Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.2428

c4.2428

The bird calmly replied as follows:—“If you are interested in hearing my past history I shall tell you. Lord Śaṅkara the Almighty lives in this world. He has numerous attendant spirits. Besides these spirits who have hoofs on their head, hands in the hoofs, teeth in the hands and stomach in the face, and who have faces resembling those of monkeys, camels, and elephants, he has also hordes of Mātṛs in his retinue. The Mātṛs, attended by spirits continue their dance in the presence of the Lord. Mountain peaks, the sky, the different worlds, deep pits, cremation grounds, etc. are their haunts. Chief among these Mātṛs are eight sisters named, Jayā, Vijayā, Jayantī, Aparāhitā, Siddhā, Raktā, Alambuṣā and Ulpalā. They have other followers also. Alambuṣā's vehicle is the crow named Caṇḍa.