Saptamatrikas are a group of seven powerful Hindu Goddesses who are always depicted together. Since they are always depicted as a heptad, they are called Sapta matrikas. They assume importance for assisting the Devi in fighting the demons. Most of the sapta matrikas are said to be the feminine energies of Gods who helped the Goddess in killing the demons.
There are many legends associated with the origin of sapta matrikas and according to Devi Mahatmya, the Saptamatrikas emerge as shaktis from the bodies of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda, Indra and they appear similar to the gods in their feminine forms. They assist the Durga in killing the demons Shumbh and Nishumbh.
The Saptamatrikas are listed below:
1. Brahmani : Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Brahma. She is depicted as having a rosary, Kamandalu in her hands and riding on a swan. She is said to destroy the pride aspect in the devotee.
2. Vaishnavi: Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Vishnu. She is depicted as having four hands holding a shankha and chakra in her two hands and with the other two hands she gestures the abhaya and varada mudra. It is believed that she would destroy the aspect of greed in the devotee.
3. Maheshwari: Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Shiva. She is depicted as riding on nandi and holding a trident and damarukam with her hands just like Lord Shiva. She dispells greed in the devotee.
4. Indrani : She is believed to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Indra and rides an elephant and is armed with a thunderbolt and is seen with a lot of ornaments. Worshipping her is believed to bring in a lot of materialistic wealth.
5. Kaumari : Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Skanda , she is seen riding on a peacock and holds a spear and axe . She would dispell the quality of bad temper in devotee.
6. Varahi : Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Varaha who is the boar headed form of Vishnu, she is said to dispell the quality of lust in the individual.
7. Chamunda : She is believed to have emerged out of the Shakti Devi herself and is considered most powerful among all the saptamatrikas. Worshipping her would get protection from all the evil spirits and the devotee would always be protected.
1. Goddess Brahmani
Goddess Brahmani is one of the saptha matrikas – the seven divine mothers and is regarded as the kind and benevolent aspect of the Devi. She takes her name from Lord Brahma. It is said that She came out of the mouth of Goddess Kali before she was involved in the killing of the demon Rakta beejasur. According to purana, when Goddess Kali made a loud sound on seeing the large troop of Rakta Beeja, Goddess Brahmani came out of her mouth .
Goddess Brahmani is usually depicted as having four faces and four hands and hence she is also called chatur mukhi and chatur bhuji. She carries a kamandala in one hand and a rosary in another. Her other two hands are in the gestures of abhaya and varada mudra indicating boon giving and fearless pose.Her body is golden coloured and she is usually seen seated on a red lotus. Her vahana is a swan.
She is also worshipped as the Kuldevi or family diety of many kshatriya clans in India. There are many temples dedicated to Goddess Brahmani. Some of them are found at Baran in Rajasthan, at hanumangarh in Rajasthan, at hanumanganj in Uttar Pradesh, Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, Dingucha in Gujarat, Nana Jadeshwar in Gujarat.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Brahmani:
Aum Devi brahmani vidmahe
maha shaktiyai cha dhimahe
tanno devi prachodayat
It is believed that chanting the mantra promotes mutual understanding among married couples. The best time to chant this mantra would be on Wednesdays and Fridays apart from Pournami. However according to Varaha Purana, the sapta matrikas represent mental qualities which are to be avoided and in this, Goddess Brahmani represents the one who destoys the quality of Pride or Mada in the devotee.
2. Goddess Vaishnavi
Goddess Vaishnavi is one of the sapta matrikas – seven divine goddesses who is regarded as the shakti of Lord Vishnu. She gets her name from Lord Vishnu and is believed to have born out of the body of Vishnu. She is depicted similar to Vishnu but only in the feminine form and she wears the same ornaments and rides the same vahana and also carries the same banner.
The Varaha purana, Matsya purana and Markandeya purana mention the Goddess Vaishnavi in great detail and according to legend, it is believed that she came out of Goddess Kaumari’s hand seated on a Garuda and holding a conch, discus, sword, club and bow and arrow. She is usually depicted as having four hands and is called Chaturbhuji for that reason. She holds a shanka and chakra in her two hands and her other two hands are in the poses of Abhaya and varada mudra.
