Kali the Destroyer: Hindu goddess of death and destruction. Who is Goddess Kali

If many people know about the Indian goddess Kali, it is mainly from Hollywood films. For a Western person, the idea of ​​this goddess may be approximately as follows. Kali is the goddess of death, who is worshiped by mad fanatics who organize bloodthirsty ritual sacrifices .

Kali - Indian Goddess of Death

It is thanks to the propaganda of the film industry that people have mixed reactions when they hear the name of this goddess from Indian mythology. However, Indians themselves know very well who Kali is and sacredly revere her. Her image is both terrifying and shields from evil anyone who seeks God. It cannot be definitely called either good or bad. . But we can definitely say that her image is not initially associated with the worship of death and praise human sacrifices. A reinterpretation of its symbolism became fertile ground for the emergence of a kind of satanic religious movements. Naturally, from each image you can take what is beneficial for you. specific person or groups of people.

Goddess Kali - the many-faced, terrifying mother of all things

Goddess Kali in Hinduism is understood as the Power and Desire (Shakti) of God. Thanks to her, all evil is destroyed. She is the mother goddess, the source of fertility and life. But at the same time, she - dark side Prakriti (nature). She has the power to create and destroy.

From the sacred Shakta text “Devi-Mahatmya”, which appeared approximately in the 5th-6th centuries AD, we know that the prehistoric prototype of the source of all life in the world is transformed into a certain goddess Kali, who represents a powerful cosmic force.

In the texts she appears as a goddess defeating demons in a battle between two forces - divine and those who wants to take the place of deities. According to the legend, Asura Mahisha, an evil demon, wanted to establish his own power over the whole world. But the gods found a way out by creating a warrior creature that combined all sorts of abilities from different deities. For example, from Vishnu she took unsurpassed power, from Shiva - a mighty flame, from Indra - a strength incomparable with anything else.

She rushed to the attack with a battle cry. Everyone who stood in her way was instantly destroyed. Furiously, furiously, she struck all opponents. The gushing blood turned into endless streams, the mountains turned into dust, and the sky even turned black from the horror that it saw. Having destroyed all the demons, Kali overtook Mahisha and cruelly cut off his head.

But the majestic goddess could no longer calm down her ardor. She crushed everything that was in front of her. Performing madly, Kali enjoyed the triumph of victory, not wanting to stop. When the gods realized that, rejoicing, she was capable of destroying the world, Shiva decided to use a trick to stop her.

According to one version, he turned around a crying baby, lying on the battlefield among the killed demons. Kali, seeing him, could not calm down her maternal feelings, and took the child in her arms. Having begun to calm him down, she forgot about her crazy dance. According to another version, Shiva simply fell to the ground in front of Kali passing by, causing her to stumble.

When evening came, Shiva decided to appease the goddess by performing tandava (dance of creation). Kali couldn’t help herself and started dancing too.

Since great battle she is entrusted with one of her main purposes - the destruction of all evil in the world.

Kali is like a mother to her children. She gives not only love, protection and care, but also greatest knowledge to those who bow before her. It is not for nothing that she is called the goddess of death. Sadness, death, decay cannot be defeated - they must be accepted as a given. For a full awareness of his existence, a person must accept the fact that it is useless to fight these manifestations of life (yes, pain, grief and death are also manifestations of life). She also denies in every possible way the desire of man to place his ego at the center of the universe, thereby trying to attract attention and change natural course life.

A person must accept his mortality. Only in this way will he be able to liberate himself and become truly free. Here another important purpose of Kali is revealed - to reveal to people their mortal essence, freeing them from the shackles of rationality and practicality.

Multiple Names of Goddess Kali

The first mention of the goddess under the name “Kali” is found in the Rig Vedas. From Sanskrit this word translated as "black". But she has so many names that it’s probably impossible to count them all:

• Kalarati (“black night”);
• Kalika, Kalike is a form of the name Kali;
• Kottraway - among the Tamils;
• Kalikamata "black earth mother".

Besides, her other names are also known, reflecting the versatility of its essence: Devi,Mahamaya,Durga,Lolita.

Sri Shankaracharya's treatise “1000 names of Lolita” indicates multiple names Kali, each of which has a specific meaning.

From the legend telling about her creation and the bloody battle with the demonic army of Mahish, in which she won, it becomes clear why she has such names:

• Sri Nihsamshya (Having No Doubts);
• Sri Parameshwari (Principal Ruler);
• Sri Rakshakari (Savior);
• Vishva-Garbha (The entire universe is contained in Her);
• Sri Adi Shaktihi (Holy Spirit, Primary Power);
• Sri Krodhini (Cosmic Wrath);
• Sri Ugraprabha (Radiating Fury);
• Sri Naramandali (Dressed in a garland of skulls).

These names characterize her as a majestic ruler, a merciless warrior with boundless strength and fury, and a deliverer from evil.

But at the same time, she can radiate care and kindness. This is evidenced by the following names:

• Sri Bhogavati (Supreme Giver);
• Sri Vilasini (Ocean of Joy);
• Sri Manorama (Supreme Divine Grace and Charm).

The plurality of Kali's names indicates that she contains the entire Universe with its various manifestations.. She is not evil or good. It represents something like justice: for those who are in search of God and the righteous path, Kali helps and protects from evil; to those who imagine themselves omnipotent, it indicates limitation and mortality physical body .

Deep symbolism in the image of Kali

Kali in the photos illustrating the image of this goddess demonstrates deep meaning and its role in the Universe.

