Back Kali Afrikaans Kali ALS كالي Arabic কালী Assamese काली माता AWA Kali BAT-SMG Kali BCL Калі (багіня) Byelorussian Кали (богиня) Bulgarian काली Bihari
| Kali | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Time, Death and Destruction | |
| Member of The Ten Mahavidyas | |
 Kali by Raja Ravi Varma | |
| Affiliation | |
| Abode | Cremation grounds, Battlefields (varies by interpretation), Manidvipa |
| Mantra |
|
| Weapon | Scimitar, Trishula (Trident) |
| Day | Tuesday and Friday |
| Mount | Lion |
| Texts | Devi-Bhagavata Purana, Devi Mahatmya, Kalika Purana, Shakta Upanishads, Tantras |
| Gender | Female |
| Festivals | |
| Consort | Shiva |
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Kali (/ˈkɑːliː/; Sanskrit: काली, IAST: Kālī), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddess who provide liberating knowledge.[1][2] Of the numerous Hindu goddesses, Kali is held as the most famous.[3] She is the preeminent deity in the Hindu tantric tradition and the Kalikula worship tradition, and is a central figure in the goddess-centric sects of Hinduism as well as in Shaivism.[4][5] Kali is chiefly worshipped as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe, and Divine feminine energy.[6][7][8]
The origins of Kali can be traced to the pre-Vedic and Vedic era goddess worship traditions in the Indian subcontinent.[4] Etymologically the term Kali refers to one who governs time or is black. The first major appearance of Kali in the Sanskrit literature was in the sixth-century CE text Devi Mahatmya.[4] Kali appears in many stories, with the most popular one being when she manifests as personification of goddess Durga's rage to defeat the demon Raktabija. The terrifying iconography of Kali makes her a unique figure among the goddesses and symbolises her embracement and embodiment of the grim worldly realities of blood, death and destruction.[1]
Kali is stated to protect and bestow liberation (moksha) to devotees who approach her with an attitude of a child towards mother. Devotional songs and poems that extol the motherly nature of Kali are popular in Bengal, where she is most widely worshipped as the Divine Mother. Shakta and Tantric traditions additionally worship Kali as the ultimate reality or Brahman.[8] In modern times, Kali has emerged as a symbol of significance for women.[1]
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Paulwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Significance of Dus Mahavidya". The Times Of India. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Lynnwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c "Kali". Encyclopædia Britannica. 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Dakshin Kali Khadgamala Stotra: A Hymn to the Fierce and Compassionate Goddess from Rudrayamal Tantra - Aghori Stories". aghoristories.com. February 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Hawley, John Stratton; Wulff, Donna Marie (1982). Sri Ramakrishna: The Spiritual Glow. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 152.
- ^ Harding, Elizabeth U. (1993). Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar. Nicolas Hays. ISBN 978-8120814509.
- ^ a b McDaniel, June (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal. Oxford University Press.