However Goddess Vaishnavi is not to be confused with Goddess Vaishno Devi who is a popular goddess worshipped in the northern part of India. Goddess Vaishnavi is similar to Lord Vishnu in many aspects and wears the same ornaments and rides on a garuda. Some puranas vary slightly in describing her and in Devi purana she carries a gada and padma along with shanka and chakra. She is sometimes depicted as having six hands .However some puranas say that sapta matrikas are the mental qualities of sadhakas which one needs to avoid and in that aspect Goddess Vaishnavi represents the one who destroys the quality of greed in the devotee.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Vaishnavi:
Aum tharksh yatwajaya vidmahe
chakra hasthaya dhimahe
tanno vaishnavi prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra will alliviate dangers, enemies, bad luck, misfortunes and all obstacles and blesses with auspiciousness. The best time to chant this mantra is on wednesdays and fridays apart from pournami.
3. Goddess Maheshwari
Goddess Maheshwari is one of the sapta matrikas – seven divine goddesses ,who is regarded as the shakti of Lord Shiva. She gets her name from Lord Shiva who is also known as Maheshwara and is believed to have born out of the body of Lord Shiva. She is seen armed with similar weapons like Shiva and has other characteristics like him.
Goddess Maheshwari is normally depicted as having four arms and is also known as Chaturbhuji for that reason and in her two hands she holds the trident just like Lord Shiva and a Damarukam similar to him. Her other two hands are in the abhaya and varada mudra. She is seen riding on a bull called Nandi. However some puranas vary in describing her outlook by a little bit. She is seen as the one having five faces and is shown having three eyes like Lord Shiva and also wears a crescent moon. She is sometimes shown as having six hands in which She carries many weapons like the trident, damarukam, sutra and ghanta and her other two hands are in the poses of abhaya and varada mudra. However some other puranas say that the sapta matrikas or the seven divine goddess represent the negative quality in the sadhakas which he has to get rid off in order to attain spiritual salvation. In that aspect Goddess Maheshwari represents the goddess who would destroy the quality of greed in the devotee.
Gayatri mantra for Goddess Maheshwari:
Aum vrushath vajaaya vidmahe
miruya hasthaya dhimahe
tanno rowthree prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra protects from all kinds of dangers from animals as the Lord Shiva is known as Mruga raja, meaning the Lord of all animals. The best days to chant this mantra are mondays and fridays apart from pournami.
4. Goddess Indrani (Aindri Devi)
Goddess Indrani is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who is regarded as the shakti of Lord Indra. She gets her name from Lord Indra who is the king of heaven and has similar weapons and vehicle as him.
Goddess Indrani is generally depicted as having four arms and is called Chaturbhuji for that reason and she holds a flag with a symbol of pot and the vajra or thunderbolt in another hand. Her other two hands are in the poses of abhaya and varada mudra. Her vehicle is the white elephant which is the same as Lord Indra’s Airavatha. Her complexion is of red colour and she is seen wearing a crown with beautiful ornaments. She is said to be residing below a kalpaka tree. In the puranas, it is said that the saptamatrikas represent the negative quality in the individual which needs to be destroyed in order to attain spiritual salvation and in that aspect, Goddess Indrani represents the one who destroys the quality of jealousy in the individual. She is usually worshipped as the part of the entire group of sapta matrikas and does not have many temples dedicated to her individual worship.
Gayatri mantra for Goddess Indrani:
Aum gajath vajaayai vidmahe
vajra hasthaya dhimahi
tanno indrani prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra helps in accumulating jewels as the Lord Indra was the king of heavens and was the enjoyer of all the pleasures in the world. The devotees also get to enjoy a life similar to that of the king of heavens by chanting this mantra. The best time to chant this mantra is on fridays and pournami.
5. Goddess Kaumari
Goddess Kaumari is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who is regarded as the power of Lord Kumara (also known as Muruga or skanda). She is also known as Kumari, Kartikeyani or Ambika.
She gets her name from Kumara who is Lord Skanda or Muruga and is seen with the same weapons and vehicles as Lord Subramanya. She is usually depicted as having four hands and she carries a small spear like weapon called the Vel and a flag in her two hands. Her other two hands are in the poses of abhaya and varada mudra. She is seen riding on a peacock just like Lord Skanda and she is seen residing under a fig tree. Her colour is depicted as red.
