She is the fast track, often on a bumpy road, to problem solution and spiritual advancement. There is, however, no association with Shiva.

Sh has ornaments decked on all her limbs. While not displaying ten heads, an “ekamukhi” or one headed image may be displayed with ten arms, signifying the same concept : the powers of the various Gods come only through Her grace. The implication is that Mahakali is responsible for the powers that these deities possess and this is in line with the interpretation that Mahakali is identical with Brahman. She has ten faces, ten feet and three eyes for each head. Each of her ten hands is carrying various components which vary in different accounts, but each of these represent the power of one of the Devas or Hindu Gods and are often the identifying weapon or ritual item of a given Deva. The ten-armed form of Mahakali : Here she is depicted as shining like a blue stone. Therefore, she is generally seen as the mother of language, and all mantras. Hindus believe Sanskrit is a language of dynamism, and each of these letters represents a form of energy, or a form of Kali. She has a garland consisting of human heads, variously enumerated at 108 or 51, which represents Varnamala or the Garland of letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, Devanagari. The other two hands (usually the right) are in the Abhaya (fearlessness) and Varada (blessing) mudras, which means her initiated devotees (or anyone worshipping her with a true heart) will be saved as she will guide them here and in the hereafter. The sword signifies divine knowledge and the human head signifies human ego which must be slain by divine knowledge in order to attain moksha. Two of these hands (usually the left) are holding a sword and a severed head. Kali’s most common four armed iconographic image shows each hand carrying variously a sword, a trishul (trident), a severed head, and a bowl or skull-cup (kapala) catching the blood of the severed head. She is also accompanied by serpents and a jackal while standing on the calm and prostrate Shiva. She is often depicted naked or just wearing a skirt made of human arms and a garland of human heads. Her hair is shown disheveled, small fangs sometimes protrude out of her mouth and her tongue is lolling.

Her eyes are described as red with intoxication and in absolute rage.

The popular four-armed form : She is described as being black or blue in popular Indian art. Kali is worshipped by Hindus throughout India but particularly Bengal, Assam, Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, along with Nepal and Sri Lanka. She is often portrayed standing or dancing on her consort, the Hindu God Shiva, who lies calm and prostrate beneath her. Kali is the first of the 10 Mahavidyas, or manifestations of the Great Goddess, or ultimate reality. She is considered as the primordial mass from which all life arouse. She is the mother of the world and the treasure-house of compassion. However, in most of the interpretations she is portrayed as ferocious and evil. Kali Ma is simultaneously portrayed as the giver, the one who bestows moksha or liberation and destructor, principally of evil forces. She is considered as a ferocious form of Durga/Parvati, who is the consort of Lord Shiva. “Kali” also mean “the black one”, the feminine noun of the Sanskrit adjective Kala.

She, therefore, represents Time, Change, Power, Creation, Preservation and Destruction. The name Kali is derived from the Sanskrit word “Kala” or time. But due to her destructive powers Kali is also known as “Dark Mother”. Kali, the divine Protector of Earth, also known as Kalika is a Hindu goddess.

Kali durge namo namah