the weapon called sakti. According to the Markandeya-

Purana the goddess that killed the buffalo-demon (Mahisha- suramardinl) was made up of the fierce radiance of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma while all the other gods contributed the powers peculiarly characteristic of them for the formation of her limbs and ornaments.

Chamunda 1 may be represented with eight, ten (fig. 123), CHAMUNDA. twelve or .sixteen arms and made either of wood or of mortar. When in the dancing posture she must have eight, six or four hands. Chamunda is known by the name Karall or Bhadra- kall when she has eight arms, Kalabhadra when she has six arms, and Kali, when she has four. Bhadrakall has a terri- BHADRAKALI. ble face, fat breasts, protruding teeth and a long tongue and wears a garland of skulls. She rides on a lion and stamps under her foot the head of the buffalo-demon. Hemadri quoting the Vishnudharmottara says that Bhadrakall has eighteen arms and is seated in the alldha posture in a car drawn by four lions. When worshipped by Brahmanas she has ten arms, the jatdmaktita and all ornaments. The second, Kalabhadra, has a beautiful white form but is fierce, being KALA- worshipped in burial-grounds under the name of Karala- BHADRA - bhadra, seated in the virasana posture with the foot placed over the head of the buffalo-demon. The same goddess, when wor- shipped by the Kshatriyas, is called Kali or MahakalT. 2 In KALI or this form she ordinarily holds a trident or sword in one hand MAHAKAL!. and a skull or a cup of wine (fire ?) in the other, rides on a corpse and has a lean stomach. The owl is her vehicle. She wears the tiger's skin, a scarf of elephant's hide and a garland of heads ; has three eyes and ear-ornaments shaped like conches; and is fond of flesh, blood and life. She is followed by evil spirits who fill the four quarters with their roar and she roams about the earth riding on their shoulders. Hemadri, calling her also by the name Sivaratrl, describes her as having four hands, being black like collyrium, terrible with protruding teeth and tongue (but at the same time beautiful with broad eyes and slender waist), wearing a garland of trunks (of human bodies) and a wreath of serpents.

1 Chamunda is supposed to be the form of Parvati when she killed the giant called Chanda-Munda.

2 Mahakali is described in the Chatidikalpa as having ten faces, ten legs and ten arms in which are held all weapons of war. In this form she is stated to have been invoked by Brahma to kill the demons Madhu and Kaitabha who were attempting to smash Vishnu in his sleep (see above, p, 52). The Karattagama mentions an eight-armed Kali or Mahakali among the Durgas. Kalika is a goddess supposed to be the wife of Nairrita (below, p. 243).