Chhinnamasta ( sa, छिन्नमस्ता, , "She whose head is severed"), often spelled Chinnamasta, and also called Ch(h)innamastika and Prachanda Chandika and Jogani Maa (in western states of India), is a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
goddess (
Devi
Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The conce ...
). She is one of the
Mahavidya
The ''Mahavidya'' ( sa, महाविद्या, , lit. ''Great Wisdoms'') are a group of ten Hinduism, Hindu Tantra, Tantric Devi, goddesses. The 10 Mahavidyas are usually named in the following sequence: Kali, Tara (Devi), Tara, Tripura Su ...
s, ten goddesses from the esoteric tradition of
Tantra
Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian ...
, and a ferocious aspect of
Mahadevi
Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...
, the Hindu Mother goddess. The self-decapitated nude goddess, usually standing or seated on a divine
copulating couple, holds her own severed head in one hand and a
scimitar
A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...
in another. Three
jets of blood spurt out of her bleeding neck and are drunk by her severed head and two attendants.
Chhinnamasta is a goddess of contradictions. She symbolises both aspects of Devi: a life-giver and a life-taker. She is considered both a symbol of sexual self-control and an embodiment of sexual energy, depending upon interpretation. She represents death, temporality, and destruction as well as life, immortality, and recreation. The goddess conveys spiritual self-realization and the awakening of the
kundalini – spiritual energy. The legends of Chhinnamasta emphasise her
self-sacrifice – sometimes coupled with a maternal element – sexual dominance, and self-destructive fury.
Chhinnamasta is worshipped in the
Kalikula sect of
Shaktism
Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...
, the Goddess-centric tradition of Hinduism. Though Chhinnamasta enjoys patronage as one of the Mahavidyas, temples devoted to her (found mostly in Nepal and eastern India) and her public worship are rare. However, she is a significant Tantric deity, well known and worshipped among esoteric Tantric practitioners. Chhinnamasta is closely related to
Chinnamunda
Chinnamunda is a Buddhist goddess. Her attributes and iconography are similar to those of the Hindu goddess Chhinnamasta. Chinnamunda is often portrayed alongside Mekhala and Kanakhala, the two headless sisters, Indian Buddhist tantric adepts who ...
– the severed-headed form of the
Tibetan Buddhist goddess
Vajrayogini.
Origins
![Chinnamunda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Chinnamunda.jpg)
The Hindu Chhinnamasta appears as a significant deity in
Tantric and
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
, where she is called
Chinnamunda
Chinnamunda is a Buddhist goddess. Her attributes and iconography are similar to those of the Hindu goddess Chhinnamasta. Chinnamunda is often portrayed alongside Mekhala and Kanakhala, the two headless sisters, Indian Buddhist tantric adepts who ...
("she with the severed head") or Trikaya-vajrayogini ("triple-bodied
Vajrayogini"). Chinnamunda is the severed-head form of goddess Vajrayogini (or
Vajravarahi, a ferocious form of Vajrayogini), who is depicted similar to Chhinnamasta.
Buddhist texts recount the birth of the Buddhist Chinnamunda. One tale tells of
Krishnacharya's disciples, two ''
Mahasiddha'' ("great perfected ones") sisters,
Mekhala and Kanakhala
Mekhala ( or Mahakhala – "Elder Mischievous Girl") "The Elder Severed-Headed Sister" and Kanakhala (Kankhala, – "Younger Mischievous Girl") "The Younger Severed-Headed Sister") are two sisters who figure in the eighty-four mahasiddhas ("grea ...
, who cut their heads, offered them to their guru, and then danced. The goddess Vajrayogini also appeared in this form and danced with them. Another story recalls how the ''Mahasiddha'' princess
Lakshminkara, cut off her head as a punishment from the king and roamed with it in the city, where citizens extolled her as Chinnamunda-Vajravarahi.
In the early decades of the 20th century, Benoytosh Bhattacharya – an expert on Tantra and the then director of the
Oriental Institute of Baroda – studied various texts such as the Buddhist ''Sadhanamala'' (1156CE), the Hindu ''Chhinnamastakalpa'' (uncertain date), and the ''Tantrasara'' by
Krishnananda Agamavagisha
Krishnananda Agamavagisha (Devanagari; कृष्णानन्द आगमवागीश, Bengali language: কৃষ্ণানন্দ আগমবাগীশ) (a.k.a. Mahamahopadhyaya Krishnananda Bhattacharya) was a noted Kulin Bengal ...
(late 16th century). He determined that the Hindu Chhinnamasta and the Buddhist Chinnamunda were the same goddess, in spite of the fact that the former wears a serpent as a
sacred thread and has an added copulating couple in the icon. In the ''Sadhanamala'', the goddess is called Sarvabuddha ("all-awakened"), and is attended by Vajravaironi and Vajravarnini; in the Hindu ''Tantrasara'', she is called ''Sarvasiddhi'' ("all-accomplished"), and is accompanied by attendants Dakini, Vaironi, and Varnini. In the ''Chhinnamastakalpa'', she is called Sarvabuddhi ("all-enlightened"); her attendants retain their Buddhist names. Bhattacharyya concluded that the Hindu Chhinnamasta originated from the Buddhist Chinnamunda, who was worshipped by at least the 7th century.
![Bundi painting Chinnamasta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Bundi_painting_Chinnamasta.jpg)
While Bhattacharyya's view is mostly undisputed,
some scholars such as S. Shankaranarayanan – the author of ''The Ten Great Cosmic Powers'' – attribute Chhinnamasta to
Vedic
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
(ancient Hindu) antecedents. Sukumari Bhattacharji, the author of ''The Indian Theogony'', says that the Vedic goddess
Nirrti's functions were inherited by later Hindu goddesses
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
,
Chamunda
Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, ISO-15919: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses).W ...
, Karali, and Chhinnamasta. Hindu literature first mentions Chhinnamasta in the ''
upapurana
The Upapuranas (Sanskrit: ') are a genre of Hindu religious texts consisting of many compilations differentiated from the Mahapuranas by styling them as secondary Puranas using the prefix ''Upa'' (secondary). Though only a few of these compilatio ...
