The Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates ‘Birth of Kali from Ambika’s Forehead’ of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.
4. Birth of Kālī from Ambikā’s Forehead
Demon king Śumbha once again sent his army to the goddess Ambika to bring her by force. These demons are known as Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa. They jumped on her to take by farce. Then her forehead became dark with anger and out from the surface of her forehead came out Kali armed with a sword and noose, carrying a multicoloured skull topped staff, decorated with a garland of skulls, clad in a tiger’s skin exceedingly wide of mouth, her tongue lolling out, she had deep-sunk reddish eyes etc.[1] She is also known as Bhīmākṣī,[2] Bhairavanādinī and Karālavaktrā.[3] After assuming the form of Kali she killed the demons Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa and went back to Ambikā. Thereafter she seized both Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa and brought them, so she was famed by the name Cāmuṇḍā.[4]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
tataḥ kopaṃ cakā roccairambikā tānarīnprati /
kopena cāsyā vadanaṃ maṣīvarṇam abhūt tadā //
bhrukuṭīkuṭilāt tasyā lalāṭap halakād drutam /
kālī karālavadanā vīniṣkrāntāsi pāśinī //
vicitrakhaṭvāṅgadharā naramālā vibhūṣaṇā /
dvīpicarmaparīdhānāśuṣkamāṃsāti bhairavā //
ativistāravadanājihvālanabhīṣaṇā /
nimagnāraktanayanā nādāpuritadiṅgmukhā // Ibid., 84.4-7