Chapter 7 of the Devi Mahatmya has 26 verses in the Markandeya Purana numbering (chapter 87 of the Purana). It is the story of the goddess Kali, who comes out of Ambika’s brow in verse 5, and of the name Chamunda, which she is given at the end of the chapter in verse 26. Of the nine chapters of the last episode, this is the one most closely tied to the fierce form of the goddess.
The sage Medhas is telling the story to King Suratha and the merchant Samadhi. In chapter 6 Shumbha sent his general Dhumralochana, who was reduced to ash, and then ordered Chanda and Munda to go next. This chapter begins with their march.
What happens in this chapter
Chanda, Munda and a fourfold army (elephants, chariots, horses and foot soldiers) find the goddess seated smiling on her lion, on a golden peak of the king of mountains (verses 1 and 2). They try to seize her, with bows and swords drawn (verse 3).
The goddess grows very angry, and her face turns black as ink (verse 4). From her forehead, bent in a frown, Kali comes out with a sword and a noose, carrying a skull-topped staff, wearing a garland of human heads and a tiger skin, with a huge mouth and a lolling tongue (verses 5 to 7). The text describes her briefly but vividly, and it is the best known description of Kali in the Devi Mahatmya.
Kali falls on the demon army. She throws elephants, chariots and horses into her mouth together with their riders and drivers, and crushes their weapons with her teeth (verses 8 to 14). Chanda rushes at her with arrows, and Munda covers her with discuses, which enter her mouth like many suns going into a cloud (verses 15 to 17). She laughs in rage, mounts the goddess’s lion, seizes Chanda by the hair and cuts off his head. Munda comes forward and she kills him too. The remnant of the army flees (verses 18 to 22).
Kali brings the two heads to Chandika with a wild laugh. She says that she has brought two great beasts for the sacrifice of battle, and that the goddess herself will kill Shumbha and Nishumbha (verses 23 and 24). The goddess answers that because Kali came bearing Chanda and Munda, she will be known in the world as Chamunda (verses 25 and 26).
How Kali is described
The description in verses 5 to 7 is short enough to take in at once. It lists, in order, where she comes from, what she carries, what she wears, and how she looks.
| Feature | What the text says | Verse |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | From the forehead of Ambika, bent into a frown | 5 |
| Face | Terrible, with a huge mouth and a lolling tongue | 5 and 7 |
| Carries | A sword, a noose and a skull-topped staff | 5 and 6 |
| Wears | A garland of human heads and a tiger skin | 6 |
| Body | Dried and lean, very frightening | 6 |
| Eyes | Red and sunken | 7 |
| Sound | Her roar fills all directions | 7 |
What the name Chamunda means
The name is explained in verse 26: yasmat chandam cha mundam cha grihitva tvam upagata, chamundeti tato loke khyata devi bhavishyasi. Because you came to me carrying both Chanda and Munda, you will be known in the world as Chamunda. The name Chamunda is the two names Chanda and Munda joined together, and the text gives that as its reason. In chapter 8 she is the one who drinks the blood of the demon Raktabija.
How to read it
The chapter is a hymn to the fierce side of the goddess, and the text does not apologise for it. Many devotees see Kali here as Ambika’s own anger given a form, and the text supports that: Kali comes out of Ambika’s face at the moment she grows angry. Others read Kali as a separate goddess who happens to take a form from Ambika, since she is a goddess in her own right in later literature. The chapter supports both readings.
The sacrifice language in verse 24, where the two demons are called animals for the sacrifice of battle, is the Devi Mahatmya’s way of saying that war is a rite in which the enemy is the offering. It is an image of the time and it is not a command. The Sanskrit word for animal is pashu. It is one of several places in the book where a battle is described in the language of a ritual.
This page gives each verse in Devanagari with a plain transliteration and a meaning in our own words.
The text, transliteration and meaning
आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः
चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः ॥ ७.१ ॥
Ajnaptaste tato daityashchandamundapurogamah
Chaturangabalopeta yayurabhyudyatayudhah
MeaningThe sage says: Ordered in this way, the demons led by Chanda and Munda set out with fourfold armies and weapons raised.
ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम्
सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रशृङ्गे महति काञ्चने ॥ ७.२ ॥
Dadrishuste tato devimishaddhasam vyavasthitam
Simhasyopari shailendrashringe mahati kanchane
MeaningThey saw the goddess, smiling a little, seated on her lion, on a great golden peak of the king of mountains.
ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः
आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये तत्समीपगाः ॥ ७.३ ॥
Te drishtva tam samadatumudyamam chakrurudyatah
Akrishtachapasidharastathanye tatsamipagah
MeaningWhen they saw her they made an effort to seize her. Some drew bows and swords, and others came close to her.
ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन् प्रति
कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा ॥ ७.४ ॥
Tatah kopam chakarochchairambika tanarin prati
Kopena chasya vadanam mashivarnamabhuttada
MeaningThen Ambika grew very angry with those enemies, and her face turned dark as ink with anger.
भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद् द्रुतम्
काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी ॥ ७.५ ॥
Bhrukutikutilattasya lalataphalakad drutam
Kali karalavadana vinishkrantasipashini
MeaningFrom her forehead, which was bent into a frown, there came forth suddenly Kali, with a terrible face, a sword and a noose in her hands.
NoteKali comes from the goddess's forehead at the moment she grows angry. This is the first mention of Kali in the book.
विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा
द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा ॥ ७.६ ॥
Vichitrakhatvangadhara naramalavibhushana
Dvipicharmaparidhana shushkamamsatibhairava
MeaningShe carried a strange skull-topped staff and wore a garland of human heads. She was clothed in a tiger skin and was dreadful, dried and lean.
अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा
निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा ॥ ७.७ ॥
Ativistaravadana jihvalalanabhishana
Nimagnaraktanayana nadapuritadinmukha
MeaningHer mouth was vast, her lolling tongue terrible, her eyes red and sunken, and her roar filled all the directions.
सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घातयन्ती महासुरान्
सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्वलम् ॥ ७.८ ॥
Sa vegenabhipatita ghatayanti mahasuran
Sainye tatra surarinamabhakshayata tadvalam
MeaningShe fell with speed upon the army of the enemies of the gods, killing the great demons, and devoured that army.
पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहयोधघण्टासमन्वितान्
समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान् ॥ ७.९ ॥
Parshnigrahankushagrahayodhaghantasamanvitan
Samadayaikahastena mukhe chikshepa varanan
MeaningWith one hand she took up elephants together with the men who guard their rear and hold their goads, their warriors and their bells, and threw them into her mouth.
तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह
निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम् ॥ ७.१० ॥
Tathaiva yodham turagai ratham sarathina saha
Nikshipya vaktre dashanaishcharvayantyatibhairavam
MeaningIn the same way she put into her mouth a warrior with his horses, a chariot with its driver, and chewed them up horribly with her teeth.
एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम्
पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत् ॥ ७.११ ॥
Ekam jagraha kesheshu grivayamatha chaparam
Padenakramya chaivanyamurasanyamapothayat
MeaningShe seized one by the hair, another by the neck, trampled another underfoot and crushed another against her chest.
तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्राणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः
मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि ॥ ७.१२ ॥
Tairmuktani cha shastrani mahastrani tathasuraih
Mukhena jagraha rusha dashanairmathitanyapi
MeaningThe weapons and great missiles that the demons let fly she took into her mouth in fury and ground them with her teeth.
बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम्
ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तदा ॥ ७.१३ ॥
Balinam tadbalam sarvamasuranam duratmanam
Mamardabhakshayachchanyananyamshchatadayattada
MeaningShe crushed that whole army of the strong and wicked demons, devoured some and struck down others.
असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः
जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहतास्तथा ॥ ७.१४ ॥
Asina nihatah kechitkechitkhatvangataditah
Jagmurvinashamasura dantagrabhihatastatha
MeaningSome demons were killed by her sword, others were beaten with her skull-topped staff, and others died, struck by the tips of her teeth.
