#shaktism

[drinkerofsoma]

Ārati to "Boro Kali" at a temple in Sonamukhi, West Bengal

[ritish16]

Lord Shiva as Bhikshatana Moorthi 😇

[kamal-nayan]

I found the cutest painting of shiv-shakti!!

Omg just look at THEM!!!! my parents are the cutest!!

[i-like-to-eat-cotton]

Btw, y'all may have heard that in shakta traditions,Krishna is considered a form of Kali.

Krishnakali is the combined form of Krishna and Kali. This is mentioned in the Devi Bhagvata Purana where Kali is said to have taken the form of Krishna,and in the order of the das Mahavidyas,Kali is associated to Krishna.

Krishna is also often considered the male form of Lalita Tripura Sundari. According to the Padma Purana and Narada Purana,and is worshipped by sadhaks in the combined form of Gopala Sundari

[mrityuloknative]

Mula Prakriti Maha Lakshmi

[starryy-berryy]

seeing a group of people thinking they are being the first ones to think of this grand idea of seeing kali/hindu goddesses as the divine supreme. they feel that theyve done such a progressive thing, how it's an achievement. like they feel that she is a shamed and vilified goddess and how they are the first one to get this oh so great epiphany that yes, she too, is worth worshipping.

girl, there is a certain region of this country which has been doing this for centuries, till the point that devi being the supreme has been engrained into the very culture, the festivals of this region. i'm talking about east india, ofc. yes, while ppl do associate shaktism with bengal, it is equally prominent in mithila and assam.

like...im not saying only WE do this. others also do. im saying this is not a new idea, because some of us have been doing this for generations. for us, she is our maa and beti (depending on errr the circumstances). and we really love and cherish her. plus we love all sorts of devis. we are just kinda underrated and under represented, sadly.

another point to be noted is that the theology of shaivism and vaishnavism seeing shiva/vishnu as the supreme respectively has nothing to do with sexism. neither of them are anti-devi or anti women, for that matter. wo alag baat hai certain followers really go around shaming the entire sect and spewing hate. shaivism and vaishnavism treats devi with the utmost respect, and she is exalted here too. so it's...not a crime if someone doesn't see devi as the supreme...unless the said person is going around saying she cannot be the supreme because she is a female.

[blue-lotus333]

Kali-Ma in (a few) different religions.

Firstly, who is Kali-ma?:

Kali-ma is the wrathful and protective force of Shakti (energy/power), often called the goddess of destruction, doomsday, transformation and time. She's a caring mother to her devotees and the destroyer of evil.

Kali-ma in Buddhism

Palden Lhamo is a protector of Buddhist & a bodhisattva associated with prosperity, protection & success

The connection between Kali-ma and the protectress bodhisattva Palden Lhamo suggests a link between the two traditions.

Palden Lhamo has many names: Sri Devi, Palden Lhamo Kalidevi, and so on.

“Palden lhamo Kalidevi” This name alone suggests a connection to Kali-ma in Hinduism. This connection may be due to the geographic proximity of the Himalayan region, where Hindu deities may have been absorbed into Buddhism.

Kali ma in Christianity

known as "Sara Kali" or "Sara la Kali," is revered by the Romani people and is the patroness of displaced people. There is a popular belief that she was either an Egyptian-Indian slave of one of the 3 Mary's or the lost daughter of Jesus.

When the Romani people were persecuted and forced to convert to Christianity, they blended their indigenous Hindu beliefs with Christian practices, creating a form of syncretism.

The name "Sara" itself is seen in the appellation of Durga as Kali-ma in the famed text “Durgasaptashati"

[rhysaka]

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 ॥