Fasting For Health Part-III

Fasting an Ancient Practice

Fasting has been practiced in all countries from the most ancient times. In early times fasting was used in connection with religion for moral, mental and spiritual purification. It was also practiced by all the people of the lower cultures in which it was supported by the rudimentary science which takes the form of magical lore, as well as by a variety of crude religious beliefs. 

The Christian ‘Lent’ is paralleled by the Mohamedan Fast of ‘Ramzan’. The Hindu and the Jain ascetics practiced severe fasting in conjunction with numerous other austerities. Primitive ‘Buddhism’ is in favour of moderation rather than extreme self-deprivation, but in practice in its various developed forms; the religion covers a considerable amount of fasting especially in Tibet. The higher Taoism of China and Confucianism enjoin periods of strict abstinence.

It should not however be understood that in India fasting was practiced only under religious superstition. The therapeutic effects of the fast were also greatly recognized. It was used for the prevention and cures of various ailments and was endorsed by writers on medicine and surgery. From the point of view of health it will be highly beneficial to fast at least once a fortnight. Many Hindus take only one mill a day during the rainy season. This is a practice based upon the soundest hygienic principles. For when the air is dump and the sky cloudy the digestive organs are weaker than usual, and hence there should be a reduction in the quantity of food.

There are several kinds of fasts in Hindu religion. Cereals, beans and pulses are prohibited in almost all fasts while no restriction is placed upon fruits, vegetables and milk – the continued use of a large amount of cereals being regarded as the cause of unhealthy accumulations in the body. A fast is known as “Chandrayan Vrata” in which the faster daily diminishes one morsel of food with the waning digit of the moon till he comes to ‘Amavasya’ when he takes nothing because the moon is not visible. Then he begins his food with one morsel and increases it daily by one morsel till the arrival of full moon. Thus a complete course is finished during the period of four weeks. Fast is also recommended during the period of a ‘Solar Eclipse’. The association of fast with the non-appearance of sun is a matter of great hygienic value. Light of the sun being the source of all vital energy the vital power of our system are naturally at a low ebb when that light is screened from us. Consequently the system is ill equipped for digesting and assimilating food. The Jains follow the same principle in talking their evening meals before sunset.

Fasting For Health Part-II

The question of proper nourishment is of the very first importance because the other two functions are closely connected with it. Eating anything because it tastes nice is not exactly what the body needs. For the sake of gratifying the palate we go on stuffing in every sort of food, time in and time out, whether the stomach requires it or not. Over-eating is the great curse of humanity and this alone is responsible for many of the ills from which man suffers. The disgruntled man who declares peevishly that he is “Fed up”, generally speaks the literal truth. At the same time it must also be admitted that an average person is not entirely to blame for not paying attention to correct diet. It is ‘Society’ that often insists that every one shall overeat and over-drink. People consider it unsocial to eat a little and dub the one who resorts to a fast as cranky. It should be remembered that when more food is put into the body than is required by it, the stomach is unable to cope with it and consequently it passes it down into the small intestine in an undigested and fermented condition. There too, the intestinal juices are unable to act properly on the fermenting mass and hence it is further pushed down into the colon unabsorbed and mal-assimilated. This putrid matter clogs the colon, begins to decay there and generates toxins. The toxins thus produced pass into the blood stream through the walls of the colon, causing toxemia and defective circulation – the root cause of most of the ailments of man.

The common attempt of a Doctor is to suppress the symptoms which the body begins to show on account of the presence of effete matter in the system by administering medicines. He does not try to find out the real cause of the disease and remove it. He labours under the false idea that disease is something which can be “caught” or which enters into the body from outside, and therefore, he uses various drugs such as purgatives, emetics, diaphoretics etc. Strictly speaking, the drugs do not ‘act’ upon the living body, the body ‘reacts’ against the drugs. Some drugs are more readily expelled through the bowels, some through the kidneys, some through the skin. But, in the process of eliminating drugs, much of the vital activity is expended and the system becomes quite prostrate, so that the after-effects of drugging prove to be more harmful than the disease itself. Sometimes there is a temporary relapse but the disease reasserts itself in an aggravated form after some time and refuses to yield to any process of cure.