'' ''Shakta Maha-bhagavata Purana'' (c.950CE) and the ''
Devi-Bhagavata Purana'' (9th–12th century). ElisabethA. Benard, the author of ''Chinnamastā: The Aweful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess'', says that whatever her origins may be, it is clear that Chhinnamasta/Chinnamunda was known in the 9th century and worshipped by ''Mahasiddha''s.
Though essentially agreeing with Bhattacharyya's view, Karel R. vanKooij, former Professor of South Asian art history at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
, goes further and associates the iconography of Chhinnamasta with the Tantric goddesses
Varahi
Varahi ( sa, वाराही, )) is also used as the name of the consort of Varaha, who is identified with Bhumi (the earth goddess). This consort is depicted in a human form., group=note is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven mother go ...
and Chamunda.
David Kinsley, an expert on Hindu goddesses and former Professor of Religion at
McMaster University, agrees with the Buddhist origin theory, but sees other influences, too. Ancient Hindu goddesses, who are depicted nude and headless or faceless, may have also influenced the development of Chhinnamasta. These goddesses are mainly depicted headless to focus on the display of their sexual organs, thus signifying sexual vigour, but they do not explain the self-decapitation theme.
Other nude Hindu goddesses who might have inspired Chhinnamasta are the malevolent war goddess
Kotavi
Kotavi or Kotari, that is, an uncovered goddess, is a Hindu mythology deity and the tutelary goddess of the Daityas. She was the form of Goddess Durga, and the mother like tutelary goddess of the demon Banasur. The name Kotavi is sometimes also ...
and the South-Indian hunting goddess
Korravai
Kotṟavai (), also spelled ''Kotravai'' or ''Korravai'', is the goddess of war and victory in the Tamil tradition. She is also the mother goddess and the goddess of fertility, agriculture, and hunters. In the latter form, she is sometimes refer ...
. Kotavi, sometimes described as a
Matrika
Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group ...
("mother goddess"), is nude, dishevelled, wild, and awful in appearance. She is mentioned in the scriptures ''
Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana (IAST:, sa, विष्णुपुराण) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature c ...
'' and ''
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in Sa ...
'', often as a foe of the god
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. The ferocious, wild Korravai is the goddess of war and victory. Both goddesses are linked to battlefields; Chhinnamasta is not.
Kinsley points out that while there are several bloodthirsty, nude, and wild goddesses and demonesses in Hindu mythology, Chhinnamasta is the only goddess who displays the shocking self-decapitation motif.
The beheading and rejoining motif also appears in the tale of the goddess
Renuka
Renuka, also known as Yellamma, is a Hindu goddess worshipped predominantly in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and western state of Maharashtra. She is also known as the mother of Parashurama ...
; however the self-decapitation is missing in the legend.
In the context of her legend, Renuka is given the epithet "Chhinnamasta" ("She whose head is severed").
The mahavidya Chhinnamasta is also associated with Renuka's son
Parashurama
Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appear ...
, who decapitated his mother in the legend.
The name "Chhinnamasta" is also used as a generic name for goddess icons which do not have heads, such as those at
Chinnamasta Bhagawati
Chinnamasta Bhagawati also called Shakhada Bhagawati and Shakhadeswori (Nepali language, Nepali: छिन्नमस्ता भगवती) is a temple and Shakti Pitha, Shakti Peethas in Eastern Nepal. It was established as a Siddha Peetha ...
, Na-kati Bhavani shrine in
Aurangabad district, Bihar
Aurangabad district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. It is currently a part of the Red Corridor.
Aurangabad played a major role in the Indian independence struggle, and is also the birthplace of eminent nationalist & ...
and the goddess shrine in Uchchaith,
Madhubani district
Madhubani district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, India, and is a part of Darbhanga division. Its administrative headquarters are located in Madhubani. The district has an area of and has a population of 4,487,379 (as of 2011 ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
; these goddesses are not identified with the mahavidya Chhinnamasta.
The theme of self-decapitation and the severed head is recurring in Indian mythology. Legends from the ''
Simhasana Dvatrimsika
''Singhasan Battisi'' is a collection of Indian folk tales. The title literally means "thirty-two (tales) of the throne". In the frame story, the 11th century king Bhoja discovers the throne of the legendary ancient king Vikramaditya . The throne ...
'' and the ''
Kathasaritsagara'' speak of how the hero offers blood from his throat as an offering to a goddess.
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
i folk tales and songs tell about of warrior-heroes (''
jhumjharji'' or ''bhomiya'') who cuts off his head before the war or is decapitated in action, but battles on – without his head – slaying foes until he avenges his beheading and dies. The decapitated body and head motif is not unique to Hinduism and Buddhism and appears across the world, including the
Cephalophore saints of Christianity and in
Celtic culture Celtic culture may refer to:
*the culture of Celts
*the culture of Celts (modern)
*the culture of Celtic nations:
**Culture of Ireland
**Culture of Scotland
**Culture of the Isle of Man
**Culture of Wales
**Culture of Cornwall
** Culture of Brittan ...
.
Legends and textual references
![Chinnamasta_rajasthan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Chinnamasta_rajasthan.png)
Chhinnamasta is often named as the fifth
or sixth
Mahavidya
The ''Mahavidya'' ( sa, महाविद्या, , lit. ''Great Wisdoms'') are a group of ten Hinduism, Hindu Tantra, Tantric Devi, goddesses. The 10 Mahavidyas are usually named in the following sequence: Kali, Tara (Devi), Tara, Tripura Su ...
(Mahavidyas are a group of ten fearsome goddesses from the Hindu esoteric tradition of
Tantra
Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian ...
), with hymns identifying her as a fierce aspect of
Devi
Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The conce ...
, the Hindu Mother goddess. Kinsley says that three Mahavidyas –
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
,
Tara, and Chhinnamasta – are prominent among Mahavidya depictions and lists, but that Chhinnamasta barely has an independent existence outside the group.
The ''Guhyatiguhya-Tantra'' (c. 9th century) equates the god
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
's
ten avatars with the ten Mahavidyas; the man-lion avatar
Narasimha
Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...
is described to have arisen from Chhinnamasta.