Perhaps, her appearance is the most terrifying among all the gods of Indian mythology. Dressed in the skin of a panther or presented naked, four-armed, thin, with disheveled hair, she proudly holds a sword in one hand, and with the other raises the head of the demon she killed. The skin of the body and face, which, by the way, is black or bluish-black, is covered in blood. The eyes glow with fire, and a scarlet tongue protrudes from the mouth.

Absolutely every detail in the image of Kali necessarily carries some kind of meaning.. There is not a single element that is present “just like that.” Despite the fact that the symbolism of death, destruction and boundless fear is visible in everything, everything can be interpreted in a completely different way than it seems at first glance.

So what symbols will we find in the image of Kali?

1. The three eyes of the goddess represent creation (past), preservation (present), destruction (future) . This meaning is hidden in the name Kali itself, since the word “kala” in Sanskrit is used to denote time. In addition, three eyes also symbolize Fire (or lightning), Moon, Sun. By the way, the symbol of Kali is the crescent moon.

1. The bright red tongue protruding from the mouth represents the guna Rajas - passion, activity, activity.

1. White teeth are a reflection of cleanliness.

1. Four arms - a full circle of creation and destruction, four cardinal directions and four chakras. Each of Kali's hands has its own purpose. The upper right one makes a protective gesture that drives away fear. With her lower right hand, the goddess blesses everyone who is looking for their own path and helps in the fulfillment of desires.

Kali's upper left hand is usually depicted with a bloody sword. He debunks all doubts, ambiguity, false knowledge. Lower left hand holding the severed head of a demon. This is nothing more than cutting off the Ego, which prevents one from comprehending true knowledge.

1. Kali's full breasts are a symbol of motherhood giving life to something new. Also understood as creativity.

1. The neck and chest of the goddess are decorated with a necklace of human heads. There are 50 of them in total - the same number as the letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. This should be understood as wisdom, knowledge . The heads also represent a continuous series of life reincarnations.

1. On Kali's hips you can see a belt made of human hands. This is a prototype of karma. Why hands? A person, with the help of his actions, contributes to the formation of karma, which affects the fate of the individual, his samsara. Since it is the hands that personify actions and labor, such a symbol takes place. But if a person is completely devoted to Kali, the goddess can “snatch” him from the cycle of karma.

1. Shiva, lying under the feet of his wife Kali, shows that the spiritual is superior to the physical, and that the feminine principle in creation is an order of magnitude higher than the passive masculine principle.

The goddess in many of her manifestations patronizes creativity, since she herself not only destroys, but also creates new things. That's why she is considered a source of inspiration for all creative people - writers, poets, artists, etc..

The multifaceted meaning of the blackness and nakedness of the goddess Kali

There is also a deep meaning in the fact that the Goddess is usually depicted naked and her skin is black.

The black color, which, by the way, is included in one of the names of the goddess (“kali” from Sanskrit - “black”), can be interpreted as:

• Pure consciousness, infinity. Space itself is black. Kali is a symbol of the eternity of time and the Universe.
• Kali – mother nature, supreme over everything existing in the world. It is even higher than the realm of death. This is similar to the characteristics of the color black. It not only dissolves all colors. It is still the basis for them, but, at the same time, it is characterized by a complete absence of color.

But only from a long distance does Kali's skin appear black. If you look closely, you can understand that it is comparable to the ocean or sky. If you scoop up water with your palm or look up at the sky, you discover that they have no color.

The nakedness of the goddess should be considered as freedom from ignorance, illusions. The clothes simply cannot stay on her, as they burn from the bright fire of truths.

Worship of Kali and the cult of the goddess

The goddess has her admirers. They are united in the cult of Kali . It is most common in Bengal.

Bengal is historical region South Asia, located in its northeastern part. Today West Bengal covers the territory eastern state India, East Bengal - the state of Bangladesh.

Kali was especially widely revered in the period from the 13th to the 14th centuries. But even today the cult of the goddess is quite widespread.

The main temple of Kali is called Kalighata. Thanks to him, the capital of the Indian state got its name -. The second most important temple was built in Dakshineswar.

In September there is even a celebration dedicated to Kali. During ritual worship of the goddess, women apply a bindi (a red dot on the forehead), offer red flowers, light candles, drink wine and sacred water. After the prayers have been read, you can begin the meal, consisting of sacrificial offerings.

WTF?! What does the crocodile have to do with it? What is he, best friend children? Where did this plot even come from? There is an opinion that the fountain is an illustration for K. Chukovsky’s poetic fairy tale “Barmaley” (1924), in which the captured villain Barmaley, at the request of the good doctor Aibolit, was swallowed by a crocodile.

Perhaps the plot was borrowed from the same Korney Chukovsky’s children’s poem “The Stolen Sun” (1925), about animals and children who took the sun from a crocodile, which had previously swallowed it. It is also known that the figures for the fountain were brought from Kharkov, and the sculptor was Romuald Iodko. It is unknown what the 8 frogs located around the perimeter of the fountain symbolize.

Despite the monstrous destruction of the city, the fountain suffered little damage. What’s strange is that after the war it was restored much faster than the surrounding buildings, and already in 1948 it was working properly.

The fountain existed until the 50s; according to old residents of the city, it was dismantled during the construction of the new station building. On the site of the dismantled fountain there was a flowerbed, then, in the late 80s, it was covered with asphalt, turning it into a parking lot.

The question of restoring the fountain has been raised since the 60s, but architects and sculptors, oddly enough, have always been against its reconstruction. But on August 23, 2013, it was restored by the Night Wolves, led by Alexander Zaldostanov, nicknamed “The Surgeon,” a close friend of President Putin.

