While Bhattacharyya's view is mostly undisputed, some scholars such as S. Shankaranarayanan – the author of "The Ten Great Cosmic Powers" – attribute Chhinnamasta to Vedic (ancient Hindu) antecedents. Sukumari Bhattacharji, the author of "The Indian Theogony", says that the Vedic goddess Nirrti's functions were inherited by later Hindu goddesses Kali, Chamunda, Karali, and Chhinnamasta. Hindu literature first mentions Chhinnamasta in the "upapurana" "Shakta Maha-bhagavata Purana" (c.950CE) and the "Devi-Bhagavata Purana" (9th–12th century). ElisabethA. Benard, the author of "Chinnamastā: The Aweful Buddhist and Hindu Tantric Goddess", says that whatever her origins may be, it is clear that Chhinnamasta/Chinnamunda was known in the 9th century and worshipped by "Mahasiddha"s. Though essentially agreeing with Bhattacharyya's view, Karel R. vanKooij, former Professor of South Asian art history at Leiden University, goes further and associates the iconography of Chhinnamasta with the Tantric goddesses Varahi and Chamunda.