Host:
Greetings. We welcome our friends to the guptasadhakshyamakhapa.com YouTube channel. Today, our question to Gurudev is about the first Mahavidya, Goddess Kali. I request Gurudev to tell us about Her.
Gurudev:
Yes. Krishnananda Agamavagisha was once contemplating the appearance of Goddess Kali. He was wondering, "What does Kali look like?" While deep in thought, one night in the early hours of the dawn, he received a divine message: "You go to the Ganges every day for your bath. Tomorrow, after your bath, the first person you see will be My form."
Gurudev:
The next morning, he went for his bath as usual, but he had forgotten about the dream. On his way back from the river, he saw a woman. She was holding a lump of cow dung in her hand; one of her feet was on a wall and the other on the ground, and her clothes were dishevelled.
Gurudev:
He stood there staring at her for a while when suddenly, his memory returned, and he recalled the message from his dream. He thought, "Who am I looking at? It was said that the first person I see would be Kali."
Gurudev:
He noticed she had cow dung in her hand and was in a state of disarray. When the woman saw such a prominent scholar standing before her, she bit her tongue in embarrassment and tried to fix her clothes.
Gurudev:
From this encounter, Krishnananda Agamavagisha understood the form of Kali. He then created an image of Kali with Her tongue protruding. Because the woman had bitten her tongue out of shame upon seeing him, the deity's tongue is depicted as being out.
Gurudev:
This is how Krishnananda Agamavagisha, the author of the Tantrasara, established this form of worship. Tantra consists of Agama and Nigama. If you look at the almanac, you will see a picture of Shiva and Durga sitting together. Their conversation is what constitutes Tantra. Shiva asked Durga ten questions, and she gave ten answers. This is documented in the ten chapters of the Agama.
Gurudev:
What is spoken by the Mother is Nigama, and Shiva's answers to the Mother's questions are known as Agama. These concepts of coming and going (birth and death) were established by Krishnananda Agamavagisha, who was the guru of the poet-saint Ramprasad.
Gurudev:
When Krishnananda first met Ramprasad, he told him, "I will come back later; your mother has passed away. I will initiate you then." After Ramprasad's mother died, he returned and gave him initiation. He told him that he must perform a specific spiritual practice—Shava Sadhana (meditation over a corpse)—and that he should do it in a cremation ground, sitting upon a form of the Goddess Tara.
Gurudev:
Ramprasad replied, "But I am a simple devotee. Kali is in my hands, on my lips, and the people of my village know Her through me. Why should I go to the cremation ground?" But the guru insisted, and Ramprasad eventually agreed. He received the mantra and began his meditation over a dead body.
Gurudev:
Mother Tara appeared to him and asked, "Ramprasad, what do you want?" He replied, "Mother, I want nothing but divine knowledge." She granted him that knowledge. Ramprasad didn't live much longer after that. After his final Kali Puja, he immersed himself in the waters of the Ganges, and his body was never found.
Gurudev:
In those days, people often considered Kali an "unfavorable" or "dark" deity. Later, these masters explained that She is not; She is the auspicious and benevolent Kali. Gradually, the popularity of Kali Puja grew. Initially, it began as community or "Barwari" pujas. My mother used to say that on this day, spirits and ghosts roam about, so we shouldn't leave the house. We would be inside by 7:30 or 8:00 PM. The streets were deserted back then. We would set off some crackers, but after 8:00 PM, we weren't allowed out because it was believed that the Mother wanders with her entourage of ghosts, spirits, and demons.
Host:
Gurudev, I have two questions. One is about the appearance of Kali as described by Krishnananda Agamavagisha. We see a jackal (Shiva) in front of Her, a garland of skulls, and Her red, protruding tongue. Could you explain these?
Gurudev:
I will come to the tongue later. Let's talk about the garland of skulls and the sword (Kharga) in Her hand first. The sword represents the victory of Dharma. Kali upholds Dharma. If anyone acts against it, She severs them with that sword.
Gurudev:
The garland consists of 51 skulls. There are 51 Shakti Peethas (holy sites). She wears 50 skulls as a garland and holds one in Her hand, totaling 51. These represent the 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, the Bija Mantras.
Gurudev:
Regarding the jackal, in the tradition of Kali Puja, there is a ritual called Shiva Bhog. If a jackal consumes the offering and howls, it is believed the puja is successful. That is why there used to be a place called Shiva Bhog Tala where offerings were left for them.
Gurudev:
Regarding the timing, Kali Puja must be performed at night. According to our scriptures, it should not begin before 10:00 PM. This is because solar energy is dominant during the day and even early evening in some places, while the Mother's power (Mahashakti) is most potent during the night. The two energies should not clash. Therefore, the puja begins late at night and should ideally be concluded by 1:55 AM, and the worship of Mahakala, who lies beneath Her feet, should be finished by 2:10 AM.
Gurudev:
The skulls in Her garland are also colored differently, representing the vowels and consonants. Each skull signifies a sound, a seed of creation—Kring, Kring, Kring, Hring, Hring. These 51 letters form the basis of the mantras.
Gurudev:
Her hands also convey deep meaning. One hand is in the Varada Mudra (boon-granting) and another in the Abhaya Mudra (fear-dispelling). She tells Her devotees, "I am here, why do you fear?" And the devotee, in turn, says to the Mother, "I am here, why do you fear?" It is a reciprocal relationship. As Ramprasad said, She gives up Her power for the sake of Her devotee's devotion.
Gurudev:
Ramprasad understood Kali better than perhaps any other saint in India. He expressed everything through his songs; he didn't rely solely on complex rituals. He saw Her in various forms—sometimes black, sometimes white, sometimes blue or red. As the poet Kamalakanta said, one could spend a lifetime just admiring Her different colors.
Host:
And what about the different forms of Kali, like Bhabatarini?
Gurudev:
The form of Bhabatarini at Dakshineshwar was established by Rani Rashmoni and Sri Ramakrishna. Interestingly, Krishnananda Agamavagisha had predicted 150 years earlier that a great saint would come to the banks of the Ganges and practice there. He said to Ramprasad, "You must clear the path for him." That saint was none other than Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Both their names start with "Ram"—Ramprasad and Ramakrishna.
Host:
Friends, you have heard Gurudev speak in detail about the first of the ten Mahavidyas, Goddess Kali. In our upcoming episodes, we will hear about the other Mahavidyas. We request you to like, share, and subscribe to our channel, guptasadhakshyamakhapa.com.
Host:
Thank you, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
You're welcome.
Gurudev:
(Concluding Prayer in Sanskrit) May all be happy, may all be free from illness. May all see what is auspicious, may no one suffer.