Moreover, now there are two such fountains at once - one is a working fountain on the station square, and the other is a smaller but non-working copy mounted on the territory of the Panorama Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad. In this version, the sculptures have simulated traces of destruction. Bricks from the wall of the Danilovsky Monastery in Moscow were used for it.

On Thursday, August 15, in the morning, the figures that will make up the sculptural composition of the new fountain “Dancing Children” on Station Square and the symbolic monument of the same name on the territory of the panorama museum were delivered to Volgograd. Battle of Stalingrad". Let us remind you that the authors and implementers of this idea were the organizers of the bike show "Stalingrad", which will take place on August 23-24. [...] In order to safely transport valuable cargo from Moscow: six figures of pioneer children, one crocodile lying in center, and eight frogs located along the perimeter of the fountain bowl, and all this in duplicate [...] when transporting the sculptural ensemble, the speed of the truck did not exceed 50 kilometers per hour, so the car traveled from the capital in about forty hours.
"The uniqueness of this monument lies in the special brickwork. This is an original brick from the early 19th century from the wall of the baths of the Danilovsky Monastery in Moscow, which was dismantled for a reason unknown to us. We managed to literally beg for a piece of it - we disassembled it manually,” says Egor Kozlovsky (project manager, organizer of the Stalingrad bike show

We know that 12,000 years ago there was a civilization on Earth that was far superior to ours in its capabilities. Myths and legends of the past may well have a basis in reality. What if there are technologies behind them that we simply don’t know about yet, just as we didn’t know about them until recently? nuclear energy? And what if someone managed to preserve this knowledge and carry it through the centuries?

Bloodthirsty ancient gods demand victims. And the Chaldeans who serve them offer these sacrifices. IN modern society these ritual sacrifices have to be disguised as terrorist attacks, wars and disasters.

What do they get in return? Eternal life? Unlimited power? Supernatural abilities? Maybe. Nobody admits this from the TV screen. But we can see the reflection of these actions, and by indirect signs we can recognize the truth.

If we try to look at the big picture, the findings can be staggering. We'll talk about this in future articles. The continuation will be about the Olympics in Sochi, how this mystery looks from the point of view of the occult.

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Politics, Magic, Occult

Kali is an Indian goddess who is very famous and respected in India. There are many legends about her. Although she is considered a symbol of universal destruction, the people of India turn to the many-armed goddess in difficult times, hoping that she will protect them and help improve them.

Who is Kali

Kali is a formidable and punishing goddess of death, pursuing the demon Mishah and his assistants. Many-armed appears where there are wars and deadly battles. The goddess is also considered the creator, because death is an inseparable part of existence.

They call her the Mother of Worlds, Many-Faced, Punishing, Bearer of Skulls. It is believed that she is the dark personification of Parvati, the wife of the god Shiva.

who worship the goddess, she gives purification and freedom. Therefore, in areas where this is confessed, the Mother of the Worlds is respected.

What a goddess looks like: iconography

Kali is the goddess of death, so it is not surprising that she is threatened. She is depicted mainly with a dark, thin, four-tongue, red tongue and disheveled hair.

She was given an axe, a bow, arrows, a noose and a club. This is how Kali appeared. The many-armed woman sat on the lion and rushed at the enemy. Mahishi's warriors rushed at Mother, but she easily fought her enemies. With her Kali she formed new warriors who bravely rushed into battle.

From such a battle the sky became dark, the earth shook and bloody rivers flowed. Many times the Mother caught up with Mahisha, but he disappeared, changing his image. And suddenly, jumping hard, Kali reached the enemy and enormous power attacked him.
Having stepped on him, she pinned the demon to the earth's surface with a spear. Mahisha again wanted to change his image and disappear, but did not have time. The four-armed woman cut him off.

The goddess was very happy about the victory and danced. Her movements became more active and sharper. Everything around began to shake, and this could lead to the destruction of the Universe. The gods shuddered and asked Shiva to stop Kali.

He couldn't do it. Then he decided to lie down on the ground in front of her, but this did not stop Mother. She danced until she realized what was happening. After this, Kali stopped and, tired and bloodied, disappeared to rest from the battle. Before this, she promised to help the gods whenever they needed help.

Attributes and symbolism

Every detail and attribute of Kali signifies something.

Eyes

Mother has 3, which mean creation, preservation and destruction. They are also symbols of fire, moon and sun.

Language

This part of Kali's body protrudes from her mouth and is red. It means passion, activity, action.

Teeth

Snow-white teeth reflect cleanliness.

Hands

The goddess has four arms, which mean the 4 cardinal directions and 4 chakras. A bloody sword is visible in the Mother's upper left hand, which dispels hesitation and. At the bottom is the head of the enemy, indicating the cutting off of the ego, which prevents one from comprehending real knowledge.

With her upper hand on the right, Kali makes a gesture that drives away fear, and with her lower hand she blesses for the fulfillment of desires.

Breast

This part of the goddess's body is full - it symbolizes motherhood or creativity.

Necklace

The attribute of 50 skulls denotes wisdom and knowledge. The heads also express an endless series of life transformations.

Belt

An accessory from people's hands is a symbol of karma. By acting, people form their karma, which determines their destiny. Hands represent actions and labor, so the belt consists of these parts.

Shiva

God lies with the Mother. This means that the spiritual is an order of magnitude higher than the physical. Also, the feminine principle in creation exceeds the male passive principle.

The role and cult of Kali in Hinduism

Previously, the Mother was worshiped almost everywhere. This has been proven Scientific research. The cult of Kali had analogues in all corners of the world. For example, the ancient Finns worshiped the Black Goddess Kalma, and the Semitic peoples prayed to Kal.

This is not a coincidence, since the goddess is the Mother of all worlds and was believed under various names almost everywhere.

