About Chamunda Devi (Matrika)
Goddess Chamunda (Matrika) is one of the most terrifying form of Devi, the Supreme Goddess. She is the female energy of Yama (the God of Death).
The more popular belief, however, is that while all other Matrikas are shaktis of the male divinities, Devi Chamunda is the only one who emerged from and is the energy of the Supreme Goddess rather than of a male God (Yama in this case). The other matrikas resemble their male counterparts in appearances, mounts and weapons they carry; but Chamunda Devi (Matrika) enjoys her independence.
Devi Chamunda is the only Matrika who is worshiped independently; the other Matrikas are mostly worshiped together.
According to another belief, Devi Chamunda (Matrika) was a tribal Goddess, worshiped by the tribes of Vindhya mountain. She was later assimilated in the Hindu Pantheon.
Devi Chamunda (Matrika) was associated with Vedic Rudra (later named as Shiva). She is a Goddess of Tamsik nature. She demands animal and human sacrifice and also liquor. She is believed to be the chief yogini.
दंष्ट्राकरालवदने शिरोमालाविभूषणे ।
चामुण्डे मुण्डमथने नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
(Salutations to You O Narayani
Who has a Dreadful Face with Fangs, and Who is Adorned with a Garland of Severed Heads,
Who in the Form of Devi Chamunda Destroyed the Demons (Chanda and Munda);
Salutations to You O Narayani.)
Mythological Stories about the Origin of Devi Chamunda (Matrika)
Devi Chamunda’s (Matrika) association with the story of Andhakasura
According to Matsya Purana, Yama created Chamunda Matrika and send her to protect Devi Parvati. She later helped Lord Shiva in his fight against Andhakasura, along with other Matrikas, and ensured the defeat of Andhakasura. Read the complete story here.
Devi Chamunda’s (Matrika) association with the story of Shumbha-Nishumbha
The origin of Chamunda Devi (Matrika) according to Devi Mahatmya and Markendya Purana, takes us to the story of the demon duo – Shumbha and Nishumha. Shumbha and Nishumbha were two ambitious demon brothers. They wanted to conquer and rule three worlds. So they went to Pushkar and subjected themselves to severe penance for thousand years. Their austerities pleased Lord Brahma and he granted them a boon.
The demon duo asked Brahma that they should not be killed by a male, be it a mortal man, God or an Asura.
This boon made the demon duo powerful. Soon they started to rule the three worlds. The rise of demonic powers troubled everyone and so Devi Parvati decided to intervene.
The warrior form of Devi Parvati is known as Kaushiki. So, in most of the literature related to this story, Devi Parvati is referred as Kaushiki.
As per her plans, Devi Kaushiki lived in an area where she was sure that she would get noticed by Shumbha-Nishumbha or their agents. As expected, one day Devi Kaushiki was noticed by Chanda-Munda, the commander of the Asura-duo. They were startled by her unparalleled beauty and reported it to Shumbha.
Shumbha sent his messenger, demon Sugariva, to bring Kaushiki to his court. But, she rejected the suggestions. This made the duo furious.
The Asura kings called their commander Dhumralochan and ordered him to bring Devi Kaushiki be it by convincing her or by abducting her. They feared that the Lady who is defying them might have hidden support and so they sent sixty-thousand strong army with Dhumralochana.
Digressing from the point – Dhumralochana is an interesting name for an asura. The word literally means one whose vision is obscured. In spiritual context, it refers to the soul which is not able to see the truth.
Now, Dhumralochana also tried to convince Devi Kaushiki to accept all powerful Asura-Duos proposal. But she rejected it once again. Dhumralochana lost his patience and tried to catch hold of her; so he can drag her to the court of his masters.
Devi Kaushiki roared at him at this misdemeanor. The roaring of Devi Kaushiki was so loud that the demon got converted into ashes. Devi Kaushiki then unleashed her Vehicle, the Lion on the demon army. He jumped on them and devoured them.
It was a direct challenge to Shumbha and Nishumbha. So the next time they sent even a bigger army with their commander Chanda and Munda. When Devi Kaushiki noticed the approaching commanders with massive army, from her frowning furrowed eye-brows emerged Chandika Jayasundra. She defeated the asura army and killed both Chanda-Munda in a fierce battle.
After killing the demons she drank their blood and started a wild dance of victory. Devi Kaushiki called her Chamunda, a contraction of Chanda and Munda, for her valiant victory.
According to Varaha-Purana, after the death of Chanda and Munda, Raktabeeja entered the Warfield on his chariot with an enormous army of elephants, horses and infantry. Seeing this huge army Devi Kaushiki made a loud war cry and from her mouth Devi Brahmani came out sitting on a swan wearing rosary and holding a water pot in her hand.
