17. CHAMUNDA: The Khadgamala Devis Series

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There are eight devatas guarding the second layer of the outer

enclosure wall (the Ninth Enclosure), which is colored as the red of

the rising sun. They are the famous Seven Mothers (Saptamatrka),

plus one added – Mahalaskmi. To learn more about the Saptamatrikas,

see our homepage:

 

http://www.shaktisadhana.org/Photo%

20Gallery/Matrikas/Saptamarkas.html

 

The SEVENTH of the Eight Mothers (and the 17th of the Khadgamala

Devis) is CHAMUNDA. Usually (but not always) described as a

terrible, emaciated, destructive form of DEVI, this fascinating

Goddess form is described in some detail on our group homepage:

 

http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/DEVI/Camunda.html

 

In the scheme of the Khadgamala, each of the Eight Mothers

represent a human passion that must be overcome and controlled

before we can enter further into Sri Chakra. We worship each passion

as an aspect of Devi, then internalize it; and when we internalize

each deity, we *become* Her, so that She is not separate from us. In

that way, we "conquer" each passion, just as – in the first enclosure

wall – we conquered each siddhi.

 

CHAMUNDA here represents er subtle aspect as Individualism; or what

Amritaji describes as "I"-ness.

 

So what's so bad about these characteristics? Why should we wish to

overcome them? Well, here, Individualism does not mean the quality

of being an original thinker or a unique personality. Rather, it

refers to the trap of totally IDENTIFYING with this limited being.

In your day-to-day world, you should be who you are; stand for what

you believe in; give of your unique self to make the world a better

place. But remember that "you" are more than just that unique self --

that YOU are a manifestation of the UNIVERSAL SELF that is DEVI.

When you are possessed by the passion of "I"-ness -- when you define

the world around you in terms of I, me, and mine -- you are not

protecting your unique identity; rather, you are imprisoning

yourself in it.

 

CHAMUNDA's mantra is:

 

aim hrim shrim CAmunda matru devi shrI pAdukAM poojayaami

 

Continuing to circumambulate clockwise around the second layer of

the wall of the First Enclosure, turn the corner and CHAMUNDA sits at

the next corner ahead of you (looking at a flat yantra facing

East, the would be the upper righthand or SOUTHEAST corner).

 

Into CHAMUNDA, the ten Siddhis are absorbed, along with Brahmi,

Maheshwari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi and Mahendri. And so it shall

continue until we reach Mahaalakshmi – at which point, Mahaalakshmi

will include all of the Siddhis and the Seven Mothers.

 

We have not exhausted all there is to say about CHAMUNDA, of

course. But this is enough for purposes of the Khadgamala. We are

not writing full essays on all the aspects and all the mantras of

CHAMUNDA. Let your intuition and visualization guide you more deeply

into Her meaning for you.

 

As we often state, the beauty of the Khadgamala Stotram is that

NOTHING is required for its recitation except for your time,

attention and concentration: You need simply sit and recite the

Stotram. The mantra given just above is not part of the stotram; it

is offered merely for informational purposes. The entire stotram is

self-contained, as explained in earlier posts.

 

The full text of the KS (along with a FAQ that answers most common

questions about it) can be found by clicking the photo on the front

page of this Group, then selecting DOCUMENT from the menu that

appears.

 

[With sincere thanks and appreciation to Sri Amritananda Natha and

Sri Bhasurananda Natha, who kindly provided detailed and substantive

content for this commentary.]

 

Aum MAtangyai NamaH