The Saptamatrkas, An Exploration of Narratives Part 3
Who is Indrani?
Matrka Indrani who is also known as Aindri and Vajri is the Shakti of Indra Deva, the king of the Devas. We know the opulence, power and resplendence that Indra stands for. One can only imagine the majesty and glory of Aindri then! Dark-red in complexion, she is the one with a thousand eyes like Indra.
In two of her arms she holds the Vajra or the fearsome thunderbolt and the Shakthi while the other two rest in Abhaya and Varada Mudra. Adorned with rich ornaments and the kirita mukuta, she has for her emblem and her vehicle, the charging elephant.
According to the Tantric tradition, Aindri rules jealousy or matsarya. If we observe, the shadow side of Indra is envy. Multiple stories in the Puranas portray the havoc that his envy causes, eventually evoking the spirit of surrender in him.
It shows how envy can blind even the best of us but surrender unto the Supreme and a realization of our faults can bestow upon us the awareness and grace that Aindri stands for. Transcending envy is a great emotional obstacle crossed! It opens the way to experiencing oneness and thus the presence of the compassionate Divine Mother.
As per Yogic tradition, Aindri presides over the Swadhisthana Chakra which literally means the abode of the Self. It is associated with steadfastness, surrender and the energy of being, of alignment. The element of water comes into play bringing with it fluidity in being and the ability to practice steadfast surrender unto the Supreme.
In the Ayurvedic tradition, Aindri is associated with the Majja-dhatu which is nothing but our bone marrow which is quite crucial to our existence. It governs metabolic processes in the brain and spinal cord, the production of blood cells and is an essential component of the central nervous system. At the psychological level a healthy majja brings in the experience of fullness and freedom that every sadhaka seeks.
In the Devanagiri script, Aindri represents the ya-varga and she guards the divine city of Tripura in the north-east. In the Narayani Stuti she is glorified as the thousand-eyed illustrious queen who shines in fascinating splendor, is the wielder of the blazing Vajra and the destroyer of the demon Vritrasura.
Who is Chamunda?
The very name of Matrka Chamunda is enough to evoke both terror and fascination for this fearsome aspect of the mother goddess in the sadhaka’s heart. She is the destructive Shakti of Devi Chandi, who is as ferocious in her appearance and habits as Devi Mahakali.
In the Devi Mahatmyam, after Mahakali beheads the demons, Chanda and Munda, she hands over their heads to Mahadevi who is immensely pleased. From that moment, Kaali becomes known as Chamunda, the one who drank the blood of the armies of Raktabija.
As a Matrika, Chamunda is thus an independent goddess by herself. She is the potent seed of incredible powers situated within each of us. The Goddess has a terrible form that seems to fascinate and stun every sadhaka into deep silence. With three eyes like red flames and a black form with a terrifying face, she has a sunken belly and chest, sporting the garland of skull-heads (mundamala).
Her hair is abundant and knotted, tied up in the jatamukuta with snake or skull ornaments while a crescent moon like that of Shiva is seen shining on the left side of her head. She is sometimes depicted as seated on a male corpse and is surrounded by equally fearsome and blood-thirsty companions such as skeletons, ghosts and flesh-eating jackals.
Devi Chamunda is sometimes shown with ten or twelve arms while at others she has four arms each holding the damaru (drum), trishula, khadga (sword) and panapatra, an urn of fire, a kapala filled with blood, a vajra and a skull-mace (khatvanga). Her vahana is the owl while her emblem is the agile and valiant eagle.
In Tantra-Raja-Tantra, Devi Chamunda rules over paapa (sin) and the tendency to hurt (abhichara). She thus rules over the sadhaka darker, shadow sides that he must confront and resolve or dissolve to move even a step further on his path. It is only the worship of the ferocious Devi Chamunda, that can awaken the potential within us to ruthlessly negate our own unhelpful tendencies. Beyond these internal shackles of the conscious and unconscious, lies the heart center which is home to Sri Lalita Devi.
In the Yogic tradition, quite appropriately Devi Chamunda presides over the Muladhara Chakra which is the very ground or root of our being. Here, she keeps a track of our karmic imprint and cuts asunder the bonds that tie us to this manifested universe. Her worship is quite literally a physical death and the gateway to self-transcendence for the sadhaka.
As per the Ayurvedic tradition, Chamunda governs over Shukra-dhatu or semen which is life-giving energy. It is responsible for one’s vitality and creative energies. It is the essence of all dhatus which nourishes Prana, Ojas and Tejas as per the will of the goddess. One who has a strong Shukra, the light of confidence shines bright on his face and in his eyes.
Finally, in the Devanagari script, Chamunda is associated with the ksha-varga and she stands guard at the south-eastern direction of the city of Tripura.
Chamunda represents the dissolution of the cycle of time. She is also the one who exists beyond death and time. In the Saptamatrka panel, She appears as the final Matrka and she is flanked by Kalabhairava who is liberation personified. With her the manifestation of Shakti finds completion. The Narayani Stuti thus worships Devi Chamunda as - the most terrifying and invincible one with a fearsome face and sharp fangs, who is the destroyer of demons Chanda and Munda, who is Mahakaali herself.
Sources
https://sreenivasaraos.com/tag/saptamatrika/
https://sreenivasaraos.com/2012/10/07/saptamatrka-part-three/
https://sreenivasaraos.com/2012/10/06/saptamatrka-part-two/
https://www.inditales.com/saptamatrikas-legends-history-iconography-temples/
https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/sapta-matrikas-the-seven-divine-mothers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrikas
Authored by Lakshmi Sivaraman. Published by Brhat.