A similar list in ''Mundamala Tantra'' (pre-16th century) equates Chhinnamasta with the avatar Parashurama.
Chhinnamasta appears in two distinct set of legends: the origin myths of Mahavidyas as a group and those explaining the genesis of Chhinnamasta as an individual goddess.
Mahavidyas as a group
A story from the ''Shakta Maha-Bhagavata Purana'' and the ''
Brihaddharma Purana
The Brihaddharma Purana ( sa, बृहद्धर्म पुराण, ) is a Hindu religious text, which classified itself (I.25.26) as the last of the 18 Upapuranas. The extant text comprises three ''khaņḑa''s (parts): ''pūrvakhaņḑa'' ...
'' (13th century) narrates the creation of all Mahavidyas, including Chhinnamasta. The story is as follows:
Sati, the daughter of
Daksha
In Hinduism, Daksha (Sanskrit: दक्ष, IAST: , lit. "able, dexterous, or honest one") is one of the '' Prajapati'', the agents of creation, as well as a divine king-rishi. His iconography depicts him as a man with a stocky body and a ha ...
, is the first wife of the god
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. When she and Shiva are not invited to the
fire sacrifice organized by her father, she is insulted and insists on attending, despite Shiva's protests. After futile attempts to convince Shiva to grant his consent for her to attend, the enraged Sati assumes a fierce form, transforming into the Mahavidyas, who surround Shiva from the ten cardinal directions. As per the ''Shakta Maha-bhagavata Purana'', Chhinnamasta stands to the right of Shiva, interpreted as the east or the west; the ''Brihaddharma Purana'' describes her as appearing to the rear of Shiva in the west.
In similar legends, the Mahavidyas arise from the wrath of other goddesses, specifically,
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
(the second wife of Shiva and the
reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
of Sati) and Kali (the principal Mahavidya). In one legend, Shiva and Parvati are living in the house of
Parvati's father. Shiva wants to leave, but Parvati creates the ten fierce Mahavidyas who appear from ten directions and prevent him from leaving. In another legend, Shiva is living with Kali, identified as Shiva's consort in this context, but becomes tired of her and wants to leave. Kali creates the Mahavidyas who also obstruct his path from ten directions. Kali enlightens him and he ceases trying to leave.
The ''Devi Bhagavata Purana'' also mentions the Mahavidyas as war-companions and forms of the goddess
Shakambhari
Shakambhari (Sanskrit: शाकम्भरी, IAST: Śākambharī), also referred to as Shatakshi, is a goddess of nourishment. She is regarded to be an incarnation of Mahadevi, and identified with both Lakshmi and Durga in Hinduism. After ...
. An oral tradition similarly replaces Shakambhari with the goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
.
Chhinnamasta as an individual goddess
The ''Pranatoshini Tantra'' (18th century) narrates two tales of Chhinnamasta's birth. One legend, attributed to the ''Narada-pancharatra'', tells how once, while bathing in
Mandakini river, Parvati becomes sexually aroused, and turns black. At the same time, her two female attendants Dakini and Varnini (also called Jaya and Vijaya) become extremely hungry and beg for food. Though Parvati initially promises to give them food once they return home, the merciful goddess beheads herself with her nails and gives her blood to satisfy their hunger. Later, they return home after Parvati rejoins her head.
The other version, from the ''Pranatoshini Tantra'' and attributed to ''Svatantra Tantra'', is narrated by Shiva. He recounts that his consort
Chandi
Chandi ( sa, चण्डी, ) or Chandika () 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'', '' Katyayan ...
ka (identified with Parvati) was engrossed in coitus with him in
reverse posture, but became enraged at his seminal emission. Her attendants Dakini and Varnini rose from her body. The rest of the tale is similar to the earlier version, although the river is called Pushpabhadra, the day of Chhinnamasta's birth is called ''Viraratri'', and upon seeing the pale Parvati, Shiva becomes infuriated and assumes the form of Krodha
Bhairava
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhairava ...
.
This version is retold in the ''Shaktisamgama Tantra'' (c. 16th century),
in which Chhinnamasta forms a triad with Kali and Tara.
An oral legend tells how the goddess Prachanda Chandika appeared to aid the gods in the god-demon war, when the gods prayed to the Great Goddess
Mahashakti
''Mahashakti'' is a mini-series, which was made for television and aired on DD Metro in 1995. It stars Aditya Pancholi and Juhi Chawla.
Plot
Sanjay is the son of a wealthy businessman, he has everything that a guy could dream of, but his li ...
. After slaying all demons, the enraged goddess cut off her own head and drank her own blood. The name Prachanda Chandika also appears as a synonym of Chhinnamasta in her hundred-name hymn in the ''Shakta Pramoda'' (19th century).
Another oral legend relates her to the
Samudra manthan
The Samudra Manthana ( sa, समुद्रमन्थन; ) is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita.
Nom ...
(Churning of the Ocean) episode, where the gods and demons churned the
milk ocean to acquire the ''
amrita
''Amrita'' ( sa, अमृत, IAST: ''amṛta''), ''Amrit'' or ''Amata'' in Pali, (also called ''Sudha'', ''Amiy'', ''Ami'') is a Sanskrit word that means "immortality". It is a central concept within Indian religions and is often referred to i ...
'' (the elixir of immortality). Chhinnamasta drank the demons' share of the elixir and then beheaded herself to prevent them from acquiring it.
The central themes of the mythology of Chhinnamasta are her
self-sacrifice – with a maternal aspect (in the ''Pranatoshini'' ''Tantra'' versions) or for the welfare of the world (in the Samudra manthan oral version described above) – her sexual dominance (second ''Pranatoshini'' ''Tantra'' version), and her self-destructive fury (in the first oral legend).
Iconography
![Chhinnamasta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Chhinnamasta.JPG)
The iconography of Chhinnamasta is described in the ''Trishakti Tantra'' (pre-16th century),
the ''Tantrasara'' (''Prachandachandika'' section),
the ''Shakta Pramoda'' (''Chinnamastatantra'' section),
and the ''Mantra-mahodadhih'' (1589CE).
