The Hindu goddess Kali is somebody whose good side you want to stay on. On the one hand, Kali is seen as the benevolent protector of the innocent. On the other hand (or rather, one of the other hands), she has also been known to dance on the corpses of those she killed. She protects the innocent by wreaking vengeance and destruction on those who do evil, and she isn’t dainty about it.
Kali (her name means “time”) is often considered a scary figure, with dark blue skin, red eyes, and four arms, each of which holds a different symbolic object. She’s usually dressed in tiger skin and festooned with a garland of skulls, and carries a skull-topped staff, or a sword and a severed head. Sometimes, instead of a tiger skin, she gets dolled up in a skirt made of human arms. But don’t let her intense appearance fool you—beneath that ferocious exterior lies a profound message. The sword represents the power to cut through the illusions of Maya, the cosmic illusion that veils the true nature of reality. The severed head symbolizes the ego—the ultimate illusion that keeps us trapped in the cycle of suffering. Kali is showing us that liberation lies in letting go of our attachment to the false self, embracing our true essence. She represents the raw, untamed forces of the universe. Kali, as the goddess of destruction, is primarily concerned with destroying the illusions of ego and the shackles of attachment.
She’s usually portrayed standing with her right foot on her husband Shiva’s chest. This is a reference to a story about a time when she was on the battlefield and so completely enraged that she was on the brink of destroying the universe. Shiva laid down under her foot to break her focus and calm her. She’s shown sticking out her tongue, which symbolizes her insatiable hunger for truth, her unyielding thirst for knowledge and wisdom.
Kali and Parvati are two aspects of the same goddess; where Kali, the goddess of destruction, represents the raw and unbridled energies of creation and destruction, Parvati, the gentle and nurturing goddess, embodies grace, beauty, and love. Her story often revolves around her dedication to her spouse and her role as a loving mother to their children. Parvati and Kali may appear as contrasting forces, but they are not in opposition to each other. In fact, they are intricately intertwined and mutually supportive.
Like a lot of gods and goddesses, Kali has a number of other names. According to various Hindu traditions, Kali has 8, 12, or 21 different forms:
- In Bengal, she’s Dakshinakali, the benevolent mother and protector of children.
- Occasionally she shows up in a more advanced form (it’s like Pokemon; gods and goddesses can take different forms as they advance) as Mahakali (“Great Kali”), the manifestation of ultimate reality. The main physical difference being that Mahakali has ten arms instead of just the four. Also ten heads and ten legs, which might be a bit excessive to western eyes.
- She sometimes takes the form of Samhara Kali, the embodiment of destruction. This is her most powerful form.
- Other forms include Raksha Kali (form of Kali worshipped for protection against epidemics and drought), Bhadra Kali, Guhya Kali, Adya kali, Chintamani Kali, Sparshamani Kali, Santati Kali, Siddhi Kali, Dakshina Kali, Bhadra Kali, Smashana Kali, Adharvana Bhadra Kali, Kamakala Kali, Guhya Kali, Hamsa Kali, and Kalasankarshini Kali.
Lessons we can learn from Kali:
1. Embrace all aspects of yourself, including the unconventional and scary parts.
2. Seek the truth and be unafraid to confront your fears and illusions.
3. Step outside your comfort zone even if it frighten the neighbors.