Some ancient texts also describe her as having six faces and twelve arms . The puranas vary slightly when it comes to describing the outlook of the Goddess kaumari as well as the other sapta matrikas. However it indicates that the sapta matrikas represent the negative quality which one needs to get rid off in order to attain spiritual salvation and in that aspect , Goddess kaumari represents the one who destroys bad temper in the devotee.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Kaumari:
Aum sikid vajaaya vidmahe
vajra hasthaya dhimahe
tanno kaumari prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra is a good solution to protect oneself from natural disasters, chicken pox and other heat related diseases. The best time to chant this mantra is on tuesdays and fridays apart from pournami.
6. Goddess Varahi
Goddess Varahi is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who derives her name from Varaha, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. She is seen as the feminine energy of Lord Vishnu and holds the same weapons as him. Some puranas also interpret Goddess Varahi as being the energy of Lord Yama.
She is generally depicted as having the face of a boar and having four hands. In her two hands she holds a plough and a spear.She is seen in the gestures of abhaya and varada mudra and has the complexion of a storm cloud. She is seen sitting under a Kalpaka tree. Her vahana is the elephant.
Some texts interpret that the sapta matrikas represent the negative quality in the individual which needs to be destroyed in order to obtain spiritual salvation and in this regard, Goddess Varahi represents the one who destoys lust in the devotee.
There are many temples dedicated to Goddess Varahi all over the world and she is worshipped by Shaivas who are the followers of Shiva, Vaishnavas who are the followers of Vishnu and Shaktas who are the worshippers of Goddess Shakti. She is worshipped mainly by the tantric sadhaks all over the country. She also finds mention in Buddhism and experts believe that the Buddhist
Goddess Vajrayogini emerged from Goddess Varahi.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Varahi:
Aum varaaha muhi vidmahe
aantra shani dhimahe
tanno yamuna prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra protects the devotee from germs , insects , snakes and other poisonous animals. The best period to chant this mantra is on sunday and pournami days.
7. Goddess Chamunda
Goddess Chamunda is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who is the power of the Goddess Chandi. She is also called Chamundi or charchika and is very much similar to Goddess Kali. She gets her name as the one who killed the demons Chanda and Munda. She was originally a goddess worshipped by the tribal people with animal sacrifices and offerings of wine. But later on with the progression of hinduism, the rituals changed to vegetarian offerings.
Goddess Chamunda is often depicted in the sapta matrika group of sculptures in the rightmost and she is sometimes referred to as the leader of the group. She is worshipped as the kuladevi or family deity by many kshatriyas. There are many temples associated with the worship of this goddess across the country. One of the famous temples is in south india in mysore district in the Chamundi Hills. She is also worshipped in Jainism apart from Hinduism.
She is one of the most powerful of the sapta matrikas and finds a place for individual worship in many communities. She is considered the Goddess kali herself and is said to have emerged out of her body. The other saptamatrikas are the feminine form of many Gods but this sapta matrika is said to have emerged directly out of the Shakti of the Devi and hence considered most powerful.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Chamunda :
Aum pisasath vajaaya vidmahe
soola hastaya dhimahe
tanno kali prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra would protect the devotee against evil spirits, black magic and ghosts. It is said to have the power to transform the negative energies in the sorroundings into positive energies and hence is a very powerful gayatri mantra. The best times to chant this mantra is on tuesdays, fridays , saturdays and on pournami.
పార్వతీదేవి పాపాయి ప్రాణం పోసుకోగానే ఆకాశంలో స్త్రీ దేవతల కలకలం మొదలయిందట! ఆ జగన్మాత ఎంతో ఆనందిచిందట. వీరంతా నా బిడ్డకు ఏవేవో మంచి కానుకలే తెచ్చి ఉంటారని ఆశగా చూసేసరికి ఆ వచ్చిన వాళ్ళ గొంతుకకు వెలక్కాయ అడ్డు పడినట్లయ్యింది. వాళ్ళు ఆత్రంగా ఉత్తి చేతులతో, ఉన్నవాళ్ళు ఉన్నట్లుగా వచ్చారు. అందరికన్న ముందు లక్ష్మీదేవి తేరుకుంది.