[:
*pp. 33–4, 36–7, 47: ''Shakta Pramoda''
*p. 86: ''Mantra-mahodadhih''
*p. 87: ''Tantrasara''
]
Chhinnamasta is described as being as red as the
hibiscus flower or as bright as a million suns. She is usually depicted as red or orange in complexion and sometimes as black. She is depicted mostly nude; however, she is so posed that her genitals are generally hidden or a multi-hooded
cobra or jewellery around the waist covers them. She is depicted as being young and slim. She is described as a sixteen-year-old girl with full breasts, adorned with lotuses or having a single blue lotus near her heart.
Sometimes, she is partially or fully clothed.
[ depicts Chhinnamasta as a four-armed fully clothed goddess with a severed head riding on a lion. She holds a scimitar, a skull-bowl collecting dipping sword from her sword.]
The goddess carries her own severed head – sometimes on a platter or in a
skull-bowl – in her left hand. Though no legend mentions a specific weapon for the beheading,
she holds a
scimitar
A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...
, a knife or a scissor-like object in her right hand.
Though generally depicted with two arms, manifestations of the goddess with four arms also exist. While her own severed head and the sword appear in two of her hands, the implements in the remaining arms vary: a scissor-like object, a skull-bowl collecting the dripping blood from her head or blood stream from her neck, or a severed head, sometimes identified as that of the god
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
.
Chhinnamasta may have a lolling tongue. Her hair is loose and dishevelled and sometimes decorated with flowers. Alternately, in some images, her hair is tied. Additionally, she is described as having a
third eye on her forehead and a jewel on her forehead, which is tied to a snake or a crown on the severed head. The
crescent moon may also adorn her head. Chhinnamasta is depicted wearing a serpent as the
sacred thread and a ''
mundamala'' (garland of skulls or severed heads and bones), along with other various gold or pearl ornaments around her neck. Bangles and waist-belt ornaments may be also depicted. She may also wear a snake around her neck and serpentine earrings. Three streams of blood spring from her neck, one entering her own mouth, while the others are drunk by her female
yogini
A yogini (Sanskrit: योगिनी, IAST: ) is a female master practitioner of tantra and yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet. The ...
companions, who flank her.
![Chinnamasta1800](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Chinnamasta1800.JPG)
Both of the attendants – Dakini to her left and Varnini to her right – are depicted nude, with matted or dishevelled hair, three-eyed, full-breasted, wearing the serpentine sacred thread and the ''mundamala'', and carrying the skull-bowl in the left hand and the knife in the right. Sometimes, the attendants also hold severed heads (not their own). While Dakini is fair, Varnini is red-complexioned. In other depictions, both are depicted blue-grey. Sometimes, her attendants are depicted as skeletons and drinking the dripping blood from Chhinnamasta's severed head, rather than her neck.
The attendants are absent in some depictions.
With her right leg held straight and her left leg bent a little (the ''pratyalidha'' stance), Chhinnamasta stands in a fighting posture on the love-deity couple of
Kamadeva (Kama) – a symbol of sexual love/lust – and his wife
Rati
Rati ( sa, रति, ) is the Hinduism, Hindu Devi, goddess of List of love and lust deities, love, carnal desire, lust, passion, and sexual pleasure. Usually described as the daughter of ''Prajapati'' Daksha, Rati is the female counterpart, th ...
, who are
engaged in copulation with the latter usually on the top (
''viparita-rati'' sex position). Kamadeva is generally blue-complexioned, while Rati is white. Below the couple is a lotus with an inverted triangle, and in the background is a
cremation ground.
The ''Chhinnamasta Tantra'' describes the goddess sitting on the couple, rather than standing on them.
Sometimes, Kamadeva-Rati is replaced by the divine couple of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
and
Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
.
The lotus beneath the couple is sometimes replaced by a
cremation pyre
A pyre ( grc, πυρά; ''pyrá'', from , ''pyr'', "fire"), also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution. As a form of cremation, a body is placed upon or under the ...
. The coupling couple is sometimes omitted entirely. Sometimes Shiva – the goddess's consort – is depicted lying beneath Chhinnamasta, who is seated
squatting
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
on him and copulating with him.
Dogs or jackals drinking the blood sometimes appear in the scene.
Sometimes Chhinnamasta is depicted standing on a lotus, a grass patch, or the ground.
Another form of the goddess in the ''Tantrasara'' describes her seated in her own navel, formless and invisible. This form is said to be realised only via a trance.
Another aniconic representation of the goddess is her
yantra
Yantra () (literally "machine, contraption") is a geometrical diagram, mainly from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. Yantras are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as an aid in meditation; used for the benefits ...
(a mystical geometrical diagram used in Tantric rituals), which figures the inverted triangle and lotus found in her iconography.
The scholar van Kooij notes that the iconography of Chhinnamasta has the elements of heroism (''vira
rasa'') and terror (''bhayanaka rasa'') as well as eroticism (''
sringara rasa'') in terms of the copulating couple, with the main motifs being the offering of her own severed head, the spilling and drinking of blood, and the trampling of the couple.
Chhinnamasta's popular iconography is similar to the yellow-coloured severed-headed Buddhist Chinnamunda, except for the copulating couple – which is exclusive to the former's iconography – and Chhinnamasta's red skin tone.
Symbolism and associations
Goddess of paradoxes
Chhinnamasta is a goddess of contradictions: she "is both the food and the eater of food, thereby symbolizing the whole world by this act of being devoured and the devourer. The dichotomy of receiver and giver or object and subject collapses into one."
Most of her epithets listed in her ''
nama-stotra'' (name-hymn, which enlists the names of a deity) convey marvel and fury; few names are erotic or peaceful, which are contrary to Chhinnamasta's fierce nature and appearance. Her ''
sahasranama
' is a Sanskrit term which means "a thousand names".Sir Monier Monier-Williams, ''sahasranAman'', A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford Univer ...
'' (thousand name-hymn) echoes paradoxes; she is Prachanda Chandika ("the powerfully fierce one") as well as Sarvananda-pradayini ("the prime giver of all
ananda or bliss"). Her names convey the idea that though she is fierce at first appearance, she can be gentle upon worship.
