The Supreme Goddess - Kali

 


Kali's origins can be traced Vedic sources. Kali's three manifestations for the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe are represented graphically in the Kamakala- chidvali; The goddess of renowned form assumes, in time of protection, the form of straight line; in time of destruction she takes the form of circle, and for creation she takes on the brilliant appearance of a triangle. In her yantra form, Kali is symbolised by the central dot, bindu, the source of objectivization or womb of the world.

Her unfolding is represented by the five triangles which are the five jnanendriyas (organs of knowledge) and the five karmendriyas (motor organs); the encompassing circle, which is avidya (false knowledge i.e. knowledge of the illusory world of separate objects); and the eight petalled lotus which is the eight-fold Prakriti(Nature); earth, water, fire, air, ether, Manas (Mind), Buddhi (Intellect) and Ahamkara (ego consciousness. Her cosmogonies diagram is imbued with the pulsation of pranas, the life-force.






The Supreme Goddess is the source of al energies, and the feminine divinities are principally her emanations, or her partial archetypal images. The immense array of the goddess- transformations of Kali are classified in descending order. Certain goddesses are complete manifestations of the supreme feminine principle; some are her partial emanations; some are fractions of her power; mortal women are included as "parts of parts of fractions" of the Supreme Goddess. Each of the goddesses has a specific cosmic function. Together as the power of wisdom, they awaken the worshipper to the illusion of existence. Represented in their yantra, they are the embodiments of human perfection's.

Tantrism shows a preference for a dynamic concept of cosmic unity which implies a harmonization of all differentiation's and paradoxes. The Sakti-cluster of the Mahavidyas as a whole reflects this dynamic unity of existence, in which all aspects of life, the darkest, the purest, the most forceful and the inert, are combined to form a whole, a vision of unity in diversity.

Like all the Mahavidyas, Kali is a Great Yogini. Though countless forms of yoginis emerged from the body of Kali, sixty-four of them are named in the Kalika Purana with their prescribed worship, and in the Bhutadamara (a tantric text) eight different methods of yogini- worship are described.


Divine Mother


 

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