Currently, four-armed is popular in Bengal. Located in the state of Kolkata main temple Kalighata, which is dedicated to the goddess. Another temple is located in Dakshineswar. In early autumn, a holiday is celebrated that is dedicated to the Mother.

People who worship Kali should drink three sips of holy water during the service, and then leave a mark between the eyebrows with red powder. Red flowers are brought to the image of the goddess and candles are lit. Then you need to pray and, after inhaling the scent of flowers, begin to eat the sacrificial offerings.

Did you know?In the religion in question, there are 8,400,000 different gods and goddesses.

Kali has many images. She is mysterious, and scary, and at the same time attracts. The goddess can alarm the soul, and her appearance leaves no one indifferent.

Goddess Kali (meaning “black”) is the personification of death and destruction in Hinduism.

She is usually depicted wearing a necklace of skulls, a loincloth made from severed arms, her tongue hanging out dripping blood, and holding a severed head.

IN time immemorial Asura Mahisha performed penance for a long time and received the gift of remaining invisible to everyone except a woman. Then he overthrew Indra from the heavenly throne and himself reigned over the world. The gods, unable to bear this humiliation, came to the rulers of the world Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu with a prayer to save them from the atrocities of the demon. The flame of anger burst out from the mouths of the gods and merged in a fiery cloud, uniting their powers. From it arose a woman whose face became the flame of Shiva, her hands the power of Vishnu, and her belt the power of Indra. Her eyes were created by Agni, the god of fire; eyebrows are the divine twins of Asivina; teeth - Brahma, hips - the earth goddess Prithivi, ears - the wind god Vayu. The celestials armed her with a bow and arrows, a trident and an ax, a club and a noose. The goddess issued a war cry and, riding a lion, rushed into battle. Thousands of enemies, led by Mahisha, attacked her, but the Goddess, as if playfully, repelled their attacks, and from her breath hundreds of new warriors emerged and rushed into battle. The formidable warrior cut down the demons with a sword, stabbed them with a spear, threw arrows at them, threw a noose around their neck and dragged them along the ground. Cliffs and mountains shook, rivers of blood flowed, the sky darkened. But suddenly the goddess jumped into the air and fell on Mahisha from above. She stepped on his head and pinned his body to the ground with a spear. Mahisha tried to take on a different form and elude the formidable goddess, but she cut off his head with a sword.

Celebrating her victory, Kali began to dance. Her movements became more and more impetuous, everything around shook, and the world was threatened with destruction. The gods begged Shiva to stop the frantic dance of the goddess, but even he was unable to calm her down. Then Shiva lay down on the ground in front of Kali, and she, continuing to dance, trampled on him until she realized what was happening and stopped dancing. Kali has two sides: creative and destructive. Under the name Bhowani, she carries within herself a destructive streak. She demands that animals be sacrificed to her because she draws energy and strength from living beings, but no one can kill without her permission. In the incarnation of Durga, she destroys evil. If one wants to enlist her help in the fight against demons, he must present the goddess with a buffalo.

Goddess Kali is one of the forms of Devi, or Durga, the wife of Shiva; personification of the menacing aspect of him divine energy– shakti.

Kali is known for her destructive force, as evidenced by its numerous names. Sri Ugraprabha (Radiating Fury), Sri Naramandali (Clad in a Garland of Skulls), Sri Krodhini (Cosmic Wrath) - all these names indicate her anger. But Kali is also called Sri Vilasini (Ocean of Joy), Sri Bhogavati (Supreme Giver of Joy in the World), Sri Manorama (Highest Divine Grace and Charm) due to the fact that she symbolizes the protection of humanity from evil, mother's love and care.

She is depicted as a thin, dark-skinned woman with four arms and long hair. Usually naked or dressed in panther skin. In her upper left hand she holds a bloody sword, destroying doubt and duality, in her lower left hand she holds a demon's head, symbolizing the cutting off of the ego. With her upper right hand she makes a protective gesture that drives away fear, while with her lower right hand she blesses for the fulfillment of all desires.

Four hands symbolize 4 cardinal directions and 4 main chakras.

The three eyes of the goddess control the three forces: creation, preservation and destruction. It also corresponds to the three times: past, present and future, and are symbols of the Sun, Moon and lightning. She is wearing a belt made of human hands, which symbolize the inexorable action of karma. Its dark blue color is the color of endless cosmic, eternal time, as well as death. This symbolism draws attention to the superiority of Kali over the mortal realm.

The Mahanirvana Tantra says: “Black color contains white, yellow and all other colors. In the same way, Kali contains within herself all other beings.”

The color black symbolizes the unclouded state of pure consciousness. The garland of skulls with which it is decorated means a series of human incarnations. There are exactly 50 skulls - according to the number of letters of Sanskrit, a storehouse of power and knowledge. The head that Kali carries represents the ego, the idea “I am the body,” which she destroys. The skulls also show her ability to free the mind from identifying itself with the body. This garland symbolizes wisdom and strength. The tousled hair of the goddess Kali (elokeshi) forms a mysterious curtain of death that envelops all life. The corpse on which she stands indicates the transitory and inferior nature of the physical body. The blood red tongue symbolizes the guna rajas, the kinetic energy of the universe, symbolized by the color red.

Kali resides in anahata. It interacts with the physical heart; in this form it is called Rakti-Kali (red Kali), the pulsation of the heart. But beauty is not only charm, it is also horror and even death. Kali – unattainable beauty, unrewarded love. Beauty is incomprehensible because it has no form. Kali symbolizes eternal life. Immortal life has a price. Only that which is immortal can be infinite, since nothing can change its nature. The mortal and transitional process will end sooner or later. To benefit from the eternity that is Kali, we must sacrifice our mortal nature. Therefore, Kali appears frightening and destructive to the ordinary eye.

