Chandi comes from the word chand (ચંડ). Chand means ignorance. The study of ignorance that leads to knowledge (enlightment) is called as Chandipath. In chandipath, it has been depicted that divine mother slays nine demons. These nine demons are actually all within us and the path to salvation means to overcome these nine demons within us.
Chandipath has nav (nine) Swaroop (forms) of MA (Divine mother). Durga means Dur (Bad) and ga (to destroy). Durga destroys bad things. The nine bad things that MA destroys are
1. Chand - Ignorance
2. Mund - Acting without thinking
3. Mahisasura – ego
Chand - Mund always goes hand in hand. Wherever there is ignorance there is improper action. But, with knowledge, unacceptable action disappears. We always have ghamand (pride) over certain things due to ignorance where we feel we are creators. But when true knowledge comes then Chand - Mund gets destroyed. Depiction of Mahisasur (ego) is that of a rakshasa (demon) with the body of a buffalo and the head of a human. Buffalo depicts the ego of a pada (ignorant man). Here Ma is in Durga Swaroop (Shakti Swaroop).
4. Raktabeej: Raktabeej means seeds that grow from blood. Our blood denotes our desires. Our desires are such that even when one gets destroyed, there are another 100 to replace it. This depiction is of Raktabeej, the rakshasa who, even when killed by MA Kali gets another body as soon as one single drop of his blood falls on the ground. Thus to prevent his blood from falling on the ground, she uses a “Khapar” (vessel) that takes all his blood. It represents the prevention of new desires. Similarly, our desires are destroyed only by MA Kali (the divine mother in the form of destruction of desires and thoughts) along with “Khapar” to prevent the germination of any new desires in the future.
5. Shumbh (Moh means infatuation)
6. Nisumbh (Vasana means Lust)
Infatuation and lust is again destroyed again by mother Kali. Shumbh and Nisumbh also mean name and fame. We are always attracted towards achieving a name and fame for our ownself in society. Shumbh and Nisumbh also means likes and dislikes. This has to be destroyed if we wish to progress spiritually and thus divine mother in form of mother Kali comes to destroy. Only after infatuation and lust, likes and dislikes are destroyed, then only pure love is born.
7. Madhu (Madhu means sweet)
8. Kaitab (means bitter)
Madhu means praise and kaitab means criticism. Madhu Kaitab also mean maan (respect) and upmaan (to humiliate). They are called dirt of divine mother’s ears as both these demons come through ear in the form of hearing. We like to hear nice things about us and do not like to hear bad things about us. These demons can only be destroyed by jnana (true knowledge) and prem (love). This love and knowledge form of divine mother is called as Amba Swaroop.
9. Dhumralochan: Dhumra means anger, lochan means that can even kill you. Anger that can even kill you. Dhumralochan was killed by Mother Kali before Shumbh and Nisumbh were killed. Dhumralochan is the messenger of name and fame. Thus, with name and fame comes power (anger filled power) which has to be destroyed before name and fame are destroyed. Anger is destroyed by blowing it away and divine mother destroys this demon by just blowing it away.
Thus, the 9 rakshasa (demons) that are killed by Aradhana (worship) of divine mother are
1) Ignorance
2) Wrong action due to ignorance
3) Ego
4) Desires
5) Name
6) Fame
7) Anger
8) Desire for Respect
9) Humiliation for others
Whenever Kali swaroop of divine mother emerges, then Shiv has to come to control the desturction otherwise the entire world is destroyed. Thus, Shiv is the channelopathy.
- These are topics of various aspects of spirituality as told by Para.