SAKTI-GODDESSES
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the weapon called sakti. According to the Mārkandēya Purāna the goddess that killed the buffalo-demon (Mahishāsuramardinī) was made up of the fierce radiance of Siva, Vishnu and Brahmā while all the other gods contributed the powers peculiarly characteristic of them for the formation of her limbs and ornaments.
ChāmundaChāmundā [1] may be represented with eight, ten (fig. 123), twelve or sixteen arms and made either of wood or of mortar. When in the dancing posture she must have eight, six or four hands. Chāmundā is known by the name Karālī or Bhadrakālī when she has eight arms, Kalabhadra when she has six arms, and Kali, when she has four. BhadrakālīBhadrakālī has a terrible face, fat breasts, protruding teeth and a long tongue and wears a garland of skulls. She rides on a lion and stamps under her foot the head of the buffalo-demon. Hēmādri quoting the Vishnudharmōttara says that Bhadrakālī has eighteen arms and is seated in the ālīdha posture in a car drawn by four lions. When worshipped by Brāhmanas she has ten arms, the Kala-Bhadra.jatāmaktuta and all ornaments. The second, Kālabhadrā, has a beautiful white form but is fierce, being worshipped in burial-grounds under the name of Karālabhadrā, seated in the virāsana posture with the foot placed over the head of the buffalo-demon. The same goddess, when worshipped by the Kshatriyas, is called Kālī Kālī or
Mahākālī.or Mahākālī. [2] In KALI or this form she ordinarily holds a trident or sword in one hand and a skull or a cup of wine (fire ?) in the other, rides on a corpse and has a lean stomach. The owl is her vehicle. She wears the tiger's skin, a scarf of elephant's hide and a garland of heads ; has three eyes and ear-ornaments shaped like conches; and is fond of flesh, blood and life. She is followed by evil spirits who fill the four quarters with their roar and she roams about the earth riding on their shoulders. Hēmādri, calling her also by the name Sivarātrī, describes her as having four hands, being black like collyrium, terrible with protruding teeth and tongue (but at the same time beautiful with broad eyes and slender waist), wearing a garland of trunks (of human bodies) and a wreath of serpents.
- ↑ Chāmundā is supposed to be the form of Pārvatī when she killed the giant called Chanda-Munda.
- ↑ Mahākālī is described in the Chanidīkalpa as having ten faces, ten legs and ten arms in which are held all weapons of war. In this form she is stated to have been invoked by Brahmā to kill the demons Madhu and Kaitabha who were attempting to smash Vishnu in his sleep (see above, p, 52). The Kāranāgama mentions an eight-armed Kālī or Mahākālī among the Durgās. Kālikā is a goddess supposed to be the wife of Nairrita (below, p. 243).
