Mātaṅgī

Mātaṅgī is a fierce śakti (divine power) who was born from the anger of Śrīmātā at Dharmāraṇya. She was born to destroy the terrible daitya (a kind of asura) Karṇāṭaka. She is dark-complexioned, terrifying to look at, has 18 arms, wears red clothes and carries 18 weapons.

After a battle of three months, which ended on Māgha kṛshṇa tṛtīyā (the third day of the dark half of the month of Māgha), Mātaṅgī slew Karṇāṭaka. She also gave the daitya his name, and the region in the south where he later settled took that name. A special pūjā and a vrata (vow of observance) are tied to her. She is counted among the kula-devatā yoginīs of Dharmāraṇya.

Birth from Śrīmātā’s anger

The daitya Karṇāṭaka terrified the land around Dharmāraṇya. Through daitya-māyā (the magic of the daityas) he seized married couples at their wedding ceremonies, and all Vedic rites came to a standstill. The brāhmaṇas of Dharmāraṇya gathered before Śrīmātā in great distress. They offered her a moving stotra (hymn of praise) that told of their helpless state.

Śrīmātā heard their prayer and was filled with great anger. Flames burst from her face, her eyes, her nose and her ears. From those flames Mātaṅgī was born. She came out dark-complexioned and terrible in form, with blazing eyes and a fearful face.

Form and weapons

Mātaṅgī has 18 arms, and each hand holds one of 18 weapons. She is dark, with an intoxicated (matta) gaze and red, fierce eyes. She wears red clothes and red garlands. She is described as seated near the nyagrodha (banyan) tree, or linked with it. Her 18 weapons are:

  1. Bow and arrow
  2. Sword and shield
  3. Axe
  4. Small knife (khaḍgikā)
  5. Triśūla (trident)
  6. Pānapātra (drinking vessel)
  7. Gadā (mace)
  8. Sarpa (serpent)
  9. Musala (pestle)
  10. Śiva’s own bow
  11. Pāśa (noose)
  12. Akshamāla (rosary)
  13. Madhu-kumbha (honey-pot)
  14. Śakti
  15. Ulūkhala (mortar)
  16. Fierce scissors (ugra katrī)
  17. Skull
  18. Regu (a thorned plant)

With these weapons she is almost impossible to resist in battle.

The battle with Karṇāṭaka

Mātaṅgī met Karṇāṭaka outside the walls of Dharmāraṇya and fought him fiercely. The battle lasted three months. In the fight, Karṇāṭaka tried to escape through Mātaṅgī’s own body. She swallowed him, and he came out through her nose. She swallowed him again, and he came out of her ear (karṇa-randhra, the ear-cavity).

Then Mātaṅgī spoke: “Because you have come out through the karṇa-randhra, you shall from now on be called Karṇāṭaka.”

The battle ended on Māgha kṛshṇa tṛtīyā. Filled with divine power, Mātaṅgī seized Karṇāṭaka and hurled him to the ground. His body fell like a mountain and the earth shook. He was slain, and what remained of his presence was driven south to a coastal region. That region has borne his name ever since.

Mātaṅgī pūjā vidhi

A set way of pūjā (pūjā vidhi) is laid down for Mātaṅgī.

  • The devotee draws her 18-armed form on a vessel of gold, silver or bronze.
  • She is honoured with candana (sandalwood paste), flowers and yaksha-kardama (a special fragrant paste).
  • Dhūpa (incense) of guggula (a resin) and a ghī lamp are essential.
  • Eighteen kinds of naivedya (food offering) are offered.
  • The pūjā is best done by a husband and wife together (dāmpati).
  • A night vigil (jāgaraṇa) is kept, and dance (nṛtya) is offered before Mātaṅgī.

Yāksha-vrata

Before he was driven south, Karṇāṭaka declared a vrata in his own name, connected with the month of Māgha. This Yāksha-vrata includes the pūjā of Mātaṅgī and the offering of tridhātva-dhānya (three kinds of grain). It is kept for Yāksha-prīti (the pleasing of the Yakshas) and means one meal a day (ekabhakta). The people of Dharmāraṇya are to keep it every year to calm the lingering presence of Karṇāṭaka.

Sources

  • Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 16–18 (the account above is from Chapter 18)