Goddess of the Week : Kali : The Black Goddess

[Guest guest]

"... because Thou devourest Kala, thou art Kali, the original form of

all things, and because Thou art the Original of and devourest all

things Thou art called the Adya Kali. Resuming after Dissolution

Thine own form, dark and formless, thou alone remainest as One

ineffable and inconceivable. Though having a form, yet Thous art

formless; though Thyself without beginning, multiform by the power of

Maya, thou art the beginning of all, Creatrix, Protectress, and

Destructress that Thou art"

 

Mahanirvana- Tantra

 

This begins our series of the Mahavidyas.

 

Kali is one of the favourite topic in Shakti Sadhana. We had several

discussions ranging from hymns, books, devi temples to issues such

as "blood" and "human sacrifices". The followings are

summaries to

the various discussions traits.

 

Kali Tattwa : 1881, 1888

 

General topic on Kali : 448, 451, 464, 465, 492, 428,

 

Iconography of Kali. An explaination : 604, 624, 632

 

Hymn for Kali : 591, 561, 526,

 

Books on Kali : 557, 549, 653, 659

 

Experiencing Kali : 529, 530,

 

Kali Temple : 1518, 1055

 

Kali Bhakta : 430

 

Kali and the Thugess : 434

 

Journal About Goddess Kali : 758

 

Questions on Kali :

a) Kali & Krishna : 502, 508, 522

b) "blood" & "human sacrifices" : 1475, 1491, 1497,

1505, 1536

c) Has anyone seen Kali ? : 435, 442, 478, 484, 485, 486, 489

d) Govt stops Kali sacrifice : 1472, 1469, 1466, 1465, 1462, 1460,

1459, 1453

e) Totapuri and Sri Ramakrishnan [ the `killing' of Kali ] :

1367,

1397,1398,1418,1419,1420,1424,1431,1433, 1434

 

Wow ! isn't that a lot on Kali. I may have miss some. You can

type

Kali on the Search Archives and the list of messages on Kali will be

displayed. Isnt this group features just great.

 

 

Om Kali Ma Namo Namah

 

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

Jai Kaliiiiiiiii!

 

Can you tell me the meaning of:

 

"Om Kali Ma Namo Namah"

 

please?

 

Is it something like 'Om Kali Ma - Name of Names'?

 

Namaste!

 

megalith6

 

 

 

 

 

 

-- In , "thegoddessisinme2002"

<ashwini_puralasamy> wrote:

> "... because Thou devourest Kala, thou art Kali, the original form

of

> all things, and because Thou art the Original of and devourest all

> things Thou art called the Adya Kali. Resuming after Dissolution

> Thine own form, dark and formless, thou alone remainest as One

> ineffable and inconceivable. Though having a form, yet Thous art

> formless; though Thyself without beginning, multiform by the power

of

> Maya, thou art the beginning of all, Creatrix, Protectress, and

> Destructress that Thou art"

>

> Mahanirvana- Tantra

>

> This begins our series of the Mahavidyas.

>

> Kali is one of the favourite topic in Shakti Sadhana. We had

several

> discussions ranging from hymns, books, devi temples to issues such

> as "blood" and "human sacrifices". The followings are

> summaries to

> the various discussions traits.

>

> Kali Tattwa : 1881, 1888

>

> General topic on Kali : 448, 451, 464, 465, 492, 428,

>

> Iconography of Kali. An explaination : 604, 624, 632

>

> Hymn for Kali : 591, 561, 526,

>

> Books on Kali : 557, 549, 653, 659

>

> Experiencing Kali : 529, 530,

>

> Kali Temple : 1518, 1055

>

> Kali Bhakta : 430

>

> Kali and the Thugess : 434

>

> Journal About Goddess Kali : 758

>

> Questions on Kali :

> a) Kali & Krishna : 502, 508, 522

> b) "blood" & "human sacrifices" : 1475, 1491, 1497,

> 1505, 1536

> c) Has anyone seen Kali ? : 435, 442, 478, 484, 485, 486, 489

> d) Govt stops Kali sacrifice : 1472, 1469, 1466, 1465, 1462, 1460,

> 1459, 1453

> e) Totapuri and Sri Ramakrishnan [ the `killing' of Kali ] :

> 1367,

> 1397,1398,1418,1419,1420,1424,1431,1433, 1434

>

> Wow ! isn't that a lot on Kali. I may have miss some. You can

> type

> Kali on the Search Archives and the list of messages on Kali will

be

> displayed. Isnt this group features just great.

