Kali comes from the Sanskrit root word Kaal which means time. There is nothing that escapes the all-consuming march of time. It is partly true to say Kali is a Goddess of death but She brings death of ego as the illusory self-centered view of reality. Nowhere in the Hindu stories is She seen killing anything but demons. It is true that Kali and Shiva are said to inhabit cremation grounds and devotees often meditate there. This is not to worship death but to overcome the I’m-the-body idea by reinforcing the awareness that body is a temporary condition. Shiva and Kali are said to inhabit these places because it is our attachment to body that gives rise to ego. Shiva and Kali grant liberation by removing the illusion of ego. Thus we are the eternal I AM and not the body. This is underscored by scene of the cremation grounds.
Of all the forms of Devi, She is the most compassionate because She provides liberation to Her children. She is the counterpart of Shiva, the destroyer. They are the destroyers of unreality. The ego sees Mother Kali and trembles with fear because the ego sees in Her its own eventual demise. A person who is attached to ego will not be receptive to Mother Kali and She will appear in a fearsome form. A mature soul, who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego, sees Mother Kali as very sweet, affectionate and overflowing with incomprehensible love.
Mother Kali wears a garland of skulls and a skirt of arms because the ego arises out of identification with the body. We are beings of spirit and not flesh. So liberation can only happen when our attachment to the body ends. Thus the garland and skirt are trophies worn by Her to symbolize having liberated Her children from attachment to the limited body. She holds a sword and a freshly severed head dripping blood. As the story goes, this represents a great battle in which she destroyed the demon Raktabija. Her black skin represents the womb of the universe from which all of creation arises and into which all of creation will eventually dissolve. She is depicted as standing on Shiva who lays beneath Her.
Kali’s fierce form is mixed with awesome symbols. Her black complexion symbolizes her all embracing nature. Mahanirvana Tantra mentions that: : “Just as all colors disappear in black, so all the names and forms disappear in Her”. Her sword is the destroyer of false consciousness and the eight bonds that bind us. Her three eyes represent past, present, and future, the three modes of time, an attribute that lies in the very name Kali. Kali’s proximity to cremation grounds where the five elements or “Pancha Mahabhuta” come together, and all worldly attachments are absolved, again point to the cycle of birth and death. The reclined Shiva lying under the feet of Kali suggests that without the power of Kali (Shakti), Shiva is powerless.
Her hair is long, black and flowing freely depicting Her freedom from worthless things. Her eyes are open wide, eternally awake, blazing with the fire of infinite suns as an expression of Her indomitable intensity. She is the mother of the universe as well as the destroyer. When a mother beats her child, it does not mean that she is cruel; she disciplines her child for their own good. The upper right arm grants fearlessness, and the lower right arm offers boons. She protects Her children from danger, and She fulfills their desires. She holds a sword with the upper left arm and a severed head with the lower. She can cut human bondage with the sword of knowledge and She imparts wisdom to the head. Her naked form symbolizes that She is infinite, so no finite dress can cover Her. Kali’s waist is encircled with a girdle of severed human arms that represent action. All human actions and their results go to the Divine Mother. At the end of a cycle all souls merge with Kali; during creation they again evolve with their respective karmas.
Navratras are the best days to appease Mother Goddess and get boons from Her. As already mentioned in this article, the fearsome form of Mother Goddess is only for the enemies of Her devotees. Goddess MahaKali is the first among the ten MahaVidhyas and is also the most worshiped deity among all the deity. She is the one who can grant name, fame, knowledge, nirvana, fearlessness, peace and what not.
Gurudev will be granting Sarva Unnati MahaKali Shaktipaat Diksha during Navaratri. It is a great opportunity for us. Swami Vivekananda had to serve His Guru RamKrishna Paramhans for several years to get this Diksha, Kalidas served his Guru Kalicharan to get this diksha and became the greatest poet of all times.
Acquiring this Diksha not only helps one to get rid of diseases, enemies, poverty, black magic but it also creates a safety aura around the person so that no one could harm him. Additionally the person gains name, fame, prosperity, intelligence etc in life, thus becomes capable to live a complete life.
It is mandatory to obtain Guru Diksha from Revered Gurudev before performing any Sadhana or taking any other Diksha. Please contact Kailash Siddhashram, Jodhpur through Email , Whatsapp, Phone or Submit Request to obtain consecrated-energized and mantra-sanctified Sadhana material and further guidance,