Durga Saptashati Chapter 7 (Saptama Adhyay): Chanda Munda Vadha, How Kali Became Chamunda, with Meaning

Durga Saptashati Chapter 7, the Saptama Adhyay, is the chapter in which Kali is born. It belongs to the Uttara Charitra, presided over by Mahasaraswati, and has 27 verses in the standard numbering. When the generals Chanda and Munda arrive to seize the Goddess, her face darkens with anger and from her brow springs Kali, "of the terrible face", with sword, noose and skull-topped staff, a garland of heads, a tiger skin and a lolling tongue. The chapter is given here in full, with the dhyana and every verse in Sanskrit followed by its meaning.

Kali devours the asura army, elephants and chariots whole, catches the thousand discuses Munda hurls "like suns entering a dark cloud", beheads both generals and lays their heads before Chandika as the offerings of a battle-sacrifice. Chandika then gives her the name that temples across India still use: Chamunda, "she who brought Chanda and Munda". This is the scriptural origin of both the name and the iconography of the gaunt, dark Goddess.

संक्षेप में: दुर्गा सप्तशती का सातवाँ अध्याय (चण्ड-मुण्ड वध) यहाँ पूरा दिया गया है: ध्यान और सभी 27 श्लोक संस्कृत में, हर श्लोक के हिंदी अर्थ के साथ। यह काली के जन्म का अध्याय है: देवी के क्रोध से काले पड़े ललाट से काली प्रकट होती हैं, असुर सेना को निगल जाती हैं, चण्ड और मुण्ड के सिर काटकर चण्डिका को अर्पित करती हैं और चामुण्डा नाम पाती हैं। परंपरा में यह अध्याय मनोकामना की पूर्ति के लिए पढ़ा जाता है। लेख में पाठ-विधि और ज्योतिषीय संदर्भ भी हैं। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →

This chapter is part of the complete Durga Saptashati path, with all 13 chapters and the angas in reading order.

Chapter 7 at a glance

• Chapter: Seventh of 13, "Chanda Munda Vadha" (चण्ड-मुण्ड वध)
• Charitra: Uttara Charitra (the last episode)
• Presiding deity: Mahasaraswati
• Rishi: Rudra
• Chhanda: Anushtup
• Shakti · Bija · Tattva · Veda: Bhima · Bhramari · Surya (the sun) · Samaveda
• Verses: 27 in the standard numbering (uvacha lines counted)
• Traditional fruit of reading: Tradition reads the seventh chapter for the fulfilment of every wish, and especially for the defeat of fierce opposition.

The story of Chapter 7 in brief

Commanded by Shumbha, Chanda and Munda march with a fourfold army and find the Goddess smiling faintly on her lion upon a golden peak. As they move to seize her, her face turns ink-black with anger and from her knitted brow Kali springs out: terrible-faced, armed with sword, noose and khatvanga, garlanded with human heads, dressed in a tiger skin, gaunt, wide-mouthed, red-eyed, her roar filling the directions. She devours the army, flinging whole elephants with their riders and chariots with their drivers into her mouth, grinding the asuras' weapons with her teeth, seizing some by the hair and crushing others against her breast. Chanda attacks with showers of arrows and Munda with a thousand discuses, which vanish into her mouth like suns into a cloud. Laughing with a Bhairava-like roar, she mounts the lion, seizes Chanda by the hair and beheads him, then cuts down Munda. The remnant of the army flees. Kali carries the two heads to Chandika and offers them as the "great beasts" of the battle-sacrifice, saying Shumbha and Nishumbha are for Chandika herself to kill. Chandika, pleased, names her Chamunda.

Durga Saptashati Chapter 7: Sanskrit text with meaning

The Sanskrit follows the standard text of the Devi Mahatmya; the numbering is the common 700-verse numbering, in which the uvacha lines are counted. Each verse is followed by its meaning in plain English.

