Kali, the Dark Mother

"My child, you need not know much in order to please Me.
Only Love Me dearly.
Speak to me, as you would talk to your mother,
if she had taken you in her arms."

(Quoted from "About.com")

Some sources (Selected links on Kali):

http://www.goddess-kali-ma.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/k/kali.html

Please read this without preconceived ideas and prejudice.

In my view, Kali is a much misunderstood goddess. She has been misrepresented by false devotees who worshipped her wrongly. These false devotees have given her a bad press.

This write-up is my tribute to Kali (an aspect of Devi, who is the wife of Lord Shiva).

Not long ago (maybe about a week ago, but less than 2 weeks ago), I had a spontaneous mental image of Kali while I was sleeping (I believe it is not a dream). And so here is my tribute to this goddess whom I respect =)

Kail did not come to me in a terrifying form, and so I take it to mean that she has given me her blessings, and I take it as a great honour that she appeared in a mental image in my mind.

As my tribute to Kali, this is a short story I have written about her (for the full version of the story, you need to read the Hindu classic "Devi-Mahatmya", a text of 5th - 6th century AD):

It was a war between the gods and demons for control of the worlds of sentient beings (including humanity), a war between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil.

The tide of the war was not going well for the gods. Against the might of the ancient demon Raktabija, the gods were losing this desperate battle.

Raktabija had conquered many of the worlds of sentient beings, and warned the god Indra that soon even the heavens would fall under his might and dominion.

Every drop of Raktabija's blood that was spilled transformed itself into many thousands of demons. Within moments of attacking this mighty Asura with their weapons, the gods found to their dismay the entire battlefield covered with countless demon clones and demon spawns.

In desperation, the gods turned to Shiva, The Destroyer of Worlds. But Shiva was deep in meditation, so they turned to his consort Parvati (Durga). Out from the brow of Devi (or Durga) came Kali, Devi's most fearsome aspect.

When Raktabija beheld Kali in his gaze, for the first time in his immortal life (incalcuably vast by human standards), the mighty Raktabija felt fear. He finally understood what fear felt like. Until then, he only induced fear in other beings, but never once experienced it himself.

The other emotion Raktabija felt was uncertainty. For the first time in countless aeons, Raktabija realized he could possibly be defeated.

Raktabija ordered his demons and clones to simultaneously attack Kali from all directions and planes of existence.

Kali began her dance of destruction in her most terrifying aspect, and it was before long the many legions of demons, including Raktabija himself, were obliterated. None survive her vortex of dissolution.

So absorbed was Kali in her frenzied dance of destruction that the gods feared that if she did not stop, she would destroy the many worlds of existence.

Fortunately, by this time Lord Shiva had awakened from his deep meditation.

Lord Shiva transformed himself into a tiny baby and lay at the feet of Kali.

As soon as Kali sees this tender infant, she stops, and cradles it to her bosom, as a mother would for her own child.

Henceforth, Kali is thought of by those in the maniffold worlds and multiverses of Existence as the Great Mother or Divine Mother who will always hear the cry of one of her children.