Human ailments can only be removed by building health and not by doctoring symptoms of the so-called disease. Healing is a physiological process, inherent in the body economy. No substitute can perform the work. The only scientific treatment is that which removes all morbid obstructions from the body, purifies the blood and thereby helps every organ of the body to function properly and normally.

Foremost among the methods of purification stands fasting, which of late years has become quite popular. “Fasting” is the only method by means of which the body is cleared of its corruption, in as much as fasting permits the effete material already contained to be disposed of, and at the same time allows no introduction of new material into the body. We ought to stop food when the system has not sufficient power to eliminate the food poisons. Digestion and assimilation of food require a great deal of energy, and when the energy at the disposal of the body is used in that direction, there is not sufficient energy left for the elimination of poison which causes disease. When we fast that energy is diverted from functions of digestion and assimilation and is used by the self-healing principle in the system towards house-cleaning and elimination of disease matter.

Fasting For Health Part - I

You will hardly find one in a thousand who does not constantly complain of something wrong with this system. Why should it be so? The Doctors may locate the cause of the trouble elswhere, but the plain fact is that almost all bodily ills have their origin in the wrong habits of living, among which, abuse of the stomach stands foremost. Over-eating, use of unnatural foods as are invariably served at dinners, hotels, resturants and other places of enjoyment, and lack of excercise, not only derange the digestive system but choke up the body with poisonous matter, giving rise to all sorts of ills. Evidently, the treatement should consist in stopping all clogging foods and ridding the body of the disease matter, already present in it. The right way to accomplish this is to 'fast the disease matter out', as animals do when they are ill.

It is a pity that, under the influence of modern civilization, the people of India have discarded this natural method of cure which was so strongly advocated by the ancient healers of their country. In west on the other hand, the method has been brought to the forefront by the efforts of eminent naturopaths and there has grown up a large literature on the subject. It is time we should also revive the old practice.

I have written this bolgg in which I have tried to present the subject in an understandable form. If the perusal of the blog induces even a small fraction of the suffering humanity to try the fasting cure and thereby regain their normal health, I shall consider my efforts amply rewarded.

What is Disease and How Fasting Helps Remove Disease – 

Disease is nothing else but an effort of the body to expel from the system the waste matter which has accumulated owing to a long continued unnatural mode of living. Disease is then, a curative process, a process of purification and a remedial action. It is the normal ‘reaction’ of the body to an unfavorable environment. Internal Obstructions are lodged in the system in the form of filth – toxins or waste matter. They depress and hinder healthy action or normal physiology. The entire system rebels against the presence of this foreign mass, and the Vital Force, under the control of the Law of Life, strives to save the body by struggling with might and main to remove the dangerous accumulations. The human body is composed of millions and millions of tiny cells, each little cell being an individual life by itself, absorbing food, eliminating, functioning, growing, reproducing and dying. There are different groups of cells of different kinds such as the muscular cel’s, the fatty cells, the body cells, and so on. The health of the body depends on the health of each individual cell, and in order that each individual cell should function properly, it must have food – proper food and nourishment, secondly, it must have proper drainage, and i.e. it must be able to get rid of the residue left after the assimilation of food. The third necessity of the cell is the proper supply of nerve force. It is the nerve force going along myriads of nerves to different parts of the body, to different tissues, and to each individual cell, which gives these cells, and consequently the organs, the power to function properly – the power to absorb food and to eliminate the waste matters which are produced as a result of the absorption of food. A disturbance in any of the three requirements of the cell, feeding drainage and nerve supply of them ensures good health.

Ponchomokar Sadhana (Five M’s) of Mother kali

There are three way of Tantric sadhana – 1> Posyachar, 2> Birachar and 3> Divyachar. “Ponchomokar” is the part of Birachar sadhana of Tantra. Modyo(Wine), Mangso(meat), Motsyo(fish), Mudra(posture) and Moithun (sexual intercourse) collectively, five essential tantric practices or rites called as “Ponchomokar” sadhana.The Yogic explanation of these “Pochomokar” is as follows:

Modyo(Wine) –

“Somdhara khored ya tu brohmorondrat boranone.

