The bhakTi

User’s Manual
VOLUME 1 | Kali

With Your Bhakta & Yoga Guide Stuart Rice

 Copyright © 2008 Stuart Rice • bhakTi

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced mechanically,

electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying without written
permission of the publisher. The original purchaser is authorized to make one
printed copy for personal use.

Original book design by Calyx Design

Contents
Welcome to the Kali User’s Manual 1

A Brief Introduction to Vedic Spirituality 1

A Brief Introduction to Mantra 2

One Bad-ass B$%!@: An Introduction to Kali 4

Kali Namaskar: The Salute to Kali 5

Kali Mantras: Invoking the Fast Track 8

How I Called Kali on My Own Ass 8

Why Use Kali Mantra? 9

Using These Mantras 12

Conclusion 13

Abouts 14

About The T-Shirt 14

About bhakTi 15
 The Kali User’s Manual | 1

Welcome to the Kali User’s Manual

You’ve bought the T-shirt—now learn more about how to work
with Kali, the Goddess of Time and Change. This powerful being
is a direct and immediate guide to achieving your dharmic goals,
in spite of your ego’s limitations. So read on, and find out if you
really want “me to call Kali on you!”

A Brief Introduction to Vedic Spiritu-

ality
The Indian subcontinent is home to a rich and varied set of
spiritual traditions, the four most well-known of which are Hindu-
ism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. All four of these traditions
derive from the great Vedic culture that developed in Indian over
thousands of years. Ancient Indian wise men, known as rishis,
spent their time observing the world and engaging in medita-
tions during which they literally heard transcendental truths from
the universe. These observed and heard truths gave rise to Vedic
philosophy, systems of mathematics and astronomy, and one of
the most advanced medical treatment systems in existence at the
time.
In Vedic spirituality, there is a single God known as brahman or is-
vara. However, for Vedic philosophers, brahman is completely im-
personal and all-pervading, the sustaining fabric that makes the
universe possible. Because of its impersonal nature, brahman is
very difficult for most people to grasp or comprehend. Therefore,
the rishis personified specific aspects of the universe and world.
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The observed and experienced cycles of creation, sustenance, and

dissolution or decay were personified as Brahma, Vishnu, and
Shiva. These three personifications also have multiple shadings,
depending upon the context in which they are discussed or wor-
shipped. For example, Shiva is the Lord of Destruction, but also is
personified as the destroyer of spiritual poison (sin), a wild yogic
ascetic (or sadhu), and the embodiment of worldly enjoyment.
A later development was the understanding of shakti, or the
creative, feminine impulse, as an integral part of the world. This
gave rise, and prominence, to the various Goddesses, personify-
ing other aspects of the universe. As manifold as the masculine
manifestations, several key manifestations such as Lakshmi (the
principle of abundance), Durga (the principle of protection), Kali
(the principle of transformation), and Saraswati (the principle of
speech) reoccur in various forms in Vedic thought and writings.
In Vedic spirituality, it is expected that each person will form a
personal connection to brahman through one of these personifi-
cations. The term for this is ishta-devata (“chosen deity”). Al-
though the individual directs his or her actions or prayers to this
representation of the divine, it is clearly and deeply understood
that this representation of the divine is a inseparable component
of brahman. Without brahman, neither the individual person nor
the divine representation would exist.

A Brief Introduction to Mantra

In Vedic spirituality, certain sounds represent the concentrated
essence of an aspect of the universe. In their meditation, the
ancient yogins heard these sounds as a kind of music emanating
from brahman. The fundamental unit of these sounds is ॐ, often
rewritten as AUM or OM. From AUM springs all other sounds.
All of the sacred chants and texts of India begin with an invoca-
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tion of the sound of AUM as a way to connect to the energy of

