Maa Kali – God of Power

Kali's origins, like those of most sacred figures, may begin with tribal folklore deeply rooted in human history. The name Kali first appears in the Atharva Vedas, a collection of hymns and mantras written sometime around 1200 BC. and 1000 BC. Published. But she is not a goddess, but a ferocious Black Tongue, and she is one of her seven tongues belonging to Agni, the god of fire. When Kali appears in Devi Mahatmiya circa 600 AD as a battlefield goddess who personifies Durga's wrath, it takes another 400 years before Kali is described as a distinct individual. Her appearance at the time was terrifying. A terrifying old woman of a blackened skeleton (a literal interpretation of her name) carries a kathvanga, a staff with animal skins, and a skull tip associated with tribal shamans. Other texts from this period associate its beginnings with Shiva. In the Linga Purana (500-1000 AD), it is explained that Shiva asked his wife Parvati to defeat the demon Daruka, who can only be killed by women. Parvati merges with Shiva and reappears as Kali to perform the deed, but at a terrible price. Her bloodthirst grows out of control and is only subsided when Shiva intervenes. Vamana Purana (900 - 1100 CE) has another version. When Shiva refers to Parvati as Kali, the 'black one', she offends her and implements certain austerity measures to shed her dark complexion and eventually create Kali as a separate entity. increase.

Kali is often associated with Shiva. Her name itself is the feminine form of Kala, another name for Shiva, and she is inextricably linked to Shiva. She is considered Shiva's shakti (power) and he is considered her consort. She is closely associated with him in many of the Puranas, and when she appears alongside Shiva in these scriptures, she plays a role opposite Parvati. While Parvati calms Shiva and neutralizes his destructive tendencies, Kali actively provokes and encourages him. As scholar David Kinsley says, "It is not Kali who has tamed Shiva, but it is Shiva who must appease Kali."