Meditation Hymn of Adya Kali

She is dark as a black rock, wearing a jeweled crown.
The sign of a third eye is on her forehead,
She, the Goddess with three eyes.
Like lotus petals, Her eyes are large,
They shine like two bright jewels.
Her glance showers compassion.
Three locks of matted hair adorn her.
Her face radiates contentment and,
She is gowned with much splendor.
Her raised left hand holds a sword,
a human head in the lower one.
Her right hands grant sanctuary and boons to all.
Her tongue shows between her lips,
the garland of skulls hanging to her feet
Bejeweled, of heavenly form, there is no skirt of human arms.
She stands on a lotus base,
Her right foot on the chest of Shiva sprawled at Her feet.
Her other foot is on his right thigh.
She grants freedom from fear.
She the Goddess, is the expression of the ultimate Brahman. Meditate on Adya, the infinite,
She who embodies the extreme beauty in form.


Dakshina Kali Dhyan Mantra
The transliterated text follows the one given by Shri Narendranath Brahmachary of Dev Sangha Ashram, Deoghar, India, in his ‘Mantra O Puja Rahasya’ ( Mantra and Mystery of Worship).

om karAla-badanAm ghorAm mukta-kEshim chatur-bhuryAm.
kalikAm dakshinAm dibyAm munda-mAlA bibhushitAm
sadya-chinna shira kharga bamA-dordha karAmbujAm
abhayAm baradAn-chaiba dakshina-dArdha pAnikAm

mahA-megha-prabhAm shyamAm tathA chaiba digambarim
kanThA-bashakta mundAli galad-rudhira-charchitAm
karna-batAng shatA-nita shaba-jugma bhayanakAm
ghora-drashtAm kara-lAsyAm pinnonnata-payodhorAm

shabanAm karasanghAtayi krita-kAnchim hasan-mukhim
srikkadaya galadrakta-dhArA bishphuri-tananAm
ghorarabAm mahA-roudrim sashAnAlaya-bAshinim
bAlArka mandalA-kAra lochana tri tayAnitwam

danturam dakshina-byapi lambomAn kaccho-choyAam
shaba-rupa mahA-deva hridayo-pari sangsthitAm
shibArbi-ghora rAbArvi chatur-drikkhu samanitwAm
mahAkAlena cha samam biparita-ratAturam
sukha-prassanna-badanAm smerAnana-saroru-hAm
ebam sacchinta-eta kAlim dharmma-kAmArtho-mokhsha-dAm

Meditation Hymn of Dakshina Kali

Om. Fierce of face, she is dark, with flowing hair and four-armed.
Dakshina Kalika divine, adorned with a garland of heads.
In Her lotus hands on the left, a severed head and a sword.
She bestows sanctuary and blessings with her right hands.

The color of the monsoon clouds, and clothed by the sky,
the garland of heads around her neck, tinges her with blood.
Fear-inspiring, with a pair of unborns as her earrings.
Her face is ferocious , her high breasts full in affection.

Girdled with a skirt of severed arms, she smiles.
A stream of blood flows from the corner of her lips.
Terrifying of voice, turbulent, dwelling in cremation grounds
With fearsome teeth, her three eyes reddened like the early sun.

Her unbraided locks covering her left side,
she is installed on the heart of corpse-like Siva.
Jackals howl around her, filling the four directions.
She is in reverse congress with Mahakaal(Time) .
With a blissful face, she is always smiling.
Meditate on kali, who grants all needs and desires.


Dakhshina Kali Mantra

This mantra is depicted in the hymn to kAli named ‘dakhshinA kAli stotram', which is also called the ‘karpurAdi stotram' stemming from its first word ‘karpUr' which literally means camphor. The word ‘dakhshinA' in this context means ‘south' as She is traditionally seen as facing south. One meaning of the word ‘dakhshinA' is ‘a fee paid to a priest', inappropriately alluded to by some in this context. The base word, ‘dakhshin' also means right (as opposed to left), like referring to the right hand. The root ‘dakhsha'means ‘skilled' or ‘ expert'. This is in semblance with the Latin ‘dexter' for right- handed, with the same root giving ‘dexterous' and ‘dexterity'. (The left is ‘sinister').

One puja text explains that the departing souls who are heading south towards ‘hell' are rescued by the goddess, who is facing in the same direction. The Southern transit of the sun is also connected to the ‘night of the gods', so She may be said to be facing the ‘night'.