Kali is a many-faced Goddess who presides over life from the moment of conception to death. It symbolizes the Cosmic power of eternal time. At the cosmic level, Kali is associated with the elements of air or wind, vayu, prana. This force fills the universe as the energy of transformation. It acts quickly and leaves no traces behind, causing radical changes. Kali is the perception of the lightning of truth, negating all illusions. She embodies creation, preservation and destruction, and evokes both love and horror. IN human body Kali exists in the form of breath or life force (prana). The symbol of Kali is the crescent moon.

Worship of Kali as a demon slayer and a powerful patron goddess especially common in Bengal, where the main temple dedicated to her, Kalighata, is located (in English pronunciation- Kolkata), which gave the name to the capital of Bengal - Kolkata. The second best Kali temple is located in Dakshineswar. Devotees of Kali drank wine for ritual purposes. During the ritual, believers drank sacred water in three sips, marked the area between the eyebrows with red powder, and offered red flowers to the image of the goddess and lit candles. Then a prayer was read, after which, inhaling the aroma of the sacrificial flower, the believers ate the sacrificial offerings. The festival in honor of the goddess is celebrated in early September.

From the 12th to the 19th centuries, a secret sect of thugs was widespread in India - fanatics who devoted themselves to serving Kali as the goddess of death and destruction. Thug gangs in central India robbed caravans and killed travelers. The victim was strangled with a rope or scarf wrapped around the back of his neck, and then buried with a ritual pick-hoe or thrown into a well. The exact number of their victims is not known for certain, but the Guinness Book of Records attributes two million deaths to them. In the 1830s, the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, put an end to the Thugs through mass arrests and executions. IN English language the word “thugs” acquired the common noun meaning of “killer thugs.”

Western cults of mystical and satanic movements misperceive and describe Kali as a goddess equivalent to the Egyptian deity Set, a cruel bloodsucker and murderer who eats the flesh of her victims. The etymology of the name of Goddess Kali is associated with the concepts of “time” and “black”. The name Kali is first found in the Rig Veda. Also known as Kalikamata ("black earth mother"), Kalarati ("black night"), among the Tamils ​​- as Kottaway. Kalike/Kalika is a form of the name Kali.

According to the existing ideas of the Vedic tradition, the “Black Age” (Iron Age, Machine Age) is currently taking place in our universe - Kali Yuga. In Hinduism, the last era, after which the renewal of time begins. Characterized by a decline in morality. Kali Yuga lasts 432,000 human years. Began in 3102 BC. e.

Among the countless hypostases, incarnations and images of the Goddess Kali, a special place belongs to the mysterious, simultaneously calling and terrifying, always disturbing the soul and leaving no one indifferent to the formidable Goddess Kali, who contains all imaginable forms and manifestations of divinity - from the most merciful and attractive, to angry, terrifying and unimaginably monstrous.

The cults of Lady Kali were once widespread everywhere. This is confirmed by evidence sacred texts different religions, this is not refuted by scientific evidence. In ancient times, the cult of the Black Goddess had its direct analogues in various parts of the world. IN ancient Greece met female name Kalli and there was a city called Kallipolis. The ancient Finns, before the introduction of Christianity, worshiped a Black Goddess named Kalma (which is very similar to Kali Ma). Among the Semitic tribes who lived in Sinai, the priestesses of the moon goddess were called kalu.

The ancient Celts revered the Goddess Kele, whose priestesses bore the title kelles, from which the modern English name Kelly. Kalek (very similar to Kali Ek) - witch, a Celtic word. And there is more to this than simple coincidences in names. Kali - Great Mother of all beings, revered under different names and in different forms almost everywhere.

Goddess Kali generously gifts her chosen ones with learning and poetic talent. It has long been known that the Black Goddess is a source of inspiration for all creative people. But she has a special weakness for poets, considering them her closest and most valued chosen ones. It happens that the Black Goddess visits the most gifted poets at moments of their creative insights, each time appearing before them in the form of a dazzlingly beautiful female goddess, bringing them at the same time good and evil, light and darkness, black passion and heavenly pleasure, evil love and the opportunity to become stronger , but at the same time angrier and more ferocious, tougher and more merciless. Thus, the Goddess carries out a cruel selection, exalting the strongest and destroying the weakest. In the world of darkness there is no place for sentimentality, complacency and unjustified mercy! Every strong person must receive black soul hardening.

The goddess KALI is very closely connected with literally each of us, connected through the linguistic word forms that we all use, I will give a few examples:

KALInew bridge -

bridge over the Smorodina River (transition between the world of the living and world of the dead) from the epic epic.

KALIningrad –

city ​​(territorially by land it does not border with the Russian Federation).

KALIpso – that was the name of the nymph among the ancient Greeks; Odysseus once lived on her island.

KALIgula – An ancient Roman emperor known for his cruelty.

KALIsharply (graph) – a famous mystic, magician, sorcerer and adventurer who called himself by different names...

ApoKALIpsis – biblical revelation about the end of the world.

The exKALIdrill – King Arthur's magic sword.

Agree that most of the examples given are associated with either destruction or deep transformation. Both these activities are under the control of Goddess Kali.

