Description:
Goddess Bhadrakali , powerful and revered deity in Hinduism, is a manifestation of the divine feminine energy , often associated with destruction and protection . She is depicated as a fearsome and fierce goddess , with a complexion as dark as night , symbolizing her role as a destroyer of evil forces and a protector of her devotees.
Bhadrakali iconography typically portrays her with multiple arms , each holding various weapons , including swords , trident and a severed head symbolizing her triumph over darkness and ignorance . she often depicted riding a lion symbolizing her dominion over the animal kingdom and her fearless nature .
Devotees turn to Bhadrakali for her formidable strength and the ability to vanquish negative forces . She worshiped in the various region of India ,particularly in the state of Kerala , where ritualistic dance form known as "Theyyam" is dedicated to her
This goddess is represented with three eyes, and four, sixteen, or eighteen hands. She carries a number of weapons, with flames flowing from her head, and a small tusk protruding from her mouth. Her worship is also associated with the Tantric tradition of the Matrikas as well as the tradition of the ten Mahavidyas and falls under the broader umbrella of Shaktism. Sarkara, Kodungalloor, Parumala Sree Valiya Panayanaarkkavu Temple, Attukal, Chettikulangara, Thirumandhamkunnu and Chottanikkara are famous Bhadrakali temples in Kerala. Mandaikadu, Kollencode are famous temples in Tamil Nadu. Bhadrakali temple in Warangal is famous.
Bhadrakali is primarily worshipped in 4 forms: Darukajit (as the killer of the demon Darika), Dakshajit (as the killer of Daksha), (as the slayer of the demon Ruru) and as Mahishajit (as she who killed Mahishasura).
Bhadrakali Mantra
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The Slaying of Darika
In Kerala, where the worship of Bhadrakali is prevalent even today, she is worshipped most commonly as "Darikajit," the slayer of Darika, based on a story that originated in the Markandeya Purana, and is called the "Bhadrakali Mahatmyam" or "Darika-vadham".
The asura Darika was said to have a very chaste wife, Manodari, who had in her possession a special mantra that would keep her husband invincible, and thus her marriage forever safe. Darika used his newfound invincibility to torment the lokas and usurp the kingdom of the Devas. When Lord Shiva came to know about the misdeeds of demon Darika, he opened his fiery third eye and the massive ferocious form of Bhadrakali emerged. Shiva ordered Bhadrakali to destroy Darika, with a Vetala as her vehicle.
However the Goddess found it impossible to kill the demon as he was ever in the protection of his wife's mantra chanting. The Goddess split her form into that of her fierce warrior self that continued to engage in combat and that of a common woman. The Goddess went to Manodari, claiming to be the wife of a soldier who was fighting for Darika in his army in the losing battle. With this, Manodari broke her chanting to console the worried woman, breaking Darika's broke invincibility shield. Kali immediately disappeared from Manodari's presence while on the battlefield she had already managed to injure Darika.
As Darika lay at her feet, about to be killed, he was said to have appealed to her motherly nature as a last resort, with faux praises and prayers. But the Devas gathered there began to sing praises to the Goddess (such as the mantra "Kante Kalatmaje Kaali, Kante Kali Namostute"), thus reminding the Goddess of the atrocities Darika had committed that caused her birth in the first place. Turning a blind eye to Darika's faux innocence, Bhadrakali severed his head and held it aloft in her left hand as she danced around in the battlefield.
But her anger would not succumb and so the Devas invoked Lord Shiva to intervene and calm Kali down, as when in anger Kali had the tendency to reduce the universe into nothingness. Shiva lay in her path as a crying baby and this time (Gandakarna), Kali's true motherliness was awakened. A now calm Kali expressed her wish to stay at the spot and protect the local people till the end of time. The spot where she remained is said to be the Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple. Bhadrakali at Kodungallur still remains one of her 3 most auspicious temples in Kerala, along with Thirumandhamkunnu Temple and Parumala Valiya Panayannarkavu Devi Temple. It is also listed as one of the 13 'kaavu' temples of Kali and as one of the main 64 Bhadrakali temples in Kerala.
