Ma Chandraghanta: Form and Meaning

From a calm ascetic to a fierce warrior, Devi Chandraghanta’s Katha is that of inner awakening, courage, and discovery of one’s potential.  Let’s uncover the profound wisdom hidden in this third form of Nav Durga. 

Devi Chandraghanta’s Radiant Form

Ma Chandraghanta has a golden complexion and ten arms. In her hands, she carries the following: trident, mace, bow, arrow, sword, lotus, bell, a rudraksha mala, and a kamandalu (water pot). One of her hands is in Abhaya mudra—a gesture symbolising the removal of fear. She adorns a bell-shaped half-moon on her head and gets her name from it. Durga Saptashati (also known as Devi Mahatmyam) describes how her bell produced a thundering boom that shocked and paralysed the demons during the battle.

The third eye is visible at the centre of her forehead. Dressed in orange, she rides a lion or tiger, a symbol of her strength and courage. 

Symbolism and Meaning: The Mind and the Bell

In the Chandraghanta Swaroop, Devi Ma adorns the bell-shaped half- moon on her head. Chandra (Moon) is also related to our mind or Manas, which has its ups and downs. Isn't it our constant struggle to tame the mind? Negative thoughts, such as jealousy and hatred,  keep rising, and we struggle to get rid of them. The mind is like our shadow.

We try to get rid of negativity from our minds using various techniques, but it only lasts for a short while. The mind resets to its usual state again. Do not struggle to get rid of that; instead, befriend the mind and give it direction. It is only possible with self-reflection, inner thinking, and Sadhana.

Chandra (moon) also signifies various feelings and shades of emotion and thought (similar to the different phases of the moon). ‘Ghanta’ is a bell. Do you ever hear multiple sounds from a bell? No matter how you play, the bell only makes one type of sound. In the same way, when a scattered mind—caught in different thoughts and emotions— gets established at one point, then our divine energy awakens and rises upwards.

Do not run away from the mind, for it is also a form of Mother Divine. Everything in nature is nothing but a manifestation of Mother Divine. The key is to accept everything—good or bad, harmonious or unpleasant—as one whole. 

The form of Devi Chandraghanta teaches us to harmonise the chaos within, turning scattered emotions into focused energy. Her story reminds us that challenges are not obstacles but opportunities to awaken our latent strength. By invoking her grace, we align our mind and spirit to conquer our inner and outer battles.