Pitanondomoyostang jo swo ebo modyosadhoko”. - Agomsar

A sadhak who drink the stream of nectar exuded from “Sahasrar” (the central pore of the palate) called as “Modyo” sadhak. An indication in human body may be as same as one can drink wine.

Mangso(meat) –

“Ma Sobdadrosona gneya todongsan rosonaproyan.

Soda jo vokshoyodebi so ebo mangso sadhoko”. - Agomsar

Sadhak do not want to eat meat for this purpose.A man who practice or exercise of restraint in speech called as “Mangso” sadhak.Tongue in human body performs two types of work one is to speak with someone and the other is to taste food. So a sadhak must control his apeech and intake of food to achieve his goal.

Motsyo(fish) –

“Ganga Jomuna modhye motsyo dou choroto sodah

Tou motsyou vokshoyed jostu swo bhobe motsyo sadhok”. - Agomsar

In this case ‘Ganga’ means “Ida” nadi and ‘Jamuna’ means “Pingola” nadi. What is ‘Nadi’? Yogis said that man has three main flows of energy, which they called the ‘Nadi’s, Ida, Pingola and Sushumna, and which have been roughly translated as mind, body and spirit. The third flow is the result of the balanced interaction of the first two. They also said that man functions mainly in the first two areas of body and mind, Ida and Pingola, the third aspect being dormant until it is stimulated by ‘Yog’ or some other discipline. Man who control his ‘Prana’ by way of ‘Pranayam’ is called ‘Motsyo’ sadhak.

Location of the Chakras

Mudra(posture) –

“Sohosrar e mohapodme kornica mudrita nochet”. - Agomsar

A man who awake his ‘Kundolini’ to ‘Sahasrar’ and realize ‘Atma’ (spirit) is called as ‘Mudra’ sadhak. What is kundolini? Everybody should know something about kundoloni as it represents the coming consciousness of mankind. Kundolini is the name of a sleeping dormant potential force in the human organism and it is situated at the root of the spinal column. In the masculine body it is in the perineum, between the urinary and excretory organs. In the female body its location is at the root of the uterus in the cervix. This centre is known as ‘mooladhar chakra’ and it is actually a physical structure. It is a small gland which you can even take out and press. However kundolini is a dormant energy. To awaken Kundolini you must prepare yourself through ‘pranayam’ and different ‘kriyas’ as stated in ‘Tantra’.

Moithun (sexual intercourse) –

“Ferostu Kumkumavaso Kundomodhye byabosthito.

Mokaroscho Bindoorupo Mohajonou sthito priye”. - Agomsar

To raise the kulakundalini and unite it with Paramashiva, the nucleus consciousness at pineal gland the “sahasrara chakra”. When a sadhak stands at the position of “Ajapa-japa” then only he feel ‘Brahmananda’ the infinite joy this is ‘Moithun tattva’.

Tantra is really trying to free and raise shakti energy so that living liberation can be achieved. The tantrikas were not indulging in the Pancha-Makara for simple pleasure. In fact, during maithuna, orgasm was not allowed. And besides, there were many other Tantric practices that didn't involve any of the Pancha-Makara. Pranayama and physical exercises had no stigma in and of themselves.

Yogic and Spiritual Explanation of the Mother Kali

Why skin of Mother Kali is Black?

As described in “Chandi”(Sri Sri Durga Soptosoti), the giant Modhukoitov chanda and Mundo were destroyed by Devi, but the giant Roktobeej still alive because when devi hit each time with her weapon on Roktobeej a new giant born from each drop of blood. At that time Devi once again hit Roktobeej and drinks all the drops of blood from the wounded part. When Devi drink blood drops her skin color turns Black from Golden. She named as ‘Kali’.