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Chamundi
Another version of the Bhadrakali story is from the Devi Mahatmyam of the Markandeya Purana, during the battle between Raktabija and Goddess Kaushiki (Durga). Kali was born from the wrath of Goddess Kaushiki, from her forehead. She slew Chanda & Munda and earned the epithet 'Chamundi'. She also slayed the demon Raktabija, which is her most famous feat. This Chamundi-Kali form is said to be the leader of the Sapta-Matrikas and is the most popular form of the Goddess in Northern India.
Daksha's Yajna
Another popular story on Bhadrakali is associated with Daksha and his yajna, according to the Shiva Purana, Vayu Purana and the Mahabharata. Goddess Bhadrakali was born from the matted locks of Shiva's hair. He ordered her to free Veerabhadra who was imprisoned by Lord Vishnu, as the latter was protecting Daksha. She succeeds and is later heard of as assisting in Daksha's assassination, and hence earned the title 'Dakshajit'.
Mahishasura Mardini
According to the Kalika Purana, Bhadrakali is said to have appeared in Treta yuga to slay the 2nd out of the 3 Mahishasuras. It is believed that when the 3rd Mahishasura wished to know how he would die, he was given a vision of the fair-skinned Bhadrakali who rose out of the milky ocean and slew him in his previous incarnation. He asked to die again at her hands and the Goddess promised that she would incarnate as the 18 armed Mahishasura Mardini (the account detailed in the Devi Mahatmyam) and slay him. This version of Bhadrakali is worshiped as 'Mahishajit'.
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The Many Forms of Devi
According to Tantra Rahasya, the feminine form of the divine (Devi) arose from the North (Uttaramnaya) face (Amnayas) of Shiva, which is blue in color and with three eyes, as
Dakshinakalika, Mahakali, Guhyakah, Smashanakalika, Bhadrakali, Ekajata, Ugratara, Taritni, Katyayani, Chhinnamasta, Nilasarasvati, Durga, Jayadurga, Navadurga, Vashuli, Dhumavati, Vishalakshi, Gauri, Bagalamukhi, Pratyangira, Matangi, and Mahishamardini.
Various traditions and form of worship
According to the Kerala traditions, the events described in the Markandeya Purana associated with Bhadrakali (her slaying of the demon Darika to liberate the universe from the evil) took place in Kerala, near Madayi in the Kannur District. Bhadrakali temples in Kerala commemorate this event during traditional festivals and Bhadrakali is worshipped as the daughter of Lord Shiva, from whose third eye she sprung to defeat the demon. According to the Markandeya Purana, her worship purifies the devotee and grants liberation from the cycle of birth and death. She is seen to protect the honour of women and to bestow all spiritual knowledge. In Kerala, she called Veerabhadra her "brother" and refused to be treated by him when she was attacked by the deity Vasorimala, who had marked her face with smallpox. She said that a brother must not touch the face of his sister. Thus, mild pockmarks are sometimes visible on her face in some Keralan depictions of her.
Among the people of the neighboring states, especially in Tamil Nadu, this form of Shakti is known as 'Malayala Bhagavathy' or 'Malayala Bhadrakali', who provides protection to her devotees irrespective of caste and religion.
In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and the Southern Travancore area of Kerala, especially in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the Tamil, Kannada and Telugu speaking communities worship a form of Mahakali as 'Ujjaini Mahakali', and they consider Emperor Vikramaditya as their first teacher in this spiritual tradition as having established the tradition in the South.
In other parts of India, the Tantric name 'Kali' or 'Mahakali' is generally more popular as the consort of Shiva in his form of Rudra or Mahakala, and Bhadrakali is identified as Durga's daughter who helped her during the battle with Raktabija. Other sources state that she is the sister of Veerabhadra, who was himself born of the wrath of Shiva as Rudra, and that she is the consort of a form of Mahakaal or Bhairava. The deeply Tantric-influenced traditions mostly consider 'Kali' as the consort of Shiva.
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Bhadrakali worship benefits
- It is said that one who worships Goddess Bhadrakali is blessed with well-being, fortune, and prosperity.
- Ensures that the person gets lifelong protection from the influence of evil spirits or black magic.
- All sins can be overcome by worshiping Bhadrakali.
- It also helps in getting into an early marriage.