>

>

> Om Kali Ma Namo Namah

>

> Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

In post 448 I found this:

>Kali is Nature personified - not necessarily the dark force of

>Nature, but all of Nature: Mother Nature, as She dances upon the

>stage of Consciousness.

 

In Shaktism is there a specific Nature Goddess? Is that Kali? I got

the impression from the rest of what I read in that post that She is

more about giving up ego and finding inner peace. Would you call

Shaktism a Nature religion like others who worship the Goddess, such

as Wiccans and Native American religions.?

[Guest guest]

Hi lyn, Greetings!!

 

I am not very qualified to write on this but i will do my best. our

babaji is no longer in this forum. But, i have met swamiji face to

face and and actually witnessed a 'chandi homa' performed by him.

Swamiji is a great bhakta of the divine mother and is a practicing

tantrik. Therefore, he is speaking from platform of strength, wisdom

and direct experience. .

 

Yes, kali's another name is prakriti- pRA MEAN SPECIAL AND KRITI

MEANS CREATION- she is the creatrix... She is the womb of creation

from which this whole universe emanates- THE RIVERS, THE MOUNTAINS,

THE EARTH, THE SKY , THE ENTIRE COSMIOS, MEN , WOMEN, PLANTS, ANIMALS

ETC...

 

here i would like to reproduce a text i read on the web in

geocities... this will answer the nature of mother worship as well as

nature worship in vedic times...

 

Please read...

 

In the Manduka Upanishad, we see who Kali really is, as she is lauded

as one of the tongues of Fire or Agni and hence her origin needs to

go back to the Rig-Veda and the hymns to Agni. (agni means fire )

 

Agni is often called 'Krishna' which means 'Black' and Krishnaa

(Femanine) is often a term used for Kali!

 

in latter times along with Kali. But Kali also means 'Time' and is

femanine of Kala, Time and in this case her origin derives from the

Atharva-Veda's hymns to Kala or Time as the Supreme Principle of the

Universe, just as Kali is in latter times to Shaktas.

 

Kali also represents the Divine Offering of the Ego or Mind, which in

the Brihadaranakya Upanishad is known as the Father. hence this

aspect of Kali is Vedic Indra who kills his Father, Vritra, the Mind

or Ego.

 

For this sin, Indra has to eat the intestines of a Dog and finds his

wife in degradation - this is much like the image

and story of Goddess Kali. Likewise, Kali's mantra is 'Krim', the

mantra of the Vajra or Thunderbolt of Indra making this

connection.

 

Kali as Agni the Krishna (Black) would also be Agni's wife Svaha

(Offering) and hence we see sheis merely the personification of

Divine Offering of Mind or Ego as her image represents.

 

Moreover, Agni or Svaha in the Rig-Veda is the deity that consumes

the body after death, which many hymns state and hence why Kali's

Sadhana is done in the Cremation ground, as she is the Consort of the

Cremation Fire that consumes the Body or Ego hence releasing one from

Rebirth and Suffering.

 

Infact, in the Rig-Veda, Agni has wrathful images, not unlike that of

later Kali, and remembering Kali is also Svaha as the Supreme of the

seven tongues of Agni in the Upanishads. So Svaha-Kali is merely

following the imagery of her vedic Consort.

 

Likewise, Bhairavi, a form of Kali is known to be derived from Vedic

Prishni, wife of Rudra who himself is also a form of Agni or Fire.

The Dancing Shiva or Nataraja is infact the Self as the dancing Flame

of Agni.So they are all Vedic.

 

Let us examine a few of the hymns to Agni toi get a cleaer picture of

Kali's origin and symbolism:

 

"Among the brown plants he stoops as if adorning them, and rushes

bellowing like a bull upon his dames.

 

Proving his might, he decks the glory of his form, and shakes his

horns like a terrific one, bard to stay" [Rig-Veda.I.140.6]

 

We also see the imagery and Sadhanas of Kali are already there in the

Rig-Veda's symbolisms of Agni:

"Dispelling on their way the terror of black gloom , making a

glorious show these flames Of his fly forth,

When over the spacious region he spreads himself abroad, and Rushes

panting on with Thunder and with Roar"

[Rig-Veda.I.140.5]

 

There is also another connection to Kali and Agni. Agni's Priests

were the Atharvans and hence conposers of the

Atharva-Veda. They, like Shaktas, were Powerful Yogis, Mystics and

Magicians as the Atharva-Veda also shows.

 

The Gandharva-Tantra states that Shaktism arose from the Atharva-

Veda, which itself shows the Kali and Agni connection

again! Chinnamasta is the Atharvan or Son of Atharvan, Dadhyak and

hence Atharvan would be Kali.

