The image of Goddess Kālī is none other than the representation of Jagadambā, the Universal Mother, and a form of Parāśakti—the Supreme Power. Parāśakti manifests in various forms, and Kālī is one among them. There are many manifestations of Kālī, such as Dakṣiṇā Kālī, Vāmā Kālī, Śmaśāna Kālī, Kāla Kālī, and Kāmakalā Kālī. Among these, Dakṣiṇā Kālī is most widely worshiped in Bengal.
Beneath Kālī’s feet lies Śiva in the form of a corpse (śava). When the conscious energy (caitanya śakti) departs from Śiva’s body, it becomes lifeless—a corpse. It is upon this lifeless body that the conscious force performs its activity. Kālī is seen standing on the chest of Śiva, symbolizing that without attaining Śivatva (the state of Śiva), one cannot hold Kālī in one’s heart. Only after reaching the state of śava (corpse) can one realize Kālī. Śiva alone can become śava (lifeless), but a jīva (individual being) cannot.
Kālī’s iconography includes four arms. In one hand, she holds the vara-mudrā (gesture of boon-giving), and in another, the abhaya-mudrā (gesture of fearlessness). The third hand carries a sword (khaḍga), and the fourth holds the severed head of a demon (asura-muṇḍa). This severed head represents Mahāmoha—the Great Delusion, which must be cut down through jñāna (knowledge). The sword is the symbol of wisdom, which severs ignorance.
This Mahāmoha (Great Delusion) is, in reality, the web of mental constructs (vikalpa) that entangle human beings. The root of these mental constructs lies in Mātṛkā—the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. There are fifty such letters in the Sanskrit language, and they serve as the cause of delusion. To overcome mental constructs, one must go beyond them and reach the state of void (śūnya). The severed head in Kālī’s hand is Mahāmoha, the origin of all illusions, and she wears a garland of such severed heads, representing her as the Mother of all thought constructs (vikalpa).
Kālī is the one who destroys these illusions through wisdom. The sword she carries signifies jñāna (knowledge). Her hand in vara-mudrā bestows worldly happiness, while the abhaya-mudrā grants liberation (mokṣa). She is digambarā (clothed in the directions), symbolizing that she is of the nature of space (ākāśa), beyond all coverings. Her protruding tongue signifies her state of absolute non-duality (nirvikalpa avasthā). She is the resident of the cremation ground (śmaśānavāsinī), where only corpses exist—meaning she is beyond life and death.
Kālī does not manifest as a jīva (individual soul). When the state of jīva is dissolved into pure consciousness (śiva-bhāva), she manifests as the Ādyaśakti (Primordial Power) in her divine play (līlā). Until the jīva attains the state of a corpse (śava), it cannot become Śiva. Only upon crossing the vast void (mahāśūnya) does the supreme wisdom (Mahāvidyā) arise.
The Three Great Forms of Mahāvidyā
Mahāvidyā manifests in three primary forms:
- Kālī
- Tārā
- Ṣoḍaśī (Tripurāsundarī)
When all worldly wealth and pleasures are exhausted, and the supreme transcendental consciousness (para-caitanya) awakens, that is Kālī. She represents the new moon (amāvasyā), the state of total absorption. Ṣoḍaśī, on the other hand, represents the full moon (pūrṇimā), the embodiment of beauty and prosperity. Ṣoḍaśī is also known as Lalitā Tripurāsundarī, the supreme goddess of sovereignty (Rājarājeśvarī), possessing infinite wealth and grandeur.
On the path from Kālī to Ṣoḍaśī, one encounters Tārā, the savior (Tāriṇī). In the Daśāvatāra (ten incarnations of Viṣṇu), Rāma corresponds to Tārā, and in the Mahāvidyās, Brahman itself takes the form of Tāriṇī. This is a deep mystery that cannot be fully revealed.
The Meaning of Kālī’s Garland of Severed Heads
The garland of severed heads worn by Kālī consists of fifty skulls, representing the fifty Sanskrit letters (mātṛkā). These fifty letters exist as subtle forces within the six chakras of the human body:
- Mūlādhāra (Root Chakra) – 4 letters
- Svādhiṣṭhāna (Sacral Chakra) – 6 letters
- Maṇipūra (Solar Plexus Chakra) – 10 letters
- Anāhata (Heart Chakra) – 12 letters
- Viśuddha (Throat Chakra) – 16 letters
- Ājñā (Third Eye Chakra) – 2 letters
These letters are the fundamental vibrations (śakti) that create human perception and cognition. They are the root cause of delusion (moha), which drowns beings in ignorance. When illusions are removed, one attains the state beyond thought (nirvikalpa).
Symbolism of Kālī’s Four Hands
- The vara-mudrā (boon-giving hand) bestows worldly happiness on those who seek prosperity.
- The abhaya-mudrā (gesture of fearlessness) grants liberation (mokṣa) to those who seek spiritual freedom.
- The sword (khaḍga) symbolizes knowledge, cutting through ignorance and mental constructs.
- The severed head represents Mahāmoha, the great illusion that binds beings to false identification with the body and external reality.
The sword is a reminder that knowledge alone can sever illusion. The severed heads in the garland symbolize the Sanskrit letters (mātṛkā), which create verbal constructs that shape human perception. Words generate thoughts, which in turn create vikalpa (mental constructs).
“There is no cognition in this world that is free from the influence of words.” (Na so’sti pratyayo loke yaḥ śabdānugamādṛte)
Since speech (in its gross form as vaikhari-vāk) generates impure thoughts, the fifty severed heads in Kālī’s garland symbolize the destruction of these impure thoughts through wisdom.
Kālī does not discard the severed heads after destroying them—she wears them as ornaments. This means she does not eliminate thought altogether but transforms impure thoughts into pure ones, signifying that even an enlightened being must operate within a purified intellect.
Kālī as the Bestower of Fourfold Goals of Life
Kālī grants the four goals of human life (puruṣārthas):
- Dharma (Righteousness) – represented by her vara-mudrā, blessing those who seek the path of virtue.
- Artha (Wealth) – bestowed upon those who seek prosperity.
- Kāma (Desire) – granted to those who seek worldly fulfillment.
- Mokṣa (Liberation) – represented by her abhaya-mudrā, blessing those who seek freedom from the cycle of birth and death.
Thus, the great secret of Kālī is that she is both the destroyer of delusion and the compassionate mother, guiding her devotees through different paths—whether worldly or spiritual. If one wishes to truly embrace Kālī, one must attain Śiva-bhāva—the transcendence of ego and entry into pure consciousness.
This is the ultimate mystery of Kālī.