Shloka 23
Adhyaya 87 — The Slaying of Dhumralochana and the Emergence of Kali; the Fall of Chanda and Munda (Chamunda Named)
शिरञ्चण्डस्य काली च गृहीत्वा मुण्डमेव च ।
प्राह प्रचण्डाट्टहासमिश्रमभ्येत्य चण्डिकाम् ॥
śirañ caṇḍasya kālī ca gṛhītvā muṇḍam eva ca | prāha pracaṇḍāṭṭahāsamiśram abhyetya caṇḍikām ||
Kālī, sambil membawa kepala Caṇḍa dan juga kepala Muṇḍa, mendekati Caṇḍikā lalu berkata, mencampurkan kata-katanya dengan tawa lantang yang liar dan garang.
FAQs
The Goddess’ forces act in harmony: Kālī’s act is not mere triumphalism but confirmation that threats to dharma have been neutralized. It models disciplined completion of duty and reporting to the sovereign principle (Caṇḍikā).
Carita: culmination point that prepares for the conferral of praise/name (a common Purāṇic motif).
Presenting the severed ‘heads’ signifies offering conquered ego-patterns back into the supreme consciousness. The fierce laughter indicates transcendence of fear—when the binding powers are cut, the liberated energy ‘laughs.’