Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Authored by
Smita Venkatesh
www.divyachetna.com divyachetna.usa@gmail.com
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KALI
THE IGNORANCE REMOVER
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SIGNIFICANCE The word Raktabija is a compound word of Rakta meaning Red ,signifying blood, passion, anger and Bija means seed. Hence the demon in the story is a personification of Seeds of Passion or Anger. Passion can also be related to Greed & Lust. The road to hell is Greed, Lust and Anger. The hellish situations in ones life are created by the above factors. So if one wants to enjoy a heavenly life here on earth and beyond, one must overcome these negative forces. Unfortunately, it is seen that the more you try to control these, the more strongly these negative forces of lust, greed and anger come back, which is mentioned allegorically in the story as Raktabija is born anew and thousand times more powerful. It is very difficult to overcome these Seeds of Passion. Hence the devotee should surrender completely and invoke mother Kali who can uproot these Seeds of Passion accumulated in billions of lifetimes of the devotee. Kali's most common four armed iconographic image shows each hand carrying variously a sword, a trishul (trident), a severed head and a kapala (bowl or skullcup) catching the blood of the severed head. Two of these hands (usually the left) are holding a sword and a severed head. The Sword signifies Divine Knowledge and the Human Head signifies human Ego which must be slain by Divine Knowledge in order to attain Moksha. The other two hands (usually the right) are in the abhaya (fearlessness) and varada (blessing) mudras, which means her initiated devotees (or anyone worshiping her with a true heart) will be saved as she will guide them here and in the hereafter. Kali is shown a wearing a girdle of Hands around her waist which signify that she takes away all the reactions of the karmas of the devotee an helps him in his Spiritual Journey. Her wearing a garland of Human skulls is a significance of the removal of all Human Ego which must be slain by Divine Knowledge to attain Liberation. The number of Skulls is either 51 or 108. Fifty one represents all the alphabets of the Sanskrit language.Hence it can be concluded that Mother kali is the pervading energy in all the alphabets and the words spoken by there combination. The No. 108 represents many sacred things in Hinduism. She is often depicted naked which symbolizes her being beyond the covering of Maya (illusory Energy). She is the pure, un-manifested energy, the Adi-shakti.
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Sankalpa : Making the Resolution. Sit on the asana in a comfortable posture. One can also sit on a chair with a red asana on the seat , but feet should not be kept on the ground. One must keep a small rug below the feet to insulate it from the ground. Take a little red colored rice and a flower and a spoonful of water in the right hand and cover it with the left hand and and lay the light hand on the right knees.Now chant the following :
2. Rishi Nyaasa: Energisation of various body parts with the Sages & Diety:
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This is done by visualizing that the Sages and Diety and the Spiritual Master and his Lineage who gave these mantras in a disciplic succession are blessing and energizing the devotee. It is done by touching the various body parts with the fingers of the right hand and simulataneously chanting the mantra. Om Bhairava Rishaye namah Ushnika chhandse namah Dakshin Kaalika devata namah Kreem bijaaya namah Hum shaktaye namah Kreem kilakaaya namah : Touch Crown of the head. : Touch the mouth : Touch the heart. : Touch the anus : Touch the feet : Touch the navel
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Om shavaa rudhaam maha bhimaam ghoradanshtraam hasanmukheem. Chatur bhujaam khadga munda varaabhaya karaam shivaam Munda maala dharaam devim lalljivhaam digambaraam. Evam san chintayet kali shmashaan aalaya vaasinim I meditate on the divine Mother kali who is standing on Shava( lit mean: shiva surrendered, also, devotee surrendered) who appears fierce with dreadful teeth and a loud laughter. She has four arms through which she holds a sword, a cut head, and offers blessings & fearlessness. She adorns a garland of skulls and has a red tongue. She is sky- clothed with colors of night. Thus one must meditate on Kali who resides in the graveyard temple. 6. Mantra : Invocation Om Kreem Kreem Kreem Hreem Hreem Hreem Hoom Hoom Dakshine Kaalike Kreem Kreem Kreem Hreem Hreem Hoom Hoom Svaaha. OR Kreem Kreem Kaalye Kreem Kreem Svaaha. 8. Mantra Recitation Procedure: Total no of chanting : 125,000 Total no of Fire offering : 1250 Total count Tarpanam : 125 Total Count of Marjanam : 13 If the devotee does not know the procedure of Homam, Tarpanam and Marjanam, then he should chant extra mantras on the bead mala for a total count of 1388mantras .(1250+125+13). 9. Concluding Procedures: 1.To complete the sadhana the devotee must take blessing from the Guru and give suitable offerings to him including gifts and money (dakshina).He must also give charity to the needy,poor,priests and temples.
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2.Suhasini , Kumari & Bhairava pooja : The devotee should also invite married women(suhasini) and girls (below age 10)(kumari)and a young boy(bhairava-aged below 10) and worship their feet with water,kumkum,flowers and give them appropraite gifts and money(dakshina) as per ones capability.
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