Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 147 on 23-September-2025

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PAHADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU

ओम् जननीम् शर्दाम् देवेम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुरुम् पादपत्मे तयोस्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुरु मुहु

So we are studying the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna—Sri Ramakrishna's advice to householders. Sri Ramakrishna is giving profound knowledge.

The Divine Feminine in Hindu Philosophy

There are so many varieties of Mother Kali. In Hindu philosophy, we believe that it is the feminine divine—the divine feminine.

Who will be doing the sṛṣṭi, sthiti, and laya? Why is the creatrix always called female? Without exception, we find that it is only the female who gives birth. But the most wonderful thing is, as you are all familiar, every evening—dusk time, vesper time—the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna will be singing, hymning the Divine Mother. So Sri Ramakrishna was explaining this point.

Guhya Kali - The Secret Form

So there is this Divine Mother, and she is called Guhya Kali. Guhya means secret. Very few people know about her.

Sri Ramakrishna is commenting: this form is the keeper of secret energy and requires complex sādhanās and mantras for worship. There are so many varieties, forms. How many forms? Only ten forms are mentioned—Daśa Mahāvidyā.

The Ten Forms of Daśa Mahāvidyā

And one of the forms is called Durga very soon. And this Durga is the most famous pūjā. That is why in Bengal it is called Mahāpūjā.

All pūjās are small pūjās, but this is the Mahāpūjā. And the Divine Mother assumes all the forms: Chinnamastā, Dhūmāvatī, Bagalā, Mātaṅgī, Kamalā. So there are many other forms. How many forms? As many forms as a devotee likes to have.

The Significance of Infinite Forms

This is something most marvelous—as many forms, not one form, but as many forms.

That is why in our Hindu Purāṇas, we have got thousand names of Śiva, of Viṣṇu, of Kālī, of Lakṣmī, of Sarasvatī. You name the name of the deity, and there are thousand names. What do thousand names really mean? We have to remember all our hymns, especially what we have discussed earlier.

Sūktams—Śrī Sūktam, Nārāyaṇa Sūktam, Viṣṇu Sūktam. There are umpteen number of sūktams. Sūktam means powerful mantras.

So it is said, Sahasranāmas are there—Kālī Sahasranāma, Lakṣmī Sahasranāma, etc. Sahasra doesn't mean the straightforward meaning of sahasra is one thousand.

But it doesn't mean one thousand in numbers. It means infinite numbers. Every head—even an amoeba.

Does an amoeba have a head? Yes, sure, because there is consciousness. And where is that consciousness residing? In the mind.

And where is that mind? That mind usually is considered to be in the head. So every head, every hand, every leg—these are mentioned. But what we have to understand: every human body, for example, has billions of parts.

Some we do not mention out of etiquette. But everything is the Divine Mother—manifestation of the Divine Mother.

Sṛṣṭi - Creation as Manifestation

Sṛṣṭi—sṛṣṭi means what? The Divine Mother herself is manifesting in the form of creation. Another name for creation is manifestation.

Actually, this word "manifestation" is far superior to the word "creation" because creation always brings duality—someone is creating and something is being created.

But no, we have to understand here that just like we mistake a rope for a snake, a snake is a manifestation. Marvelous examples are given in the highest Vedantic sense. What does that mistake mean? In Advaitic terminology, mistaking a rope for a snake is called manifestation.

In dualistic philosophies, it is called creation. It is an act of creation. There is a duality involved.

Nārāyaṇa is the creator. Kālī is the creatrix. And everything is created by her.

The Superiority of "Manifestation" Over "Creation"

So she is the Lord. All religions have this kind of idea. But there is a very simple reason why we have to accept the idea of manifestation and use the word "manifestation" instead of the word "creation."

So to give a simple example: clay, for example, manifests as a pot. There is no second object called pot. A pot is nothing but the same original clay but with a nāma rūpa.

That is all we have to understand. Anyway, so the creatrix—we see it is the female which gives birth. But at the level that transcends nāma rūpa, these words male and female, they are meaningless.