 

Atharvan and Ugra are names related to Indra in the Rig-Veda which

later appear as Atharvani and Ugrani, names for Kali as does Indrani,

Indra's wife and Ambika appears in the Yajur-Veda, whilst Durga is a

name for Agni in the Vedas.

 

Likewise, Shakti itself derives from Vedic Sachi or Power as a name

for Indra's wife and Parvata are the Mountains of

the Vedas associated with Indra, hence Goddess Parvati as the

daughter.

 

Goddesses such as Aditi (Gauri), Ushas (Lalita or Kamala) and Prithvi

(Earth and Varahi) have important features and roles

in the Vedas as Mothers and Aditi Pervades all like later Shakti and

Ushas is Dawn or Spiritual Awakening like Kundalini.

Kali as the Demon-Slayer is Indra or Agni of the Vedas who destroys

the Yatudhanas and the Vritras or Dhanavas,

who are multiple in number like Raktabija who multiplied himself many

times over.

 

This also explains why she is adorned

with Hands:

"Allied with thee in friendship, Indra, these, thy priests,

remembering Holy Law, rent Vrtra limb from limb,

When they bestowed the Dawns and let the waters flow, and when thou

didst chastise dragons at Kutsa's call."

[Rig-Veda.X.138.1]

 

The image of Kali adorned with Skulls and upon a Corpse shows her a

Agni the Cremation Fire who consumes all the bodies after their

physical Death and Transports them into the next Realm, as the Vedic

Hymns also laud him of. Thus, Agni in this aspect is also the Origin

of Goddesses Tara and Durga and their roles as deliverers in later

Hinduism, Kali is more the Svaha or Offering Power of Agni as he

Consumes the Bodies:

 

"Burn him not up, nor quite consume him, Agni: let not his body or

his skin be scattered.

O Jatavedas, when thou hast matured him, then send him on his way

unto the Fathers."

[Rig-Veda.X.16.1]

 

Kali who kills the Ego as Father or Raktibija, Vedic Vritra is hence

also Indra or Indrani who releases the Seven Waters by doing this,

much how Kali is also Kundalini as she kills the Ego and opens the

Chakras:

"Indra with mighty strength cleft asunder Arbuda's head, the watery

monster,

Slain Ahi, and set free the Seven Rivers. O Heaven and Earth, with

all the Gods protect us."

[Rig-Veda.X.67.12]

 

Kali as the lover of Animal Sacrifice and Human Flesh is hence Vedic

Rudra, deity of Sacrifice or

Agni that consumes the Offering such as the Gomedha or Ashvamedha of

the Vedas, both which were

offered up to Rudra-Shiva. T

 

the Cows and Horses are also infact the Pranas in Yajur-Veda, the

Seven Pranas in the Head, which again connects us to the Esoteric

Tantric ideals about Kali and Prana and Heads etc.

Kali as Chandi or Chinnamasta has also been explained as Dadhyak.

Just as Svaha or Indrani, ie. Kali

is also Chandi, so Dadhyak is also Indra (Kali) in the Vedas:-

Dadhyak himself is Indra's Vajra or

Thunderbolt, whilst Indra is the Weilder of the Bolt, like Kali who

kills the Demons.

Hence Chandi and Dadhyak are both the Astras or Weapons of Kali or

Indra.

Chandi as the daughter or form of Kali would be one of the Atharvans

or Maruts under Indra, infact

Dadhyak is Atharvan's son as Chandi is Kali's daughter and form.

Chandi is the Seeress of the Soma-Vidya or Shri-Vidya, the Immortal

Science of Kali.

Similarly, Dadhyak in the Vedas is the Seer of the Soma or Madhu-

Vidya of Indra and Atharvans.

So the worship of Chandi and Kali as hand-in-hand goes back to the

Vedas where Dadhyak and Indra are

likewise.

The Goddess as the Alphabet is also the Vedic Goddess Vak, Speech or

the Maruts and Indra that are Letters of

the Sanskrit Alphabet. they are also the Pranas in the Vedas as the

Devis are the Seven or Ten Pranas, which are

the Rudras lead by Rudra or Indra.

The Sexual Nature of Kali can be traced to Indra and Indrani of the

Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads who have

much interesting symbolism and also Heaven and earth, their Sexual

Union which creates Indra or Prana as tantra

also sees the Sexual Union as Spiritual. Indra and Indrani also have

an erotic relationship in the Vedas as in latter

times. Indra is also Mahakala as he kills Vritra who is time or Rudra

who kills Prajapati as Time.