While other fierce Hindu goddesses like
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
depict severing the heads of demons and are associated with ritual self-decapitation, Chhinnamasta's motif reverses the ritual head-offering, offering her own head to the devotees (attendants) in order to feed them. Thus, she symbolises the aspect of Devi as a giver, like
Annapurna, the goddess of food, and
Shakambhari
Shakambhari (Sanskrit: शाकम्भरी, IAST: Śākambharī), also referred to as Shatakshi, is a goddess of nourishment. She is regarded to be an incarnation of Mahadevi, and identified with both Lakshmi and Durga in Hinduism. After ...
, the goddess of vegetables, or a maternal aspect.
The element of self-sacrifice is the symbol of "divine reciprocation" by the deity to her devotees. As a self-sacrificing mother, she symbolises the ideal Indian woman; however, her sexuality and power are at odds with the archetype. She subdues and takes the life-force of the copulating divine couple, signifying the aspect of the life-taker, like Kali.
Chhinnamasta's serpentine ornaments indicate asceticism while her youthful nude ornamented body has erotic overtones. Like all Hindu goddesses, she is decked in gold finery, symbol of wealth and fertility.
Destruction, transformation and recreation
![Bengali Chinnamasta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Bengali_Chinnamasta.jpg)
The scholars
Pratapaditya Pal
Pratapaditya Pal is an Indian scholar of Southeast Asian and Himalayan art and culture, specializing particularly in the history of art of India, Nepal and Tibet. He has served as a curator of South Asian art at several prominent US museums incl ...
, an expert on South Asian art and H. Bhattacharya, author of ''Hinduder Debdebi'' on the subject of Hindu deities, equate Chhinnamasta with the concepts of sacrifice and the renewal of creation. Chhinnamasta sacrifices herself, and her blood – drunk by her attendants – nourishes the universe.
One invocation to her calls her the sacrifice, the sacrificer, and the recipient of the sacrifice, with the severed head treated as an offering.
This paradox signifies the entire sacrificial process, and thus the cycle of creation, dissolution, and re-creation.
Chhinnamasta is "a figure of radical transformation, a great yogini".
She conveys the universal message that all life is sustained by other forms of life, and destruction and sacrifice are necessary for the continuity of creation.
The goddess symbolises ''
pralaya
Pralaya ( sa, प्रलय, , Apocalypse or the Annihilation of the Universe, translit=Pralaya) is a concept in Hindu eschatology. Generally referring to four different phenomena, it is most commonly used to indicate the event of the dissol ...
'' (cosmic dissolution), where she swallows all creation and makes way for new creation, thus conveying the idea of transformation. The Supreme Goddess is said to assume the form of Chhinnamasta for destruction of the universe. Chhinnamasta is considered a fearsome aspect of the Divine Mother. She is said to represent Transformation and complements Kali, who stands for Time. Her hundred-name hymn and thousand-name hymn describe her fierce nature and wrath. The names describe her as served by ghosts and as gulping blood. She is pleased by human blood, human flesh, and meat, and worshipped by body hair, flesh, and fierce
mantra
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
s.
The seer
Ganapati Muni
Ayyala Somayajulu Ganapathi Sastry, also known as Ganapati Muni (1878–1936), was a disciple of Ramana Maharshi. He was also variously known as "Kavyakantha" (one who has poetry in his throat), and "Nayana" by his disciples.
Biography
Ganap ...
associated the Mahavidyas with ''prakasha'' ("Light") and ''nada'' ("Sound") in stages of creation. Chhinnamasta is the violent interaction between the Light and the Sound enabling Creation. Chhinnamasta severing her own head is interpreted symbolic of the disconnecting of the Source and the manifest Creation, similar to cutting the umbilical cord between the mother and the new-born. Further, Chhinnamasta is associated with thunder and lightning, interacting light and sound forces. Her epithet, Vajra Vairochani ("radiant like the vajra"), is linked to the ''
vajra'' (thunderbolt) and its divine master -
Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
, the king of heaven and the god of rain, thunder and lightning.
The head offering and subsequent restoration of the head signify immortality. The dichotomy of temporality and immortality is alluded to by the blood stream drunk by Chhinnamasta's head – interpreted as ''amrita'' and the serpent, which sheds its skin without dying. The skull and severed head garlands signify her victory over Time and fear of Death. Chhinnamasta's black complexion denotes destruction; her depiction as red or orange denotes life.
By drinking the blood, she appears as the Saviour, who drinks the negativity of the world and transforms it to benevolent energies; in this interpretation, the blood is seen in negative light rather than ''amrita''.
Chhinnamasta signifies that life, death, and sex are interdependent. Her image conveys the eternal truth that "life feeds on death, is nourished by death, necessitates death, and that the ultimate destiny of sex is to perpetuate more life, which in turn will decay and die in order to feed more life".
While the lotus and the lovemaking couple symbolise life and the urge to create life, giving a life-force to the beheaded goddess, the blood flowing from the goddess conveys death and loss of the life-force, which flows into the mouths of her devotee yoginis, nourishing them.
Self-realization and awakening of kundalini
![Chinnamasta Pahari](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Chinnamasta_Pahari.jpg)
The head is celebrated as a mark of identity as well as source of the seed. Thus, the self-decapitation represents removal of ''
maya'' (illusion or delusion), physical attachment, false notions, ignorance, and egoism. The scimitar also signifies severance of these obstacles to ''
moksha
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...
'' (emancipation), ''
jnana'' (wisdom), and self-realization.
The goddess also denotes discriminating perception. Chhinnamasta allows the devotee to gain a consciousness that transcends the bonds of physical attachment, the body, and the mind by her self-sacrifice.
One interpretation suggests that her three eyes represent the sun, the moon, and fire while another links the third eye to transcendental knowledge. Unlike other Hindu deities who are depicted facing the devotee, Chhinnamasta generally looks at herself, prompting the devotee to look within themself.