ఈశ్వరీ నీ బిడ్డకు నా వైష్ణవీ శక్తిని దత్తం చేస్తున్నాను అని పలికిందట వైష్ణవీ దేవీ పలికిందట.
వెంటనే బ్రహ్మదేవుని సతి బ్రాహ్మీణీ బ్రాహ్మ శక్తిని కానుక ఇస్తున్నాను అన్నది.
ఇక ఎవ్వరూ తడుముకోలేదు. వారాహి, మహేంద్రి, చాముండి, కౌమారి మొదలైన సప్తమాతృకలు సమస్త దేవతలు వారిలోని శక్తులను కానుక ఇచ్చేసరికి గణపతి శక్తి గణపతి, లక్ష్మీ గణపతి అని అనేక రూపాలతో వారికి కనుపించాడు. అనేక మంది ఋషులకు అనేక మంత్రాలు దర్శనమిచ్చాయి.
There are many legends associated with the origin of sapta matrikas and according to Devi Mahatmya, the Saptamatrikas emerge as shaktis from the bodies of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Skanda, Indra and they appear similar to the gods in their feminine forms. They assist the Durga in killing the demons Shumbh and Nishumbh.
The Saptamatrikas are listed below:
1. Brahmani : Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Brahma. She is depicted as having a rosary, Kamandalu in her hands and riding on a swan. She is said to destroy the pride aspect in the devotee.
2. Vaishnavi: Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Vishnu. She is depicted as having four hands holding a shankha and chakra in her two hands and with the other two hands she gestures the abhaya and varada mudra. It is believed that she would destroy the aspect of greed in the devotee.
3. Maheshwari: Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Shiva. She is depicted as riding on nandi and holding a trident and damarukam with her hands just like Lord Shiva. She dispells greed in the devotee.
4. Indrani : She is believed to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Indra and rides an elephant and is armed with a thunderbolt and is seen with a lot of ornaments. Worshipping her is believed to bring in a lot of materialistic wealth.
5. Kaumari : Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Lord Skanda , she is seen riding on a peacock and holds a spear and axe . She would dispell the quality of bad temper in devotee.
6. Varahi : Said to have emerged out of the shakti of Varaha who is the boar headed form of Vishnu, she is said to dispell the quality of lust in the individual.
7. Chamunda : She is believed to have emerged out of the Shakti Devi herself and is considered most powerful among all the saptamatrikas. Worshipping her would get protection from all the evil spirits and the devotee would always be protected.
1. Goddess Brahmani
Goddess Brahmani is one of the saptha matrikas – the seven divine mothers and is regarded as the kind and benevolent aspect of the Devi. She takes her name from Lord Brahma. It is said that She came out of the mouth of Goddess Kali before she was involved in the killing of the demon Rakta beejasur. According to purana, when Goddess Kali made a loud sound on seeing the large troop of Rakta Beeja, Goddess Brahmani came out of her mouth .
Goddess Brahmani is usually depicted as having four faces and four hands and hence she is also called chatur mukhi and chatur bhuji. She carries a kamandala in one hand and a rosary in another. Her other two hands are in the gestures of abhaya and varada mudra indicating boon giving and fearless pose.Her body is golden coloured and she is usually seen seated on a red lotus. Her vahana is a swan.
She is also worshipped as the Kuldevi or family diety of many kshatriya clans in India. There are many temples dedicated to Goddess Brahmani. Some of them are found at Baran in Rajasthan, at hanumangarh in Rajasthan, at hanumanganj in Uttar Pradesh, Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, Dingucha in Gujarat, Nana Jadeshwar in Gujarat.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Brahmani:
Aum Devi brahmani vidmahe
maha shaktiyai cha dhimahe
tanno devi prachodayat
It is believed that chanting the mantra promotes mutual understanding among married couples. The best time to chant this mantra would be on Wednesdays and Fridays apart from Pournami. However according to Varaha Purana, the sapta matrikas represent mental qualities which are to be avoided and in this, Goddess Brahmani represents the one who destoys the quality of Pride or Mada in the devotee.
