Chamunda Tantrokta Bali Pujan for Sandhi Puja — the Kaushiki Origin Story and the Full Vidhan

The speaker opens by saying that Navratri holds a particular window in which, if we pray to Bhagavati through a special vidhi-vidhan for the destruction of an enemy, for the destruction of Abhichara, or for the destruction of negative forces such as ghosts and pishach, it certainly bears fruit. That window, he says, is the moment when Ashtami tithi is ending and Navami tithi is beginning — a sandhikaal, a transition period, which we call Sandhi Kaal. He notes that people will have heard this from the announcements at Durga Puja pandals, where it is called out that this is the time of Sandhi Puja and devotees should be present. Today's discussion, he says, is how we ourselves can perform this Sandhi Puja at home and how we can draw benefit from it.

Keep in mind, the speaker says, that the time of Sandhi Puja, the Sandhi Kaal itself, is so divine and so supremely effective that it is said Bhagavati Chamunda pervades the entire world directly, in her fully manifest ugra (fierce) form, during this period. Because of that ugrata, he says, every negative force in the whole world comes under a kind of eclipse — they become bound, and are pressed entirely under her feet. He then turns to the story behind why this is so.

The speaker says this is recounted in the seventh chapter of the Durga Saptashati whenever it is read. First Shumbha and Nishumbha expel the devas from Swarga Lok; the devas then go to the Himalaya mountain and offer stuti to Bhagavati, invoking her through it, saying: O Jagdamba, you gave us a boon in an earlier time that whenever calamity befalls us and we call upon you, you will certainly appear and help us. At that very time, Bhagavati Parvati was on the Himalaya, having gone there for the purpose of tapasya. When the devas offered their stuti, a devi emerged from Jagdamba Parvati's body. As that devi came out of Bhagavati Parvati's body, Mother Parvati's own form turned black, of krishna varna. That black form, remaining established on the Himalaya, went on to become famed as the Kalika of the Himalaya — she is the same as Kalika Mahashakti. The form that had emerged from Bhagavati's body was of gaur (fair) complexion, and her name was Kaushiki. She is also regarded as a form of Mahasaraswati, and it is said that, in part, the Ashtabhuja form of Bhagavati at the Vindhya mountain is this same form of Mahasaraswati. This Mahasaraswati, Bhagavati Kaushiki, took refuge on the Himalaya itself, present there in a planned way for the destruction of Shumbha and Nishumbha.

Chanda and Munda, the two messengers of Shumbha and Nishumbha, were the first to see Bhagavati Kaushiki, and they went and described her beauty to their masters. The speaker remarks that this is simply what such demons do — first they drive the devas out of heaven, and then their own intellect works toward their own end, as it is said that when Bhagavan means to bring suffering upon someone, he first takes away their intellect; here Jagdamba takes away the intellect of Chanda and Munda, and they become infatuated, going off to extend an invitation to their own death. Chanda and Munda went and praised her beauty, saying: what a beautiful woman she is. They told Shumbha and Nishumbha that they already possessed every excellent thing this world has to offer — the umbrella of the deity Varuna, which rains gold; Indra's elephant Airavat; even Yamraj's kaal-dand — so why should the most beautiful and finest woman in the world not belong to them as well?

Hearing of her beauty, Shumbha and Nishumbha send their messenger Sugriva to go and speak with her and bring her back. Sugriva goes and, with much flattery mixed with intimidation, tells Bhagavati that she should choose one of the two conquerors of the three worlds, Shumbha or Nishumbha, and become his wife. Bhagavati answers with great pride that she has taken a vow (pran): whoever defeats her in battle will become her husband in future. Sugriva says such pride is not right — if she does not come along now, Shumbha-Nishumbha will grind that pride and honour into dust and drag her there by the hair, and only then will she come to her senses. Bhagavati replies that she cannot now do anything else, since she has already taken the vow and cannot change her commitment. Sugriva returns and reports that this is exactly what she said.

Hearing Sugriva's report, Shumbha and Nishumbha's ego is hurt that a woman should show such pride toward them, and they send Dhumralochana. He appears with a smoke-like body, manifesting wherever he wishes, and tells Bhagavati she has been summoned by his master. She again refuses to go, and when threats fail to move her, he lunges forward to seize her. The speaker notes that tantra texts carry two versions here, both accepted according to the practice being used: that her lion Kesari — himself regarded as a direct form of Dharmaraja, and as a form of Shiva and Vishnu — gave a hunkar (roar) whose thunder destroyed Dhumralochana's army, or that Bhagavati herself gave the roar. By the sound of that hunkar alone, Dhumralochana was burnt to ash.

