Karkati or Goddess Kandara Mantra comes from the Tales from Sri Yoga Vasistam. It is said that Sri Rama, the Prince of Ayodhya and God form, puts this question to Sri Vasista, the great Rishi, and his teacher and was told this tale in depth.


The Story of Karkati, the Raksasi, also known as Compassionate Goddess Kandara was once a Rakshasi ( Demon) named Karkati. She was Vulcan eyed, dark, and mountain-sized. Due to her immense body and limbs, her appetite was never satiated like ever hungry ocean fire.
Once she thought to consume all the people of the world to satisfy her hunger. For this she decided to penance and attain boon. On her strong will and determination Lord Brahma appeared before her asked for a boon. Karkati asked HIM to become living, iron, and non-iron needle so that she can easily enter the hearts of people in many forms of living needle and eat them. Her wish was granted. But she got the powers to attack diseased, fools, and cruel, bad people. Brahma use Karkati as an instrument for punishing the people who were tormenter to the innocent.

Now Karkati went on a spree of killing and tormenting. She uses to enter the hearts of weaker people and punish them and satisfy her hunger. But soon she lost the charm and in mental delusion, she decided again to do penance to regain her form. In rigorous penance, Karkati became awakened to Eternal Truth. She became pure and got relieved of the needle and Vishuchi attrib.