“Kalong Koloyoti Eti kali”, this means one who swallows the ‘Time’ she treated as ‘kali’.A great song of Saint Ramprosad Sen  -

“Je hereche aklo roop

Tar onno roop lagena bhalo.”

This is the highest explanation regarding Black color of Kali. The all things (colors) in this universe dissolved or absorbed in the Black color of kali.

Why the Tongue of Mother kali seize with her Teeth?

Giant “Roktobeej” is the symbol of bad desire or thirst for worldly pleasures and enjoyments of a human being.These bad desire or ‘Roktobeej’ destroys the desire for “Sadhana” in a human being.Mother kali destroyed ‘Raktobeej’ on her tongue with the help of her Teeth. In a human body, Tongue performs two types of work, One is to taste food and the other is to speak. Sparing in speech and food can regulate the Tongue of a human and turns him into s ‘Sadhak’.For this reason “Khechori Mudra” performed by most of the Yogies.

Why Mother kali has Three Eyes?

Human being enjoys this materialistic world through his two eyes.But there is another (third) eye which called as “Divya Eye” or “Gyan Netro”.One can see the realm of the mind when the third eye opened. A man can become omniscient when the “Gyan Netro” awakened. These three eyes symbolize omniscience – knowledge of whole universe.

Why Mother Kali has Four Hands?

The upper left hand holds ‘Sword’ and the lower one hold ‘Human Skeleton’. The upper right hand gives us ‘Blessings’ and the lower one gives us ‘Fearlessness’. Four hands of Mother Kali symbolize ‘Dharma’,  ‘Artha’, ‘kama’ and ‘Moksha’ that is Virtue, wealth, love and Final Salvation of human life. The upper right arm symbolize ‘Dharma’. The result of Dharma is Blessings. The lower right arm symbolize ‘Artha’. A man can totally dependable upon her if he practices total believe, love and surrender. Mother Kali totally take care of the child who has come for shelter. The lower lower left arm symbolize ‘Kama’. She holds the skeleton of the giant ‘Kamasur’ in this hand. If we controls ‘Prana’ (inhalation and exhalation) the bad desire will be automatically controlled. The upper left arm symbolize ‘Moksha’.The sword is the symbol of knowledge by which Sadhak can destroy ‘Shororipu’ – Six cardinal passion of man namely sex passion, anger, greed infatuation, vanity and envy to achieve ‘Moksha’ or ‘Sidhdhi’.

Why Shiv lying under the legs of Kali?

Kali is not in the standing posture above ‘Shiv’, She is standing upon ‘Sob’ (dead body).She is standing upon the dead body of ‘Osur’(giant), for this reason she called as “Sobarura”. The dead body of giants are turned as ‘Shiv’ by the touch of her glorious feet.

Krishnananda Agambagish and The Book Tantrasaar Part - VI

The symbolism of fearsome nature - Mother kali

She is the all pervading divine mother of the universe and her name in Sanskrit is derived from the word Kal which means time. As nothing can escape from time, so nothing can escape from Kali. Her consort is Shiva and both of them inhabit the cremation grounds. The symbolism behind this abode is that the body is just temporary and any attachment to the body and the resultant ego is also temporary. Her devotees go to the cremation ground to mediate and overcome the I-am-the-body idea. Her appearance and ornaments has special significance and meaning. The garland of 52 skulls and her skirt made of dismembered arms symbolizes the destruction of the body and hence the ego attached with the body. With these ornaments she is sending a message to her devotes that she can offer liberation to them from the attachment of the temporary body. In two of her hands, she holds a sword and a freshly severed head that is dripping blood. This represents a great battle in which she defeated the demon Raktabija.

Her black skin represents the womb of the unman fest from which all of creation is born and into which all of creation will eventually return. Goddess Kali is depicted as standing on a white skinned Shiva who is lying beneath her. His white skin is in contrast to her black or sometimes dark blue skin. He is showing a blissful detached look on His face. Shiva is pure formless awareness sat-chit-ananda (being-consciousness-bliss) while she represents "form" eternally sustained by the underpinning of pure awareness.

