Kali Puja is celebrated in eastern India on Diwali. While in many parts of India, Lakshmi is worshiped, Kali's worship on the day of Diwali is of great importance.
It is said, as per Devi Mahatmayam, this is the day, when Kali appeared and killed Raktabija.
In the fight that was ensuing between Durga and the demons, there appeared a demon, called Raktabija.
Kali is called Bhadrakali in the south of India, and is said to have emerged from the third eye of Shiva and had killed the demon, Darika.
Kali shows the need for discrimination and dispassion and that good and evil arise from the same source and to spiritually progress we must overcome the terrible and violent side of life.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the story of Kali's birth, from Devi Mahatmayam. This story appears in the seventh chapter and continues to the next chapter where Raktabija is killed.
Shumbha commanded Chanda and Munda, his worriers to go and capture the goddess. The demons went to the battle field, where the Goddess Ambika was resting, on her lion. Instead of talking to her, the asuras attacked from all sides. Angry, the goddess frowned.
From her frowning forehead emerged a female figure. This figure had a sword in one hand, and a noose in the other. Clad in a dress made of the skin of the leopard, she was clad in jewels made from bones. Her was skinny herself and looked like a skeleton. She looked scary - her face was larger in proportion to her body and her tongue was jutting out of her mouth, Her eyes were sunken and she was making a noise that was creating disturbance in the atmosphere.
Increasing her size, this being started catching and gulping down the asuras. This was Kali.
Kali then rushed towards Chanda and Munda. The asuras seeing the goddess, attacked her. Kali started laughing, her teeth shining like thunder bolts. Catching Chanda, and utter "Hum" she cut his head off, with her sword. She then killed Munda similarly.
Ambika, pleased with her feat gave the goddess the name of Chamunda and Chandika. This killing of Chanda and Munda is celebrated during Sandhi Puja of Durga Puja, in Bengal.
Hearing this, Shumbha, the king of demons asked his army to kill the Goddess who was destroying his able warriors.
Hearing him, the army attacked the Goddess. Seeing the army attack, the Goddess strung her bow sting. The noise was deafening. Her lion started roaring. The goddess then started ringing the bell she was holding in one of her hands.
Kali then attacked the army. With only Ambika and Kali fighting the other gods, let their female forms join the fight. From Brahma emerged Brahmani, sitting on a swan. Shiva's female form came next, sitting on a bull. This was Maheswari. Kartikeya's female form, Kartikeyi came next sitting on a peacock. Then came Vishnu's form, in the form a female boar, called Varahi. A form called Narasinghi came looking like a half lion, half woman, Then came Vaishnavi, female form of Vishnu. Then came Indra's form called Aindri, sitting on an elephant.
All these goddess then started fighting and attacked the army. Meanwhile Ambika asked Shiva to go as her messenger and ask Shumbha and Nishumba to surrender. In this form, the Goddess is also called Shivadooti, as she had asked Shiva to go as her 'doot' (messenger).
As guessed, Shumbha and Nishumbha refused and the war took a fierce form. Seeing the goddess attacking, Raktabija came to the battlefield. Raktabija had a boon that whenever a drop of his blood fell on the ground, a duplicate Raktabija would be born at that spot (rakta=blood, bija=seed; "he for whom each drop of blood is a seed").
Raktabija attacked Aindri. The goddess hurled her bolt at the asura. Wounded, Raktabija began bleeding. Each drop of blood then started giving rise to a clone. As more weapons were hurled at the demon, each drop of blood gave rise to a replica. Soon the battlefield was full of many Raktqabijas fighting. Seeing this Kali went on the field and started gulping down the Raktabija replicas. When only one was left, Ambika attacked the asura with her trident, and Kali swallowed all the flowing blood. Raktabija was dead.
Kali became mad with blood lust after this incident. She started dancing the dance of destruction and forgot that She had already killed Raktabija. She kept on slaying the innocent after that. Seeing this, the Gods became extremely worried and approached Lord Shiva for help. Only Shiva had the power to stop Kali at this stage. So, Lord Shiva went and lay down among the corpses where the Goddess was dancing. Accidentally, Kali stepped on Shiva and soon She realized Her mistake. It is then Her tongue immediately came out of embarrassment and She calmed down. She was ashamed that Her blood lust had prevented Her from recognizing Her own husband. Thus, She came back to Her original form and the destruction was stopped. Shiva lying at Kali's feet also symbolizes the supremacy of Nature over man. It clearly shows that without Kali or Shakti even a powerful force like Lord Shiva is inert. Hence, Kali is shown as stepping on Shiva's chest.
~~~~~~~~~~
Kali teaches that pain, sorrow, decay, death, and destruction are not overcome by denying or explaining them away. These are inevitable parts of life and denying them is futile. For us to realize the fullness of our being and to realize our potential, we must accept these parts of existence. Kali's gift is freedom. The freedom of the child to revel in the moment, obtained only after confrontation with or acceptance of death. Kali is Mother, not because She protects us from the way things are, but because She reveals our mortality to us and releases us to act fully and freely; She releases us from the web of pretense, practicality and rationality.
Of all the Devi forms, Kali is the most compassionate because She provides liberation to Her devotees. A soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with love for Her children, as was seen in the case of Shri Ramakrishna.