From the eyes of Devi Brahmani emerged Devi Maheshwari with three eyes and sitting on a lion. She emerged wearing snakes as bangles & earrings. She was holding a trident. From the lion of Maheshwari came out Devi Kaumari sitting on a peacock holding a lance. From Devi Kaumari’s and came out Devi Vaishnavi sitting on Garuda, holding a conch, discus, club, sword, bow and arrow.
From Her posterior came out Devi Varahi seating on Sheshanag and from her heart came out Devi Narasimhi (the creative force of Lord Narasimha) with fierce claws. Devi Chamunda-Matrika emerged from the foot of Devi Narasimhi.
Just like demon Andhakasura, Raktabeeja also had a boon that a single drop of his blood touching earth would generate another Raktabeeja. However, the Saptamatrikas ensured that he was killed with not a single drop of his blood touching the ground. It was consumed by Matrikas as soon as it oozed out of his body.
The death of their powerful commanders infuriated Shumbha and Nishumba and they attacked Devi Kaushiki with their complete might. In their arrogance they even forgot that she is not an ordinary woman and Lord Brahma’s boon only protects them against male protagonists.
The Sapta-Matrikas created a havoc on the demon army. Shumbha realized it would not be possible to match the combined powers of SaptaMatrikas. He scoffed at Devi Kaushiki and taunted her for fighting with the strength of others. Infuriated Devi Kaushiki absorbed all other Matrikas and then killed the demon.
Devi Chamunda’s (Matrika) association with the story of Lord Ganesha killing a demon
In Devi-Purana, Devi Chamunda is among the five Goddesses who helped Lord Ganesha in killing a demon.
Devi Chamunda in Jainism
Jains also worship Devi Chamunda. The Jain saints Jinadatta and Jinaprabhasuri defeated her and converted this tamsik natured goddess in a vegetarian Goddess. After this defeat, Devi Chamunda sculpted and installed the statue of Lord Mahavira in the temple of Osian in Rajasthan. The Oswal Sect worships her as Sachiya Mata and considers her as their protector deity.
How I read this legend – The Oswals were Rajputs who decided to follow Jainism. It is easier to follow a new path to achieve spiritual growth; more difficult is to leave behind the age-old traditions religiously followed in household. There is a high emphasis on non-violence in Jainism. So the religion obviously did not allow the neo-converts to offer animal sacrifice or liquor to the Goddess.
Probably at this time, some Jain-saints intervened and created a situation where the neo-Jains can continue worshipping the protector deity with change in ways of worship.
Mention of Devi Chamunda (Matrika) worship in ancient literature
The famous author Bhavbuti ended his play “Malatimadhava” with a scene where a devotee of Devi Chamunda tries to sacrifice the heroine of the play – Malati – to please the Goddess.
In this scene the devotee is worshipping the Goddess as follows:
During your dance when you threw upward the scarf of elephant hide, tied around your neck, the nails attached to one side of the hide struck the disk of moon and drops of ambrosia started falling down.
When the human heads in the garland around your neck came in contact with the drops of ambrosia, they sprang in life and started emitting frightening laughter.
When the black serpent tied around your arms got disturbed by the movements of your hands, its head started emitting the stream of poison.
(from Malati-Madhava by Bhavbhuti) (Translation taken from Women in Indian Sculpture – M.L. VaradPande)
Just recreate the scene in your mind, the tantrik is about to sacrifice the heroine while chanting the above verses. I am sure it would be enough to give you the goosebumps. The play has the happy ending as the hero saves the heroine in last minute. However, it is also amply clear that the author and most of the readers did not see the Tantrik Devotees of the Goddess in good-light.
Devi Chamunda’s (Matrika) inclusion/omission from the group of Saptamatrikas
In Devi-Mahatamya, Chamunda is omitted from the list of Saptamatrikas and Devi Narasimhi is included; but in most of the sculptures, and in shrines, in caves and even in Mahabharata, it is Devi Narasimhi who is omitted. In all the pictures, I have of Saptamatrikas, none of them have Narasimhi part of the group.
Iconography of Devi Chamunda (Matrika)
The Appearance
Chamunda devi is the terrifying emanation of the Goddess Parvati. The lean and laggard form of Devi Chamunda distinguishes her from Devi Kali (another ferocious form of Devi Parvati).
Devi Chamunda is carved in emaciated form. She carries severed heads and sits on a corpse or pile of corpses. She has a scorpion as her belly-button. The scorpion symbolizes sickness and death. She is usually associated with Jackals and dogs feeding on corpses, either as a result of battle or an endemic. Sometimes she is carved seated on owl too.
She is believed to be the devouring goddess of the cremation ground.
Her ferocious form, the accompanying animals – the jackals and dogs, and her place of residence – everything associates her with death and destruction. Her iconography is also a testimony that at a point of time in Tantrism, human sacrifice and cannibalism was practiced.