That is why we call it śakti. Is śakti male or female? Is energy—the word "energy"—is it male or female? No. There is no gender distinction there.

But then why do we need to use that word? Because the word "mother" is associated with tremendous power. Even the worst dictator will have tremendous respect, love. So here there are so many manifestations.

Understanding Vidyā and Avidyā

Why am I talking about them? Because Sri Ramakrishna specially mentions Daśa Mahāvidyā. Even the name is marvelous. Daśa means ten.

Ten popular ways of being worshipped with same Divine Mother, especially in those states where God is worshipped as feminine. Ten names are there: Kālī, Tārā, Ṣoḍaśī, Bhuvaneśvarī, Tripura Bhairavī, Chinnamastā, Dhūmāvatī, Bagalā, Mātaṅgī, Kamalā.

And these are called mahāvidyās. So when it is vidyā, Sri Ramakrishna explains it beautifully. We have to understand every word of Sri Ramakrishna is a vedavākya, is a gospel truth.

So vidyā means knowledge. And Sri Ramakrishna says there are two types of vidyās. There are also two types of egotisms corresponding.

The Two Types of Ego

If anybody has got what is called avidyā māyā, that is what Sri Ramakrishna equates it—kācha āmi. If it is vidyā māyā, that means the person knows who he is.

A person who thinks he knows what he is, that is called unripe ego—kācha āmi. So that is what is called binding ego.

Binding māyā. Ego, māyā, avidyā—synonymous terms. But the same Divine Mother is also called mahāvidyā, śrī vidyā.

That which a person knows—"I am so and so." A person who thinks rightly "I am so and so," which means "I am Brahman, I am God." In devotee's terminology, "I am a child of God, I am a servant of God," etc.

But if a person thinks "I am XYZ, I am male, I am female," that is called unripe ego. And that is what Sri Ramakrishna says—the liberating ego, the binding ego. So the liberating vidyā and binding vidyā.

And that binding vidyā also goes by the name vidyā. But the same vidyā—because knowledge is either right knowledge or wrong knowledge. That is what Sri Ramakrishna is explaining—forms of Mahākālī.

Various Forms of Kālī

Rakṣā Kālī - The Protector

Kālī, Tārā, Ṣoḍaśī, etc. As the name suggests, this form of Kālī is called Rakṣā Kālī. Sri Ramakrishna talks on this form of Mahākālī—Rakṣā Kālī.

And it is not mentioned in this Daśa Mahāvidyā. What is rakṣā? Protection. So that mother who protects.

And she is called Rakṣā Kālī. This form of Kālī is a protector, a powerful manifestation of her fierce aspect. Sri Ramakrishna did not explain everything. We are squeezing this understanding from his talks only.

Chinnamastā - The Self-Decapitated Goddess

So there is Chinnamastā. Mastā means head. Chinna means cut off. In this picture, the Divine Mother's head is not there, or sometimes she cuts off her head and holds it in her own hand.

Remember, can a person cut off his head and at the same time hold it in his hands? No, that is not the meaning. The meaning is: Mother is pure consciousness. The question of making it apart, cutting it off, and holding it by another part of the consciousness—it doesn't happen really.

Dakṣiṇā Kālī and Bhadrā Kālī

Then Dakṣiṇā Kālī. We are all familiar with this Dakṣiṇā Kālī because Sri Ramakrishna lived for more than—I think—almost 30 years, 32 years. So that is called Dakṣiṇā Kālī.

Bhadrā Kālī. She is also called Bhadrā Kālī. Dakṣiṇā.

In Bengal, the Tantric practices and Tantric scriptures are also divided into two parts: the left-handed side, the right-handed side. Right-handed side are for the good of the world, for higher knowledge.

Left-Hand and Right-Hand Practices

And left-handed side usually means what is called māraṇa, ucchaṭana, etc. Vaśīkaraṇa, etc. Somebody wants to control somebody, hypnotizes, tries to control—this is called vaśīkaraṇa.

And somebody says, "I don't want this person anywhere near me. Let him go to the other side of this planet." And that is called ucchaṭana.