It is said, as per Devi Mahatmayam, this is the day, when Kali appeared and killed Raktabija.
In the fight that was ensuing between Durga and the demons, there appeared a demon, called Raktabija.
Kali is called Bhadrakali in the south of India, and is said to have emerged from the third eye of Shiva and had killed the demon, Darika.
Kali shows the need for discrimination and dispassion and that good and evil arise from the same source and to spiritually progress we must overcome the terrible and violent side of life.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the story of Kali's birth, from Devi Mahatmayam. This story appears in the seventh chapter and continues to the next chapter where Raktabija is killed.
Shumbha commanded Chanda and Munda, his worriers to go and capture the goddess. The demons went to the battle field, where the Goddess Ambika was resting, on her lion. Instead of talking to her, the asuras attacked from all sides. Angry, the goddess frowned.
From her frowning forehead emerged a female figure. This figure had a sword in one hand, and a noose in the other. Clad in a dress made of the skin of the leopard, she was clad in jewels made from bones. Her was skinny herself and looked like a skeleton. She looked scary - her face was larger in proportion to her body and her tongue was jutting out of her mouth, Her eyes were sunken and she was making a noise that was creating disturbance in the atmosphere.
Increasing her size, this being started catching and gulping down the asuras. This was Kali.
Kali then rushed towards Chanda and Munda. The asuras seeing the goddess, attacked her. Kali started laughing, her teeth shining like thunder bolts. Catching Chanda, and utter "Hum" she cut his head off, with her sword. She then killed Munda similarly.
Ambika, pleased with her feat gave the goddess the name of Chamunda and Chandika. This killing of Chanda and Munda is celebrated during Sandhi Puja of Durga Puja, in Bengal.
Hearing this, Shumbha, the king of demons asked his army to kill the Goddess who was destroying his able warriors.
Hearing him, the army attacked the Goddess. Seeing the army attack, the Goddess strung her bow sting. The noise was deafening. Her lion started roaring. The goddess then started ringing the bell she was holding in one of her hands.
Kali then attacked the army. With only Ambika and Kali fighting the other gods, let their female forms join the fight. From Brahma emerged Brahmani, sitting on a swan. Shiva's female form came next, sitting on a bull. This was Maheswari. Kartikeya's female form, Kartikeyi came next sitting on a peacock. Then came Vishnu's form, in the form a female boar, called Varahi. A form called Narasinghi came looking like a half lion, half woman, Then came Vaishnavi, female form of Vishnu. Then came Indra's form called Aindri, sitting on an elephant.
All these goddess then started fighting and attacked the army. Meanwhile Ambika asked Shiva to go as her messenger and ask Shumbha and Nishumba to surrender. In this form, the Goddess is also called Shivadooti, as she had asked Shiva to go as her 'doot' (messenger).
As guessed, Shumbha and Nishumbha refused and the war took a fierce form. Seeing the goddess attacking, Raktabija came to the battlefield. Raktabija had a boon that whenever a drop of his blood fell on the ground, a duplicate Raktabija would be born at that spot (rakta=blood, bija=seed; "he for whom each drop of blood is a seed").
Raktabija attacked Aindri. The goddess hurled her bolt at the asura. Wounded, Raktabija began bleeding. Each drop of blood then started giving rise to a clone. As more weapons were hurled at the demon, each drop of blood gave rise to a replica. Soon the battlefield was full of many Raktqabijas fighting. Seeing this Kali went on the field and started gulping down the Raktabija replicas. When only one was left, Ambika attacked the asura with her trident, and Kali swallowed all the flowing blood. Raktabija was dead.
Kali became mad with blood lust after this incident. She started dancing the dance of destruction and forgot that She had already killed Raktabija. She kept on slaying the innocent after that. Seeing this, the Gods became extremely worried and approached Lord Shiva for help. Only Shiva had the power to stop Kali at this stage. So, Lord Shiva went and lay down among the corpses where the Goddess was dancing. Accidentally, Kali stepped on Shiva and soon She realized Her mistake. It is then Her tongue immediately came out of embarrassment and She calmed down. She was ashamed that Her blood lust had prevented Her from recognizing Her own husband. Thus, She came back to Her original form and the destruction was stopped. Shiva lying at Kali's feet also symbolizes the supremacy of Nature over man. It clearly shows that without Kali or Shakti even a powerful force like Lord Shiva is inert. Hence, Kali is shown as stepping on Shiva's chest.
~~~~~~~~~~
Kali teaches that pain, sorrow, decay, death, and destruction are not overcome by denying or explaining them away. These are inevitable parts of life and denying them is futile. For us to realize the fullness of our being and to realize our potential, we must accept these parts of existence. Kali's gift is freedom. The freedom of the child to revel in the moment, obtained only after confrontation with or acceptance of death. Kali is Mother, not because She protects us from the way things are, but because She reveals our mortality to us and releases us to act fully and freely; She releases us from the web of pretense, practicality and rationality.
Of all the Devi forms, Kali is the most compassionate because She provides liberation to Her devotees. A soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with love for Her children, as was seen in the case of Shri Ramakrishna.
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