Host:
Namaskar.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Namaskar.
Host:
We welcome our friends to the YouTube channel of guptasadhakshyamakhepa.com. In the last episode, Gurudev discussed the "Dasha Mahavidya" (The Ten Great Wisdoms), and through his discussion, he enriched our understanding of this concept. We promised then that in the subsequent episodes, Gurudev would discuss each Mahavidya individually. Accordingly, our question to Gurudev today will be regarding the first Mahavidya—Kali. I request Gurudev to tell us about Kali.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes. You see, Kali is the first and the last vidya (wisdom). Among the Dasha Mahavidyas: "Kali Tara Mahavidya Shodashi Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi Chhinnamasta cha Vidya Dhumavati tatha, Bagala Siddhavidya cha Matangi Kamalatmika, Eta Dasha Mahavidya Siddhavidya Prakirtitah." These are the Siddhavidyas; each of these ten wisdoms is a Siddha. But the first of them is Kali. For those of us who have practiced the sadhana (spiritual discipline) of Kali, we have had to perform many rituals. These rituals are numerous. To perform Kali sadhana, one has to engage in many activities, which you could call Paishachik (pertaining to intense or fierce methods). We used to sit on the Panchamundi Asana (a seat made of five skulls) with dead bodies and severed heads to worship Mother Kali.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Later, when we felt the Mother's grace upon us, we left those fierce paths and moved towards Divyachar (divine conduct). Earlier, it was Vamachar (left-hand path). Since my Guru, Bamdeb Baba, belonged to the Aghori sect—he was of the "Saraswati" title—ordinarily, he wouldn't say this, but he had actually received the "Saraswati" title. He was a staunch Aghori; there was no doubt about that.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We are fortunate to be sitting in a Kali-kshetra (holy place of Kali). By Kali-kshetra, I mean the Dakshina Kali of Kalighat. This is the first vidya. If Dakshina Kali is satisfied, then all the other nine deities are also satisfied.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
In the past, during the Daksha Yajna of Mother Durga, Her body was divided into 51 parts (Shakti Peethas). Wherever a part of the Mother's body fell, it is not Durga Puja that is performed there, but Kali Puja. Dakshina Kali is worshipped in all 51 Peethas. No other puja takes place there. We are fortunate to be in a Kali-kshetra, close to Mother Kali, and we can have Her darshan (divine vision) whenever we wish.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We have a custom: whenever there is a major ceremony at home—a wedding, a sacred thread ceremony, or a child's first rice ceremony—we first say, "Go to Kalighat and satisfy Mother Kali." Only after offering puja to Her should you proceed with the other auspicious tasks of the household. All these are mangalika (auspicious) works performed for well-being. So we advise people that if any good work is to be done, start it after visiting the Kali-kshetra and performing Kali Puja. That yields much better results.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Now, one cannot speak of Kali without Durga. To understand Kali, one must look into the Puranas. It will take some time to explain. Once, Lord Narayana (Vishnu) desired that Mother Durga should bear him in Her womb. Whether you call her Parvati or Durga, she is the same. Narayana was looking for an opportunity. One day, while traveling through the sky on his mount, the bird-king Garuda, he saw the Mother bathing in the Manasarovar lake at Kailash. He felt a strong urge to go to the Mother, but he also wondered what she might say given the situation. Regardless, he told Garuda to stop and wait while he went to see the Mother. When he approached, the Mother was a bit annoyed. She said, "I am bathing; why have you come to me now?" Narayana replied, "It is rare to find You. I have a wish; if You could fulfill it." She said, "Tell me quickly and then leave." He said, "If You could once hold me in Your womb, my heart's desire would be fulfilled."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Mother said, "Tathastu" (So be it). She bore Narayana in Her womb and gave birth to him. This is why Durga is called "Narayani." She is the presiding deity of Narayana. When we offer prayers or Anjali to the Mother, we say "Narayani Namostute." We do not mention Shiva there; we call Her Narayani because she is Narayana's mother.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
She is also called "Katyaayani" because she resided in the ashram of Sage Katyayan as a maiden. The sage had prayed for Her to stay in his ashram. Today, what you know as the "Vivekananda Rock" in Kanya Kumari was actually Sage Katyayan's ashram. The Mother resided there in her maiden form. Later, when Swami Vivekananda went there, it became known as Vivekananda Rock, but it is Kanya Kumari. He meditated there and had a vision of the Mother. When he returned, he told the monks of Belur Math to perform Durga Puja and specifically to perform Kumari Puja (worship of a young girl) on the day of Ashtami. That tradition continues today at Belur Math.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
So, after the Mother gave birth to Narayana, he began to grow. When he reached youth, Lord Shiva was aware of this. One day, Shiva's two disciples, Nandi and Bhringi, asked their master if they could go and see the Mother. Shiva said, "Why ask me? Go ahead and see Her." Narayana was guarding the entrance to the Mother's abode. When they arrived, he stopped them, saying the Mother was busy and they couldn't enter. An argument ensued, which turned into a physical fight. Narayana beat them severely and told them to leave.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
They returned to Shiva in a pitiful state. When Shiva saw them, he was enraged. He took his trident and went to the entrance. He threw the trident, and it severed Narayana's head. When Mother Durga saw that Narayana's head had been cut off and he was dead, she was beyond furious. She began to change forms rapidly—becoming Kali, then Tara, then Kamala, Bagala, Matangi, Bhuvaneshwari—taking the forms of the Dasha Mahavidyas.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Lord Shiva was terrified by these fierce forms and couldn't pacify her. He called upon Lord Brahma. Brahma approached the Mother, who was still changing forms. Brahma was also scared. The Mother said, "If your son were killed, what would you do? My son is dead. I will not spare anyone; I will bring a cataclysm to the world."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Brahma pleaded with her to calm down, promising her son would live again. He instructed that someone go to Indra's court and bring the head of an elephant. Following Brahma's word, they brought the head of the elephant Airavata and attached it to Narayana's body. Narayana was revived, but the Mother was even more upset. She said, "My beautiful son now has the body of a human and the head of an elephant. Who will worship him? Everyone will mock him."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Brahma then declared that in every puja, Ganesha (the elephant-headed form) would be worshipped first. Before any deity receives an offering, Ganesha must be worshipped. If Ganesha is not worshipped first, no other god will accept the puja. This pacified the Mother.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This story shows how the Mother revealed the Dasha Mahavidyas. Later, when the Vedas were established, even though the Vedas are male-dominated, a mention of Ganesha is found in the Rig Veda: "Gananam tva ganapatim havamahe kavim kavinam upamasravastamam..." Ganesha is invoked during the Shastivachan (auspicious recitations).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Kali represents that which is beyond time (Kaal). She has conquered time. In Bengal, the worship of Kali was popularized by Krishnananda Agambagish of Navadwip. In earlier times, Kali was considered an "outer" or "fierce" deity, and puja was performed only by a few people at night before immersing the idol immediately.
Host:
Gurudev, you are discussing the first of the Dasha Mahavidyas, Kali. We will conclude this episode here and continue listening to you about Kali in the next part.