क्षणेन तन्महासैन्यमसुराणां निपातितम्
दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिदुद्राव तां कालीमतिभीषणाम् ॥ ७.१५ ॥
Kshanena tanmahasainyamasuranam nipatitam
Drishtva chando'bhidudrava tam kalimatibhishanam
MeaningIn a moment the great army of demons was brought down. Seeing it, Chanda rushed at the very terrible Kali.
शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भीमाक्षीं तां महासुरः
छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः ॥ ७.१६ ॥
Sharavarshairmahabhimairbhimakshim tam mahasurah
Chhadayamasa chakraishcha mundah kshiptaih sahasrashah
MeaningThe great demon Chanda covered the dreadful-eyed one with showers of terrible arrows, and Munda covered her with discuses by the thousand.
तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम्
बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम् ॥ ७.१७ ॥
Tani chakranyanekani vishamanani tanmukham
Babhuryatharkabimbani subahuni ghanodaram
MeaningThose many discuses, as they entered her mouth, looked like many discs of the sun entering the belly of a cloud.
ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी
काली करालवदना दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला ॥ ७.१८ ॥
Tato jahasatirusha bhimam bhairavanadini
Kali karalavadana durdarshadashanojjvala
MeaningThen Kali, roaring terribly, laughed in great anger, her face grim and her teeth dreadfully bright.
उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत
गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत् ॥ ७.१९ ॥
Utthaya cha mahasimham devi chandamadhavata
Grihitva chasya kesheshu shirastenasinachchhinat
MeaningThe goddess rose on her great lion and ran at Chanda. She seized him by the hair and cut off his head with her sword.
Not in the printThe Nirnaya Sagar print does not have this verse. The GRETIL e-text and Sanskrit Wikisource do: छिन्ने शिरसि दैत्येन्द्रश्चक्रे नादं सुभैरवम्; तेन नादेन महता त्रासितं भुवनत्रयम् We keep the verse number so that the numbering of the other verses stays the same as on the rest of this site. For reference, the verse means: When his head was cut off, the demon king let out a terrible cry, and that great cry frightened the three worlds.
अथ मुण्डोऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम्
तमप्यपातयद् भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा ॥ ७.२१ ॥
Atha mundo'bhyadhavattam drishtva chandam nipatitam
Tamapyapatayad bhumau sa khadgabhihatam rusha
MeaningThen Munda ran at her, seeing Chanda brought down. She struck him down on the ground too, with her sword, in anger.
हतशेषं ततः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम्
मुण्डं च सुमहावीर्यं दिशो भेजे भयातुरम् ॥ ७.२२ ॥
Hatashesham tatah sainyam drishtva chandam nipatitam
Mundam cha sumahaviryam disho bheje bhayaturam
MeaningSeeing Chanda fallen, and Munda, who was of great strength, also fallen, what was left of the army fled in all directions, struck with fear.
शिरश्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च
प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम् ॥ ७.२३ ॥
Shirashchandasya kali cha grihitva mundameva cha
Praha prachandattahasamishramabhyetya chandikam
MeaningKali took Chanda's head and Munda's too, and went up to Chandika, saying with a loud, wild laugh:
मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू
युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि ॥ ७.२४ ॥
Maya tavatropahritau chandamundau mahapashu
Yuddhayajne svayam shumbham nishumbham cha hanishyasi
MeaningKali says: I have brought you Chanda and Munda here, two great beasts for the sacrifice of battle. You yourself will kill Shumbha and Nishumbha.
NoteThe demons are called animals for the sacrifice of battle, which is the book's way of describing a war as a ritual.
तावानीतौ ततो दृष्ट्वा चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ
उवाच कालीं कल्याणी ललितं चण्डिका वचः ॥ ७.२५ ॥
Tavanitau tato drishtva chandamundau mahasurau
Uvacha kalim kalyani lalitam chandika vachah
MeaningThe sage says: Seeing Chanda and Munda brought, the auspicious Chandika spoke to Kali in a pleasant voice:
यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता
चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवी भविष्यसि ॥ ७.२६ ॥
Yasmachchandam cha mundam cha grihitva tvamupagata
Chamundeti tato loke khyata devi bhavishyasi
MeaningThe goddess says: Because you have come to me bringing Chanda and Munda, you will be known in the world as Chamunda.