brahman.
The science of subtle sound is known as mantra. Mantra is
a form of empowered speech or chant that unlocks or draws
closer some specific aspects of the universe. According to the
Vedas, there are nearly 70 million mantras, a practically limitless
amount. A mantra can consist of a single word, a short grouping
of sounds, or an entire chant that interweaves both sacred sounds
and words in Sanskrit. Typically, the sounds that are themselves
mantras, such as shrim (the seed sound of abundance), have no
literal translation. Shrim is not the word for “abundance” but the
vibrational quality that when invoked manifests abundance in
the life of the invoker.
A key difference between mantra and prayer is that prayer typi-
cally takes the form of asking for some specific outcome or boon
from the divine. A mantra, on the other hand, specifically and
directly draws an aspect of brahman to the invoker. However, the
other aspect of mantra is that it works in its own way depending
on the needs of the speaker. For example, two people invoking
the mantra for abundance (shrim) or the mantra for protection
(dum) may experience the benefits of these mantras in very dif-
ferent ways. One person might receive an unexpected monetary
raise at work, while the other might find that a friend who has
been draining their energy and time suddenly stops calling or
showing up, giving them another form of abundance.
Each god or goddesses has multiple mantras that are invoked for
specific situations and circumstances. These mantras are most
powerful when the god or goddess invoked is also the ishta-deva-
ta (“chosen deity”) of the speaker, although any mantra invoked
will begin to create an effect in the life of the speaker.
www.bhaktiwarrior.com Don’t Make Me Call Kali on You | 4

One Bad-ass B$%!@: An Introduc-

tion to Kali
On looks alone, Kali is not a goddess with
which to mess around. Usually represented
with four or ten arms, she carries several
formidable weapons, and one hand holds a
bleeding severed head. She has a garland
of heads or skulls, either 51 of them or 108
of them. She wears a skirt of human arms,
and she’s crushing some poor guy under
her foot.
In the vernacular, we could say that Kali
looks like one bad-ass bitch. But she’s really not that bad—she’s
just drawn that way.
The name Kali derives from the Sanskrit world kala meaning
black or dark. Kali is often referred to as dark, although many
paintings of her show her with blue, shining skin. The word kala
also means time, and in the case of Kali, refers to the destructive
aspect of time. However, she has different role than Yama, who
is the lord of bodily death. Kali’s role is to destroy the ignorance
of ego and the ego blocks that prevent us from moving forward
in life.
The symbolism of Kali reflects this role of dissolving ignorance.
The severed skull in her hand represents the ego, the force of
which can keep us from achieving our spiritual goals in life. In
her four-arm depictions, she carries a sword and a trident. The
sword is the tool for severing the head of ego. The trident repre-
sents the three main energy channels of the body that must be
strengthened and opened to allow for spiritual enlightenment.
The skulls around her neck represent the seed sounds in Sanskrit
and, in images with 108 skulls, the traditional prayer beads or
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mala. Her three eyes represent the three qualities (or gunas) of
the universe: inertia, kinetic energy, and purity.
But what about that tongue? Notice the
poor guy underneath her feet? That’s Shiva,
who is sometimes presented as Kali’s consort.
According to one story, Kali emerged from
the psychic chakra of Durga to aid her in
the destruction of a horde of demons. Kali
became so overcome with bloodlust that she
would not stop her rampage. The gods and
goddesses looked on in horror until Shiva threw himself into the
battle. Not recognizing him, Kali knocked Shiva to the ground.
At that moment, she suddenly realized what she had done, and
stuck out her tongue as a sign of her remorse. In this way, Shiva
helped to tame some of Kali’s wildness, and teach her to control
her powers.
In spite of her fierce exterior, Kali is understood to be one of the
most compassionate goddesses. To her devotees, she is thought
of as the source of all creation, and her fierceness is motivated by
a desire to assist her devotees in their spiritual growth. Kali con-
tinues to be worshipped and revered by millions as the quickest
path to spiritual growth and enlightenment.

