🌺 Kali
~Goddess of Time, Death, Rebirth, Enlightenment and Liberation~
ॐ जयन्ती, मङ्गला, काली, भद्रकाली, कपालिनी।
दुर्गा, क्षमा, शिवा, धात्री, स्वाहा, स्वधा नमोऽस्तुते॥
जय त्वं देवि चामुण्डे जय भूतार्तिहारिणि।
जय सर्वगते देवि कालरात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
🌺
शिव दूति-स्वरूपेण हत-दैत्य-महाबले घोर-रूपे महारवे नारायणी नमोस्तुतेदंष्ट्त्र-कराल-वदने सिरोमाला-विभूषणे चामुण्डे मुण्ड-मथने नारायणी नमोस्तुते
INTRODUCTION
— She's the Creator, Bearer and Devourer of the Universe time and time again
— She's also the Progenitor of the Trimurti and the primordial source of their Shakti
— According to Shakta sect she's seen as the Manifestation of Para Brahman as Mahamaya Adyashakti
✧ Devi is depicted as being Black as the Void, or with really Dark Blue skin
✧ She has three bloodshot eyes
✧ Completely uncovered Body
✧ Blood Red tongue lolling out
✧ Garland of Skulls adorning her neck and severed hands tied around her waist
✧ Long black hair untied and flowing wildly
✧ She has four hands each with a Khara, a Chopped Asura head and Abhaya-Varada Mudras respectively
✧ Her usual depiction shows her standing atop Shiva’s chest as He lies down like a corpse
FORMS OF KALI
Mahakali:
She who embodies the Great Darkness of Eternity
• She is depicted witb ten heads, ten arms and ten legs
• She governs the Tamsik Guna
• She is also called Ghorasura Vinashini
Bhadrakali:
The Dark One who ushers Auspicious Times
• She is called as Dakshayagyavinashini, Darukasura Sangharini, and Mahishasurmardini in the second (Neel Lohit) Kalpa
• She is sometimes shown with Vasanta Gutika (Chicken Pox) marks on Her face
• She is sometimes even referred to as being like a daughter to Shiva
Kalika:
The Dark Mother
• She is the Supreme and Primordial Conscience
• She is formless as all Energy, and Manifest as all Matter
• She is the presiding Goddess of Alocasia Plant (Arum/Kochu)
Chamunda/Chamundeshwari/Kankaleshwari:
The Slayer of Chanda and Munda/The Skeletal Goddess
• She is the presiding Goddess of the Colocasia Plant (Giant Taro/Maankochu)
• She also came forth to aid Devi Kaushiki against Chanda Munda and Raktabeej
• She is considered as one of the Ashtamatrikas
Dakshina Kali:
The Benevolent form of the Dark Mother
• She is depicted with Khara and Severed head in left hands, with the right hands in Abhaya and Varada Mudras
•She is also depicted as standing on Shiva’s chest with Her right leg forward
• She is worshipped in the orthodox Dakshinachari (Right-handed) Path of Tantra
•She is very Compassionate, Protective and Benign in Her ways of leading to liberation
Siddha/Siddhi Kali:
She who bestows Perfection amidst Darkness
• She is worshipped exclusively by Tantrics seeking to obtain Siddhi Shaktis, and not by any grihasta person
• She is depicted with two arms, one holding a Khara and the other holding a Kapala (Skull Bowl), to drink Amrit from the Moon
Bama/Smashan Kali:
The Left-handed Dark Mother/She who dwells in the Darkness of Cremation Grounds
• She is depicted with Khara and Asura head in right hands
• And Her Left foot now forward on Shiva
• She is worshipped in the unorthodox Vamachari (Left-handed) Path of Tantra
• Her form is Fierce and terrifying with stricter sadhana
Raksha Kali:
The Dark Protectress
• She is shown with a Snake in Her hand, and even holding Shiva as a child, and standing on a Lotus
• She is the Protector from Epidemics, Natural disasters and adversaries
Krishna-Kali:
The Composite Form of Shri Krishna and Maa Kali
• One story of Her is that of Krishna becoming Krishna-Kali, to protect Radha from Her Sister-in-law and Mother-in-law, Jatila and Kutila. Her husband Ayaan is said to have spread the word of this new form of Kali, with Radha starting the worship
• Another story is that of Shiva telling Kali about wanting to experience what Femininity was like, and thus, Kali took the form of Krishna-Kali as Shiva took the form of Radha to experience Leela together
• Her worship is primarily done in Kolkata, West Bengal. With the primary temple being in Kolkata
[Krishna-Kali being conceptualized in an attempt to bring together the growing Vaishnav community and the original Shaktas of Bengal]
Swet Kali:
The White-complexioned one of End Times
• Instead of the usual black complexion, She has completely white skin, akin to karpur-gauram Shiva
• She is said to appear in the time of Mahapralaya as Mahakal carries out the dissolution of all existence to make way for Creation anew
Guhya Kali:
She who is shrouded in Secrecy of Darkness
• She is worshipped in secrecy, with the method of sadhana not disclosed to the uninitiated
• She is depicted with two hands without any Khara or head
• And also depicted with Nagas wrapped around Her body, and seated on Adishesha
ICONOGRAPHY
Khara:
✿ Destruction.
