चण्डमुण्डवध
Caṇḍa-Muṇḍa Vadha
The Slaying of Chanda and Munda · 25 verses
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Chanda and Munda march against the Goddess with a fourfold army. As they move to seize her, Ambika's face turns black as ink with wrath, and from her knit brow springs Kali — terrible of countenance, sword and noose in hand, garlanded with skulls, clad in a tiger-skin. She devours the asura host whole, flinging elephants, chariots and warriors into her mouth and crunching their weapons in her teeth. When Chanda buries her in arrows and Munda in a thousand discuses, she laughs a fearful laugh, mounts her lion, and beheads Chanda, then Munda. Bearing their two heads to Chandika, Kali offers them as the sacrifice of battle — and the Goddess, pleased, declares that henceforth she shall be famed in the world as Chamunda.
✦ Dhyāna — Opening Meditation
ॐ ध्यायेयं रत्नपीठे शुककलपठितं शृण्वतीं श्यामलाङ्गीं न्यस्तैकांघ्रिं सरोजे शशिशकलधरां वल्लकीं वादयन्तीम् । कल्हाराबद्धमालां नियमितविलसच्चोलिकां रत्नवस्त्रां मातङ्गी शङ्कपात्रां मधुरमधुमदां चित्रकोद्भासिभालाम् ॥
oṃ dhyāyeyaṃ ratnapīṭhe śukakalapaṭhitaṃ śaṛṇvatīṃ śyāmalāṅgīṃ nyastaikāṃghriṃ saroje śaśiśakaladharāṃ vallakīṃ vādayantīm kalhārābaddhamālāṃ niyamitavilasaccolikāṃ ratnavastrāṃ mātaṅgī śaṅkapātrāṃ madhuramadhumadāṃ citrakodbhāsibhālām
I meditate on Matangi (Mahasaraswati), dark-hued, seated on a jewelled throne, listening to the sweet notes recited by her parrot, one foot set upon a lotus, bearing a digit of the moon and playing the vina; wearing a garland of water-lilies, a shining bodice and jewelled garments, holding a conch-cup, gently flushed with sweet wine, her brow resplendent with a painted mark.
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ॐ ऋषिरुवाच आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः । चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः ॥
oṃ ṛṣiruvāca ājñaptāste tato daityāścaṇḍamuṇḍapurogamāḥ caturaṅgabalopetā yayurabhyudyatāyudhāḥ
Meaning(Om. The Rishi said:) Thus commanded, those daityas, with Chanda and Munda at their head, marched forth with weapons uplifted, equipped with the fourfold army.
ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम् । सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रशृङ्गे महति काञ्चने ॥
dadṛśuste tato devīmīṣaddhāsāṃ vyavasthitām siṃhasyopari śailendraśaṛṅge mahati kāñcane
MeaningThey then saw the Devi, slightly smiling, seated upon her lion on a great golden peak of the lord of mountains.
ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः । आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये तत्समीपगाः ॥
te dṛṣṭvā tāṃ samādātumudyamaṃ cakrurudyatāḥ ākṛṣṭacāpāsidharāstathānye tatsamīpagāḥ
MeaningOn seeing her, some of them, exerting themselves, strove to seize her, while others, bows and swords drawn, drew near her.
ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन्प्रति । कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा ॥
tataḥ kopaṃ cakāroccairambikā tānarīnprati kopena cāsyā vadanaṃ maṣīvarṇamabhūttadā
MeaningThereupon Ambika became fiercely angry with those foes; and out of anger her face then became black as ink.
भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद्द्रुतम् । काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी ॥
bhrukuṭīkuṭilāttasyā lalāṭaphalakāddrutam kālī karālavadanā viniṣkrāntāsipāśinī
MeaningFrom the knit brow of her forehead there suddenly sprang forth Kali, of terrible countenance, armed with sword and noose,
विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा । द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा ॥
vicitrakhaṭvāṅgadharā naramālāvibhūṣaṇā dvīpicarmaparīdhānā śuṣkamāṃsātibhairavā
Meaningbearing a strange skull-topped staff (khatvanga), adorned with a garland of human heads, clad in a tiger's skin, gruesome with her shrivelled flesh,
अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा । निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा ॥
ativistāravadanā jihvālalanabhīṣaṇā nimagnāraktanayanā nādāpūritadiṅmukhā
Meaningher mouth gaping wide, terrifying with her lolling tongue, with deep-sunken reddened eyes, filling the quarters of the sky with her roar.
सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घातयन्ती महासुरान् । सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्बलम् ॥
sā vegenābhipatitā ghātayantī mahāsurān sainye tatra surārīṇāmabhakṣayata tadbalam
MeaningShe fell upon the great asuras with speed, slaying them, and devoured that army of the foes of the gods.
पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहयोधघण्टासमन्वितान् । समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान् ॥
pārṣṇigrāhāṅkuśagrāhayodhaghaṇṭāsamanvitān samādāyaikahastena mukhe cikṣepa vāraṇān
MeaningSeizing in one hand the elephants — with their rear-guards, drivers, warriors and bells — she flung them into her mouth.
तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह । निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम् ॥
tathaiva yodhaṃ turagai rathaṃ sārathinā saha nikṣipya vaktre daśanaiścarvayantyatibhairavam
MeaningLikewise, hurling the warrior with his horses, the chariot and the charioteer, into her mouth, she ground them most horribly with her teeth.
एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम् । पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत् ॥
ekaṃ jagrāha keśeṣu grīvāyāmatha cāparam pādenākramya caivānyamurasānyamapothayat
MeaningOne she seized by the hair, and another by the neck; another she crushed by trampling with her foot, and yet another against her breast.
तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्राणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः । मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि ॥
tairmuktāni ca śastrāṇi mahāstrāṇi tathāsuraiḥ mukhena jagrāha ruṣā daśanairmathitānyapi
MeaningAnd the weapons and great missiles loosed by those asuras she caught in her mouth, and in her rage crunched them with her teeth.
बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् । ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तदा ॥
balināṃ tadbalaṃ sarvamasurāṇāṃ durātmanām mamardābhakṣayaccānyānanyāṃścātāḍayattadā
MeaningShe crushed the whole army of those mighty, evil-souled asuras; some she devoured, and others she battered down.
असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः । जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहतास्तथा ॥
asinā nihatāḥ kecitkecitkhaṭvāṅgatāḍitāḥ jagmurvināśamasurā dantāgrābhihatāstathā
MeaningSome were slain by her sword, some smitten by her skull-staff; and other asuras met destruction, struck by the points of her teeth.
क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां निपातितम् । दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिदुद्राव तां कालीमतिभीषणाम् ॥
kṣaṇena tadbalaṃ sarvamasurāṇāṃ nipātitam dṛṣṭvā caṇḍo'bhidudrāva tāṃ kālīmatibhīṣaṇām
MeaningIn a moment all that army of the asuras was laid low. Seeing this, Chanda rushed at that most terrible Kali.
शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भीमाक्षीं तां महासुरः । छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः ॥
śaravarṣairmahābhīmairbhīmākṣīṃ tāṃ mahāsuraḥ chādayāmāsa cakraiśca muṇḍaḥ kṣiptaiḥ sahasraśaḥ
MeaningThe great asura Chanda covered that terrible-eyed Devi with showers of dreadful arrows, and Munda (covered her) with discuses hurled by the thousand.
तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम् । बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम् ॥
tāni cakrāṇyanekāni viśamānāni tanmukham babhuryathārkabimbāni subahūni ghanodaram
MeaningThose many discuses, entering her mouth, shone like numerous solar orbs vanishing into the midst of a cloud.
ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी । काली करालवदना दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला ॥
tato jahāsātiruṣā bhīmaṃ bhairavanādinī kālī karālavadanā durdarśadaśanojjvalā
MeaningThen Kali — of terrible face, of fearful roar, ablaze with her dreadful-to-behold teeth — laughed aloud in great fury, a terrifying laugh.
उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत । गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत् ॥
utthāya ca mahāsiṃhaṃ devī caṇḍamadhāvata gṛhītvā cāsya keśeṣu śirastenāsinācchinat
MeaningAnd rising upon her great lion, the Devi rushed at Chanda; seizing him by the hair, she severed his head with her sword.
अथ मुण्डोऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् । तमप्यपातयद्भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा ॥
atha muṇḍo'bhyadhāvattāṃ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍaṃ nipātitam tamapyapātayadbhūmau sā khaḍgābhihataṃ ruṣā
MeaningThen Munda rushed at her, seeing Chanda felled; him too, struck with her sword in fury, she laid low upon the ground.
हतशेषं ततः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् । मुण्डं च सुमहावीर्यं दिशो भेजे भयातुरम् ॥
hataśeṣaṃ tataḥ sainyaṃ dṛṣṭvā caṇḍaṃ nipātitam muṇḍaṃ ca sumahāvīryaṃ diśo bheje bhayāturam
MeaningThen the remnant of the army, seeing Chanda fallen and the most valiant Munda (slain), fled in all directions, stricken with terror.
शिरश्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च । प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम् ॥
śiraścaṇḍasya kālī ca gṛhītvā muṇḍameva ca prāha pracaṇḍāṭṭahāsamiśramabhyetya caṇḍikām
MeaningAnd Kali, taking up the head of Chanda and Munda as well, approached Chandika and said, mingling her words with a fierce, loud laugh:
मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू । युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि ॥
mayā tavātropahṛtau caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāpaśū yuddhayajñe svayaṃ śumbhaṃ niśumbhaṃ ca haniṣyasi
Meaning'Here I have brought you Chanda and Munda, the two great beasts, as offerings in this sacrifice of battle; Shumbha and Nishumbha you shall slay yourself.'
ऋषिरुवाच तावानीतौ ततो दृष्ट्वा चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ । उवाच कालीं कल्याणी ललितं चण्डिका वचः ॥
ṛṣiruvāca tāvānītau tato dṛṣṭvā caṇḍamuṇḍau mahāsurau uvāca kālīṃ kalyāṇī lalitaṃ caṇḍikā vacaḥ
Meaning(The Rishi said:) Then, seeing those two great asuras Chanda and Munda brought before her, the auspicious Chandika spoke this graceful word to Kali:
यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता । चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवी भविष्यसि ॥
yasmāccaṇḍaṃ ca muṇḍaṃ ca gṛhītvā tvamupāgatā cāmuṇḍeti tato loke khyātā devī bhaviṣyasi
Meaning'Because you have come having seized Chanda (Chanda) and Munda, you, O Devi, shall therefore be renowned in the world as Chamunda.'