Sripada Sadashivacharya “The Practice of Worshiping Kali”

Worship of Kali ( Kali Puja) It happens various types and types. Such worship can be done through a yantra (mystical diagram), a murti (temple image), a kalasha (a sacred vessel filled with water or consecrated wine), a sacred fire, a kula-stri (a woman revered as a living image of the Goddess), a kumari (a virgin revered as a Goddess), a symbolic image of a yoni (female womb) or simply a triangular depression in the ground. Worship itself can be very complex and multi-component, and very simple. The complex Kali Puja in tantric communities is performed by specially trained clergy (tantric brahmins or monastic priests-jangams). Collective Kali Puja, performed in a circle (chakra) of initiates, can also be quite complex. A simpler and more accessible form of Kali Puja can be performed by anyone at a home altar or in other conditions at any time.

The simplest worship of Kali

The sequence of actions of the simplest Kali Puja, in which Adya-Kali (the highest and Primordial Form of the Mother Goddess) is worshiped, is as follows:

1) The sadhaka takes a bath and puts on clean clothes (preferably used exclusively for ritual purposes). You should perform achamana (drinking pre-blessed water) in three sips with mantras:

OM ATMA-TATTVAYA SVAHA(Om. May there be goodness to the essence of the soul!)OM SHAKTI-TATTVAYA SVAHA(Om. May the essence of Shakti benefit!)

OM SHIVA-TATTVAYA SVAHA(Om. May the essence of Shiva benefit!)

After this, one should apply tripundra (Shaiva tilaka) with sacred ash on the forehead, and Shakti Devi tilaka (usually kumkuma, a special red powder is used for this) on the eyebrows, while concentrating the mind on Shiva and Shakti.

2) Having prepared water, gandha (fragrant oil or sandalwood paste), flowers (preferably red), incense sticks, a lamp with oil wicks, naivedya (sacrificial treat) and, if desired, other offerings (for example, jewelry, pieces of beautiful fabric, wine, etc., previously purified by the Shodhana ritual), the sadhaka places these objects on a tray in front of the altar, and he himself sits on a mat (asana) in front of the image or symbol of the Goddess. It is advisable to light a “standby lamp” or a candle on the altar or in front of it, which should burn at least during the worship of the Divine Mother.

3) Having again performed achamana with the mantras mentioned above, the sadhaka performs some simple pranayama, and then folds the fingers of both hands into yoni mudra, after holding a flower between his palms. Holding the yoni mudra at the level of the anahata chakra, one should read the Adya Kali Svarupa Stotra.

With the sound of the mantras CRIM, HRIM and SHRIM, reflecting the sting of Death, - This is how the hundred names of the Primordial Goddess Kalika, beginning with the syllable “KA,” are glorified. Proclaimed together, they form the essential Image of Kali.

The recitation of this stotra instantly evokes the invisible, but often quite tangible, presence of Adya-Kali in any image or symbol in which the sadhaka intends to honor Her. Having pronounced the stotra, the sadhaka places a flower on the yantra (or some other image or symbol of the Goddess) and bows down.

4) The presence of the Goddess in an image or symbol is welcomed by bowing and reciting the mantra:

NAMAHA SARVA-SVARUPINYAI JAGAD-DHATRYAI NAMO NAMAHA |ADYAYAI KALIKAYAI TE KARTRYAI HARTRYAI NAMO NAMAH ||

“Worship of the Essential Image of all things, worship of the Support of the Universe!

To the Primordial Kalika, to You, the Creator and the Destroyer, worship!”

5) One should offer some sacrificial offerings to the Goddess. while reciting the mula mantra Adya Kali:

HRIM SHRIM CRIM PARAMESHVARI KALIKE SVAHA“Hrim. Shrim. Cream. O Supreme Goddess Kalika! [I sacrifice all this to You] for your good!”

By reciting this mantra, any offering can be offered to the Goddess. By at least, you can offer at least one red flower, fruit or incense stick. By mentally repeating this mantra throughout the day, the sadhaka also offers all his experiences as a gift to the Goddess. In fact, this mantra is the strongest means of dedicating yourself and all manifestations of your life to the Primordial Goddess Kali.

6) After performing puja (offering of existing gifts), you should take the rosary (japamala) in your right hand and say: AIM HRIM AKSHA-MALIKAYAI NAMAH(“Aim. Khrim. Worship of the sacred rosary!”)

7) The sadhaka can, if he wishes, continue the worship of the Goddess by reading other hymns (stotras) dedicated to Her - for example, “Kalika-sahasranama-stotra” or “Devi-mahatmya”, sing Shakta bhajans, repeat mantras and offer prayers (including in his own native language). Properly initiated and trained correct execution homa (fire sacrifice) and balidana (animal sacrifice) can also perform these rituals. It is necessary to end the worship with reading and thus surrender oneself under the protection of the Mother Goddess.

8) At the end of the worship, one should read the prayer of apology and prayers that complete the worship of Shakti:

PRASIDA BHAGAVATY-AMBA PRASIDA BHAKTA-VATSALE |

PRASADAM KURU ME DEVI ADYA-KALI NAMO’STU TE ||

“Have mercy, O Mother Goddess! Have mercy, O Loving One of Your bhaktas!

Show me mercy, O Goddess! O Primordial Kali, worship You!”

AYUR-DEHI DHANAM DEHI VIDYAM DEHI MAHESHWARI |

SAMASTAM-AKHIDAM DEHI DEHI ME PARAMESWARI | |

Grant life, grant wealth, grant knowledge, O Great Goddess!

Grant me everything I need in abundance, grant me, O Supreme Goddess!

MA BHUTATRA KULE JANMA YATRA DEVI ON DAIVATAM |

AHAM DEVI na CHA'NYOSMI BRAHMAIVAHAM na SHOKABHAK ||

“May I not be born in such a family where the Goddess is not revered as a Deity!

I myself am the Goddess and nothing else, I am truly Brahman, who does not taste suffering!”

