ^ Pal in Singh p.1840, Chapters 111-116
- ^ Pal in Singh p.1840, Chapter 116(82-86)
- ^ Pal p.1844
- ^ Kinsley p. 159
- ^ Kinsley p.146
- ^ Kinsley p.117
- ^ Joshi, M.C. in Harper and Brown, p.48
- ^ Ghadai, Balabhadra (September–October 2011). "Goddess Kichakeswari Temple at Khiching". Orissa Review: 27.
- ^ Das, Dinesh (10 October 2016). "Charchika shrine an old Shakti Peeth in State". The Pioneer. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "History of Chamunda Tekri is centuries old". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ Srivastava, Sonal (10 July 2011). "The Goddess Sutra". Retrieved 13 December 2022.
"Chamunda is a form of Kali; she is protector, just like Palden Lhamo in Tibetan Buddhism," says Tsundu Dolma, a student of Tibetan Medicine, I'd met at an interfaith tour earlier in Karnataka. Palden Lhamo is protector of Buddha's teachings in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is Mahakala's consort and venerated as guardian deity of Tibet, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lamas.
- ISBN 8126106913, p.705
- ISBN 0761932232pp.168–9, 177-178.
- ^ Encyclopaedia of Jainism By Narendra Singh p.698
Further reading
- Wangu, Madhu Bazaz (2003). Images of Indian Goddesses. Abhinav Publications. 280 pages. ISBN 81-7017-416-3.
- Pal, P. The Mother Goddesses According to the Devipurana in Singh, Nagendra Kumar, Encyclopaedia of Hinduism, Published 1997, Anmol Publications PVT. LTD.,ISBN 81-7488-168-9
- Kinsley, David (1988). Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06339-2
- Kalia, Asha (1982). Art of Osian Temples: Socio-Economic and Religious Life in India, 8th-12th Centuries A.D. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 0-391-02558-9.
- Handelman, Don. with Berkson Carmel (1997). God Inside Out: Siva's Game of Dice, Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-510844-2
- Moor, Edward (1999). The Hindu Pantheon, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0237-4. First published: 1810.
External links
- Shri Sachchiyay Mataji (Shri Osiya Mataji) A form (avatar) of Chamunda Devi
- Chamunda Devi Temple (Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham), Himachal Pradesh