Why kali stands on shiva

What is the significance of this scene? Sadhguru: This is a certain story trying to depict how the feminine dimension of energy functions. Once, it so happened that various demons started dominating the world.

Many evil forces started taking over the world. So Kali went into a fury. When she went wild, there was no stopping her.

She just went and slaughtered everything. Her fury would not stop. It was going on, beyond reason, beyond the necessary action needed for that situation, beyond everything. Because her fury had picked up such momentum and it would not subside, and because she was continuing the slaughter, no one dared to go and stop her.

She is your woman. Please do something to rein her in. Shiva approached Kali as he knew her. He went towards her without aggression, not in a battle mode. Her dishevelled hair hints at unrestrained blood lust and alternatively the metaphysical mystery of death that encircles life.

Her three eyes represent omniscience, her voluptuous breasts both sexual lust and nurturance. Her nakedness simultaneously represents carnality and purity.

Her necklace of severed heads and girdle of severed arms signifies her killing rage but are also tantric metaphors for creative power and severance from the bonds of karma and accumulated deeds. Even her stance is imbued with dual meaning. While her right hands are generally associated with positive gestures, her left hands hold weaponry — depending on the number of arms she is portrayed as having, a bloodied sword or trident, a freshly severed head and a skull cup to catch the blood.

However, even these are symbols of greater purpose. The sword symbolises higher knowledge, the head the human ego that must be severed in order to exit from the cycle of life and rebirth. In the 20 th and 21 st centuries, many western feminist scholars have adopted Kali as a mascot of female empowerment, or have politicised her as a symbol of the supposed former matriarchal golden age that came before our present state of patriarchal control and decline.

New Age Tantric practitioners adapt her obvious sexual manifestations as a therapeutic tool, while Hollywood employs her as a convenient symbol of malevolence.

But Kali, the true Kali, will continue to defy all attempts to tame and domesticate her, as she has since the beginning of time. Would the real Kali please stand up.

Kali can be depicted in various aspects, both as a terrible force for violence and retribution, and as a loving protective chaste figure. Photo credit: Kashgar. Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained, Secret Societies: the Thuggee. Accessed 4 th June Gordon, Sarah , The Cannibal Monks of Varanasi. Daily Mail. Accessed 6 th June Hixon , L Excerpt accessed 4 th June Kinsley, David R University of California Press. McDermott, Rachel Fell Oxford University Press.

Nelson, David The Many Faces of Kali. Urban, Hugh In McDermott, Rachel Fell. Berkeley: University of California Press published Wendy Doniger, Kali: Hindu Goddess. Accessed 2 nd June Thank you for such wonderful writing on Kali.

I was called to study her as a child and did in wonder. She is the reason why I love the Indian culture. To understand and love Kali is to see the beauty in all her forms. To feel protected and safe, loved and nurtured in the presence of her most horrific forms is something that can only be felt to understand.

Kali is not depicted as a crone. A crown is an old and ugly woman such as in the form of Bagalamukhi. Maybe you misunderstood the meaning of this word.

Nice blog. Kali is and has always been a mysterious figure. She has been misunderstood all right, but the time has come now to reveal the Goddess in her true colours. You can help Kali Maa by doing something for her.

To learn how you can help her read my blog on it. Thanks for communicating the complexity of Kali for western readers. Hi guys…. What do yall think this might be? Mother Kali is misunderstood because we as finite beings trying to understand with our human limited mind an infinite raw Force that can either loving or destructive but above both these aspects in Its Natural Beingness.

For those who approach Her in their childlike faith…She verily opens the Universe to teach from the intricacies of Her Creation to the mundane activities of daily life. She will surely answer your Call. Thank you for this. Making complete sense now. I feel like you are talking about kali and kaali as the same.

He is also depicted in all black and black clothing. And kaali is the goddess. Thank you for this beautiful article, finally someone has done Kali justice. As you say, no one can ever really define her, we can only wonder and ask for blessing. Squealing frantically , a black goat was being lifted by the legs as its head was inserted between the bloody staves. Blood spurted from its neck. A lifeless head ,its eyes looking into nothingness ,fell with an eerie thump to the ground while its body immediately taken away for cooking to feed the poor.

She knitted her brows in absolute fury. From this concentration came Kali, the Terrible One. The whole universe shook with the thundering roar of this powerfully terrible goddess. Those demons who stood nearest the mighty Devi were consumed within the roaring rage of energy.

Kali emerged, naked except for a covering of tiger skin. Her skin was of the deepest black, and hung loosely on Her bones.

This mad skeleton of a hag was armed with a skull topped staff, a noose, and the sword of Vengeance. She appeared most frightening with her blood red eyes,sunken deep into her skull, wild with raw power anxious to be unleashed and a third eye flaming brilliantly from her forehead.

Her entangled black hair blew wildly about Her shoulders. She turned her furious gaze upon the demon armies, half fell lifeless from the deadly grip of Her stare. With wild cackling, She advanced on Her enemies. She reached out with her claw-like hands and shoveled some of the remaining demons into her gaping mouth. The rest turned away in fear of this ferocious Devi. The skies were filled with the sound of Her shrieking laughter.

She stretched out Her bright red tongue and swallowed all of the elephants and their riders as they tried to run. The horse drawn chariots disappeared with another mouthful into the abyss of Dark Goddess. With his armies fully destroyed, again the great Devi faced off with Raktabija.

Kali pierced the demon in the side and quickly caught the flowing blood with her tongue and drank it greedily. The life energy of Rakatibija flowed out with his dripping blood like wine from a bottle.

This time he was not given the chance to raise more demons from his blood. He was helpless in the face of this terrifying hag. Kali lifted him high in the air so she could more easily drain the blood from his body.

The world was saved. It was time for Kali to begin her victory dance among the demon corpses. As She danced She threw Her head back and again filled the skies with her shrill cackling.

Soon the demon corpses were reduced to mush, yet Kali continued dancing. It seemed as though nothing would stop Her, and again the world was on the verge of collapse.

Something had to be done, and soon. The gods begged Shiva to intervene and calm Kali before it was too late. When he attempted to right himself, another foot step from the Devi sent him flying in the air. He then understood the full force of what was taking place. He hurried down to the other gods. They again beseeched him to do something.