From this episode the speaker draws a direct teaching: it is said that mantra uccharan (the precise pronunciation of a mantra) is extremely necessary. When we rattle off hoon-hoon phat-phat, reading mantras anywhere without ever having learned or heard them properly, that is exactly where the trouble arises. In which place the hoon of the hunkar belongs, where the makar belongs, where the anhakar belongs; whether a given syllable is to be read with anusvara or with makar — knowing this, he says, is extremely necessary. Bhagavati, he reminds the listener, destroyed Dhumralochana by the hunkar alone, burning him to nothing.

As soon as Shumbha and Nishumbha learn of Dhumralochana's death, they at once send Chanda and Munda. On seeing them, a devi emerges from Bhagavati Kaushiki's forehead — her body was bones alone, covered only by skin, with just a thin layer of flesh over it, extremely thin and gaunt. She looked utterly fearsome, gnashing her teeth; she was very large, with her tongue hanging far out of her mouth — an altogether dreadful form. The instant she appeared, she fell upon Chanda and Munda's army. She began killing the danavas so forcefully and so fiercely that their condition grew terrible and fear spread through them — the speaker notes that on a battlefield, when soldiers see others being struck down with such savage speed, fear spreads through the rest of the army too. This devi was seizing whole chariots in her mouth and devouring them, chewing elephants and horses outright. The carnage was so dreadful that Chanda and Munda's army was shattered and began to flee.

When Chanda and Munda came forward themselves to fight, the devi bound both of them and cut off their heads. Carrying the heads, she went to Bhagavati Kaushiki, who was filled with wrath, and offered them, saying: O Bhagavati, O Kaushiki, accept the heads of these two great beasts, Chanda and Munda, and yourself go on to slay Shumbha and Nishumbha. Bhagavati Kaushiki, pleased, told the devi that because she had killed Chanda and Munda, her name would henceforth be Chamunda, famed and pervasive everywhere. It is this same swarup of Bhagavati Chamunda, the speaker says, whose form we all worship today in this Sandhi Puja.

This, the speaker says, is why Chamunda is so ugra and so tivra: tantra texts hold that her time of manifestation is this very Sandhi Kaal, the same period in which she appeared in the story. And the Sandhi Kaal itself is a very short span — by today's reckoning, the period during which Sandhi Kaal worship is performed runs from about 25 minutes to a maximum of 45 minutes. She finished the entire war with Chanda and Munda within that short Sandhi Kaal. It is said, he notes, by the elder, highly experienced tantriks of the guru parampara that in that same brief span Bhagavati cleared away countless akshauhini armies — an akshauhini being a reckoning he says runs into many crores — so swift and so intense was she. This, he says, is exactly why the prayoga being taught today is an extremely swift, excellent, and beneficial one.

Asked what samagri is needed, the speaker lists: one long, large banana leaf. After that, 11 chaumukh (four-faced) diyas and 3 single-mouthed diyas — in every diya, a cotton wick (rooi ki baati), and in each a red kalava thread is wound around it so that two wicks are joined into a single paired wick (jodha baati), made two-by-two in this fashion. All of them are to hold only mustard oil — pure sarson ka tel. Til (sesame) oil, he cautions, is often heavily adulterated; pure ghee can be used instead if one wishes, but mustard oil remains best of all, because this vidhan is being performed for the destruction of an enemy and hostile thought (shatru-naash, vichar-naash). After that, at least 11 coconuts are needed, though more than 11 — at minimum 13 — should be kept. Along with 13 coconuts, keep 13 lemons, 13 pieces of camphor, and 26 phool-wale cloves. This, he says, is the full list of material required.

After bathing, the speaker says, red-coloured clothing is worn before the Sandhi Kaal begins. He then addresses a question directly: can women perform this vidhan? He says a woman should undertake this prayoga only if her son is at least 12 years old. Where it is possible, this prayoga can be carried out through one's son, or through one's husband — specifically the bali portion of it. A woman can do everything else herself, he says, but it is better if the actual bali vidhan, the offering itself, is performed by a male member of the household.

First, one of the three single-mouthed diyas is lit, and into it Bhagavati Durga is invoked in the form of Jatved (fire) — addressed as: O Bhagavati Jatved, come in the form of Agni and become lit, become present, in this lamp. That lamp becomes the karma-sakshi (witness of the ritual act) diya, and every remaining lamp is lit from it alone. Each of the chaumukh diyas carries four wicks, all paired — two wicks joined into one, one strand being cotton (rooi) and the other wrapped with red mauli thread, so the pairing produces both a doubled wick and a red thread, and it also burns better. All of them are filled with mustard oil.

