"You see her as dark because you are far from her. The sky seems blue; nevertheless, viewed closely it is colourless.In the same way, if you come close to KALI and realize her, you will see she is identical to God without form. She appears black to those whose spirit is not yet pure, but an advanced disciple of her sees no colour."
Her Name:The word Kali comes from the Sanskrit word kaala, meaning time. She is the power of time. Time, as we are all aware, is all-destroying, all-devouring. A power that destroys must be depicted in terms of awe-inspiring terror. Kali was originally a female adjective, and could mean black, or the creatrix.
Her Imagery:The kali imagery as normally found in the scriptural icons depicts a background with a cremation ground, or a burial ground, or a battlefield, showing dead and mutilated bodies.
She is standing in a challenging posture on the body of her own spouse, Siva himself. Whereas Shiva is pure white(by wearing ash on his body),She is deep blue in colour, bordering on blackness. She is wearing a garland of 51human heads or skulls. Her luxuriant hair is completely disheveled. She has three eyes and four hands(usually) .In her upper hand she is holding a freshly severed and bleeding human head, as well as the sword that was used in carnage. Her two lower hands are in the Abhaya and Varada mudras (Sacred gestures). Her face is red and her tongue protrudes from her mouth!
Her Nakedness:God is said to have created this universe and then entered into it. So the universe becomes a veil, a cloak for the Divinity. When that cloak is destroyed, the Divinity remains unveiled. This is the meaning of Kali's nakedness. She is termed Digambara(Clad in space),having the vast limitless space itself as her only vesture. Her apron of hand signifies how she enjoys the fruits of our selfless labour, and so clads herself in them.
Her Colour:Being the embodiment of Tamas, the aspect of energy responsible for dispersionadinfinitum, and thus producing a limitless void that swallows up everything, she is balck.She represents the state where time, space and causation have disappeared without any trace. Hence she is black.
Her HairThe disheveled hair, for which she is called Muktakesi bespeaks of her untrammeled freedom. very stand of hair is said to be an individual soul since all beings have their origin in Kali.
The Skulls:The garland of skulls or heads, numbering 51 represents the 51letters of Sanskrit alphabet they manifest the state of sound(Sabdha)in general, from which the entire creation has proceeded. The skulls signify the world of name and form, which is created and then reabsorbed by Kali the great devouress. She eats everything-time, demons(standing for negativity and emotions)our actions and our lives. At the final dissolution she takes only mouthful to absorb the entire universe, which she guards within her until the next generation.
Her Arms and Mudras:Since she is the supreme energy responsible for the dissolution of the created universe,her form as depicted on the left side, naturally instills awe and fear. but then she is ceatrix, the all-compassionate Mother also. hence She also reassures her fear-stricken children. On her right side She is all loving. Through the upper Abhaya hastha she says, "Don't be afraid! I am your own dear mother!" Simultaneously she is also exhibiting her desire to grant boons through the Varada Mudra of the lower hand.
Her Tongue:Kali's tongue protrudes, according to one of the mythological accounts, because she once destroyed all demons in a battle and then started a terrific dance out of the sheer joy of victory .The world began to tremble and give way under impact. At the request of all the gods Siva himself asked her to desist from the dance. She was too intoxicated to listen. Siva lay like a corpse among the corpses on which she was dancing in order to absorb the shock in to him. When she stopped upon him she suddenly realized her mistake and put out her tongue in astonishment! The red tongue symbolizes Rejas, the bursting energy and insatiable appetite of Kali. Through Rejas she devours theTamas(inertia, ignorance and negativity)of the disciple. The tongue is between white teeth, which symbolizes Sattva,(Pure energy)which controls or deactivate Rejus and Tamas and brings her devotee to ultimate reality. Siva, who is white by wearing ash through out his body, motionless ,eternal, the absolute brehmun(God).
Her Standing Posture:Siva mahadeva is Brehmun(God),beyond names, forms and activities. Hence he is shown lying prostrate like a sava(corpse).Kali represents his shakthi or energy. The energy however can never exist apart from its source, or act independently of it. It can manifest itself and act only when it is based firmly on the source. This is the meaning of kali standing on the chest of Siva, another aspect of supreme energy, and as such is no different from each other. As Kali, the divine mother, the female is equal to the mahakaala the male.
Kali represents not simply the destructive aspect of God's power but more, that which exists when time is transcended-the eternal state of limitless peace and joy. Her fierce destruction is also the fierce love of the love stricken Mother. Kali is above all the compassionate Mother, never angry, despite her outer show. She destroys in order to rebuild. She tears away so as to give back in abundance. She annihilates the dark forces in us so that she may arise within us as pure Light and Love.
അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളൊന്നുമില്ല:
ഒരു അഭിപ്രായം പോസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യൂ