Mythology behind Yogini Chamunda

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Babitha Vasanth wrote:

> Chanda and Munda were demons that need to be killed in the battle

against evil. They represent the state of mind that reflects between

knowing too much and knowing too little, which leads to discontent.

> Durga wanted to defeat Chanda and Munda. Durga is known as the

mother of universe. She is a benevolent form - a goddess with

multiple hands riding on a tiger. Her physical manifestation took

form when the gods could not defeat the powerful demon. All the Gods

put their shakti or power together and gave manifestation to

Durga. ...

 

 

 

 

Now let see what the Devi Mahatmyam says about the story of Canda

Munda :

 

Chapter 5: Devi's conversation with the messenger

89. Then, Canda, and Munda, two servants of Sumbha and Nisumbha, saw

that Ambika (Kausiki) bearing a surpassingly charming form. They

both told Sumbha:

 

90. 'O King, a certain woman, most surpassingly beautiful, dwells

there shedding lustre on mount Himalaya.

91. 'Such supreme beauty was never seen by any one anywhere.

Ascertain who that Goddess is and take possession of her, O Lord of

the asuras!

 

92. 'A gem among women, of exquisitely beautiful limbs, illuminating

the quarters with her lustre there she is, O Lord of the daityas.

You should see her.

 

93. 'O Lord, whatever jewels, precious stones, elephants, horses and

others there are in the three worlds, they are all now in your house.

 

94. 'Airavata, gem among elephants, has been brought away from Indra

and so also this Parijata tree and the horse Uccaihsravas.

 

95. 'Here stands in your courtyard the wonderful chariot yoked with

swans, a wonderful gem (of its class). It has been brought here from

Brahma to whom it originally belonged.

 

96. 'Here is the treasure named Mahapadma brought from the lord of

wealth. And the ocean gave a garland named Kinjalkini made of

unfading lotus flowers.

 

97. 'In your house stands the gold-showering umbrella of Varuna. And

here is the excellent chariot that was formerly Prajapati's.

 

98. By you, O Lord, Death's shakti weapon named Utkrantida has been

carried off. the noose of the ocean-king is among your brother's

possessions.

 

99. 'Nishumbha has every kind of gem produced in the sea. Fire also

gave you two garments which are purified by fire.

 

100. 'Thus, O Lord of asuras, all gems have been brought by you. Why

this beautiful lady-jewel is not seized by you? The Rishi said:

 

101-102. On hearing these words of Chanda and Munda, Sumbha sent the

great asura Sugriva as messenger to the Devi. He said:

 

103. 'Go and tell her thus in my words and do the thing in such a

manner that she may quickly come to me in love.'

 

CHAPTER 7 : The slaying of Chanda and Munda

The Rishi said:

1-2. Then at his command the asuras, fully armed, and with Chanda

and Munda at their head, marched in fourfold array.

 

3. They saw the Devi, smiling gently, seated upon the lion on a huge

golden peak of the great mountain.

 

4. On seeing her, some of them excited themselves and made an effort

to capture her, and others approached her, with their bows bent and

swords drawn.

 

5. Thereupon Ambika became terribly angry with those foes, and in

her anger her countenance then became dark as ink.

 

6. Out from the surface of her forehead, fierce with frown, issued

suddenly Kali of terrible countenance, armed with a sword and noose.

 

7-9. Bearing the strange skull-topped staff, decorated with a

garland of skull, clad in a tiger's skin, very appalling owing to

her emaciated flesh, with gaping mouth, fearful with her tongue

lolling out, having deep-sunk reddish eyes and filling the regions

of the sky with her roars, and falling upon impetuously and

slaughtering the great asuras in that army, she devoured those hosts

of the foes of the devas.

 

10. Snatching the elephants with one hand she flung them into her

mouth together with their rear men and drivers and their warrior-

riders and bells.

 

11. Taking likewise into her mouth the cavalry with the horses, and

chariot with its driver, she ground them most frightfully with her

teeth.

 

12. She seized one by the hair and another by the neck; one she

crushed by the weight of the foot, and another of her body.

13. And she caught with her mouth the weapons and the great arms

shot by those asuras and crunched them up with her teeth in her

fury.

 

14. She destroyed all that host of mighty and evil-natured asuras,

devoured some and battered others.

 

15. Some were killed with her sword, some were beaten with her skull-

topped staff, and other asuras met their death being ground with the

edge of her teeth.

 

16. On seeing all the hosts of asuras laid low in a moment, Chanda

rushed against that Kali, who was exceedingly terrible.

 

17. The great asura (Chanda) with very terrible showers of arrows,

and Munda with discuses hurled in thousands covered that terrible-

eyed(Devi).

 

18. Those numerous discuses, disappearing into her mouth, looked

like numerous solar orbs disappearing into the midst of a cloud.

 

19. Thereat Kali, who was roaring frightfully, whose fearful teeth

were gleaming within her dreadful mouth, laughed terribly with

exceeding fury.

 

20. Then the Devi, mounting upon her great lion, rushed at Chanda,

and seizing him by his hair, severed his head with her sword.

 

21. Seeing Chanda laid low, Munda also rushed at her. She felled him

also the ground, striking him with her sword in her fury.

 

22. Seeing the most valiant Chanda and Munda laid low, the remaining

army there became panicky and fled in all directions.

 

23. And Kali, holding the heads of Chanda and Munda in her hands,

approached Chandika and said, her words mingled with very loud

laughter.

 

24. 'Here have I brought you the heads of Chanda and Munda as two

great animal offerings in this sacrifice of battle; Sumbha and

Nisumbha, you shall yourself slay.' The Rishi said:

 

25-27. Thereupon seeing those asuras, Chanda and Munda brought to

her, the auspicious Chandika said to Kali these playful

words: 'Because you have brought me both Chanda and Munda, you O

Devi, shall be famed in the world by the name Chamunda. Here ends

the seventh chapter called 'The slaying of Chanda and Munda' of Devi-

mahatmya in Markandeya purana, during the period of Savarni, the

Manu.

 

 

 

>From my opinion, Canda and Munda is desire and lust. They comes

together in pair. They are the ones, to instigate their master to

take possession of DEVI. The beheading of Canda and Munda is the act

of removing the very root of this lust and desire, and this task

given to kali.

 

I remember reading somewhere, it is believed in the Shakta Circles

that with the death of Chanda and Munda there is a partial piercing

of the two chakras. Sexuality becomes creativity and intellectuality

becomes direct and intuitive and considerable luminous. It ceases to

be heavy, mired in concepts and categories. In Shakta vocabulary, it

said, means once ceases to be a fettered animal and becomes a vira,

a hero who is not into caste, creed, family consciousness. One

becomes free of guilt, shame, false modesty, fake compassion,

sentimental gesturing. One becomes real. Ego-consciousness take back

seat. One has a sense of self, its vastness, richness of content and

texture, seeing the other in oneself and oneself in the other.