Dhyanam

ॐ ध्यायेयं रत्नपीठे शुककलपठितं श‍ृण्वतीं श्यामलाङ्गीं
न्यस्तैकांघ्रिं सरोजे शशिशकलधरां वल्लकीं वादयन्तीम् ।
कल्हाराबद्धमालां नियमितविलसच्चोलिकां रत्नवस्त्रां
मातङ्गी शङ्कपात्रां मधुरमधुमदां चित्रकोद्भासिभालाम् ॥

Meaning: Om. I meditate on Matangi, seated on a jewelled throne, listening to the sweet recitation of a parrot, dark of body, one foot resting on a lotus, wearing the crescent moon, playing the veena, garlanded with kalhara lilies, her bright bodice neatly tied, clad in jewelled garments, holding a conch cup, sweetly flushed with wine, her forehead shining with a painted mark.

Verses 1 to 27

ॐ ऋषिरुवाच ॥१॥

Meaning: Om. The sage said:

आज्ञप्तास्ते ततो दैत्याश्चण्डमुण्डपुरोगमाः ।
चतुरङ्गबलोपेता ययुरभ्युद्यतायुधाः ॥२॥

Meaning: Then, at his command, the daityas led by Chanda and Munda marched out with a fourfold army, their weapons raised.

ददृशुस्ते ततो देवीमीषद्धासां व्यवस्थिताम् ।
सिंहस्योपरि शैलेन्द्रश‍ृङ्गे महति काञ्चने ॥३॥

Meaning: They saw the Goddess, smiling faintly, seated on her lion upon a great golden peak of the lord of mountains.

ते दृष्ट्वा तां समादातुमुद्यमं चक्रुरुद्यताः ।
आकृष्टचापासिधरास्तथान्ये तत्समीपगाः ॥४॥

Meaning: Seeing her, some made ready to seize her, while others came close to her with bows drawn and swords held.

ततः कोपं चकारोच्चैरम्बिका तानरीन्प्रति ।
कोपेन चास्या वदनं मषीवर्णमभूत्तदा ॥५॥

Meaning: Then Ambika grew mightily angry at those enemies, and in her anger her face became as dark as ink.

भ्रुकुटीकुटिलात्तस्या ललाटफलकाद्द्रुतम् ।
काली करालवदना विनिष्क्रान्तासिपाशिनी ॥६॥

Meaning: From the surface of her forehead, fierce with knitted brows, swiftly came forth Kali of the terrible face, bearing a sword and a noose...

विचित्रखट्वाङ्गधरा नरमालाविभूषणा ।
द्वीपिचर्मपरीधाना शुष्कमांसातिभैरवा ॥७॥

Meaning: ...carrying a strange skull-topped staff, adorned with a garland of human heads, clad in a tiger skin, dreadful with her emaciated flesh...

अतिविस्तारवदना जिह्वाललनभीषणा ।
निमग्नारक्तनयना नादापूरितदिङ्मुखा ॥८॥

Meaning: ...her mouth gaping wide, terrifying with her lolling tongue, her sunken eyes red, filling the quarters with her roar.

सा वेगेनाभिपतिता घातयन्ती महासुरान् ।
सैन्ये तत्र सुरारीणामभक्षयत तद्बलम् ॥९॥

Meaning: She fell upon the great asuras with speed, slaying them, and devoured that army of the enemies of the gods.

पार्ष्णिग्राहाङ्कुशग्राहयोधघण्टासमन्वितान् ।
समादायैकहस्तेन मुखे चिक्षेप वारणान् ॥१०॥

Meaning: Seizing in one hand the elephants with their rear guards, their goad-bearers, their warriors and their bells, she flung them into her mouth.

तथैव योधं तुरगै रथं सारथिना सह ।
निक्षिप्य वक्त्रे दशनैश्चर्वयन्त्यतिभैरवम् ॥११॥

Meaning: Likewise she threw into her mouth a warrior with his horses, and a chariot with its driver, and chewed them most dreadfully with her teeth.

एकं जग्राह केशेषु ग्रीवायामथ चापरम् ।
पादेनाक्रम्य चैवान्यमुरसान्यमपोथयत् ॥१२॥

Meaning: One she seized by the hair, another by the neck; one she trampled underfoot, and another she crushed against her breast.