Moreover, the Goddesses as forces of Nature as Prana, Sun, Lightening

etc. are derived from the Upanishads and

Vedas which laud Brahman as forces of Nature, especially Indra and

Agni, who appear as the Atman or Soul

that Pervades all. All is Agni and Indra in the Vedas just as all is

Kali in Shaktism.

Kali is also Vishvarupini, or the Universal Form and in the Vedas,

Agni is Vaishvanara the Universal Fire and also

the Three-Headed Seven-Rayed God as Vishwarupa or Universal Form and

hence like Kali is also Dyaus or the

Sky or the god Varuna who Encovers all of Creation and Beyond as the

Great darkness.

Agni, like Kali is also the primal germ from which all arose as tapas

in the Vedas and also lauded in other aspects

more clearly:

"Germ of the world, ensign of all creation, be sprang to life and

filled the earth and heavens.

Even the firm rock he cleft when passing over, when the Five Tribes

brought sacrifice to Agni.

So among mortals was Immortal Agni stablished as holy wise and

willing envoy.

He waves the red smoke that he lifts above him, striving to reach the

heavens with radiant lustre."

[Rig-Veda.X.45.6-7]

 

**********************************************************************

 

well, lyn, i wish i could have stated all this in simple easy to

understand format! unfortunately, i am suffering from writer's

block !

 

but to cut a long story short- shaktism is abut

worshipping 'prakriti' = NATURE- MOTHER NATURE IN ALL HER BEAUTY,

WISDOM AND GLORY!

 

ALSO, HINDUS DID WORSHIP NATURE IN VEDIC TIMES- AGNI, THE FIRE GOD,

SURTYA, THE SUN GOD, WIND GOD OR VAYU, -- ..... so on and so forth!!

 

well, lyn hinduism is a ocean - it is so deep and profound - the only

way to understand the divine mother is through pure devotion-

appraoch the mother with a child like innocence- she will reveal

herself to tyyou slowly but surely, day by day!!!

 

 

love , hope i did not confuse you!!

[Guest guest]

Thanks Adi,

 

I have a lot to learn.

[Guest guest]

Nameste megallith6

 

"Jai Kaliiiiiiiii!

Can you tell me the meaning of:

"Om Kali Ma Namo Namah"

please?"

 

I always have problem when somebody says please !!!!!! Of course I

can tell you the meaning. Sorry I didnt reply to you as soon. I get

distracted very easily.

 

Om Kali Ma Namo Namaha

 

Oh! Great Mother I bow to you or it can also mean

Oh! Great Mother Kali Prostrations unto Thee

 

OM ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

"merrlynnwiz" <LynnMerrill wrote:

>In post 448 I found this:

>

>>Kali is Nature personified - not necessarily the dark force of

>>Nature, but all of Nature: Mother Nature, as She dances upon the

>>stage of Consciousness.

>In Shaktism is there a specific Nature Goddess? Is that Kali?

 

Hello Lynn.

 

As my friend Adi_Shakthi has mentioned there is a Sanskrit word Prakriti

which can be translated Nature. Prakriti is the creative principle that is

immediate source (mother) of this world. Its complementary opposite is

Purusha, which can be translated Spirit or Consciousness.

 

The post you've quoted gives a traditional reading of the image of Kali

dancing on Shiva. In this reading Kali is identified with Prakriti

(Nature), and Shiva is identified with Purusha (Consciousness).

> I got

>the impression from the rest of what I read in that post that She is

>more about giving up ego and finding inner peace.

 

Nature can be very effective in cutting the human ego down to size.

>Would you call

>Shaktism a Nature religion like others who worship the Goddess, such

>as Wiccans and Native American religions.?

 

There are different forms of Shaktism, just as there are different forms of

Wicca. Some forms are more Nature-oriented, other forms more

Spirit-oriented.

 

But there is widespread recognition in Shakta traditions that both sides

have value.

 

A passage from the Sammohana Tantra, cited in Woodroffe's book Shakti and

Shakta:

 

"Without Prakriti, the Samsara (World) cannot be. Without Purusha true

knowledge cannot be attained. Therefore should both be worshipped; with

Mahakali, Mahakala."

 

Mahakala is another name of Shiva.

 

May the Goddess bless your path.

 

Colin Robinson

(colinr)

_________________________

To find out about Ferment, the journal about Kali as Great Goddess, go to

www.yogamagik.com/ferment List of recent articles, photos of a shrine in

Sydney, what people say about Ferment, how to contact us...

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