2. Goddess Vaishnavi
Goddess Vaishnavi is one of the sapta matrikas – seven divine goddesses who is regarded as the shakti of Lord Vishnu. She gets her name from Lord Vishnu and is believed to have born out of the body of Vishnu. She is depicted similar to Vishnu but only in the feminine form and she wears the same ornaments and rides the same vahana and also carries the same banner.
The Varaha purana, Matsya purana and Markandeya purana mention the Goddess Vaishnavi in great detail and according to legend, it is believed that she came out of Goddess Kaumari’s hand seated on a Garuda and holding a conch, discus, sword, club and bow and arrow. She is usually depicted as having four hands and is called Chaturbhuji for that reason. She holds a shanka and chakra in her two hands and her other two hands are in the poses of Abhaya and varada mudra.
However Goddess Vaishnavi is not to be confused with Goddess Vaishno Devi who is a popular goddess worshipped in the northern part of India. Goddess Vaishnavi is similar to Lord Vishnu in many aspects and wears the same ornaments and rides on a garuda. Some puranas vary slightly in describing her and in Devi purana she carries a gada and padma along with shanka and chakra. She is sometimes depicted as having six hands .However some puranas say that sapta matrikas are the mental qualities of sadhakas which one needs to avoid and in that aspect Goddess Vaishnavi represents the one who destroys the quality of greed in the devotee.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Vaishnavi:
Aum tharksh yatwajaya vidmahe
chakra hasthaya dhimahe
tanno vaishnavi prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra will alliviate dangers, enemies, bad luck, misfortunes and all obstacles and blesses with auspiciousness. The best time to chant this mantra is on wednesdays and fridays apart from pournami.
3. Goddess Maheshwari
Goddess Maheshwari is one of the sapta matrikas – seven divine goddesses ,who is regarded as the shakti of Lord Shiva. She gets her name from Lord Shiva who is also known as Maheshwara and is believed to have born out of the body of Lord Shiva. She is seen armed with similar weapons like Shiva and has other characteristics like him.
Goddess Maheshwari is normally depicted as having four arms and is also known as Chaturbhuji for that reason and in her two hands she holds the trident just like Lord Shiva and a Damarukam similar to him. Her other two hands are in the abhaya and varada mudra. She is seen riding on a bull called Nandi. However some puranas vary in describing her outlook by a little bit. She is seen as the one having five faces and is shown having three eyes like Lord Shiva and also wears a crescent moon. She is sometimes shown as having six hands in which She carries many weapons like the trident, damarukam, sutra and ghanta and her other two hands are in the poses of abhaya and varada mudra. However some other puranas say that the sapta matrikas or the seven divine goddess represent the negative quality in the sadhakas which he has to get rid off in order to attain spiritual salvation. In that aspect Goddess Maheshwari represents the goddess who would destroy the quality of greed in the devotee.
Gayatri mantra for Goddess Maheshwari:
Aum vrushath vajaaya vidmahe
miruya hasthaya dhimahe
tanno rowthree prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra protects from all kinds of dangers from animals as the Lord Shiva is known as Mruga raja, meaning the Lord of all animals. The best days to chant this mantra are mondays and fridays apart from pournami.
4. Goddess Indrani (Aindri Devi)
Goddess Indrani is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who is regarded as the shakti of Lord Indra. She gets her name from Lord Indra who is the king of heaven and has similar weapons and vehicle as him.
Goddess Indrani is generally depicted as having four arms and is called Chaturbhuji for that reason and she holds a flag with a symbol of pot and the vajra or thunderbolt in another hand. Her other two hands are in the poses of abhaya and varada mudra. Her vehicle is the white elephant which is the same as Lord Indra’s Airavatha. Her complexion is of red colour and she is seen wearing a crown with beautiful ornaments. She is said to be residing below a kalpaka tree. In the puranas, it is said that the saptamatrikas represent the negative quality in the individual which needs to be destroyed in order to attain spiritual salvation and in that aspect, Goddess Indrani represents the one who destroys the quality of jealousy in the individual. She is usually worshipped as the part of the entire group of sapta matrikas and does not have many temples dedicated to her individual worship.
Gayatri mantra for Goddess Indrani:
Aum gajath vajaayai vidmahe
vajra hasthaya dhimahi
tanno indrani prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra helps in accumulating jewels as the Lord Indra was the king of heavens and was the enjoyer of all the pleasures in the world. The devotees also get to enjoy a life similar to that of the king of heavens by chanting this mantra. The best time to chant this mantra is on fridays and pournami.
