Kali: Goddess of Death and Rebirth in Hindu Tradition

Rooted in tribal mountain societies of South Asia, Kali first appeared in the Sanskritic tradition in the "Devi Mahatmya" ("The Glorifications of the Goddess," 6th century C.E.).

Many argue that she stems from the warrior-goddess Durga, while another story describes her as being born from the shredded skin of Shiva's wife, Parvati.

One story even claims that, like the Christian Eve — who was crafted from Adam's rib bone — Kali was born from Vishnu's earwax to aid Brahma, the creator, against the demons Madhu and Kaitabha.

Despite the continued disagreements on her origin story, Kali is a fierce enforcer whose conviction and rage remain relatively constant across all aspects of Hindu dharma.

Although she can take on various forms, Kali is typically depicted as having a black- or blue-skinned, scantily clad body, adorned with jewelry comprised of decapitated heads.

Kali's tongue and wild hair often highlight her surprised (or angered) expression. You'll often see statues of Kali standing with wide, wild eyes and dark skin, dancing and and trampling her husband, Shiva.

To the average Westerner, Kali, in her macabre dress and startling facial expression, with her tongue jutting out of her fanged grin, may look like something out of a nightmare. However, there is more to her than meets the eye at first glance.

The Dichotomy of Purity and Violence

In a way, every part of her appearance, from the form of her body to the accessories she carries (severed human arms, in some cases), touches on her connection to the divine and is not something to be feared.

For instance, you might notice her multiple arms carrying bloodied swords, tridents and a severed human head. Instead of just being common weapons of warfare, they symbolize higher knowledge, while the head represents the death of human ego — an important step toward enlightenment.

Kali and the other gods are often depicted as naked to represent the dichotomy between purity and carnal pleasure.

Since Kali is the goddess of destruction, she wears minimal covering in the form of a garland of severed heads and a girdle of dismembered arms to illustrate her violent streak while also echoing tantric metaphors of cutting the bonds of Karma.

Kali is known to the Hindu people in many forms, such as a beautiful woman or a multi-headed demon. However, each depiction represents a different side of the goddess Kali's demeanor.

1. Classic Kali

If you are familiar with the goddess' depictions in art, you have likely seen her most common four-armed representation, with two hands preoccupied with a sword and a severed human head. This iconography also sheds light on how the goddess is tasked with the multifaceted enlightenment of her followers.

Early artists likely provided extra limbs so that the top two could adequately hold the important symbols of sword and severed head, allowing her spare hands to form mudras, or hand signals representing fearlessness and blessings.

2. Mahakali

The Mahkali form focuses more on Kali's relationship with the darker side of her role in death and destruction than the morally ambiguous classical motif.

There are aspects of the original form, such as each head containing three eyes, yet the duplicative representation of Mahakali speaks to a transcendent evolution where the goddess is elevated to a status on par with the supreme force, Brahman.

3. Dakshinakali

Dakshinakali is the most motherly and benevolent depiction of Kali and the most popular form of the goddess in Bengali culture.

According to the story of Yama, even the god of death retreated into a state of exile when he heard her name. Therefore, many zealots believe that people loyal to Kali could potentially cheat death and become immortal.

The world is a complex place, and few forces of nature are more vexing than the concept of time. As the overseer of time and various other cosmic forces, it stands to reason that this Hindu goddess and dark mother would contain multitudes.

She is a stern, divine mother goddess who embodies (and is guided by) shakti, the feminine energy of creativity and fertility. At the same time, some of her many arms wield swords and hold severed heads, showing that this mama means business.

Kali and the Battle Against Raktabija

One of the most common misconceptions about the goddess Kali is that she takes pleasure in death and destruction.

However, she is outside the confines of the Western ethical binary, which holds that a deity must be either a force of good or evil. With her contradictions in mind, you can see why Kali becomes a more relatable symbol for the average person who reflects her flaws and follies in life.

This ambiguity is apparent in the battle against the demon Raktabija. At the onset of the skirmish, Kali realizes that any drop of his blood spilled on the ground would create another fighter. She quickly turns the tides by draining him dry before consuming his clones.

This vampiric act may seem barbaric to some, but it is an excellent illustration of how Kali and the other Hindu gods are expected to fight fire with fire while remaining impartial to protect and judge demons and humans alike.

When attempting to understand the true nature of Kali, it can be challenging to look past the way she was worshipped by the Thuggee cult that dealt out terror throughout India between the 14th and 19th centuries.

For the most part, the cult was a small band of thieves and criminals. However, at the height of the organization's influence, it became sort of a radicalized terrorist group that was hellbent on human sacrifice. Many scholars believe that between 500,000 to 2 million victims were killed in the name of Kali during this time.

Nowadays, Kali Puja is the festival dedicated to celebrating the Hindu goddess. It's primarily celebrated in India, sometimes overlapping with Diwali, and entail festivities such as parades and offerings of flowers and food.