‘dakhsha' is also the name of the father of the Goddess in another form as ‘satI'. And in there is the story of the death of Sati because her father did not invite her consort shiva to his great fire-ceremony. The gods ended shiva's ensuing dance of destruction by slicing the body of satI into fifty-one parts. The sites at which her body fell gave rise to the 51 ‘shakti-pithas' all over the Indian sub-continent.

The dakhshinA kAli mantra is described in the first six verses of the karpurAdi stotram in terms of its individual parts and letters. The mantra consists of 22 syllables. In Sanskrit, the syllable is the ‘akhshara'. The word could mean letter (vowel or consonant) but also means ‘that which is not dissipated'. The root ‘khsara' means ‘that which is destructible'. So, Brahman, ‘the ultimate reality' is expressed in the ‘akhshara'. The Bhagabat Gita thus refers to ‘akhshara Brahman'.

(aum) krim krim krim, hum hum, hrim hrim,
dakhshinA kAlikay,
krim krim krim, hum hum, hrim hrim, swaha.

The mantra is preceded by ‘om' or ‘aum'. It consists of three ‘bija' or seeds, krim, hum and hrim, and the name ‘dakhshinA kAlike' and ‘swaha' signifying offering. The Sanskrit script shows the first seven terms of the mantra preceded by the ‘Aum' on the first line. The ‘dakh-shi-nA-kA-lI-ke' (six syllables) on the second line. The last line shows the last nine syllables ending in ‘swA-hA'. The end sound of the seeds are between ‘m' and ‘ng' and are nasalized; krIm ~ krIng, hUm ~ hUng, hrIm ~ hrIng.


The Deities of Sri Sri Chandi

The sri sri chandi or sati saptashati is to the Tantra what the bhagabad gitA is to the Vedic scriptures. It is considered the essence of the tantra teachings. The text is traditionally divided into three segments. In the first, the goddess defeats the demons madhu and kaitava , representing the untying of the first binding knot of existence, the brahma granthi. In the second, She defeats the demon mahiShAsura, representing the second binding knot, the bishnu granthi . In the third the demons shumbha and nishumbha are demolished, untying the rudra granthi or the third binding knot.

In the physical level ( adhi-bhoutik ) the text presents the battle between the Goddess and the many denizens of this world who have not kept the dharma. In the divine level ( adhi-daibik ) She uproots the forces of the different desires and affects of humans such as lust and anger. In the spiritual level ( adhyatmik ) it presents the development of the individual seeker as he proceeds with his development in untying the bindings of existence.

The reigning deity of the first segment of the sri sri chandi is mahA kAli, of the second, mahA-lakhshmi and of the third, mahA-swaraswati.

pratham charitasya brahmA Rishi, mahA kAli debatA, gAyatri chhanda, nandA shaktI, raktadantikA bija, agnistatwang, rikbeda-swarupam, mahakAli pritArthe jape biniyoga.

In the first character, the sage (rishi) is brahma, the deity (debatA) is mahA-kAli, the meter (Chanda) is gyatri, the energy (shakti) is nandA, the seed (bija) is rakta-dantikA, the principle (tatwa) is fire (agni), it is the heart of the rik-veda, it is recited in honor of mahA-kAli.

om khargang chakra-gadeshu-chapa-parighAn shulang bhushundIng shirah
shankhang sanda-dhatIng karistri-nayanAng sarbAnga-bhushAbritam.
nIlAshma-dyutimAsya pAda-dashakAng sebe mahAkalikAng
yamastou-chhaite harou kamalajye hantung madhung kaitavam.

Line 1: om; kharga: scimitar; chakra: disk; gadeshu: mace;chapa: arrow; parighA: bow; shula: lance; bhushundI: club; shirah: skull;
Line 2: shankha: conch shell; sanda-dhatim karai: in Her hands; tri-nayanam: three–eyed; sarbanga: all Her body; bhushabritam: decorated.
Line 3: NilAshma: blue stone, diamond; dyutim-asya: radiance; pada-dashakam: ten feet; sebe: serve; mahAkalikAm
Line 4: yamastou: She who; chhaite: in sleep; harou: bishnu; kamalajye: brahmA; hantum: destroy; madhum kaitavam: the demons madhu and kaitava.