And another person says, "I don't want this person to be alive at all because the very existence of this person is a threat for my own safety." So this is called māraṇa.

That is why sometimes the Tantras get a bad name. They are also called dangerous practices, dark-sided practices, left-sided practices, etc.

Mahākālī

Then there is Mahākālī—the ultimate Divine Mother, the ultimate, most powerful form of Kālī.

Śmaśāna Kālī - The Crematorium Goddess

Then there is another Kālī—Śmaśāna Kālī.

Tantric practitioners, sometimes those who are in extreme form of practice, they go to a crematorium. Nowadays, of course, especially in the Western countries, the crematoriums will be electric. So the governments themselves do not permit anybody to be buried because the person may be having some disease, etc.

So burning is the best practice. Even today, Muslims, Christians—for them, burning is a sin. They think that the original form of all of us is somewhere else. This is only a shadowy form. Especially the Greek philosopher Plato is very famous for this exposition.

The Deeper Meaning of Śmaśāna Kālī

So we call it, you know, the highest form of the Divine Mother. But she has to be pleased. Who can please? And what happens when she is pleased? A person must be fearless. And also, when a person goes to a crematorium, you know, the very word "crematorium" brings on fears.

And that fear—naturally, a person will be thinking, "Who can save me?" So we are likely more to remember God in a crematorium, especially at night, especially when we are alone. So some people go there and worship this Śmaśāna Kālī. But there is a deeper meaning.

Where does Kālī reside really? Where does Kālī reside? What does it mean? It means where does really the Divine Mother manifest herself most? Where there is nobody excepting the spiritual practitioner and then the Divine Mother.

Śmaśāna means crematorium. What happens? Especially for many people, existence comes to an end when a person's death occurs and the person's body is completely reduced to ashes, or they may bury also.

Anyway, life comes to an end. So we don't know whether we are living, excepting we are living on faith. But the symbolism—Śiva lives in śmaśāna. Kālī lives in śmaśāna. And Śiva and Kālī cannot live separately. Where there is Kālī, there is Śiva. Where there is Śiva, there is Kālī.

The Spiritual Symbolism

So Śmaśāna Kālī means when a person burns—completely turns his heart. All the desires that are residing in the heart are burnt. Then only pure consciousness manifests there. It is called Turīya Avasthā, and this is what is believed as Śmaśāna Kālī. Śiva resides there.

Especially it is said, Śiva's one of the names is Tripura Harī. Harī means enemy. Enemy means what is called to be destroyed.

Śiva is the destroyer of three enemies or three bonds, three sources of bondage: the sthūla śarīra, the sūkṣma śarīra, and the kāraṇa śarīra, and correspondingly three states of experience—waking state, dream state, and deep sleep state.

They represent the three bodies through which alone we can experience these three states. But these three bodies, these three states, they go together. We can't say "I am not having gross body but I am experiencing waking state." "I have got a subtle body but I am experiencing a waking state."

The Philosophy of Dream and Waking States

Interestingly, if you analyze this particular statement that I just now issued, you will see that supposing you are having a dream, and in the dream—as I said many times—a dreamer... Remember, even to use the word "dream" and "dreamer," we are using not in dream but outside the dream state, in the waking state. When we are actually dreaming, then we are the wakers.

The world we are living in is not a dream world; it is only what we call waking world. So even though upon waking up we choose to call it the dream body creating dream world, in the actual experience of the dream state, a dreamer doesn't say "I am a dreamer," and he doesn't say "this is a dream world."

Supposing, for argument's sake, a person in dream state knows that "I am a dreamer" and "what I am experiencing will naturally be a dream state."

A dreamer cannot experience a waking state; a waker cannot experience a dream state. Very profound Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

The Realized Soul's Perspective

So this person—suppose he knows "I am a dreamer" and "what I am experiencing cannot be anything else other than dream world."

What is a dream world? My own thoughts, my own creation. So what happens? Such a person will not be affected by anything. Somebody comes and beats him, and he will be cutting, joking. He will be dancing with joy.

Really? Is it possible to do such a thing? Yes, it is possible. I will give an illustration—actually an event that has taken place.