9) Realizing himself inseparable from the Goddess, the sadhaka folds his hands into samhara mudra and, grasping a flower from a yantra (or other revered symbol of the Mother) with his fingertips, meditates on absorbing the energy of the presence of the Divine, while simultaneously inhaling ida ( right nostril) flower scent. After this, one should place the flower on one’s head and take communion with the offerings donated to the Mother.

Before starting to practice such Shakti worship, one should seek the blessing of the spiritual teacher of the Tantric Tradition. It is especially important to hear the mula mantra from the guru. Only correctly and legally received mantras and puja practices can bring the practitioner the results he expects. It is important to remember the following: the Mother Goddess is not a servant of anyone’s whims and with Her (and Her sacred symbols and images) do not “work” like psychics - with subtle energies. The Divine Mother is worshiped, She is served with a sincere soul and heart, She is completely surrendered, She is loved. One who correctly understands the nature of the Goddess considers the very possibility of devotional service to Her not so much as a means of obtaining the desired results from Her, but as an invaluable gift of a personal relationship with Her. Devotion (bhakti) to the Goddess arises in those who worship Her without self-interest or hypocrisy as a consequence of Her special mercy. And the life of those who are marked by this grace of the Mother Goddess takes on a special meaning.

Special mantras for worshiping Shakti Devi

1). Mantra for Navratri (pronounced in the morning on the first day of the holiday):

KARISHYAMI VRATAM MATAR-NAVARATRAM-ANUTTAMAM

SAHAYYAM KURU ME DEVI JAGADAMBA MAM-AKHILAM

(O Mother, I intend to perform the excellent Navaratra vrata. Support me in this intention and in this action in every way, O Divine Mother of the universe!)

2). Mantra for dedicating all your actions during the day to the Mother Goddess (pronounced in the morning immediately after waking up):

PRATAR-UTTHAYA SAYAHNAM SAYAHNAT PRATAR-ANTATAH

YAT KAROMI JAGAN-MATAS-TAD-EVA TAVA POOJANAM

(O Mother of the Universe! Everything that I do from morning to evening and from evening to the next morning - let all this be my service to You!)

3). Mantras for expelling unclean spirits that interfere with the performance of worship rites (pronounced while simultaneously sprinkling blessed water on all sides of the space):/p>

APASARPANTU BHUTANI PISACAHA SARVATODISHAM

SARVESHAM VIRODHENA POOJA-KARMA-SAMARABHE

(Retreat, O bhutas and pishachis, in all directions! Performing puja brings only benefit to everyone!)

APASARPANTU TE BHUTA YE BHUTA BHUMI-PALAKAH

BHUTANAM-AVIRODHENA POOJA-KARMA KAROMY-AHAM

(Stand back, O bhoots, the guardian spirits of this place! I want to perform puja without the spirits disturbing me.)

4). Mantra-prayer for renunciation of sin (can be said before and after the puja, as well as at any time in order to destroy the sinful tendencies of the mind):

DEVI TVAM PRAKRTAM CHITTAM PAPA-KRANTAM-ABHUN-MOM

TAN-NIH SARAYA CHITTAN-ME PAPAM HUM PHAT CHA TE NAMAH

(O Goddess, my insignificant philistine mind is overwhelmed by sinful desires. Eliminate sin from my mind! HUM PHAT. Worship to You!)

OM SARVAM ADYA-KALIKARPANAM ASTU

Let everything be offered as a sacrifice to the Primordial Kalika!

The Sanskrit word “kala” means “death” on the one hand and “time” on the other.

According to the Mahanirvana Tantra, “time, or kala, devours the whole world during cosmic dissolution - pralaya, but Kali devours even time itself, which is why she is called the word Kali.” Goddess Kali is the highest Goddess, the night of eternity, the devourer of time.

“Her appearance is terrible. With disheveled hair, with a garland of freshly severed human heads. She has four arms. In her upper left hand she holds a sword, freshly sprinkled with the blood of a severed head, which she holds in her lower left hand. Upper right hand folded in a gesture of fearlessness, and the lower right - in a gesture of bestowing favors. Her complexion is bluish and her face shines like a dark cloud.

She is completely naked, and her body glistens with blood flowing from a garland of severed heads around her neck. She has earrings made from corpses in her ears. Her fangs are monstrous, and her face expresses rage. Her breasts are lush and round, she wears a belt made from severed human hands. Blood trickles from the corners of her mouth, adding shine to her face.

She emits piercing screams and lives in places where corpses are burned, where she is surrounded by howling jackals. She stands on the chest of Shiva, who is lying in the form of a corpse. She desires sexual union with Mahakala in an inverted position. The expression on her face is satisfied. She smiles. She shines like a dark cloud and wears black clothes."

Kali is the only one among the goddesses who fully reveals the nature of the ultimate reality and symbolizes a completely enlightened consciousness. The principle of destruction, which is personified in Kali, is aimed at getting rid of ignorance and illusion.

Kali is also a symbol of female self-sufficiency and emotional independence; in Kali Tantra it is indicated that even in sex, Kali occupies the position on top, that is, the male one. Kali has enormous sexual power. In later texts, especially the Tantras, she appears as sexually aggressive and is often depicted or described in sexual union with Shiva. In her Sahasranama Stotra (a hymn listing the names of the deity), many names emphasize her sexual voraciousness or attractiveness.

Among her names:

• She whose essential form is sexual lust
• She whose form is yoni
• She who resides in the yoni
• Garland-decorated yoni
• She who loves the lingam
• Living in a lingam
• She who is worshiped with seed
• Living in the ocean of seed
• Always filled with seed

In this regard, Kali violates the concept of a controlled woman who is sexually satisfied in marriage. Kali is sexually voracious and therefore dangerous.