✿ Cutting off all Earthly Illusions that ties down souls trying to attain Moksha
✿ Destroying all evil that dares disrupt the world’s peace and balance
Lolling Tongue:
✿ Ferocity.
✿ Kali’s tongue is out as She drinks the blood of Raktabeej
✿ The biting tongue expression, conversely, represents shame at having stepped on Shiva
Black Colour:
✿ Primordial Nature.
✿ Kali exists as a the Power that came before even Light existed
✿ Black/Dark Blue are also associated with Mahakali’s Tamsik Guna
Mundamala:
✿ Inevitability of Death.
✿ Death is the natural result of Birth, and it is useless to fear it
✿ 108 Skulls also represent the 108 Sanskrit Alphabets
Digambari:
✿ True Natural State.
✿ Kali being Primordial and Supreme, is beyond the concept of covering up for Societal reasons, or any other
Third Eye:
✿ Divine Wisdom.
✿ As a Mahavidya and a form of Adyashakti, Kali holds infinite wisdom, and bestows it on Her most accomplished devotees
✿ Like Shiva, She can also release Energy from Her Third Eye extreme enough to burn anything to ashes
Hibiscus:
✿ Blood.
✿ The Red colour of the flower resembles that of Blood, hence it is offered to Kali
Shiva:
✿ Purush and Prakriti.
✿ Kali is Shiva’s Shakti. So when She leaves Him completely to slay Raktabeej, and begins Her Tandav afterwards, He can only lie down on the ground like a corpse to cushion Her dance’s impact
✿ It shows an ideal married relationship, built on mutual relationship and understanding. Shiva never deemed it unfit for Himself as the husband to lie down at Kali’s feet, and the shame and regret when Kali noticed Him beneath Her snapped Her back to Her senses
KALI PUJA
Kartik Amavasya:
๑ The main Kali Puja of the year
๑ Held in midnight (Nishit Kal) of the Amavasya of Kartik month (October-November)
๑ Coincides with the festival of Deepavali
Kaushiki Amavasya:
๑ The Amavasya of Bhadra month (August-September)
๑ Significant for Tantra sadhaks, who flock to sites such as Tarapith
๑ Commemorates the emergence of Devi Kaushiki to slay Shumbha and Nishumbha
Poush Kali Puja:
๑ Kali Puja held in Poush month (December-January)
๑ Instead of Meat, vegetables are offered to Kali instead
Falaharini Kali Puja:
๑ The Kali Puja held on the Amavasya of Jyeshtha Month (May-June)
๑ A fruit is offered to Maa Kali as a symbol of past actions and their results for Her to take away in exchange for fulfilling a wish in return
๑ The offered fruit cannot be had for atleast a whole year till the next Puja, or till the desire is fulfilled
๑ Ramakrishna Paramahansa had once worshipped his wife Sarada Devi as Shodashi on this day
Ratanti Kali Puja:
๑ Held on the Chaturdashi (14th day) of Magh month (January-February) instead of the Amavasya as usual
๑ Commemorates the emergence of Krishna-Kali’s form through rotano (word-of-mouth) started by Radha’s husband Ayaan
Bhoot Chaturdashi:
๑ The day before the Diwali Kali Puja
๑ Fourteen diyas are lit in honour of fourteen generations of forefathers
๑ Ghosts are said to roam around this night
๑ Choddo Shaak (14 leafy vegetables) are eaten to protect yourself from Ghosts’ attacks (essentially illnesses from season change)Coincides with the festival of Naraka Chaturdashi
FAMOUS KALI TEMPLES
Kalighat, Kolkata:
Kalighat is one of the 4 Adi Shakti Peeths
The temple is said to be where Devi Sati’s right foot’s toes fell when Vishnu’s Sudarshan Chakra cut Her up to stop Shiva’s Tandav
Dakshineshwar, Kolkata:
The Dakshineswar Temple was founded by Rani Rashmoni, with Ramakrishna Paramahansa having been the head priest of the temple
The temple is dedicated to Maa Kali as Bhavatarini
And it was built after Rani had a vision in her dream of Maa Kali Herself telling her to build a temple near Ganga’s banks, rather than going all the way to Kashi
UNIQUE KALI TEMPLES
Shyamsundari Kali Mandir:
Said to be resided by Jibonto Kali (Living Kali) as the Maa Kali Herself is said to come and dance in the Temple at night
Faujdari Kalibari:
A temple that was once involved in a land dispute, until Maa Kali is said to have Herself come to court as a witness for the Temple
Kankaleshwari Kalibari:
The Chamunde Kali murti is said to have been found after a flood of the Damodar River, when a king was told of its location in a dream
Chinese Kali Temple:
A blend of Bengali and Chinese cultures, with chow-mein and fried rice offered as prasad to the Goddess
One origin story is that of a Chinese boy who fell critically ill and doctors couldn’t cure him and gave up hope. When his parents took him to a nearby site where locals worshipped two black stones under a tree as the symbol of Maa Kali, he miraculously recovered within some days
Another tells of a Chinese man who was visited by Maa Kali in his dreams, telling him to build a temple for Her in that area
SONGS
Some songs dedicated to Devi—
*Songs dedicated to Kali are usually called Shyama Sangeet in Bengali, with the literal meaning being Kali songs of songs of Kali*