Swami Vivekananda's Encounter

Swami Vivekananda was wandering in North India. One day he saw a site where there was a sannyāsī, sādhu, and he was being pelted with stones by some small children. Swamiji could not bear it because blood was flowing all over the body of that sādhu. So he showed his fearsome aspect, and the boys simply ran away from there.

Swamiji can be very fierce when he wishes to be. And then he went—maybe there was a pond or a river, I don't know. He went there, he washed, and then he asked, "Why do you not resist? Why do you not show a little bit of fear?"

And the sādhu went on laughing and laughing with joy—not like a mad man. Of course, in our eyes, he might look like a mad person, but he went on, and he said, "This is how the Father plays." What he meant by "Father" is God. You know, in North India, sādhus are also called "Father"—bābā, sādhu bābā.

So in the true vision of that sādhu being pelted: "I am Brahman. I know God plays with me thus, and who is that God? I myself. I am playing with myself."

"What about the body?" Body is my creation, my imagination. "What about the blood running?" If anybody can think, "body is my creation," even he can cut his own body himself into pieces and still he is alive.

The Nature of Pure Consciousness

This is a profound truth which is difficult for us to understand because if there is something that is concrete, real—or we think it is real—and you, for example, take a big piece of stone and break it with a hammer to small bits of stones, pieces, they will never become a big stone. They will remain as small stones only.

But for the realized souls, pure consciousness, everything—there is nothing other than pure consciousness. And pure consciousness is not something concrete, first. Secondly, it doesn't have any parts.

It is one substance. Thirdly, it is not attached. Fourthly, it is infinite. It cannot be cut into pieces. Fifthly, there are no two consciousnesses—one can cut the other—because infinite can never be two.

But that is a profound realization.

Swami Turiyananda's Teaching

So, Swami Turiyananda once said: if a person is a Jīvan Mukta, he can become both the killer and the killed, and nothing happens. There is no really killer nor killed also.

But he made a profound statement. He said such a person can witness his own dream as we are witnessing somebody, some object outside us. Then he also explained further, which is even more mysterious. Why do I say that? Because even some of us, at least for a short time, can witness something and yet not be affected.

It is an everyday affair. If somebody is abusing somebody, we are not affected. "Oh, this husband and wife, they are always quarreling." "These two neighbors, always quarreling." "These noisy children, always quarreling." Like that we can say many things about it.

But no! Here we are talking about realization.

So, Swami Turiyananda said that an awakened person will be witnessing—whether it be waking or dreaming or sleeping. And when a person witnesses, by definition, witnessing means not being affected at all.

That's what we have to keep in mind.

The Ultimate Understanding of Śmaśāna Kālī

Anyway, coming back to our subject: Śmaśāna Śiva or Śmaśāna Kālī is that manifestation when everything is removed from the heart. What remains? Pure consciousness.

And that pure consciousness is, for the sake of upāsanā, contemplation, called Kālī. You can call it Śiva also. So, such a manifestation of the Divine Mother or personal God, Saguṇa Brahman—what Vedanta calls Saguṇa Brahman—is called by Tantrics as Śakti.

And Sri Ramakrishna says, "What you call God or what you call Brahman, I prefer to call it Śakti." What a marvelous statement!

Śakti, as I just now explained, śakti means energy. And all the three states—waking, dream as well as deep sleep or dreamless—all three require energy.

Why? Because waking state, we understand. Energy is needed. We are running here and there all the time.

Dream state also we are running only, but deep sleep state—are we running here and there? No, but we have divided ourselves into two: the witness and the witnessed. Even though, what is this person witnessing? He is not witnessing the world. He is witnessing his own reflection.

That is called deep sleep state. And that is what exactly is called Śmaśāna Kālī.

The Inseparable Nature of Śiva and Śakti

Now look at any image of Kālī. Would you see an image of Kālī without Śiva? Absolutely no. Would you see Śiva without Kālī? No. You will not see it.

I will come to that very shortly because it's a very interesting concept. You go to any Kālī temple—where is Śiva? Śiva becomes śava. Śava means what? Śmaśāna.