तैर्मुक्तानि च शस्त्राणि महास्त्राणि तथासुरैः ।
मुखेन जग्राह रुषा दशनैर्मथितान्यपि ॥१३॥

Meaning: The weapons and great missiles the asuras hurled she caught in her mouth in fury and ground them with her teeth.

बलिनां तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां दुरात्मनाम् ।
ममर्दाभक्षयच्चान्यानन्यांश्चाताडयत्तदा ॥१४॥

Meaning: She crushed that whole army of the mighty and wicked asuras; some she devoured, and others she beat down.

असिना निहताः केचित्केचित्खट्वाङ्गताडिताः ।
जग्मुर्विनाशमसुरा दन्ताग्राभिहतास्तथा ॥१५॥

Meaning: Some were killed by her sword, some struck by the skull-topped staff, and other asuras met destruction crushed by the points of her teeth.

क्षणेन तद्बलं सर्वमसुराणां निपातितम् ।
दृष्ट्वा चण्डोऽभिदुद्राव तां कालीमतिभीषणाम् ॥१६॥

Meaning: Seeing the whole army of the asuras laid low in a moment, Chanda rushed at that most terrible Kali.

शरवर्षैर्महाभीमैर्भीमाक्षीं तां महासुरः ।
छादयामास चक्रैश्च मुण्डः क्षिप्तैः सहस्रशः ॥१७॥

Meaning: The great asura covered the dreadful-eyed Goddess with most fearsome showers of arrows, and Munda with discuses hurled by the thousand.

तानि चक्राण्यनेकानि विशमानानि तन्मुखम् ।
बभुर्यथार्कबिम्बानि सुबहूनि घनोदरम् ॥१८॥

Meaning: Those many discuses, entering her mouth, looked like a multitude of suns entering the belly of a dark cloud.

ततो जहासातिरुषा भीमं भैरवनादिनी ।
काली करालवदना दुर्दर्शदशनोज्ज्वला ॥१९॥

Meaning: Then Kali of the terrible face, gleaming with her fearful teeth, laughed a dreadful laugh in great rage, with a roar like Bhairava's.

उत्थाय च महासिंहं देवी चण्डमधावत ।
गृहीत्वा चास्य केशेषु शिरस्तेनासिनाच्छिनत् ॥२०॥

Meaning: Mounting her great lion, the Goddess rushed at Chanda, seized him by the hair and cut off his head with her sword.

अथ मुण्डोऽभ्यधावत्तां दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् ।
तमप्यपातयद्भूमौ सा खड्गाभिहतं रुषा ॥२१॥

Meaning: Then Munda rushed at her, seeing Chanda fallen; him too she felled to the ground, struck by her sword in fury.

हतशेषं ततः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वा चण्डं निपातितम् ।
मुण्डं च सुमहावीर्यं दिशो भेजे भयातुरम् ॥२२॥

Meaning: What was left of the army, seeing Chanda fallen and the mighty Munda too, fled in terror in every direction.

शिरश्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च ।
प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम् ॥२३॥

Meaning: Taking the heads of Chanda and Munda, Kali went to Chandika and said, with a wild laugh:

मया तवात्रोपहृतौ चण्डमुण्डौ महापशू ।
युद्धयज्ञे स्वयं शुम्भं निशुम्भं च हनिष्यसि ॥२४॥

Meaning: "Here I bring you Chanda and Munda, two great beasts, as offerings; in this sacrifice of battle you yourself shall slay Shumbha and Nishumbha."

ऋषिरुवाच ॥२५॥

Meaning: The sage said:

तावानीतौ ततो दृष्ट्वा चण्डमुण्डौ महासुरौ ।
उवाच कालीं कल्याणी ललितं चण्डिका वचः ॥२६॥

Meaning: Seeing the two great asuras Chanda and Munda brought before her, the auspicious Chandika spoke these gracious words to Kali:

यस्माच्चण्डं च मुण्डं च गृहीत्वा त्वमुपागता ।
चामुण्डेति ततो लोके ख्याता देवी भविष्यसि ॥२७॥

Meaning: "Because you have come to me bringing Chanda and Munda, you, O Goddess, shall be famed in the world as Chamunda."