Kali embodies freedom, especially freedom from social norms. She lives outside the boundaries of normal society. She prefers cremation sites, places that are usually avoided normal members society. She lives in forests or jungles, among savages. Her flowing hair and nakedness suggest that she is completely out of control, completely free from social and ethical responsibilities and expectations. For the same reason, she is an outsider, outside of convention.

Two features typical of Kali's appearance—her flowing hair and protruding tongue—seem to be appropriate expressions of her “otherness,” her unconventional, boundary-pushing, role-breaking, liminal character. In iconography she is almost always depicted with open mouth and sticking out his tongue. In her early history, where she is depicted as a savage, bloodthirsty goddess living on the edge of civilization, or as a fierce demon-slayer drunk on the blood of her victims, her protruding tongue, like her figure, seems to indicate her lust for blood. She sticks out her tongue wildly to satisfy her wild, all-consuming appetite.

Kali's protruding tongue has two main meanings in the context of Tantra: sexual gratification and the absorption of the forbidden or polluted. In the images of Dakshina-Kali, Shiva is sometimes represented in a state of erection, and in some dhyana mantras and iconographic images Kali she is in sexual union with him. In both cases, her tongue is stuck out.

Kali's gaping mouth and protruding tongue, her appearance and habits are disgusting to our ordinary sensibility. Perhaps this is precisely the main thing in tantra. What we perceive as disgusting, dirty, forbidden, ugly, is rooted in the limited human, or cultural, consciousness that has ordered, structured and divided reality into categories that serve limited self-centered, selfish concepts of how the world should be. Kali, with her rawness, rearranges these categories, inviting those who would like to learn from her to be open to the whole world in all its aspects.

She encourages her admirers to dare to taste the world in its most disgusting and forbidden manifestations, in order to discover at its core the unity and holiness, that is, the Great Goddess herself.

Kali's loose hair marks the end of the world; it flutters in different sides; there is no more order; everything turned into chaos. The “braided braid” of the social and cosmic order ends in the wild, loose, flowing hair of Kali. In certain circumstances, almost always involving desecration and pollution of one kind or another, Hindu women let their hair down. In particular, they do this during menstruation. The Mahabharata refers to the well-known prohibition of wearing one's hair braided during menstruation and not braiding it until after the ritual bath that ends the period of impurity. In addition to keeping their hair unkempt during menstruation, Punjabi women also let their hair down during the period following the birth of a child, after sexual intercourse, and after the death of a husband. Thus, women let their hair down while in a state of impurity.

Kali's four arms symbolize the full circle of creation and destruction that is contained within or embraced by her. It represents the inherent creative and destructive rhythms of the universe. Her right hands, folded in the gesture of “fear not” and the bestowal of boons, symbolize the creative aspect of Kali, and her left hands, holding a bloody sword and severed head, symbolize the destructive aspect.

Her three eyes represent the sun, moon and fire, with which she can control three modes of time: past, present and future. The bloody sword and severed head also symbolize the destruction of ignorance and the descent of knowledge. This sword is the sword of knowledge, or selfless sadhana, cutting the knots of ignorance and destroying false consciousness (the severed head). With this sword, Kali opens the gates of freedom, cutting the eight bonds that bind people. Besides false consciousness, a bleeding severed head also signifies the outflow of the guna of rajas (passionate tendencies), which completely purifies the adept, who is filled with sattvic (spiritual) qualities in his awakening to truth.

Kali's protruding tongue and sharp fangs represent the victory won over the power of rajas (red tongue) by the power of sattva (white teeth). Thus, Kali consists entirely of sattva and is completely spiritual in nature, transcending all impurities contained in the other gunas.

Kali's blackness also speaks of her all-encompassing, all-consuming nature, since black is the color in which all other colors disappear; black absorbs and dissolves them. Or it is said that black symbolizes the complete absence of color, which again signifies nirguna - the absence of characteristics - the nature of Kali as the ultimate reality. In any case, Kali's black color symbolizes her transcendence of all forms.

Kali's nakedness has a similar meaning and indicates that she is completely beyond name and form, beyond the illusory influences of maya and false consciousness, that she is completely transcendental. It is believed that her nakedness represents a completely enlightened consciousness, unaffected by maya. Kali is the shining fire of truth, which cannot be hidden under the veil of ignorance represented by Maya. This truth simply burns them.

Kali's home - a place of cremation - has a similar meaning. At the cremation site, the five elements are dissolved. Kali resides where dissolution occurs. In the sense of reverence, ritual worship and sadhana, it means the dissolution of attachments, anger, lust and other enslaving emotions, feelings and ideas. The devotee's heart is where this burning occurs, and Kali resides in the heart. The devotee places her image in the heart and under its influence burns all limitations and ignorance in the funeral pyre. This inner funeral fire in the heart is the fire of knowledge, jnana agni, which is bestowed by Kali.

Kali standing on Shiva represents the blessing she gives to her devotees. Shiva represents the passive potential of creation. In yoga philosophy he is purusha, lit. "man", the unchanging, characterless aspect of reality, while Kali is active prakriti, nature physical world. According to this view, Kali and Shiva together symbolize the ultimate reality.

Another interpretation of Kali standing on Shiva or having sex with him in an inverted position says that this symbolizes the involution of meditation, the means by which man “recreates” the universe in order to experience the blissful union of Shiva and Shakti.

The overwhelming presence of death imagery in all descriptions of Kali can also be understood as a symbol of the transformative nature of the goddess. It makes you think about the main thing in life, removing the husks and unnecessary things.