So where is Mother Kālī? Śmaśāna. Śmaśāna means what? Pure consciousness where, excepting consciousness, nothing exists. That is called śmaśāna.

What a marvelous concept. We have to understand this. So that is what we are trying to understand here.

So what is this Śiva? Śiva means śava. What is this Śiva? Unconscious or unmanifested pure consciousness is called Śiva. Manifested consciousness is called Śakti.

So wherever you see image of Kālī or picture of Kālī, we will see these things. But you may have doubt: "What about the Śiva Liṅga?"

Well, you just go and open both your eyes and look at Śiva Liṅga. Liṅga will be established where? There will be what is called yoni. Yoni means what? Divine Mother. Especially in Kālī Sahasranāma it is said Bhagamālinī. Bhaga is one of the names for this yoni.

So Divine Mother is manifesting as the originator, as the giver of birth. So you see that yoni kuṇḍa will be there, and in that yoni kuṇḍa we will see Śiva Liṅga means what? Where there is Śiva, there is Śakti. Where there is Śakti, there is Śiva.

You cannot separate Śiva and Śakti. So long as we are conscious of duality, then we cannot separate it. When can we at all remain without separating? Yes.

That is called Nirvikalpa Samādhi. In Nirvikalpa Samādhi, there is no such thing as duality. But so long as we have not attained that state, we are in a state of duality—subject and object duality is there.

But the main point is: we have nobody else—"Oh Mother, excepting you." When we can succeed in removing everything from our heart—that is the physical body, then the subtle body, then the causal body—that state is called śmaśāna. And what manifests? Divine Mother.

How does she manifest? Swami Vivekananda put it so fantastically in his poem called "Samādhi" in the form of Ahaṃ Ahaṃ. Āmi Āmi. But that is also Savikalpa Samādhi.

When a person by God's grace has to go beyond that, then that āmi also, after some time by God's will, God's grace alone, that also disappears. Then Swami Vivekananda concludes: So only a person who has experienced knows what that state is—pure state of pure consciousness.

That is called Aham Brahmāsmi state. But this word we are talking about Śmaśāna Kālī. We have to meditate upon this Śmaśāna Kālī.

The Practice of Surrender to Śmaśāna Kālī

Means what? "Oh Mother, I have no one else excepting you to protect me." Others like our mother, father, or well-wisher or beloved may wish to protect. But they themselves are in dire state. They cannot protect even themselves. What to speak of—it is like a baby shouting to the mother: "Imagine Mother, don't fear. I will save you."

As ridiculous as this situation is, so similarly nobody can protect anybody else—even one's own self. Only the Divine Mother can protect. That state where a person can say with complete sincerity and faith "I have no one else"—then he is worshiping Śmaśāna Kālī.

Ramanujacharya's Teaching on Surrender

And in Ramanujacharya's Śaraṇāgati Gāthā, that highest philosophy of Prapanna Mārga—the path of complete self-surrender: Rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāsaḥ.

So this is the third step when a person follows the directions of the scriptures: Anukūlasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlasya varjanam. Then that intuitive understanding dawns upon that person: in this world, nobody can save.

Supposing somebody is going to be beaten by somebody, then of course a strong person can come, drive away those people—the tormentors—and he might be able to save. But if a microbe enters into the same body, which strong person is going to save that person? Maybe some medicines can help the person—that is a different issue.

But supposing a person is about to die, who can save him? Can a strong person, intelligent person, rich person, or greatest doctor—can they save? Even today the doctors never make a statement that "we can keep this patient alive," so far. Even when they know the person is about to die, they would never dare to say "so within three days this person will die." They will say "that is in God's hands"—so many doctors will say that.

"We don't know," because if doctor says "this person is going to live for another three days," this person may live four days, then the doctor's words will become false. That's why they never commit themselves. It can be sooner or later also.

The Call for Solitude and Complete Dependence

So this is what Ramakrishna used to advise: now and then go into solitude. I explained many times—solitude means what? Where a person feels... Ramakrishna uses particular word: Nirjana sthāna means what? Nirjana means people or something else. Nirjana means there is nothing else which can help me, save me, protect me—only God alone can do it.

