The battlefield goes uncharacteristically quiet, the clash of weapons fading to a mind numbing silence as every breath gets drawn in and held. Something’s coming. They can sense it..they can sense her. A lone figure approaches the scene, a dark blot in the midst of the blood tinged red smog that covers everything in sight. The sound of a tinkling laughter crashes into the still bodies of the warriors and their flesh bears witness as the hair on their bodies rises up in alarm.
“Kali..” one of them whispers and sure enough, there she is emerging afresh— blood and bits of bone tangled in her dreads and thick locks, her red eyes flashing and the skulls around her neck tied into garlands swaying with her rhythm.
Kali is like a giant on the battlefield and the skulls look like tiny beads on her body. They watch powerlessly as she picks up speed, sparks flying in her wake as her burning feet race through the battle dirt. Her khadag takes off heads and arms and cuts the armoured warriors in half. Someone screams as they hear her laugh and then blood spraying into her gaping mouth. Madness, gore and annihilation colours everything as the dark one partakes of her oblations, dancing on the dead and razing entire armies.
The last ones standing drop to their knees, kissing the ground in fearful reverence until blood soaked hands gently grace their heads and Kali, the ever merciful accepts new devotees.
ॐ खड्गं चक्रगदेषुचापपरिघाञ्छूलं भुशुण्डीं शिरः
शङ्खं सन्दधतीं करैस्त्रिनयनां सर्वाङ्गभूषावृताम् ।
नीलाश्मद्युतिमास्यपाददशकां सेवे महाकालिकां
यामस्तौत्स्वपिते हरौ कमलजो हन्तुं मधुं कौटभम् ॥