Then, holding AkshatUnbroken raw rice grains, held in hand along with water and flowers while taking a Sankalpa., flowers, water and dakshina in hand, the SankalpaA formal ritual resolution spoken aloud before an offering or observance, declaring its intent and dedicating its merit. is taken — pronouncing one's own name, GotraA family's patrilineal lineage name, stated together with one's own name during a Sankalpa., and place — that: for the complete destruction of all my enemies, of any tantra vichar being worked against me by enemies, of whatever schemes are being plotted for my harm, I today, in Sandhi Kaal, take the sankalp to worship Bhagavati Chamunda to the best of my ability and knowledge of the vidhi, and with whatever means and materials are available to me. Saying this, the akshat and flowers are offered at Bhagavati's feet.

From the lamp already lit for Jatved Durga, the first diya is lit in the name of one's own Guru. The second diya, the other single-mouthed one, is lit in the name of Ganpati (Ganesha). The nine chaumukh diyas that have been arranged are placed in a row in front of the banana leaf; along with the two remaining chaumukh diyas, eleven diyas are set out in a line — nine in the middle and two at the two ends. The middle nine diyas together represent Bhagavati Chamunda's nine forms (Navdurga). Of the remaining two, whichever sits on the worshipper's left is lit in the name of Hanuman, and the very last one on the right in the name of Batuk Bhairava. So the lighting order is: first the guru-and-Ganpati diyas, then the Hanuman diya, then the middle nine diyas of Bhagavati's names, and last of all, the Batuk Bhairav diya.

One coconut is placed in front of every single diya — before the guru and Ganpati diyas, before Hanuman and Bhairav's diyas, and before each of the nine diyas standing for the nine forms of Navdurga alike. Gangajal is sprinkled on all of them, a beautifully applied red SindoorVermilion powder, used here to draw the inverted triangle Mandala for a Bhairava offering, in place of the Roli-and-Ashtagandha triangle drawn for a Goddess. tilak is put on all, and one lemon is placed in front of each diya as well — coconut and lemon set before every single lamp.

Holding akshat and flowers, the Devi Suktam is now recited. The speaker notes that it was by the recitation of the Devi Suktam that Bhagavati Kaushiki was originally invoked and made to appear in the story recounted earlier — and it is this same Devi Suktam that must be recited in Sandhi Puja, before the bali is offered. After the Devi Suktam is read, the flowers are offered to Jagdamba, and only after that offering does the bali begin.

The bali begins with all the coconuts — every coconut present is offered first. Once all the coconuts have been offered, the order stays the same as for the lamps: first the guru's coconut, then Ganpati's, then Hanuman's, then the nine Durga forms, and last of all Batuk Bhairav's. After that the Nimbu Bali are cut — cut standing upright, not lying flat. As each lemon is cut, RoliA red vermilion powder applied to ritual offerings such as the lemons in a sacrificial Bali, before they are circled with water and offered. is applied to it, and water is poured over it from a jal-achamani, dropping a little water near each lemon three times over. In this way, the bali pujan is brought to completion.

Once the bali is complete, the speaker says, one may now recite any stuti or path to Bhagavati if one wishes, and after that the aarti is performed. Following the aarti, a kshama prarthana (a prayer asking forgiveness for any lapse) is offered. Whatever lemons were offered in the bali puja must afterward be immersed either under a sacred tree or in a river. The coconuts, however, are to be eaten only by the members of the household — people outside the family should not eat them. Along with this, just before the puja is brought to completion, and before the aarti, one piece of camphor is placed in front of every diya, with two phool-wale cloves placed on it, and these too are lit — only after that is the aarti performed.

The speaker closes the vidhi by saying: complete the Sandhi Puja vidhan, the bali vidhan, in this manner. By the grace of Bhagavati Jagdamba, he says, Bhagavati Chamunda will destroy one's many troubles, sorrows and crises in a single moment. He states the hope that everyone will obtain benefit from this vidhan, and repeats that Bhagavati Chamunda will destroy the sorrows of all.

The speaker closes with a small request and a caution. Whatever vidhi you perform after hearing it from someone else — from him or from any other source — carries a Dosha: a rin dosha, a debt-fault, attaches to it on that account. For release (mukti) from that dosha, he says, a lamp must always be lit before Bhagavati. And if one wishes, out of one's own happiness, some dan-dakshina may also be offered.