Kali Namaskar: The Salute to Kali

Kali Namaskar is a physical practice to honor the energy of Kali
with poses (asana), hand gestures (mudras), and breathing
practices (pranayama). This energetic sequence can be practiced
at the beginning of a full yoga practice as a substitute or comple-
ment to surya namaskar, or on its own as a devotional practice.
Depending upon your internal mood or energy, Kali Namaskar
can be done either rapidly or slowly. As you practice, keep your
intention centered on Kali and her powerful energy. Setting up a
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small altar to Kali with her image or wearing your Kali T-Shirt can
help keep your focus.
1. Begin in samastithi (equal standing pose) with the hands in
Ganesha lock (ganesha mudra). Turn the eyes up to the ajña
chakra (third eye point). Start with samavritti pranayama
(equal length breath).
2. When the breath is even and calm, begin kapalabhati (breath
of fire). As you do breath of fire, twist the spine to the right
and to the left, maintaining Ganesha mudra. Do this as rap-
idly as you can, keeping the hip bones pointing forward. Start
first with 18 total (9 to each side), and try to work up to 108.
3. Inhale, sweep the arms up to the sky and form vardhamanaka
mudra with the hands, and then exhale to half your capacity,
slowly lowering the arms so that hands come down by the ears,
and bending the knees deeply. With the second half of the
exhale, fold forward and place the hands flat on the floor, bow-
ing the body deeply to the earth.
4. Inhaling, step back with the left foot into lunge, keeping the
left toes turned under. The right knee should be over the ankle
or slightly past it. Form brahmara mudra with the right hand
and hamsapaksham mudra with the left hand. As you exhale,
reach the right hand straight forward in the brahmara mudra,
and press the left hand down and slightly backward.
5. Inhale, holding the body position, and then exhale, planting
the hands and sweeping the right leg up and back into alayud-
hasana (the scorpion’s sting in downward dog).
6. Inhale into adho mukha dandasana (push up position), ex-
hale into chaturanga dandasana, and then inhale into adho
mukha svanasana (upward facing dog). Exhale and stick out
the tongue in simhasana pranayama (lion’s breath). Inhale,
draw the tongue in to the mouth in khechari mudra (brahman
www.bhaktiwarrior.com Don’t Make Me Call Kali on You | 7

energy moving lock). Exhale, repeat simhasana pranayama.

Repeat one more time.
7. Inhale, lift the body back into adho mukha dandasana, and
the step the right foot forward into lunge as you exhale, drop-
ping the back heel for vira lunge. Form mushti mudra with the
hands, elbows softly bent.
8. Sweep the arms to the left as you inhale, rising into virabhad-
rasana (warrior pose) with the fist pointed to the sky. As you
exhale, draw the right hand into the ribcage, elbow pointing
back. Drop the left arm down, elbow straight, forming abhaya
mudra (gesture of fearlessness).
9. Inhale, draw the arms behind the body into viparita namaskar
(reversed namaste). Exhale and roll the eyes to the third eye
point while chanting “krim.” (See below for more information
on this mantra)
10. Inhale, and step the left foot forward, lifting the knee up to hip
height (as if about to step onto something), and sweeping the
arms up to the sky. Exhale, and perform simhasana pranaya-
ma, pressing the arms straight down and dropping the foot to
the floor into samasthiti.
11. Repeat from Step 1, alternating to the other side.
After completing a round of Kali Namaskar (performed once with
each leg), pause for a moment and notice the energy around you.
Try to perform nine rounds of Kali Namaskar, building up over
time to a full mala of 108. Regardless of the number, give thanks
at the end of each round to Kali Ma, the ocean of compassion
and the remover of blocks to our evolutionary journey.
At the end of your practice, sit in meditation for a moment, and/
or perform a few rounds of nadi shodhana pranayama (alternate
nostril breathing). You can combine this with one of the mantra
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practices described below. Then relax into shavasana for several

minutes.

Kali Mantras: Invoking the Fast Track

Let me take a moment to speak from personal experience about
my use of Kali mantra, both as a cautionary tale and an example
of how effective Kali is in getting you past your blocks.

How I Called Kali on My Own Ass

In July 2007, I experienced a huge upheaval in my life. A five-
year relationship, which had slowly started to dissolve, suddenly
fell apart, leaving me with the task of packing my things and
moving out. I felt completely lost in the world, unsure of my
future and feeling that my life was fundamentally over.
At the same time, my spiritual practice, which had been growing
over the years, suddenly had room to breathe. As I set up my
new apartment, I created an altar to help focus and direct my
energies. In my bedroom I placed an image of Kali directly in
front of my bed and underneath it. In addition to other mantras,
I began a practice of 18 Kali mantras every night and wore a
necklace made of beads and stones sacred to Kali and infused
with her energy.
Change and transformation began flying at me fast and furiously.
My ex and I still had activities and geography in common, so we
would occasionally run into each other. I could feel my stomach
roiling, as everything around him seemed to paint this golden
picture of how happy he was, reflecting the inverse reality inside
of me. I felt like I was drinking from a firehose, and I was forced
to move along my grieving and separation process at an incred-
ible rate. I had no time to sit and grieve; I had to get along with
my life.
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At the same time, a number of friends started showing up unex-

pectedly, all of whom seemed to have an uncanny knack of help-
ing me understand and translate my emotional palette. While I
struggled and wrestled with the questions of why me, why me?
they helped keep me grounded and pushed me forward, allowing
me to wallow while reminding me that there was really nothing
to wallow about.
Through my experience of working with mantras to Kali, I came
to realize that it’s often easy to be pleased with current circum-
stances but use that as a way to be comfortable. It is important
to continue to strive for our highest life purpose, and never lose
sight of the spiritual goals that we have. I have many opportuni-
ties since then to be grateful to Kali for kicking my ass and saying,
“Get over your moping! You have such a gift to share with the
world—don’t sit in your shell mourning! Keep pushing forward!”