"I have nobody else in this world. Oh Mother, you alone have to come running to save me, even if you are beating. I have nobody else to run away. I only hold your feet and go on weeping and taking your name: Ma, Ma."

A child goes on crying when the mother is supposedly beating, and he only goes on saying "Ma, Ma, Mother, Mother"—where else can we go?

The Illustration of Rama and the Frog

So that is what Ramakrishna's funny illustration. Rama and Lakshmaṇa were near Pampā Sarovar lake. They were thirsty, so Rama planted firmly in the ground his bow and went into the river, came back, and he was shocked—painfully shocked—to find that blood was all over that bottom of his bow.

So he understood some creature must have been pierced. So he lifted it, found a frog, and then he asked the frog—because Rama can talk to anybody, his own creation or himself—said, "Why did you not call out?"

Then the frog must have been a greatest jñānī in the whole world. Said, "Oh Rama, when anybody else is trying to hurt me or kill me, I will call out a name—'Rama'—but when Rama himself decided to hurt me, whom else am I going to call?"

What does it mean? It means whenever we cry "Ma, Ma," it means we are calling on God only—nobody else. So the frog must have been crying out "Rama." "Ma" means Rama. So immediately Rama should have come.

But what is meant by this illustration? When there is nobody else, there is only God, and God comes to us in the form of dharma. If we have called upon God, that means we have done dhārmika actions. Only when dhārmika actions are done, then we know that we have faith in God.

Simply saying "I believe in God," "I don't do any good to anybody"—it is a false claim. It is a terrible lie to say that type of thing. These are called hypocrites, and Christ says, "I do not know, I do not recognize such people at all. Their lips are uttering these words, but their hearts are completely elsewhere."

That is why Sri Ramakrishna went and slapped quite a number of people. One of them, of course, we remember—Rani Rasmani herself.

Other Forms of Kālī

Bhadrākālī

Then, coming back to our subject: Bhadrākālī. A saint's Śmaśāna Kālī manifests as Bhadrākālī. So when we cry out, "Mother, I have no savior, I have nobody else," then she becomes Bhadrākālī. It is also a fierce manifestation of Śakti, but it is the protective aspect of the Goddess.

Ādyākālī - The Primordial Mother

Then Ādyākālī. Ādya means original, root cause—the primordial Divine Mother, considered the original form of Kālī, and she is also worshipped—Ādyākālī, Ādyāśakti, etc. Beautiful names. Ādya means what? Sṛṣṭi, sthiti, vināśanam, śakti bhūte—she who is the original only cause of this entire creation. She is called Ādya.

So that is what in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad we have learned from the 6th chapter. So Śvetaketu was being taught: Sad eva saumya idam agra āsīt—Sat eva saumya—pure existence which is also pure consciousness, which is also pure bliss. Satyam jñānam anantaṃ brahma—that is called Ādyākālī.

When I am thinking about that, that consciousness is called Kālī, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa—whatever name. So that is the primordial manifestation from where this entire universe and all the three states of experience have come.

And what about the fourth state of experience called Turīya Avasthā? No—to be "I am that Ādyākālī"—that is called Turīya Avasthā. But when a person identifies with this Ādyākālī, he will not say "I am Ādyākālī" because there is no ādya, there is no "me." Whatever exists is only one and the same.

Tārā Kālī - The Savioress

Kālī is called Tārā Kālī. Tārā—the very word is called tāraṇa. That's why "Dehi padho tāraṇi jananī"—there is a beautiful song. Tāraṇa means to save, to take one across. So she is called Tārā—very common name. So names also are there. Tārā is a name for many female names, but there are also males. Arapada, for example, is one name.

That form of Kālī which is worshipped especially in the Mahāyāna Buddhism and is considered a major manifestation to be contemplated upon. Tārā simply means "she who can save us."

And there was a great devotee—he was called Vāmākṣepa—and Tārā was his iṣṭa devatā.

