Extracts from
the book “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” by ‘M’ahendranath Gupta (conversations
between Sri Ramakrishna and his disciples / devotees)
Different
manifestations of Kāli
KESHAB (with a
smile): “Describe to us, sir, in how many ways Kāli, the Divine Mother,
sports in this world.”
smile): “Describe to us, sir, in how many ways Kāli, the Divine Mother,
sports in this world.”
MASTER (with a
smile): “Oh, She plays in different ways. It is She alone who is known
as Maha-Kāli, Nitya-Kāli, Smasana-Kāli, Raksha-Kāli, and Syama-Kāli.
Maha-Kāli and Nitya-Kāli are mentioned in the Tantra philosophy. When
there were neither the creation, nor the sun, the moon, the planets, and the
earth and when darkness was enveloped in darkness, then the Mother, the
Formless One, Maha-Kāli, the Great Power, was one with Maha-Kala, the
Absolute.
smile): “Oh, She plays in different ways. It is She alone who is known
as Maha-Kāli, Nitya-Kāli, Smasana-Kāli, Raksha-Kāli, and Syama-Kāli.
Maha-Kāli and Nitya-Kāli are mentioned in the Tantra philosophy. When
there were neither the creation, nor the sun, the moon, the planets, and the
earth and when darkness was enveloped in darkness, then the Mother, the
Formless One, Maha-Kāli, the Great Power, was one with Maha-Kala, the
Absolute.
“Syama-Kāli has a somewhat tender aspect
and is worshipped in the Hindu households. She is the Dispenser of
boons and the Dispeller of fear. People worship Raksha-Kāli, the
Protectress, in times of epidemic, famine, earthquake, drought, and
flood. Smasana-Kāli 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.
Beginning
of a cycle
“After the
destruction of the universe, at the end of a great cycle, the Divine Mother
garners the seeds for the next creation. She is like the elderly mistress
of the house, who has a hotchpotch-pot in which she keeps different articles
for household use. (All laugh.)
destruction of the universe, at the end of a great cycle, the Divine Mother
garners the seeds for the next creation. She is like the elderly mistress
of the house, who has a hotchpotch-pot in which she keeps different articles
for household use. (All laugh.)
“Oh, yes! Housewives have pots like
that, where they keep ‘sea-foam’, blue pills, small bundles of seeds of
cucumber, pumpkin, and gourd, and so on. They take them out when
they want them. In the same way, after the destruction of the universe,
my Divine Mother, the Embodiment of Brahman, gathers together the seeds for the
next creation. After the creation the Primal Power dwells in the universe
itself. She brings forth this phenomenal world and then pervades
it. In the Vedas creation is likened to the spider and its web. The
spider brings the web out of itself and then remains in it. God is the
container of the universe and also what is contained in it.
“Is Kāli, my Divine Mother, of a black
complexion? She appears black because She is viewed from a distance; but when
intimately known She is no longer so. The sky appears blue at a distance;
but look at it close by and you will find that it has no colour. The
water of the ocean looks blue at a distance, but when you go near and take it
in your hand, you find that it is colourless.”
complexion? She appears black because She is viewed from a distance; but when
intimately known She is no longer so. The sky appears blue at a distance;
but look at it close by and you will find that it has no colour. The
water of the ocean looks blue at a distance, but when you go near and take it
in your hand, you find that it is colourless.”
The Master continued: “Bondage and
liberation are both of Her making. By Her Maya worldly people become
entangled in ‘woman and gold’ (to be read as lust and greed; reference to ‘woman’
is meant to be read as ‘man for woman’ and ‘woman for man’), and again,
through Her grace they attain their liberation. She is called Saviour, and
the remover of the bondage that binds one to the world.”
Divine
Mother’s Sport
The Master said: “The Divine Mother is
always playful and sportive. This universe is Her play. She is
self-willed and must always have Her own way. She is full of bliss.
She gives freedom to one out of a hundred thousand.”
A BRAHMO DEVOTEE: “But, sir, if She
likes, She can give freedom to all. Why, then, has She kept us bound to
the world?”
MASTER: “That is Her will. She
wants to continue playing with Her created beings. In a game of
hide-and-seek the running about soon stops if in the beginning all the players
touch the ‘granny’. If all touch her, then how can the game go on? That
displeases her. Her pleasure is in continuing the game.”