The padamAlA of chAmuNDa is one of the celebrated mantra of the tantric tradition of chaNDikA vidyA-s. It is found in paralogous forms in the yuddha-jayArNava tantra, the agni purANa and the devI purANa. The devI purANa states that it is belongs to the atharvanic tradition: “siddhAnta veda karmANAM-atharva-pada-dIpanIM”. It is known by a variety of names such as bhairava vidyA, naravimohini vidyA and chamuNDe mantra-mAlA. The tale goes that rudra invoked chAmuNDA in a 28 handed form when the world was being tormented by the demon ghora, who was aided by ushanA kAvya. The original mahAvidyA was narrated by rudra to viShNu and then transmitted to agastya, who in turn transmitted it to the kShatriya nR^ipavAhana in the world of men. It is also said that it was transmitted by rudra to kAvya after he performed severe tapasya for the same.
The mantra:
oM hrIM chAmuNDe shmashAna-vAsini khaTvA~Nga-kapAla-haste [khaDga-kapAlahaste in yuddha-jayArNava] mahA-preta-samArUDhe mahA-vimAna-samAkule kAlarAtri mahA-gaNa-parivR^ite mahA-mukhe bahu-bhuje ghaNTA-Damaru-ki~NkiNi aTTATTahAse kili kili oM hUM phaT [hUM instead of oM hUM phaT in devI purANa] |
daMShTrA-ghorAndhakAriNi nAda-shabda-bahule gaja-charma-prAvR^ita-sharIre mAMsadigdhe lelihAnogra-jihve mahA-rAkShasi raudra-daMShTrA-karAle bhImATTahAse sphurad-vidyut-prabhe chala chala OM [no OM in devI purANa]|
chakora-netre hili hili OM [no OM in devI purANa]
lalana-jihve OM |
bhIM bhru-kuTI-mukhi hu~NkAra-bhaya-trAsani kapAla-mAlAveShTita-jaTA-mukuTa shashA~NkadhAriNi aTTahAse kili kili oM |
hrUM [hUM hUM in DP] daMShTra-aghora-andha-kAriNi sarva-vighna-vinAshini idaM karma sAdhaya 2 OM shIghraM kuru 2 [tvara 2 in DP] huM phaT |
oM a~Nkushena shamaya praveshaya OM ra~Nga ra~Nga kampaya 2 oM chAlaya 2 |
oM rudhira-mAMsa-madya-priye hana 2 OM kuTTa 2 oM Chinda oM mAraya oM [no OM in DP] anukramaya OM vajra-sharIram pAtaya [vajra-sharIramAnaya Anaya in DP] |
oM trailokya-gatamapi- duShTamaduShTaM vA gR^ihItamagR^ihItaM vA Aveshaya 2 oM [krAmaya krAmaya in DP] nR^itya 2 oM bandha 2 |
oM koTarAkShi Urdhva-keshi ulUka-vadane kara~NkiNi oM kara~Nka-mAlA-dhAriNi daha 2 oM pacha 2 oM gR^ihNa 2 |
oM maNDala-madhye praveshaya oM kiM vilambasi brahmasatyena viShNusatyena rudrasatyena R^iShisatyena Aveshaya oM kili kili oM mili mili [vili vili additional in DP] |
oM vikR^ita-rUpa-dhAriNi kR^iShNa-bhuja~Nga-veShTita-sharIre sarva-grahAveshani pralamba-uShThini bhrUbha~Nga-lagna-nAsike vikaTa-mukhi kapila-jaTA-dhAriNi brAhmibha~nja 2 |
oM jvalaj-jvAlamukhi jvala-jvala oM pAtaya oM raktAkShi ghUrNaya bhUmiM pAtaya oM shiro gR^ihNa chakShurmIlaya oM hastapAdau gR^ihNa mudrAM sphoTaya oM phaT oM vidAraya oM trishUlena chChedaya oM vajreNa hana oM daNDena tADaya 2 oM chakreNa chChedaya 2 oM shaktyA bhedaya daMShTryA kIlaya oM karNikayA pATaya oM a~Nkushena gR^ihNa oM shirokShijvaramaikAhikaM dvyAhikaM tryAhika~nchAturthikaM DAkinIskandagrahAn mu~ncha mu~ncha oM pacha oM utsAdaya oM bhUmiM pAtaya oM gR^ihNa oM brahmANi ehi oM mAheshvari ehi oM kaumAri ehi oM vaiShNavi ehi oM vArAhi ehi oM aindri ehi oM chAmuNDe ehi oM revati ehi oM AkAsharevati ehi oM himavachchAriNi ehi oM rurumardini asurakShaya~Nkakari AkAshagAmini pAshena bandha bandha a~Nkushena kaTa 2 samayaM tiShTha oM maNDalaM praveshaya oM gR^ihNa mukhambandha oM chakShurbandha hastapAdau cha bandha duShTagrahAn sarvAn bandha oM disho bandha oM vidisho bandha adhastAdbandha oMsarvaM bandha oM bhasmanA pAnIyena vA mR^ittikayA sarShapair vA sarvAnAveshaya oM pAtaya oM chAmuNDe kili kili oM vichche huM phaT svAhA
[uncorrected]
We would like to thank SRA for providing us with a scan of the padamAla mantra from the DP.
mAnasa-taraMgiNI 