Why Use Kali Mantra?

From my experience, all mantra is effective, even when you do
not have a direct relationship with the energy on which you are
calling. Also, I have found that mantras aligned with a specific
divine representation manifest in a way that reflects the god or
goddesses qualities. For example, you want to do some mantra
work to overcome an issue or conflict at home with a partner who
isn’t, ultimately, right for you. If you use mantras associated with
Lakshmi, the representation of abundance, you will begin to see
the abundance of positive things in your life that you may not be
able to enjoy because of the relationship; this will give you a gen-
tle prompting that maybe you need to reconsider how you value
yourself and the relationship. If you use mantras associated with
Kali, on the other hand, you and your partner will get right down
to brass tacks, push egos and feelings aside, and really asses if
this is even the right situation for each of you. If it isn’t, you’ll
likely feel empowered to part ways and get back on track.
www.bhaktiwarrior.com Don’t Make Me Call Kali on You | 10

Working with Kali requires a little bit more of a thick skin than
other gods or goddesses in my experience. She’s a very protec-
tive and fierce mother figure who would rather see your feelings
get hurt in the short term than have you suffer in the long run
or not realize your life path and purpose. This is why devotees of
Kali experience her as an ocean of compassion. She’s the mother
who will kick you out of the house because you’re going to grow
faster and more powerfully than if you stick around in your com-
fort zone. When you look deep into her eyes, you’ll see there an
infinite amount of love for you. In a way, she personifies that old
saying that mothers always drag up, “this hurts me far more than
it hurts you” or “you’re going to thank me later.”

Training Wheel Mantras for Kali

The easiest way to start working with Kali is to use her seed
sound or bija mantra. This mantra is the condensed essence of
Kali’s energy and will begin to work immediately.
Mantra: Krim
Krim is like a broom for negative ego—it just starts sweeping
it away. If you have any illusions about yourself or a situation
those illusions will start to crumble. The evidence about how
you may be limiting or restricting yourself will start to become so
obvious that it will be impossible to ignore.
Mantra: Om Shri Kalikayai Namah
This mantra calls upon Kali by her name. Shri is a word often
added before the names of gods, goddesses, or other revered
persons or entities as a sign of respect. The “yai” at the end of
Kali’s name signifies the activation of the energy of the mantra.
Namah means “to bow” and therefore to demonstrate deep re-
spect. Namah tends to be used at the end of mantras, along with
“svaha”, which has a slightly different connotation.
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Straight to the Mountaintop

These mantras are more powerful expressions of the bija mantra
“krim.” They call upon the cosmic forms of Kali that affect the
fundamental fabric of the universe. These mantras will get the
job done, but you’ve got to be ready for anything and everything
that may not be useful to you to be cleared away. However, do
remember that Kali is assisting you and guiding you always, al-
though the messages and reasons for her actions may not always
be clear at first.
Mantra: Hrim Shrim Krim Paramesvaryai Svaha
This mantra invokes the cosmic form of Kali as brahman. There
is an ancient belief that Kali is the underlying source of creation,
particular in her association with the cosmic cycle of times. Hrim
and Shrim are two other bija mantras. Hrim is an ancient Vedic
mantra for destroying the veil of illusion that leads us to feel
separate from the divine truth. Shrim is the bija mantra for
abundance, and is associated with the universal power known in
yoga as shakti. Svaha is similar to the word “amen” or “ameyn”
and indicates that the prayer is being offered up to the divine for
recognition and response.
Mantra:
Hrim Shrim Krim Paramesvari Kalike Hrim Shrim Krim Svaha
Similar to the above mantra, but explicitly identifying Kali as the
representation of the divine truth.
Mantra:
Krim Krim Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Daksine Kalike Krim Krim
Krim Hum Hum Hrim Hrim Svaha
With multiple repetitions of the seed mantras, this longer mantra
invokes Kali as daksine, which means right-handed. The right-
handed represents the upward, “light” path of development. The
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other meaning is “southern-facing”, which again indicates an

auspicious situation. The new mantra added here is Hum, which
is the seed sound associated with desolving the illusion of the
universe. This sound is similar to Hrim, although Hum is often
associated explicitly with Shiva, a deity with whom Kali is often
closely linked. This mantra requests an auspicious, promising out-
come from Kali in response to the situation on which the devotee
is focusing. Again, don’t forget that auspicious here means “good
for your life dharma” not necessarily “good for your ego”

