Kali Ma. (Patreon)

Kali Black (before light) Beyond Time Naked beyond covering the Maya~ ཨJai Ma Jai Ma Jai Maॐ

MA KALI -SYMBOLISM

In Hinduism, all goddesses are ultimately one: Devi. She takes different forms to allow us to understand Her multiple possibilities. One of the most powerful amongst these is Kali Ma.

Kali’s blackness symbolizes Her comprehensive nature, as in black all colours merge. Kali’s colour symbolizes Her transcendence of all form.

Kali’s nudity bears a similar meaning. She is described as dressed by the infinite space or sky. Her nudity represents complete illumined consciousness.

Her garland of fifty human heads, each representing one of the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, symbolizes knowledge and wisdom. Her girdle of severed human hands signify the action of karma. She blesses devotees by cutting us free from the cycle of karma. Her white teeth are symbolic of purity and Her red tongue shows that She consumes all things and enjoys tasting what society regards as forbidden. 

Kali’s four arms represent the complete circle of creation and destruction. Her right hands represent her creative aspect. Her left hands, holding a bloodied sword and a severed demon head, represent her destructive aspect. The bloodied sword and severed head symbolize the destruction of ignorance and the dawn of knowledge. 

The image of Shiva lying under the feet of Kali shows Shiva as the passive potential of creation. Kali is Shakti, the universal feminine creative principle and energizing force.