Idol of Mother Kali in a Pandal - South Kolkata during Kali Puja

The destroyer of the Ego - Mother Kali

She frees us from the prison of our own ego as she brings the death of the ego as the delusional self-centred view of reality. Kali and Shiva give liberation by dissolving the illusion of the ego. Thus we learn that we are the ever-existing I AM and not the impermanent body and the ego represented by the impermanent body. This is emphasized by the scene in the cremation grounds where both Kali and Shiva dwell. They are the destroyers of unreality.

When the ego sees Mother Kali it trembles with fear because the ego sees in her its own eventual demise. An individual who is attached to his/her ego will not be able to receive the vision of Mother Kali and she will appear in a fear invoking or "wrathful" form. A mature soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as very sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with incomprehensible love for her children.

The compassionate nature of Mother Kali

She is associated with motherly love. Out of all the Devi forms, Kali is the most compassionate because she provides moksha or liberation to her children. She is the supreme feminine manifestation of compassion and she is ready to shower her love and affection on to anyone who care to turn their gaze toward her luminous heart.

Mother Kali the rescuer of Souls

She is the goddess of liberation or enlightenment. She is the Liberator of Souls and destroyer of all negativity in us. In fact she makes us understand that we are beings of spirit and not flesh and so liberation can only prevail when our attachment to the body comes to an end.

Her worship consists of fertility festivals as well as sacrifices and her initiations expand one's consciousness by many means, including fear, ritual sexuality and intoxication with a variety of substances. Kali, the Divine Mother, is the symbol for the infinite diversity of experience. "Kali represents the entire physical plane. She is the drama, tragedy, humor, and sorrow of life. She is the brother, father, sister, mother, lover, and friend. She is the fiend, monster, beast, and brute. She is the sun and the ocean. She is the grass and the dew. She is our sense of accomplishment and our sense of doing worthwhile. Our thrill of discovery is a pendant on her bracelet. Our gratification is a spot of color on her cheek. Our sense of importance is the bell on her ankle.

Krishnananda Agambagish and The Book Tantrasaar Part - V

Origin of Kali Puja
The Puja is held on the night of the New Moon in the Bengali month of Kartik, this occasion brings in a tidal wave of festive zeal amongst the various cross sections of society. It is said that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of Nawadweep gave an order that everyone, in his domain should worship Kali. Punishment was given to the defaulters. Thus more than 10,000 images of Kali began to be worshipped in his domain. Before the present Kali Puja, Ratanti Kali Puja was celebrated in ancient times. It is believed that the present form of the image of Kali, is due to a dream seen by Lord Chaitanya’s contemporary Krishnananda Agambagish (a distinguished scholar of Indian charms, incantations black magic and voodoo - ‘Tantra’), author of Tantric Saar, that he should make her image after the figure, he saw first in the morning. The image should then be worshipped. At dawn Krishnanand saw a dark complexioned housing maid with left hand protruding and making cow dung cakes with her right hand. Her body was shining with white dots. While wiping off the sweat from her forehead with left hand, the vermilion had been spread in her parted hair. The hair was disarranged. Her unprecedented coming face-to-face with Krishnananda, an elderly, made her bit her tongue with shame. This posture of the housemaid gave vent to his imagination which he later utilized to envisage the idol of Goddess Kali. Thus was formed the image of Kali.
Kali (pronounced kah'lee), the Hindu triple Goddess of creation, preservation, and destruction is the animating force of Shiva, the destroyer (lord of the Dance). She is the insatiable hunger of time that births then devours. Skulls, cemeteries, and blood are all associated with her worship. Kali's energy is uncontrollable. After killing two demons, she got drunk on their blood and began dancing on their dead flesh. She danced herself into a frenzy until she realized she almost danced Shiva to death.