5. Goddess Kaumari
Goddess Kaumari is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who is regarded as the power of Lord Kumara (also known as Muruga or skanda). She is also known as Kumari, Kartikeyani or Ambika.
She gets her name from Kumara who is Lord Skanda or Muruga and is seen with the same weapons and vehicles as Lord Subramanya. She is usually depicted as having four hands and she carries a small spear like weapon called the Vel and a flag in her two hands. Her other two hands are in the poses of abhaya and varada mudra. She is seen riding on a peacock just like Lord Skanda and she is seen residing under a fig tree. Her colour is depicted as red.
Some ancient texts also describe her as having six faces and twelve arms . The puranas vary slightly when it comes to describing the outlook of the Goddess kaumari as well as the other sapta matrikas. However it indicates that the sapta matrikas represent the negative quality which one needs to get rid off in order to attain spiritual salvation and in that aspect , Goddess kaumari represents the one who destroys bad temper in the devotee.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Kaumari:
Aum sikid vajaaya vidmahe
vajra hasthaya dhimahe
tanno kaumari prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra is a good solution to protect oneself from natural disasters, chicken pox and other heat related diseases. The best time to chant this mantra is on tuesdays and fridays apart from pournami.
6. Goddess Varahi
Goddess Varahi is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who derives her name from Varaha, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. She is seen as the feminine energy of Lord Vishnu and holds the same weapons as him. Some puranas also interpret Goddess Varahi as being the energy of Lord Yama.
She is generally depicted as having the face of a boar and having four hands. In her two hands she holds a plough and a spear.She is seen in the gestures of abhaya and varada mudra and has the complexion of a storm cloud. She is seen sitting under a Kalpaka tree. Her vahana is the elephant.
Some texts interpret that the sapta matrikas represent the negative quality in the individual which needs to be destroyed in order to obtain spiritual salvation and in this regard, Goddess Varahi represents the one who destoys lust in the devotee.
There are many temples dedicated to Goddess Varahi all over the world and she is worshipped by Shaivas who are the followers of Shiva, Vaishnavas who are the followers of Vishnu and Shaktas who are the worshippers of Goddess Shakti. She is worshipped mainly by the tantric sadhaks all over the country. She also finds mention in Buddhism and experts believe that the Buddhist
Goddess Vajrayogini emerged from Goddess Varahi.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Varahi:
Aum varaaha muhi vidmahe
aantra shani dhimahe
tanno yamuna prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra protects the devotee from germs , insects , snakes and other poisonous animals. The best period to chant this mantra is on sunday and pournami days.
7. Goddess Chamunda
Goddess Chamunda is one of the sapta matrikas (the seven divine goddesses) who is the power of the Goddess Chandi. She is also called Chamundi or charchika and is very much similar to Goddess Kali. She gets her name as the one who killed the demons Chanda and Munda. She was originally a goddess worshipped by the tribal people with animal sacrifices and offerings of wine. But later on with the progression of hinduism, the rituals changed to vegetarian offerings.
Goddess Chamunda is often depicted in the sapta matrika group of sculptures in the rightmost and she is sometimes referred to as the leader of the group. She is worshipped as the kuladevi or family deity by many kshatriyas. There are many temples associated with the worship of this goddess across the country. One of the famous temples is in south india in mysore district in the Chamundi Hills. She is also worshipped in Jainism apart from Hinduism.
She is one of the most powerful of the sapta matrikas and finds a place for individual worship in many communities. She is considered the Goddess kali herself and is said to have emerged out of her body. The other saptamatrikas are the feminine form of many Gods but this sapta matrika is said to have emerged directly out of the Shakti of the Devi and hence considered most powerful.
Gayatri Mantra for Goddess Chamunda :
Aum pisasath vajaaya vidmahe
soola hastaya dhimahe
tanno kali prachodayat
It is believed that chanting this mantra would protect the devotee against evil spirits, black magic and ghosts. It is said to have the power to transform the negative energies in the sorroundings into positive energies and hence is a very powerful gayatri mantra. The best times to chant this mantra is on tuesdays, fridays , saturdays and on pournami.