Translation

Aum, holding a scimitar, disk, mace, arrows and bow, lance, club, a skull and a conch shell in Her ten hands. The three-eyed goddess, Her body covered with ornaments, Her countenance with the brilliance of blue diamonds, with ten limbs. We offer our service to mahAkAli, She who Brahma praised for protection from the demons madhu and kaitava, when Bishnu was in sleep.

madhyam charitasya bishnu Rishi, mahA lakhshmi debatA, ushnik chhandah, shAkambhari shaktI, durgA bija, bayustatwang, yajur-beda-swarupam, mahalakhshmi pritArthe jape biniyoga.

In the second character, the sage (rishi) is bishnu, the deity (debatA) is mahA-lakhshmi, the meter (chanda) is ushnik, the energy (shakti) is shAkabhari, the seed (bija) is durgA, the principle (tatwa) is wind (bayu), it is the heart of the yajur-veda, it is recited in honor of mahA-lakhshmi.

om akSha-sraka parashung gadeshu kulishang padmang dhanuh kundikAng
danNdang shakti-masincha charma jalajang ghantA surA-bhAjanam.
shulang pAsha-sudarshane cha dadhating hastaih prasannA-nanAng
sebesairiva mardinImiha mahA-lakhshing saroja-sthitAm.

Line 1: om; akSha: rosary; sraka: garland; parashung: axe; gadeshu: mace; kulishang: thunder-bolt ; padmang: lotus flower; dhanuh: bow; kundikAng: water pot;
Line 2: danNdang: baton; shakti: spear; -asincha: and sword; charma: shield; jalajang: conch shell; ghantA: bell; surA-bhAjanam: chalice;
Line 3: shulang: lance; pAsha: noose; sudarshane: the sudarshan disc (of bishNu) cha : and; dadhating hastaih: holding in Her hands; prasannA-nanAng: with smiling countenence;
Line 4: sebesairiva: serve Her, mardinImiha: demon destroyer; mahA-lakhshI; saroja-sthitAm: seated on a lotus.

Om, holding in Her hands, a rosary, garland, axe, mace, thunder-bolt, a lotus, bow, water-pot, baton, sword, shield, conch-shell, bell, chalice, lance, noose and sudarshan disk, with smiling countenence. We serve Her, She who destroyed the demon mahiShAsura, mahAlakhshmi, seated on a lotus.

uttar charitasya rudrah Rishi, sarwasaIi debatA, anushtup chhandah, bhImA shaktI, bhrAmari bija, suryatatwang, sAma-beda-swarupam, mahasarwasatI pritArthang jape biniyogah.

In the third character, the sage (rishi) is rudra, the deity (debatA) is sarwasati, the meter (chanda) is anushtup, the energy (shakti) is bhImA, the seed (bija) is bhrAmari, the principle (tatwa) is sun (surya), it is the heart of the sAma-veda, it is recited in honor of mahA-saraswatI.

om ghantA shula halAni shankha musale chakrang dhanuh sayakang
hastA-baijarda-dhating ghanAnta-bilasa-chChI-tangshu tulya-prabhAm
gouri-deha-samud-bhabAng tri-jagatAm-AdhAra-bhutang mahA
purbAmatra saraswatI-manuje-chChumbhAdi daitya-ddirnIm.

Line 1: om; ghantA: bell; shula: lance; halAni: plough; shankha: conch shell; musale: club; chakrang: disk; dhanuh: bow; sayakang: arrow;
Line 2: hastA-baijarda-dhating: holding in Her hands; ghanAnta-bilasa-chChI-tangshu: the moon in a cloudless sky; tulya-prabhAm: of similar radiance;
Line 3:gouri-deha: from body of gouri,-samud-bhabAng: appeared from; tri-jagatAm: the three worlds; AdhAra-bhutang: contained in; mahA-
Line 4:purbAmatra: immensely beautiful; saraswatI; manu-bhaje: we focus on and praise; chChumbhAdi: shumbha and others; daitya-ddirnIm: destroyer of demons.

Translation

Om, with bell, lance, plough, conch shell, club, disk, bow and arrows in Her hands, with Her face as radiant as the full moon in a cloudless sky, She who appeared from the body of Gouri, who contains the three worlds, the immensely beautiful mahA- saraswatI we focus on and praise; the destroyer of the demons shumbha and others.

Copyright: calidasa@webcom.com

Copyright 2003 dakhsha@webcom.com and calidasa@webcom.com