The Chhinnamasta icon is also understood as a representation of the awakening of the
kundalini – spiritual energy. The copulating couple represent the awakening in the
Muladhara
Muladhara ( sa, मूलाधार or मूलाधारा; IAST: , lit. ''"root of Existence." Mula'' means root and ''dhara'' means flux.) or the root chakra is one of the seven primary chakras according to Hindu tantrism. It is s ...
chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
, which corresponds to the last bone in the spinal column. The kundalini flows through the central passage in the body – the Sushumna
nadi
Nadi (pronounced ) is the third-largest conurbation in Fiji. It is located on the western side of the main island of Viti Levu, and had a population of 42,284 at the most recent census, in 2007. A 2012 estimate showed that the population had ...
and hits the topmost chakra, the
Sahasrara at the top of head – with such force that it blows her head off. The blood spilling from the throat represents the upward-flowing kundalini, breaking all knots (''
granthis'') – those things which make a person sad, ignorant and weak – of the chakras. The severed head is "transcendent consciousness". The three blood streams represent the flow of nectar when the kundalini unites with Shiva, who resides in the Sahasrara.
The serpent in her iconography is also a symbol of the kundalini.
Another interpretation associates Daknini, Varnini, and Chhinnamasta with the three main nadis – Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, respectively – flowing free.
The goddess is generally said to be visualised in one's navel, the location of the
Manipura
Manipura ( sa, मणिपूर, IAST: ) is the third primary chakra according to Vedic tradition.
Description
Location
Located above the navel, Manipura translates from Sanskrit as "city of jewels" alternatively translated as "resplendent ...
chakra where the three nadis unite, and symbolises consciousness as well as the duality of creation and dissolution. Another tradition associates her with the
Ajna
Ajna ( sa, आज्ञा, IAST: , ), brow or third eye chakra, is the sixth primary chakra in the body according to Hindu tradition and signifies the unconscious mind, the direct link to Brahman (ultimate reality). The third eye is said to ...
chakra, the location of the "third eye" of wisdom between the eyebrows, the other meeting point of the three nadis.
The ability to remain alive despite the beheading is associated with supernatural powers and the awakening of the kundalini.
The
Earl of Ronaldshay
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
(1925) compared Chhinnnamasta to India,
beheaded by the British, "but nevertheless preserving her vitality unimpaired by drinking her own blood".
Control over or embodiment of sexual desire
![Chinnamasta Shiva](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Chinnamasta_Shiva.jpg)
There are two contrasting interpretations of Chhinnamasta with regard to sexual desire. The image of Chhinnamasta standing on a copulating couple of Kamadeva (literally, "sexual desire") and Rati ("sexual intercourse") is interpreted by some scholars as a symbol of a person's ''control'' over sexual desire, while others interpret the goddess as being the ''embodiment'' of sexual energy.
Her names, such as ''
Yogini
A yogini (Sanskrit: योगिनी, IAST: ) is a female master practitioner of tantra and yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet. The ...
'' and ''Madanatura'' ("one who has control of
Kama
''Kama'' (Sanskrit ) means "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsकाम, kāmaMonier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column Kama often connotes sensual pleasure, sexual ...
"), convey her
yogic
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
control over sexual energy. Her triumphant stance trampling the love-deity couple denotes victory over desire and ''
samsara'' (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). Her subjugation of the amorous couple suggests that her worship will grant control over sexual urge and other impulses of the ''
indriya''s ("senses"), whose governing god Indra - she is associated with.
Images in which Chhinnamasta is depicted sitting on Kamadeva-Rati in a non-suppressive fashion suggest that the couple is giving sexual energy to the goddess. Images where Shiva is depicted in coitus with Chhinnamasta are associated with this interpretation. Chhinnamasta's names like ''Kameshwari'' ("goddess of desire") and ''Ratiragavivriddhini'' ("one who is engrossed in the realm of Rati –
opulation or sexual desire) and the appearance of ''klim'' – the common seed syllable of Kamadeva and Krishna – in her mantra support this interpretation. Her lolling tongue also denotes sexual hunger.
The inverted triangle, found in Chhinnamasta's iconography as well as in her yantra, signifies the ''
yoni
''Yoni'' (; sometimes also ), sometimes called ''pindika'', is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti. It is usually shown with ''linga'' – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging of microc ...
'' (womb) and the feminine. The goddess is often prescribed to be visualised in the centre of the inverted triangle in the navel. It also signifies the three ''
guna''s (qualities) and three ''
shakti
In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...
''s (powers) –''
iccha'' ("will-power"), ''
kriya'' ("action"), and ''jnana'' ("wisdom"). The goddess is called ''Yoni-mudra'' or ''Yoni-gamya'', accessible through the yoni.
Other symbolism and associations
Chhinnamasta's nudity and headlessness symbolise her integrity and "heedlessness". Her names like ''Ranjaitri'' ("victorious in war") celebrate her as the slayer of various demons and her prowess in battle.
Her nakedness and free-flowing hair denote rejection of societal stereotypes and her rebellious freedom, as well as her sensual aspect.
The triad of the goddess and the two yoginis is also philosophically cognate to the triad of patterns, "which creative energy is felt to adopt".
Besides the nadis, Chhinnamasta, Varnini and Dakini also represent the ''guna'' trinity: ''
sattva'' (purity), ''
rajas'' (energy), and ''
tamas'' (ignorance).
While discussing Mahavidya as a group, Chhinnamasta is associated with ''rajas'' (in the ''Kamadhenu Tantra'' and the ''Maha-nirvana Tantra'') or ''sattva'' (based on her lighter complexion).
While the goddess is a mature sixteen-year-old who has conquered her ego and awakened her kundalini, the attendants are described as spiritually immature twelve-year-olds who are sustained on the goddess's blood and have not become liberated from the delusion of duality.
In portrayals where the goddess's hair is tied like a matron and her attendants have free-flowing hair like young girls, the goddess is treated as a motherly figure of regal authority and power; the tied hair and headlessness represent contrasting ideas of controlled and uncontrolled nature, respectively.
Chhinnamasta's association with the navel and her red complexion can be connected to the
fire element
Fire is one of the four classical elements along with earth, water and air in ancient Greek philosophy and science. Fire is considered to be both hot and dry and, according to Plato, is associated with the tetrahedron.
Greek and Roman tradition
F ...
and the sun, while the lotus in her iconography signifies purity.
