Kali Iconography

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Jai Kali Ma

 

I have a question concerning the iconography of Kali

Devi for which I have spent the last several years

seeking an answer. I have also posted this question

in several related groups, so my apologies to those

who have read it before.

 

Traditionally, Dakshina Kali is depicted with her

right foot forward on Shiva. She is showing abhaya

and varada mudras with Her upper and lower right

hands. Her upper and lower left hands are holding a

sword and a severed head.

 

However, there is an extremely common iconographic

variant which you most likely have seen. A scan of my

favorite version of this image is at

 

http://www.leeveal.com/pages/Kali.htm

 

While She has her right foot forward on Shiva, she is

holding a sword and a trident in Her upper and lower

right hands, while her upper and lower left hands hold

a severed head and skull bowl full of blood.

 

This gives rise to two related questions. First, is

the variant considered another form of Dakshina Kali,

or is She some other form, i.e. Bhadrakali, Mahakali,

Guhyakali, etc.

 

Second, what is the significance of the difference.

Almost ubiqitously, analysis of the image of Kali is

of traditional Dakshina Kali and emphasizes the polar,

right/left, nature of what She is holding. This does

not work with the variant image. In one notable

example, the variant image is printed at the very

beginning of "Twenty-Four Aspects of Mother Kali" by

Babaji Bob Kindler, but the analysis is of the

traditional image.

 

I wonder if the difference in the image is reflective

of geographical differences. Perhaps the variant

image is more common in Southern India while the

traditional one is more common in Northern India? I

have a picture of a kollam from the beginning of a

mudiyettu performance in Kerala which shows the

variant form.

 

Also, I wonder if perhaps the difference reflects a

specific narrative. There are many references in

Kinsley, McDaniel, etc. to Kali narratives that I have

never seen in full translation, most notably from Part

One of the Linga Purana.

 

Anyway, any information anyone on the list might

possess would be extremely appreciated. Our Mother

Kali is the love of my life, and I first fell in love

with a poster of the alternate version six years ago.

 

Jai Kali Ma!

--Aravind

 

 

 

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