॥ स्वस्ति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे सावर्णिके मन्वन्तरे देवीमाहात्म्ये
चण्डमुण्डवधो नाम सप्तमोऽध्यायः ॥ ७॥
उवाच २, श्लोकाः २५, एवमादितः ॥ ४३९॥

Meaning: Thus ends the seventh chapter, named Chanda Munda Vadha, of the Devi Mahatmya in the Markandeya Purana, in the Savarnika manvantara. Two uvacha lines and twenty-five verses: four hundred and thirty-nine from the beginning.

Significance and benefits of reading Chapter 7

Tradition assigns a fruit to each chapter, and the seventh is read for the fulfilment of wishes and for victory over fierce, organised opposition. It is also the chapter of choice for devotees of Kali and Chamunda, since it records the Goddess's birth from Durga's brow (verses 5 to 8) and the giving of the name Chamunda (verse 27).

The image of Kali here, emaciated, tiger-skinned, with the khatvanga and the garland of heads, is the Saptashati's own description and is the source for the Chamunda images of the Sapta Matrikas carved across India. Kali's words in verse 24, that Chanda and Munda are the "great beasts" of the sacrifice of battle, give the whole war its ritual frame: the fight itself is a yajna offered to the Mother.

How to read Chapter 7 (vidhi)

In a complete Saptashati path the chapters are read in order after the three angas, Devi Kavach, Argala Stotram and Keelak Stotram, and the Ratri Suktam. Many traditions also do the Navarna mantra japa with nyasa before and after. If you are reading this chapter on its own, begin with its dhyana as given above, read the verses without hurry, and close with the Kshamapana or the Siddha Kunjika Stotram.

Sit facing east or north on a clean asana, light a ghee lamp, keep water in a kalash, and read from a printed or clearly displayed text rather than from memory. Do not break a chapter in the middle; if you must stop, finish the chapter first. A samput mantra can be added before and after each verse for a specific purpose, but a plain reading with attention is the foundation.

Astrological relevance

In the Jyotish tradition the Devi Mahatmya is read as a remedy of the widest kind: the Prathama Charitra is associated with Mahakali and with the pacification of Rahu, Ketu and Shani, the Madhyama Charitra with Mahalakshmi and the Sun and Jupiter, and the Uttara Charitra with Mahasaraswati and Mercury and Venus. Chapter 7 belongs to the Uttara Charitra, so it is read with the rest of that episode when those grahas are difficult in a chart, and during their dashas. Nothing here replaces reading your own chart; it is the devotional side of the same picture. Start with a free kundli or talk to an astrologer to see which dasha is running.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in Durga Saptashati Chapter 7?
Chanda and Munda come with an army to seize the Goddess. Kali springs from her darkened brow, devours the army, beheads Chanda and Munda and brings their heads to Chandika, who names her Chamunda. The chapter has 27 verses.

How was Kali born according to the Durga Saptashati?
Verses 5 to 8 of this chapter: when Ambika grew angry at the asuras, her face became black as ink, and from her forehead, fierce with knitted brows, Kali came forth with a terrible face, carrying a sword, a noose and a skull-topped staff, wearing a garland of human heads and a tiger skin.

Why is Kali called Chamunda?
Because she brought the heads of Chanda and Munda to Chandika. Verse 27: "Because you have come to me bringing Chanda and Munda, you, O Goddess, shall be famed in the world as Chamunda."

Who killed Chanda and Munda, Durga or Kali?
Kali, who emerged from the Goddess's brow. She seized Chanda by the hair and cut off his head with her sword, and then struck Munda down. She offered both heads to Chandika and said that Shumbha and Nishumbha would be killed by Chandika herself.

When is Chapter 7 read on its own?
Tradition reads it for the fulfilment of wishes and for overcoming fierce opposition. It is also read on days sacred to Kali and Chamunda, and in a nine-day paath it is usually read together with the sixth chapter.