Chandi

For other uses, see Chandi (disambiguation).

Chandi
The fiery destructive power of Shakti
Member of The Eight Matrika
Newari portrayal of Chandi
Devanagari	चण्डी
Sanskrit transliteration	Caṇḍī
Affiliation	Mahalakshmi, Mahadevi, Adishakti, Durga, Dhandai Devi
Mantra	ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे om aim hrīm klīm cāmuṇḍāyai vicce
Mount	Lion
Consort	Samhara Bhairava

Chandi (Sanskrit: चण्डी, IAST: Caṇḍī) or Chandika (IAST: Caṇḍika) is a Hindu deity. Chandika is another form of Mahadevi, similar to Durga. Chandika is a powerful form of Mahadevi who manifested to destroy evil. She is also known as Kaushiki, Katyayani, Asthadasabuja Mahalakshmi and Mahishasuramardini.

History

Caṇḍī or Caṇḍikā is the name by which the Supremely divine is referred to in Devī Māhātmya. Chandi represents the killer of Chanda. Chanda and Munda were Ashur's strong army generals. Bhaskararaya, a leading authority on matters concerning Devi worship, defines Chandi as 'the angry, terrible or passionate one'.

The designation of Chandi or Chandika is used twenty-nine times in the Devi Mahatmya, which is agreed by many scholars to have had originated in Bengal, the primary seat of the Shakta or Goddess tradition and tantric sadhana since ancient times. It is the most common epithet used for the Goddess. In Devi Mahatmya, Chandi, Chandika, Ambika and Durga have been used synonymously.

It is also called Navarna Mantra or Navavarna Mantra. Besides the Sri Vidhya mantras, it is one of the principal mantras in Shakti worship. It is customary to chant this mantra when chanting the Devi Mahatmya. She is supposed to live in a place called Mahakal, which is close to Kailasa.

Named after the goddess is the city of Chandigarh (literally: 'fort of Chandi'), the joint capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana.

Legends

Chandika is an avatar of Durga. The three principal forms of Durga worshipped are Mahagauri, Chandika and Aparajita. Of these, Chandika has two forms called Chandi and Chamunda who is created by the goddess Kaushiki for killing demons Chanda and Munda.

She is known as the supreme goddess Mahishasuramardini or Durga who slayed the demon Mahishasura. She has been affiliated with and also considered as Katyayini, Kaushiki or Ambika who killed Shumbha, Nishumbha and their fellow demons. "The great Goddess was born from the energies of the male divinities when the devas became impotent in the long-drawn-out battle with the asuras. All the energies of the Gods became united and became supernova, throwing out flames in all directions. Then that unique light, pervading the Three Worlds with its lustre, combined into one, and became a female form."

"Devi projected overwhelming omnipotence. The three-eyed goddess was adorned with the crescent moon. Her multiple arms held auspicious weapons and emblems, jewels and ornaments, garments and utensils, garlands and rosaries of beads, all offered by the gods. With her golden body blazing with the splendour of a thousand suns, seated on her lion vehicle, Chandi is one of the most spectacular of all personifications of Cosmic energy."

In other scriptures, Chandi is portrayed as "assisting" Kali in her battle with the demon Raktabīja. Chandi wounded him, but a new demon sprang up from every drop of his blood that fell on the ground. By drinking Raktabīja's blood before it could reach the ground, Kali enabled Chandi to first destroy the armies of demons and finally kill Raktabīja himself. In Skanda Purana, this story is retold and another story of Mahakali killing demons Chanda and Munda is added. Authors Chitralekha Singh and Prem Nath says, "Narada Purana describes the powerful forms of Lakshmi as Durga, Kali, Bhadrakali, Chandi, Maheshwari, Lakshmi, Vaishnavi and Andreye". Also, she is the one who purified Halahal (during Samudra Manthan) into Ambrosio (Amrit).

Chandi Homa (Havan)

Chandi Homa is one of the most popular Homas in Hindu religion. It is performed across India during various festivals, especially during the Navaratri. Chandi Homa is performed by reciting verses from the Durga Sapthasathi and offering oblations into the sacrificial fire. It could also be accompanied by the Navakshari Mantra. Kumari Puja, Suvasini Puja also form a part of the ritual.

