Kaalratri

Kalratri
Auspicious

She is also known as Shubhamkari
Tamil script காளராத்ரி
Affiliation Avatar of Adi Parashakti/Durga
Weapon Thorn like weapon and dagger
Consort Shiva
Mount Donkey
The combined 9 forms of Durga create Navdurga--who killed the demon Mahishasura

Maa Kala Ratri is the seventh form amongst the Navadurga or the nine forms of the Hindu goddess Parvati or (Shakti). She is worshipped during the nine nights of Navratri celebrations.[1] . The seventh day of Navratri pooja (ritual) is dedicated to Durga Kalaratri and she is considered the most violent form[2] of Goddess Durga. Kalaratri is the one of the fiercest forms of Durga and her appearance itself evokes fear.

This form of Goddess is believed to be the destroyer of all demon entities, ghosts, spirits and negative energies, who flee upon knowing of her arrival.[3]

Mythology

Kaal Ratri means the One who is “the Death of Kaal”. Here Kaal is dedicated as time & death and ratri means night. Kaal Ratri is the one who destroys ignorance and removes darkness. This form primarily depicts that life also has a dark side – the violence of Mother Nature, creating havoc and removing all dirt. She is also known as Shubhamkari or "good-doing".

Story

Once, there was a demon named Raktabeej, who has obtained a boon from Lord Brahma that every drop of his blood will fall on the ground and another clone of his would be born. After getting the boon, he started to torment the innocent humans and Gods. To kill him, they all went to Goddess Parvati to the Kailash Mountains and told her the story of the demon Raktabeej. She promised them that she will stop him. When Raktabeej was egoistic about his power, Parvati watched from below from the skies, he said to himself that no one can kill him, Parvati was furious, she disappeared and her voice echoed to Raktabeej, he did not know where it was coming from, and soon enough, it was. Parvati transformed her appearance when invisible, now her new appearance became ferocious, she wore a girdle of severed human hands, a garland of human skull heads representing the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet or a garland or flowers, for her clothing, she wears tiger skin like Lord Shiva. She has three eyes that symbolizes past, present and future and sometimes, when she gets too furious, her eyes looked bright red. She has two dead heads for her earrings and a black complexion, she rode on a donkey, she has four hands holding a trident, sword, scimitar and vajra. Raktabeej was scared of Parvati's new form, she was none other than Goddess Kaalratri. A long battle ensued, and at the end, she stabbed and decapitated him with her weapons and she drank all his blood.


The complexion of Maa Kalaratri is like dark night with bountiful hair and heavenly shaped form, and, she has four hands. The left two hands holds a cleaver and a torch, and the right two are in the mudras of “giving” and “protecting”. She wears a necklace that shines like the moon. Kalaratri has three eyes which emanate rays like lightning. Flames appear through her nostrils when she inhales or exhales.[4] Her mount is the donkey, often considered as a donkey's corpse. Blue, red and white colors should be used to wear on this day.

The appearance of Maa Kalaratri can be seen as being very dangerous for evil-doers. But she always bears good fruits for her devotees who are not afraid of her and all should avoid fear when faced with her, for she removes the darkness of worry from life of her bhaktas or worshipers. Her worship on 7th day of Navratri has very much a high importance to Yogis and Sādhakas. Yogis & Sādhaka penance on Shahtra Chakra on this day. For the worshipers on this day door opens of every siddhi, power and practice in the universe.

Temples

References

  1. ↑ The Seventh form of Durga
  2. ↑ "Maa Kaal Ratri". jai-maa-durge.blogspot.com. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Saraswati, Yogi Ananda. "Kalaratri". vedicgoddess.weebly.com. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Rampuri, Baba. "Navdurga – the nine forms of Durga". rampuri.com. Retrieved 19 December 2012.