Bagalākālī

Then Bagalākālī is another name associated with the Daśa Mahāvidyās. So she is supposed to be having immense power. Especially she is worshipped in very, very difficult situations—very adverse, painful, negative situations. She is supposed to come and save her devotees. She is called Bagalākālī.

Bhairavī

Then there is Bhairavī. Remember, Sri Ramakrishna's guru—Tantric and Vaiṣṇava guru both. People forget, or people remember only Bhairavī Brahmani in connection with his Tantric practices, but many of us do not remember: it is she who helped Sri Ramakrishna in the practice of bhakti, especially in the Mādhura aspect of bhakti—the beloved aspect. Sri Ramakrishna considered himself as gopī: "I am Rādhā," and he meditated upon Rādhā. He became Rādhā, even for some time his body became a female body—astonishing fact!

So she is called Bhairavī—very fierce. So Brahmani, because this guru was born in a Brāhmin family, but she is well known as Bhairavī. Māthura Bābu—he asked her, making fun of her (he did not believe her at first), "Oh Bhairavī, where is your Bhairava?"—means "where is your ārāma?"

And then she, without taking offense, pointed to the Śiva in the Śiva temple and said, "He is my Bhairava." Māthura Bābu immediately said, "But that is a stone—it does not move." And she replied very fiercely, "If I am not able to move this immovable Śiva, why do you think I have become dressed up like this Bhairavī?"—indirectly meaning that "I have realized he is not Acala Śiva but Chalanta Śiva"—alive, fierce form of Kālī called Bhairavī.

Mātaṅgī

Then Mātaṅgī—another fierce form of Divine Mother, Daśa Mahāvidyā. And she is also very powerful, and many devotees—some devotees prefer this particular aspect so that they can think about her.

Kamalā Kālī

Then Kamalā Kālī. Kamalā is the name of Lakṣmī. Kamalā is called lotus or lily—actually flower. She is very soft and very loving manifestation of the same Divine Mother.

Dhūmāvatī

Then she is called Dhūmāvatī because she is the fire, and this smoke comes, and this smoke also is considered as a form of illusion—māyā—which covers because she is covered all over with dhūma. So she is called Dhūmāvatī.

That means nobody can really understand she is none other than Parabrahman itself. So she is also called widowed goddess in the Hindu pantheon. This is a very unique form. As I said, dhūma means smoke. So wherever she is, there fire will be there, smoke will be there. And some people think unless mother is like that, she doesn't have the power to protect. An ordinary mother, of course, doesn't have that power, but any form of god or goddess can have that effect.

Guhya Kālī Revisited

Then there is another Kālī—she is called Guhya Kālī. Guhya means secret. So this form is the keeper of secret energy and requires complex sādhanās and mantras for worship.

Sri Ramakrishna's Summary of Kālī's Forms

So Sri Ramakrishna is, with a smile, explaining: "Oh, she plays in different ways. It is she alone who is known as Mahākālī, Nityākālī, Śmaśānakālī, Rakṣākālī, and Śyāmākālī."

Mahākālī and Nityākālī are mentioned in the Tantra philosophy, but actually other forms of Kālī are also mentioned. Sri Ramakrishna was only mentioning briefly.

But he says: "When there were neither the creation nor the sun, the moon, the planets, and the earth, and when darkness enveloped in darkness, then the Mother, the formless one—Mahākālī, the great power—was one with Mahākāla, the absolute. There was no distinction."

And that—what is that state? Nobody can think, nobody can much less name it.

Different Aspects of Kālī for Worship

And Sri Ramakrishna says: "Śyāmākālī has somewhat tender aspect and is worshipped in the Hindu households. She is the dispenser of boons and also dispeller of fear."

People worship, of course, Rakṣākālī—the protectress—in times of epidemics, famine, earthquake, drought, and flood.

"Śmaśānakālī is the embodiment of the power of destruction. She resides in the cremation ground, surrounded by corpses, jackals, and terrible female spirits. From her mouth flows a stream of blood. From her neck hangs a garland of human heads, and around her waist is a girdle made of human hands."

There are beautiful descriptions—profound descriptions—which we will see in our next class.

Closing Prayer