Iconography

A Burmese portrayal of Chandi (Sandi Dewi).

The dhyana sloka preceding the Middle episode of Devi Mahatmya the iconographic details are given. The Goddess is described as having vermilion complexion, eighteen arms bearing string of beads, battle axe, mace, arrow, thunderbolt, lotus, bow, water-pot, cudgel, lance, sword, shield, conch, bell, wine-cup, trident, noose and the discus (sudarsana). She has a complexion of coral and is seated on a lotus. In some temples the images of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Saraswati are kept separately. The Goddess is also portrayed as four armed in many temples.

In folklore of Bengal

Chandi is one of the most popular folk deities in Bengal, and a number of poems and literary compositions in Bengali called Chandi Mangala Kavyas were written from 13th century to early 19th century. These had the effect of merging the local folk and tribal goddesses with mainstream Hinduism. The Mangal kavyas often associate Chandi with goddess Kali or Kalika and recognise her as a consort of Shiva and mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya, which are characteristics of goddesses like Parvati and Durga. The concept of Chandi as the supreme Goddess also underwent a change. The worship of the goddess became heterogeneous in nature.

Chandi is associated with good fortune. Her auspicious forms like Mangal Chandi, Sankat Mangal Chandi, Rana Chandi bestow joy, riches, children, good hunting and victory in battles while other forms like Olai Chandi cure diseases like cholera, plague and cattle diseases.

These are almost all village and tribal Goddesses with the name of the village or tribe being added onto the name Chandi. The most important of these Goddesses is Mongol Chandi who is worshipped in the entire state and also in Assam. Here the word "Mongol" means auspicious or benign.

See also

• Chandi di Var (in Sikhism)
• Candi of Indonesia

References

Sources

• Beane, Wendell Charles (1977). Myth, Cult and Symbols in Sakta Hinduism: a study of the Indian Mother Goddess. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-04814-0. OCLC 462282360.
• Brown, Cheever Mackenzie (1990). The Triumph of the Goddess: The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the Devī-Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-585-07628-7. OCLC 42855925.
• Coburn, Thomas B. (1984). Devī Māhātmya: The Crystallization of the Goddess Tradition. Delhi: Motilal Bonarsidass. ISBN 978-0-8364-0867-6. OCLC 643793128 – via Internet Archive.
• Coburn, Thomas B. (1991). Encountering the Goddess: A Translation of the Devi-Mahatmya and a Study of Its Interpretation. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-585-01691-7. OCLC 44964497 – via Internet Archive.
• Gopal, Madan (1990). India through the Ages. New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. OCLC 1157118397 – via Internet Archive.
• Manna, Sibendu (1993). Mother Goddess Caṇḍī: Its Socio Ritual Impact on the Folk Life. Calcutta: Punthi Pustak. ISBN 978-81-85094-60-1. OCLC 29595373.
• McDaniel, June (2003). Making Virtuous Daughters and Wives: An Introduction to Women's Brata Rituals in Benegal Folk Religion. New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-1-4175-0860-0. OCLC 55642408 – via Internet Archive.
• McDaniel, June (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-4237-5659-0. OCLC 64685459 – via Internet Archive.
• Mookerjee, Ajit (1988). Kali: The Feminine Force. New York: Destiny Books. ISBN 978-0-89281-212-7. OCLC 1035908837 – via Internet Archive.
• Sankaranarayanan (2001) [1968]. Glory Of The Divine Mother Devi Mahatmyam. India: Nesma Books. ISBN 978-81-87936-00-8. See also: OCLC 878083089
• Singh, Chitralekha; Nath, Prem (2001). Lakshmi. New Delhi: Crest Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-242-0173-2. OCLC 59302249.
• Wilkins, William Joseph (1882). Hindu mythology, Vedic and Purānic. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co. OCLC 1085344444 – via HathiTrust.

External links

• Mandal, Paresh Chandra (18 September 2021). "Chandi". Banglapedia. Retrieved 5 February 2024.