NoteThe goddess gives Kali the name Chamunda, made from the names Chanda and Munda.
Chapter summary
Chanda and Munda arrive with a large army and find the goddess smiling on her lion on a golden peak. They try to seize her, and she grows so angry that her face turns black. From her forehead comes Kali, who devours the army, cuts off Chanda’s head and kills Munda. The remnant of the army flees.
Kali brings the two heads to Chandika and says that the goddess herself will kill Shumbha and Nishumbha. The goddess says that, because Kali came bearing Chanda and Munda, she will be known as Chamunda. Chapter 8 continues the war with the mother goddesses and the demon Raktabija.
Where the other texts differ from the print
The Sanskrit above is the text of the Nirnaya Sagar print, which we read page by page against the page images. The GRETIL e-text of the Markandeya Purana (the Sansknet entry) and Sanskrit Wikisource are used here as witnesses only. This chapter has 26 verses in the Purana numbering.
In 7 verses (7.9, 7.13, 7.14, 7.18, 7.20, 7.23, 7.26) the print reads differently from the GRETIL e-text in the words, or does not have the verse, beyond the small typing slips listed further down. In each case we follow the print. The other reading is given here so that you can see it. The GRETIL text is quoted with its typing slips already corrected.
- 7.9: the print has पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहयोधघण्टासमन्वितान् / समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान्. The GRETIL e-text has पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहियोधघण्टासमन्वितान् समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान्. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 7.13: the print has बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् / ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तदा. The GRETIL e-text has बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तथा. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 7.14: the print has असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः / जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहतास्तथा. The GRETIL e-text has असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहता रणे. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 7.18: the print has ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी / काली करालवदना दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला. The GRETIL e-text has ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी काली करालवक्त्रान्तर्दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 7.20: the print does not have this verse. The GRETIL e-text has छिन्ने शिरसि दैत्येन्द्रश्चक्रे नादं सुभैरवम् तेन नादेन महता त्रासितं भुवनत्रयम्. Wikisource agrees.
- 7.23: the print has शिरश्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च / प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम्. The GRETIL e-text has शिरञ्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम्. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 7.26: the print has यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता / चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवी भविष्यसि. The GRETIL e-text has यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवि भविष्यसि. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
Typing slips in the GRETIL e-text, so that you can see exactly what was changed (the print has the corrected form in each):
- 7.3: the GRETIL e-text has सत्समीपगाः, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has तत्समीपगाः, which we print.
- 7.8: the GRETIL e-text has घतयन्ती, a typing slip; the print has घातयन्ती, which we print.
- 7.12: the GRETIL e-text has शस्त्रणि, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has शस्त्राणि, which we print.
- 7.15: the GRETIL e-text has दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिमैर्भोमाक्षीं तां महासुरः, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिदुद्राव तां कालीमतिभीषणाम्, which we print.
- 7.16: the GRETIL e-text has शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भोमाक्षीं, a typing slip; the print has शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भीमाक्षीं, which we print.
- 7.25: the GRETIL e-text has चणाडमुण्डौ, a typing slip; the print has चण्डमुण्डौ, which we print.
Wikisource also has a speaker name or an editor’s note written into the verse text in 1 verse (7.26); these are not part of the text and are left out.
Source of the text on this page. The Sanskrit is the text of the Nirnaya Sagar Press edition of the Saptashati (Bombay, Shaka 1839, which is 1917 CE, edited by Vasudev Laxman Shastri Panshikar and published by Tukaram Javaji), read page by page from the scan on archive.org (identifier SaptashatiNirnayaSagarPress, scan pages 187 to 192 for this chapter). We follow the print's readings. We space the words and write the nasals in the usual style of this site, and we do not count that as a difference. The GRETIL e-text of the Markandeya Purana (where this chapter is chapter 87) and Sanskrit Wikisource are used as witnesses only: where they read differently from the print, their readings are listed under the heading above. The print numbers its speaker lines, and its own running count reaches 439 at the end of this chapter; this page keeps the Markandeya Purana numbering, so the verse numbers differ. The transliteration is a simple guide to sound and the meanings are our own wording. See the Devi Mahatmya hub for the full note on sources.