సప్తమాతృకలు
పరాశక్తి ‘సప్తమాతృకలూగా అవతరించిది. బ్రహ్మ, విష్ణు, శివాది దేవతల శక్తులే సప్తమాతృకలు.
- బ్రహ్మాణి: ఈ మాతృమూతి బ్రహ్మశక్తిరూపిణి, బ్రహ్మవలె హంస వాహిని, అక్షమాల, కమండలం ధరించిన శక్తి.
- మహేశ్వరి: శివుని శక్తి. శివునివలె వృషభంపై కూర్చుని త్రిశూలాన్ని, వరదముద్రని ధరించి, నాగులను అలంకరించుకొని చంద్రరేఖని శిరస్సుపై ధరించి ప్రకాశించే మాత.
- కౌమారి: కుమారస్వామి శక్తి. శక్తి (బల్లెం) హస్త. మయూర వాహనారూఢ.
- వైష్ణవి: విష్ణుశక్తి. శ్రిమాహావిష్ణువువలె గరుడవాహన్నని అధిరోహించి, చేతులలో శంఖ చక్ర గదా శార్జ్గ, ఖడ్గ, ఆయుధాలు ధరించిన మాత.
- వారాహి: హరి అవరారమైన యజ్ఞవరహుని శక్తి. వరాహముఖంతో వెలిగే తల్లి.
- నారసిమ్హి: విష్ణువు ధరించిన నరసింహావతార శక్తి. సింహముఖంతో, నరదేహంతో, అగ్నిమయకాంతితో దివ్యంగా ప్రకాశించే జనని.
- ఐంద్రీ: ఇంద్రశక్తి. ఐరావతంపై కూర్చొని వజ్రయుధాన్ని ధరించిన సహస్రనయన ఈ జగదంబ.
ఇవీ సప్తమాతృకలు. అంటే సర్వదేవతలు అమ్మ రూపాలే. జగదంబ రాక్షససంహారం చేస్తుండగా, సప్తమాతృకలు ఆవిర్భవించి ఆమెకు సహకరించాయి.
ఇలా ‘సర్వం శక్తిమయం’ అనే భావన బలపడాలి. ఆ భావనే భక్తి. ఆ భక్తే ముక్తి అవుతుంది. అదే మానవ జీవిత సార్థకత. ఆ అమ్మ అనుగ్రహమే అసలైన వరం. ఆ వరమే అందరం అర్ధించాలి. అందుకు చిత్తశుద్ధితో ఆ జగదంబను శరణు వేడాలి.
పార్వతీదేవి పాపాయి ప్రాణం పోసుకోగానే ఆకాశంలో స్త్రీ దేవతల కలకలం మొదలయిందట! ఆ జగన్మాత ఎంతో ఆనందిచిందట. వీరంతా నా బిడ్డకు ఏవేవో మంచి కానుకలే తెచ్చి ఉంటారని ఆశగా చూసేసరికి ఆ వచ్చిన వాళ్ళ గొంతుకకు వెలక్కాయ అడ్డు పడినట్లయ్యింది. వాళ్ళు ఆత్రంగా ఉత్తి చేతులతో, ఉన్నవాళ్ళు ఉన్నట్లుగా వచ్చారు. అందరికన్న ముందు లక్ష్మీదేవి తేరుకుంది.
ఈశ్వరీ నీ బిడ్డకు నా వైష్ణవీ శక్తిని దత్తం చేస్తున్నాను అని పలికిందట వైష్ణవీ దేవీ పలికిందట.
వెంటనే బ్రహ్మదేవుని సతి బ్రాహ్మీణీ బ్రాహ్మ శక్తిని కానుక ఇస్తున్నాను అన్నది.
ఇక ఎవ్వరూ తడుముకోలేదు. వారాహి, మహేంద్రి, చాముండి, కౌమారి మొదలైన సప్తమాతృకలు సమస్త దేవతలు వారిలోని శక్తులను కానుక ఇచ్చేసరికి గణపతి శక్తి గణపతి, లక్ష్మీ గణపతి అని అనేక రూపాలతో వారికి కనుపించాడు. అనేక మంది ఋషులకు అనేక మంత్రాలు దర్శనమిచ్చాయి.
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