Using These Mantras

The more you use a mantra the more powerful its effects will
be. You can begin with 18 repetitions of the mantra first thing in
the morning, ensuring that you keep your attention focused on
your purpose in using the mantra. Remember when setting your
purpose that the specific outcome is based on what you most
need, not what you most want. If you want a raise at work, you
may very well get it—by being fired so that a better job can come
along. Be prepared for things such as that to happen when you
use Kali mantra.
If you would like to create a more powerful practice surround-
ing a particular Kali mantra, you can perform your mantra at
the hour before dawn or at dusk, both of which are considered
particularly pure (or sattvic) times of the day. If you have an
altar or other sacred space, you can place an image of Kali on it,
along with a small offering of red and white roses, lotus, jasmine,
or hibiscus flowers, a fragrant garland of flowers, some mango
or other fruit, and a lit candle. The offering does not need to be
large, but it should heartfelt. Take a moment to center yourself in
both breath and mind, sitting quietly and setting your intention.
Begin by intoning AUM and then perform 108 repetitions of your
chosen mantra. At the end of 108 repetitions intone AUM again
and then rest quietly in the vibration of the mantra. Bring your
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hands together at your heart (anjali mudra) and bow your head
to end your practice.

Conclusion
Kali is a powerful and benevolent force for immediate change.
Her direct methods force us to truly value ourselves and our own
growth above all other considerations. While Kali may occasion-
ally make life feel like a roller coaster ride, those who know her
understand that she will always guide and protect us through the
turbulence into the power and peace of truly living our path.
May the blessings of Kali pour down upon you endlessly. May
you forever walk your true path with strength and commitment.
Om Shri Kalike Jai!
 The Kali User’s Manual | 14

Abouts
About The T-Shirt

Stuart Rice: “Kali on Yo’ Ass” T-shirt

v1.1: sketch
8.8.08

Initial Draft
© Calyx Designs

The phrase started off as a joke between me and my partner and

bhakTi coordinator Patrick. It was our way of letting the other
person know that he was engaging in self-criticism or other ac-
tions that didn’t recognize the true nature of things. When we
decided to design the line of T-shirts, Kali was a natural choice
for a reinterpretation, and we already knew that “Don’t Make Me
Call Kali on You “ was going to be the catch phrase.
Working with Richard Miller of Calyx Designs, we started with the
idea of doing a blaxploitation image of Kali. The energy of Kali
fit so well with that genre that presented black women as pow-
erful figures with weapons for righting wrongs. So we took the
Dark Earth Mother of India and transformed her into Cleopatra
Jones of India! In our first draft, we had a slightly different set of
objects (take a look at the draft image above), but finally settled
on having her hold all weapons and her trademark skull.
www.bhaktiwarrior.com Don’t Make Me Call Kali on You | 15

Frankly, I think she rocks, and based on the Kali mantras I’ve
done, the Universe agrees!

About bhakTi
bhakTi is a company that focuses on creating tools for mind/
body expansion. Founded in 2008 by Stuart Rice as a sole propri-
etorship, bhakTi is committed to providing classes, workshops,
immersions, retreats, and products that move the heart, mind,
and spirit of each person who works with us.
The word “bhakti” in Sanskrit means “devotion,” and is also a par-
ticular yoga path marked by a commitment to a path of love and
service. Our logo includes the face of Hanuman, the consummate
spiritual warrior who found his life purpose by serving the divine
faithfully and completely. From his devotion came the ability to
perform incredible feats. Hanuman’s life and his use as our logo
reminds those of us at bhakTi that the smallest act becomes great
when it is infused with love.
Our website at bhaktiwarrior.com contains a full list of our current
services and products. Please visit us soon and find the tools to
open your mind and heart!