Worship
Chhinnamasta's individual cult is not widespread, but she is well known and important among ''
Tantrika
Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian t ...
''s (a type of Tantric practitioner) and is worshipped and depicted as part of the Mahavidya group in goddess temples.
Temples and public worship of Chhinnamasta are rare, and her private worship by lay worshippers is probably uncommon.
Within the esoteric Tantric tradition, Chhinnamasta is a significant deity.
She enjoys "active worship" in eastern India and
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
; her temples are found in Nepal as well as in the Indian states of
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
,
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...
and the eastern part of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
.
Benard remarks that she could not visit any Chhinnamasta temples in Bengal, however was "assured" that Chhinnamasta is a popular goddess in Bengal.
The goddess is venerated in the
Kalikula ("family of Kali") sect of
Shaktism
Shaktism ( sa, शाक्त, , ) is one of several major Hindu denominations, wherein the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically a woman and Shakti ( Mahadevi) is regarded as the supreme godhead. It includes many goddesses, al ...
, the Goddess-centric sect of Hinduism.
Her individual worship is mainly restricted to heroic ''Tantrika''s, and those who worship her say only
yogi
A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 Th ...
s and
world renouncers have the ability to meditate on her, using her icon.
The lack of worship of Chhinnamasta by lay worshippers is attributed by Kinsley to her ferocious nature and her reputation for being dangerous to approach and worship.
Goals of worship
Tantric practitioners worship Chhinnamasta for acquiring
siddhi
In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation ...
s or supernatural powers.
Chhinnamasta's
mantra
A mantra (Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ma ...
(a sacred chant that is repeated by a devotee) ''
Srim hrim klim aim Vajravairocaniye hum hum phat
svaha
Svaha (Sanskrit: स्वाहा, IAST: Svāhā), also referred to as Manyanti, is the Hindu goddess of sacrifices featured in the Vedas. She is the consort of Agni, and the daughter of either Daksha or Brihaspati, depending on the literary ...
'' is to be invoked to attract and subjugate women. Her mantra associates her with syllables denoting beauty, light, fire, spiritual self-realization, and destruction of delusion. The ''Shakta Pramoda'' and the ''Rudrayamala'' recommend the use of her mantra to obtain wealth and auspiciousness.
Another goal of Chhinnamasta's worship is to cast spells and cause harm to someone.
She is prescribed to be worshipped for subjugation or enchantment of men and women (''vasikarana''), annihilation of foes (''uchchatana''), someone's death (''marana'') and causing hatred or hostilities between friends (''vidveshana'').
Acarya Ananda Jha, the author of the ''Chinnamasta Tattva'', prescribes her worship by soldiers as she embodies self-control of lust, heroic self-sacrifice for the benefit of others, and fearlessness in the face of death.
In a collective prayer to the Mahavidyas in the ''Shakta Maha-bhagavata Purana'', the devotee prays to emulate Chhinnamasta in her generosity to others. Other goals common to worship of all Mahavidyas are: poetic speech, well-being, control of one's foes, removal of obstacles, ability to sway kings, ability to attract others, conquest over other kings, and, finally,
moksha
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...
(salvation).
Modes of worship
![Chinnamasta yantra color](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Chinnamasta_yantra_color.jpg)
The Tantric texts ''Tantrasara'', ''Shakta Pramoda'' and ''Mantra-mahodadhih'' give details about the worship of Chhinnamasta and other Mahavidyas, including her
yantra
Yantra () (literally "machine, contraption") is a geometrical diagram, mainly from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. Yantras are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as an aid in meditation; used for the benefits ...
, mantra and her ''dhyanas (''meditative or iconographic forms).
The ''Sri Chhinnamasta Nityarcana'' by
Shri Swamiji (1979) details the rituals for the daily worship of Chhinnamasta.
In her
puja, Chhinnamasta's image or her yantra is worshipped, along with her attendants. The heterodox offerings of ''
Panchamakara'' – wine, meat, fish, parched grain, and coitus – along with mainstream offerings such as flowers,
light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
,
incense
Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be ...
, etc., are prescribed for her worship. A
fire sacrifice
Worship or deification of fire (also pyrodulia, pyrolatry or pyrolatria) is known from various religions. Fire has been an important part of human culture since the Lower Paleolithic. Religious or animist notions connected to fire are assumed to ...
and repetition of her ''
stotra'' (hymn of praise) or her ''nama-stotra'' (name-hymn) are also prescribed in her worship. The ''Shakta Pramoda'' has her ''sahasranama'' (thousand name-hymn) as well as a compilation of her 108 names in a hymn.
Tantric texts tell the worshipper to imagine a red sun orb – signifying a
yoni
''Yoni'' (; sometimes also ), sometimes called ''pindika'', is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti. It is usually shown with ''linga'' – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging of microc ...
triangle – in his own navel. The popular form of Chhinnamasta is imagined to reside in the orb.
The ''Tantrasara'' cautions a
householder Householder may refer to:
*Householder, a person who is the head of a household
*Householder (Buddhism), a Buddhist term most broadly referring to any layperson
* Householder (surname), notable people with the surname
*''The Householder'', a 1963 I ...
-man to invoke the goddess only in "abstract terms". It further advises that, if woman invokes Chhinnamasta by her mantra, the woman will become a
dakini
A ḍākinī ( sa, डाकिनी; ; mn, хандарма; ; alternatively 荼枳尼, ; 荼吉尼, ; or 吒枳尼, ; Japanese: 荼枳尼 / 吒枳尼 / 荼吉尼, ''dakini'') is a type of female spirit, goddess, or demon in Hinduism and Bud ...
and lose her husband and son, thereby becoming a perfect yogini.
The ''Shaktisamgama Tantra'' prescribes her worship only by the left-handed path (
Vamamarga
''Vāmācāra'' ( sa, वामाचार, ) is a tantric term meaning "left-hand path" and is synonymous with the Sanskrit term ''vāmamārga''. It is used to describe a particular mode of worship or '' sadhana'' (spiritual practice) that is ...
). The ''Mantra-mahodadhih'' declares that such worship involves having sexual intercourse with a woman who is not one's wife. The ''Shakta Pramoda'' tells the same, adding fire sacrifices, wine, and meat offerings at night.