She is sculpted with four arms and three eyes. She is red in color with abundant thick red hairs glowing like fire with snakes peeping out and bristling upwards. Her hairs are tied up into a chignon decorated with a tiara of skulls and a crescent moon.
Devi Chamunda’s enormous eye-balls protrudes menacingly from the sunken socket in her skeletal face. The eyes looks so fearsome as if she would burn the evil through her gaze.
She wears snakes as necklace whose coils echo the rings of decaying flesh. She is carved in sagging flesh beneath her collar bone. She wears mundmala (garland of human skull) as yagnopavit. Her body is withered and emaciated. She instils fear and horror with her protruding ribs and veins and shriveled and sunken breasts.
Devi Chamunda’s (Matrika) expressions are frightening with tusks protruding from the corner of her mouth. She wears Kundala made of conch-shells. Her long ear-lobes rest on her shoulders and there is a terrifying grin on her broad face. She is accompanied by Preta and ghosts.
She is carved holding a Damaru (drum), trishula – (trident), sword, a snake, skull-mace (khatvanga), thunderbolt, a severed head and panapatra (drinking vessel, wine cup) or skull-cup (kapala), filled with blood.
The dress and favorite tree
Chamunda Devi (Matrika) wears tiger skin and sits under the fig tree.
Her emblem
The emblem on her banner is eagle and on her left is usually a human skull (kapal) filled with lumps of flesh.
Varieties of Devi Chamunda (Matrika)
In Agni Purana, eight types of Chamunda are mentioned. They are as follows:
Rudracharika – She has six arms. Her hands hold skull, knife, javelin, lasso and two ends of an elephant hide.
Rudra-Chamunda – She has eight arms. The six hands carry the attributes mentioned above and the two remaining hands hold a human head and a drum.
Mahalaxmi – She has eight arms and four faces.
Siddha-Chamunda – She has ten arms. In her Right hand she carry javelin, sword, drum and bone and in her left hands she carry shield, bell, mace and trident.
Siddha-Yogeshwari – She has twelve arms. The extra two hands as compared to Siddha-Chamunda carry lasso and elephant goad.
Rupa-Vidya – Rupa-Vidya is the seated form of Siddha Yogeshwari.
Kshama – She has two-arms. She is portrayed as an old woman with jackals.
Dantura – She is portrayed squatting with one hand on her knee.
Chamunda Devi (Matrika) represents delusions (मोह), malignity (पैशुन्य), and tale-bearing (परनिंदा)
Devi Chamunda (Matrika) represents delusion, malignity, and tale-bearing. She destroys delusions and evil tendencies and thus ensuring the spiritual growth of its devotees. Her terrifying powers destroys the demons of evil and ignorance. Her worship removes the fear of enemy.
Chamunda Devi (Matrika) represents N-W direction
Chamunda Devi is the Goddess of North-West direction.
Vehicle of Devi Chamunda (Matrika)
Devi Chamunda’s vehicles include corpse, preta, lion, owl and also occasionally its a smiling plump boy showing Abhaya Mudra. It is perhaps an assurance to the devotees that the last word in creation is life, not death. This represents an ever renewing life.
Position of Devi Chamunda (Matrika) in Saptamatrika group
Usually, Chamunda Devi is carved in the beginning of the group of Matrikas and is mentioned as the leader of the group. The order in which the Saptamatrikas are carved, differ according to the need of its devotees. For the destruction of the enemies, and safety of the village, Brahmi Matrika is carved in the middle of the group. If Devi Chamunda is carved in the middle of the group, worshipping that idol of Saptamatrikas will make that village grow in population.
Tatva-Chintan behind the ferocious appearance and violent carnage of Devi Chamunda (matrika)
Some spiritual philosophers believe that the violent appearance of Devi Chamunda is to get rid of one’s inner obstacle. The trampled corpse on which the deity sits represents one’s own ego. A devotee must act against its own ego with stubborn might.
References
- Seven Secrets of Goddess – Devdutt Pattanaik
- The iconography of Hindu Tantric Deities – Gudrun Buhnemann
- Yogini Cult and Temples – VIdya Dehejia
- Illustrated dictionary of Hindu Iconography – Margaret Stutley
- Saptamatrikas in Indian Art and their significance in Indian Sculpture and Ethos – Meghali Goswami, Dr.Ila Gupta, Dr.P.Jha
- Saptamatrikas by Bharati Pal
- Goddess Cult in North India
- Elements of Indian Art by S.P.Gupta
- Elements of Hindu Iconography, By T. A. Gopinatha Rao
- https://greenmesg.org
- Iconography in Hinduism by Sherline Pimenta
- Magical Indian Myths by Anita Nair
- Women in Indian Sculpture – M.L.Varadpande
- Illustrated dictionary of Hindu iconography – Margaret Stutley
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