She is one of Mahavidi, 10 goddess from the esoteric tradition of tantricity, and the ferocious aspect of devi, the Hindu Mother goddess. She's also known by its name as Chinnamastika and Prachanda Chandika and Jogani Maa. The self-decayed, naked goddess, often standing or sitting on a divine couple, holds one hand with her own head broken and another with the scimitar. Three blood streams out of her bleeding neck, her head cut off and two assistants are drunken.

Chhinnamasta is an inconsistency goddess. It symbolizes Devi's two aspects: a life-giver and an assistant. She is considered both a symbol of sexual control and, depending on interpretation, an embodiment of sexual energy. It depicts death, time, destruction, and life, immortality and recreation. The divine transmits spiritual realization and the awakening of spiritual energy, kundalini. Chhinnamasta's legends emphasize his self-sacribancy and self-destructive rage, sometimes combined with a maternal element.






Chhinnamasta is worshiped in the Kalikula sect of Shaktism, Hinduism's Goddess-centric tradition. Though Chhinnamasta is revered as one of the Mahavidyas, temples dedicated to her (mostly in Nepal and eastern India) and public worship are uncommon. She is, however, a significant Tantric deity who is well known and worshiped among esoteric Tantric practitioners. Chinnamunda, the severed-headed form of the Tibetan Buddhist goddess Vajrayogini, is related to Chhinnamasta.

Significance of Chinnamasta Devi Sadhana [Hindi with English CC]