The best time to propitiate her is said to be the fourth quarter of the evening, that is, midnight.
Some hymns narrate that Chhinnamasta likes blood and thus is offered blood sacrifices at some shrines. The ''Shaktisamgama Tantra'' says that only brave souls (''viras'') should follow Vamamarga worship to the goddess. The ''Shakta Pramoda'' warns that improper worship brings severe consequences, with Chhinnamasta beheading the person and drinking his blood. Further, it explains the worship rituals to be followed by householders and those to be followed by renouncers.
The ''Todala Tantra'' mentions that, as part of Chhinnamasta's worship, Shiva or his fierce form,
Bhairava
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhairava ...
, be worshipped as Kabandha ("headless trunk") as the goddess's consort.
The worship of Kabandha, to the right of Chhinnamasta, is said to grant siddhis.
Chhinnamasta is typically worshipped at midnight along with the other Mahavidyas at
Kali Puja, the festival of Kali. However, householders are cautioned not to worship her.
The Bakhrabad area of
Cuttack district and the 86 Palli
pandal
A ''pandal'' in India and neighbouring countries, is a fabricated structure, either temporary or permanent, that is used at many places such as either outside a building or in an open area such as along a public road or in front of a house. This ca ...
of
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
have unique traditions of worshipping Chhinnamasta, instead of Kali, on Kali Puja.
Temples
![Maa Chhinnamasta Temple](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Maa_Chhinnamasta_Temple.jpg)
The
Chintpurni
Chintpurni is a small town in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh about 40 km (25 miles) north of Una, not far from the border with the Indian state of Punjab. The elevation is about 977 meters (about 3,200 feet). It is home to the Maa Chi ...
("She who fulfills one's wishes"),
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
temple of Chhinnamastika, is one of the
Shakti Peethas
The Shakti Pitha or the Shakti Peethas ( sa, शक्ति पीठ, , ''seat of Shakti'') are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various fo ...
(considered the holiest goddess temples) and is where the goddess Sati's forehead (''mastaka'') fell. Here, Chhinnamasta is interpreted as the severed-headed one as well as the foreheaded-one. The central icon is a ''
pindi'', an abstract form of Devi. While householders worship the goddess as a form of the goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
, ascetic
sadhu
''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. Th ...
s view her as the Tantric severed-headed goddess.
![Chinnamasta chintpurni 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Chinnamasta_chintpurni_06.jpg)
Another important shrine is the
Chhinnamasta Temple
Chhinnamastika Temple dedicated to Goddess Chinnamasta is a Hindu pilgrimage centre located in Rajrappa, in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand, India. The place attracts devotees from all parts of Jharkhand, and also from the neighbouring states o ...
near
Rajrappa in Jharkhand, where a natural rock covered with an ''ashtadhatu'' (eight-metal alloy) ''kavacha'' (cover) is worshipped as the goddess. Though well-established as a centre of Chhinnamasta by the 18th century, the site is a popular place of worship among tribals since ancient times.
Kheer
Kheer, also known as payasam, is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur whe ...
and animal sacrifice are offered to the goddess.
A shrine dedicated to Chhinnamasta was built by a Tantric sadhu in the
Durga Temple complex,
Ramnagar Ramnagar may refer to the following places:
Bangladesh
* Ramnagar, Bangladesh, a village in Chittagong Division
* Ramnagar Union, Jessore Sadar
India Jammu and Kashmir
* Ramnagar, Udhampur, a town in Jammu and Kashmir
** Ramnagar Fort Udha ...
, near
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
, Uttar Pradesh, where tantrikas worship her using corpses.
Kanpur
Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation (help·info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military stations o ...
, Uttar Pradesh, has a shrine of the goddess that is open only three days a year, around
Chaitra Navaratri. Her shrines are also situated in the
Kamakhya Temple
The Kamakhya Temple at Nilachal hills in Guwahati, Assam is one of the oldest and most revered centres of Tantra, Tantric practices. The temple is the center of the ''Kulachara Tantra Marga'' and the site of the Ambubachi Mela, an annual fes ...
complex,
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
and
Basukinath
Basukinath is a town and notified area in the Dumka district, Dumka, Jharkhand, India.
Geography
Area
Basukinath has an area of .
Overview
The map shows a large area, which is a plateau with low hills, except in the eastern portion where the ...
temple complex, Jharkhand along with other Mahavidyas.
There is a Chhinnamasta temple at
Bishnupur Bishnupur or Vishnupur may refer to:
Administrative divisions
* Bishnupur district in Manipur, India
* Bishnupur district, West Bengal in West Bengal, India
* Bishnupur subdivision in West Bengal, India
Municipal division
* Bishnupur Rural Munic ...
, West Bengal.
The goddess
Manikeswari
Manikeswari is one of the popular Hindu deities in Odisha. There are many Manikeswari temples present in Western and Southern part of Odisha. Manikeswari temple in Bhawanipatna of Kalahandi District is well recognized in Odisha. Manikeswari is t ...
, a popular goddess in Odisha, is often identified with Chhinnamasta.
Chhinnamasta's shrines are also found in Nepal's
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...
. A shrine in the
Changu Narayan Temple holds a 13th-century icon of Chhinnamasta. A chariot festival in the
Nepali month of
Baishakh
Boishakh (, ne, बैशाख, ''Bôishakh'', ''Baishakh'') is the first month in the Assamese calendar, Bengali calendar and Nepali calendar. This month lies between the second half of April and the first half of May.
Etymology
The name of ...
is held in honour of the goddess. In the fields near the temple sits a small shrine to Chhinnamasta. A temple of the goddess in
Patan Patan may refer to several places in Afghanistan, India and Nepal:
Afghanistan
*Patan, Afghanistan
India
* Patan district, in the state of Gujarat
* Patan, Gujarat, the main city of the eponymous district
* Patan was the ancient capital of Gujara ...
built in 1732 contains her images in different postures and enjoys active worship.
Footnotes
; Explanatory Notes
; Citations
References
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External links
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{{Authority control
Hindu goddesses
Forms of Parvati
Mahavidyas