Kali Ma is known as the preserve of Earth, but due to her destructive powers she is also known as “Dark Mother”. The name Kali means She, who is Beyond Time.
To aid her son in his endeavor to rid the three worlds of the multiplying demon, Raktabija, Parvati entered the cosmic battlefield as the dreaded goddess Kali – dark as death, gaunt with sunken eyes, gaping mouth, with long disheveled hair covering her naked body.
She is considered as a berserk form of Durga/Parvati, who is the consort of Lord Shiva. Kali Ma is simultaneously portrayed as the giver and destructor of life. However, in most of the interpretations, she is portrayed as ferocious and evil.
She is the mother of the world and the treasure-house of compassion. She is considered as the primordial mass from which all life arose.
Kali Beej Mantra
“ॐ क्रीं काली”
“Om Krim Kali”
Meaning :
K stands for full knowledge,
R means she is auspicious,
I means she bestows booms, and
M means that she gives freedom.
‘Salutation to the Supreme.’
Benefit: This mantra will protect one from all the evil forces.
Kali Mantra
ॐ क्रीं कालिकायै नमः
“Om Kring Kalikaye Namah”
Meaning: This mantra is a sound representation of the Mother.
Benefit: This mantra is simple and transforms the devotee to pure consciousness.
Maha Kali Mantra
ॐ श्री महा कलिकायै नमः
“Om Sri Maha Kalikayai Namah”
Meaning: ‘I bow my head to the Divine Mother, Kali.’
Benefit: One must propitiate the Divine Mother, the Primal Energy, and chant in her honour in order to obtain God’s grace.
Kalika-Yei Mantra
ॐ कलिं कालिका-य़ेइ नमः
“Om Klim Kalika-Yei Nemaha”
Benefit: This mantra is believed to bring relief from all kinds of problems, no matter how much complex it is.
Fifteen Syllable Kali Mantra
ॐ हरिं श्रीं कलिं अद्य कालिका परम् एष्वरी स्वा:
“Om Hrim Shreem Klim Adya Kalika Param Eshwari Swaha”
Meaning: ‘O Kali, my Mother full of Bliss. In Thy delirious joy Thou dancest, clapping Thy hands together! Thou art the Mover of all that moves in thy world.’
Benefit: It is believed that this mantra brings rapid growth to one’s spirituality.
Kali Mantra for Worship
कृन्ग कृन्ग कृन्ग हिन्ग कृन्ग दक्षिणे कलिके कृन्ग कृन्ग कृन्ग हरिनग हरिनग हुन्ग हुन्ग स्वा:
“Kring Kring Kring Hing Kring Dakshine Kalike Kring Kring Kring Hring Hring Hung Hung Swaha”
Meaning: The Mantra consists of three seeds, krim, hum and hrim, and the name ‘dakhshina kalike’ and ‘swaha’, which signifying offering.
Benefit: This mantra is used by the devotees of Kali, the preserver of Earth, who saves us from all the ignorance and the fear of death.
Kali Gayatri Mantra
“ॐ महा काल्यै
छ विद्महे स्मसन वासिन्यै
छ धीमहि तन्नो काली प्रचोदयात”
“Om Maha Kalyai
Ca Vidmahe Smasana Vasinyai
Ca Dhimahi Tanno Kali Prachodayat”
Meaning: ‘Om Great Goddess Kali, the One and only one, who resides in the Ocean of Life and in the Cremation Grounds that dissolve the world. We focus our energies on you, may you grant us boons and blessings.’
Benefit: Through the repetition of this mantra, the aspirant’s mind becomes divinely transformed and passes from the gross state of worldly affiars into Kali’s subtle light of pure consciousness.
Dakshina Kali Dhyan Mantra
This is also known as karpuradi stotram.
“ओम कराला-बदनं घोरम मुक्ता-केशिम चतुर-भूरम।
कालीकम दक्षिणं दिब्यं मुंडा-माला विभुशीतम
सद्या-चिन्ना शिरा खरगा बामा-दोर्धा करमबुजमी
अभयं बरदान-चाईबा दक्षिणा-दर्दा पणिकम”
“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”
Meaning: “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.”
Benefit : Chanting this mantra denotes the dissolving of attachments, anger, lust, and other binding emotions, feelings and ideas.
Maha Kali dhyanam Mantra
“ओम खरगंग चक्र-गदेशु-चपा-परिघन शुलंग भुशुंडिं शिरहशंखंग संदा-धातिंग करिस्त्री-नयनअंग सरबंगा-भुशब्रितम। निलश्मा-द्युतिमास्य पाद-दशकंग सेबे महा कालीकांग यमस्तौ-छैते हारौ कमलाज्ये हंतुंग मधुंग कैतवं”
“Om khargang chakra-gadeshu-chapa-parighan shulang bhushundIng shirahshankhang sanda-dhatIng karistri-nayanAng sarbanga-bhushabritam. nIlashma-dyutimasya pada-dashakang sebe maha kalikang yamastou-chhaite harou kamalajye hantung madhung kaitavam”
Meaning: ‘Aum, Her ten hands is holding a scimitar, disk, mace, arrows and bow, lance, club, a skull and a conch shell. She is a three-eyed goddess, Her body is covered with ornaments, and 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 Vishnu was in sleep.’
Benefit: Kali is Mother to her devotees not because she protects them from the demons when Lord Vishnu is asleep but because she reveals to them their mortality and thus releases them to act fully and freely, releases them from the incredible, binding web of “adult” pretense, practicality, and rationality and recitation of this mantra helps in this realization.
Other Kali Mantra
“ओम काली, काली! ओम काली, काली!
नमोस्तुते, नमोस्तुते, नमो!
नमोस्तुते, नमोस्तुते, नमो!”
“Om Kali, Kali! Om Kali, Kali!
Namostute, namostute, namo!
Namostute, namostute, namo!”
“आनन्द माँ आनंद माँ कलि”
आनंद माँ आनंद माँ कलि
आनंद माँ आनंद माँ कलि
ओम काली माँ!”
“Ananda Ma Ananda Ma Kali
Ananda Ma Ananda Ma Kali
Ananda Ma Ananda Ma Kali
Om Kali Ma!”
Benefit : These are the simple chants to salute and please the Black Goddess.