Guest guest Posted May 26, 2002 Report Share Posted May 26, 2002 The word Kali is derived from the well-known word Kala, or Time, which is the prime mover of the universe. Time, the moving picture of eternity, has been perpetually creating and destroying (Bhagavad Gita, 11:32) ·Being the only source of existence, Kali is the power behind time which devours everything. ********************************************************************** The dark blue colour is that of Infinity. Kali's appearance in dark blue suggests that She is the matrix of all colours of the objective world. Sri Ramakrishna tells us hat the advanced devotees of Mother do not see any colour in Her, although She appears to us as black due to the impure state of our mind. ********************************************************************** The nudity signifies the unconditionally self-conditioned nature of the Universal Energy whose joyous dance or sportive play is Life. She is Infinite and hence She must necessarily be imagined as nude. She is also called Digambari (clad in space). · ********************************************************************** Her dishevelled hair symbolizes Her unchallenged authority. She is also addressed as Muktakesi for this reason. ********************************************************************** Her third eye, the eye of wisdom, is eternally riveted on Siva's face. As She is eternally Satchidanandamayi (Existence-Knowledge- Bliss), She does not want to be led astray from Her eternal companionship with Siva, the transcendent support and inspirer of all Her thoughts and actions. ********************************************************************** Her exposed white teeth, pressing the red tongue, gives us a suggestion of controlling the rajas with the help of sattva. · Her protruding tongue,smeared with blood, is indicative of Her blood- thirsty attitude. She wants us to undergo hardship if necessary and exert ourselves for the attainment of fulfillment in our life. She is biting Her own tongue with Her teeth in shame and surprise. She is ashamed of Her conduct in dancing on the breast of Her Lord, the ground of all Her powers. Siva is Brahman, the Absolute, which is beyond all relativity, and hence is depicted as a Sava (dead body). ********************************************************************** Brandishing Her sword of dazzling brightness and holding the decapitated head are indicative of Her corrective measures meted out to Her erring children who are violating cosmic laws. Her four hands are spread out in all directions of the cosmos, suggesting thereby Her divine mission of safeguarding the interests of evolutionary creative processes . ********************************************************************** She wears the garland of skulls or decapitated heads, numbering fifty, to symbolize the fifty letters of the alphabet. Kali, wearing an apron of severed human hands, may suggest her happiness with the offering of our work, and She keeps its results in Her custody. After dissolution of the manifest creation, the Mother preserves the seeds of the actions of Her children in a causal form. ********************************************************************** The background is suggestive of death and devastation. Unless we destroy our egocentric attitude from our heart, the Mother will not dance in our impure hearts. ********************************************************************** to be continued.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2002 Report Share Posted May 26, 2002 The symbols unmistakably point out the Mother's deep love and affection for Her devotees who are invariably assured of Her loving nature, as well as Her supreme concern and sense of obligation in safeguarding the well-being of Her children. A Sakti worshipper is expected to see the Divine behind all these expressions of nature. The contradictions are experienced in the relative plane, in Maya. Beyond Maya they have no existence at all. So the Divine Mother, who is both transcendent and immanent, wears not only an amiable form, but also a form that is dreadful and all-devouring. ********************************************************************** In Her lower left hand She holds the bleeding head of the asura (demon). This points to Her alertness and sense of justice in vindicating Her pledge to protect Her creation from destruction. in Her upper left hand Kali holds the terrifying and awful sword which is the symbol of Her undisputed supreme authority. It refers to the Upanishadic saying: In fear of the Supreme the fire burns, the sun shines, the wind blows, the lighting flashes and the god of death performs his allotted duty. (Katha Upanishad, 2.3.3) The shining sword frightens the ignorant and the malevolent demons bent upon creating chaos in this universe, while it enkindles robust optimism, unshaken faith and deep reverential attitude in the mind of Kali's pure-minded, spiritually elevated children, ready to die for the good of the world. ********************************************************************** "The teeth and nails of the lioness, which frighten the enemies, are the guaranties of safety to her cubs." The Mother is compassionate in spite of Her harsh appearance (Devi Mahatyam, 4.22). With the two right hands She bestows gifts and boons to Her devotees, as well as protection from abhaya (fear) from all kinds of dangers. ********************************************************************** With the expansion of deeper spiritual experiences and the development of meditative power, the devotee may receive from within higher and deeper suggestions of these symbols. After gaining spiritual insight we may begin to see the cosmic drama from a higher perspective, and the ability to ascertain Her ingenuity in encouraging Her children to fight against chaos and unspiritual forces. Understanding a bit of Her Lila (Sport) through Her grace, a devotee attains serenity, enlightenment, peace and faith. Kali is ever engaged in the act of creation, preservation and destruction or absorption. Siva, lying inert like a corpse, is the Absolute Intelligence beyond the plane of relativity. The energy that is personified as Kali is therefore not the material energy of the scientist. Chaitanya Sakti or Divine Energy is instinct with intelligence and purpose. It is the ground of all phenomena with their orderly scheme. This is not the outcome of poetic fancy, but a high spiritual experience of the mystics. ********************************************************************** The enlightened Hindu mind accepts the Mother as the source of everything, good and evil. Evil is the limitation or diminution of good. At the highest state of spiritual life, the world appears to be the veritable abode of the Mother. The superficial mind is scared by Her terrific look. But the devotee thinks otherwise. To him Mother has been trying, through Her chastisement, to bring her wayward children to Her by Her grace and boons. Her compassionate aspect is much more pronounced in the image than Her dreadful aspect. " ********************************************************************** by Swami Tathagatananda:-shri ramakrishna mission! jai mahakali ! jai gurudeva!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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