Kali Yantram  a geometric symbol of Mother Kali

The Lessons we learn from kali Tatwa
Kali has begun her dance in your life to tell you it is time to face your fears. All that is lurking ominously, eithre buried deep in your inner darkness or close by, needs to be stared in the eye and brought into the ight of consciousness. Are you fears serving you by warning you about dangerous places, things, or people? Or do your fears prevent you from dancing your dance, living your life, creating with Creation? The Goddess comes to tell you that your dance is needed as part of the whole Dance of Creation. Wholeness is nurtured when you reclaim the pieces of yourself that you've given over to fear. Most fears are formless. By naming and witnessing the fear, you gain power. Wholeness is created when you learn to acknowledge your fears and walk through them.
Goddess Kali is the primordial goddess of Hinduism. She is dark, violent, a figure of annihilation, the ultimate reality that is Brahman and source of all being. She is the redeemer of the universe and the benevolent mother goddess as well. She is associated with Shiva her consort. She is related to many other Hindu goddesses and she is the foremost goddess among the Dasa Mahavidyas.
Goddess Kali is associated with death, sexuality and violence. She is dark, black and fierce goddess of death and she carries the destructive power of eternal time. She is seductive, terrible and wonderful and has always something to offer. She is the primary reality, the enfolded order, formless void yet full of energy, passion, potential and form. To her worshippers, goddess Kali represents all of life from conception to the ultimate reality of death.

Krishnananda Agambagish and The Book Tantrasaar Part - IV

The Tradition (Mythology) of Kali Puja

Goddess Kali has always enjoyed a significant presence in our culture. She appears in various forms as an embodiment of Shakti, the eternal energy and cosmic power. She is also believed to be the eternal cosmic strength that destroys all existence. Her facial expressions depict the extent of her powers of destruction. The heads she holds in her hand instantly arouses mortal-fear in everybody and her protruding tongue symbolizes the mockery of human ignorance. She is also the Goddess of Tantrism or the Indian Black Magic. Beneath Goddess Kali’s feet one can figure Shiva. Mythology says that Shiva and Kali are the originating couple of the universe but Kali even mocks Shiva, as if she herself is the unique source of everything. There are several other Avtars of Kali also. One such is a striking contrast is Kali represented as the Benevolent Mother where she is the personification of Eternal Night of Peace. From the canons of orthodox Hinduism Kali, Durga, Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati are all different forms of the Ultimate Power that are revered on different occasions. Kali represents the crude powers to fight the evil, the core strengths required to battle your enemies. According to the Hindu tradition, we are living in the Kali Age; the time of a resurgence of the divine feminine spirit. Using the powerful imagery of paintings, sculptures, and writings, the celebration of Kali Puja explores and illumines the rich meanings of feminine divinity.

Firingee Kali Temple at B.B.Ganguly Street Central Kolkata.

The blood-smeared image of Kali is after she killed the demon Raktavera. According to Hindu Mythology, Lord Brahma granted the boon to Raktavera that for every drop of his blood that fell on ground hundreds of demons like him would be produced. Thus the only way of slaying Raktavera was by not allowing even a drop of his blood to fall on the ground. Thereby Kali pierced him with a spear and drank all his blood as it gushed out. Kali once gave free rein to her blind lust for destruction. To stop the world from being destroyed Lord Shiva brought himself to the feet of Kali. On sensing her husband beneath her feet she stopped and thus the world was saved. She acquired her name Kali meaning ‘conqueror of time’ as she subdued her husband Lord Shiva by trampling over him. This way Devi the symbol of fertility conquered Shiva, the inexorable destroyer, who was equated with time. Aspects of Kali are Chandi, the fierce and Bhairavi, the terrible in which she is the counterpart to Shiva’s aspect of Bhairava, when he takes pleasure in destruction. Another name of this form is Chamunda. Kali Puja is performed on a new moon night. As Kali is associated with dark rites and devil worship, the rituals performed are austere and offered with great devotion. In the Hindu religious texts, different representations of Goddess Kali are available viz. Siddha Kali, Bhadra Kali, Raksha Kali, Shwashan Kali and Maha Kali.

Krishnananda Agambagish and The Book Tantrasaar Part - III

Kali

The love between the Divine Mother and her human children is a unique relationship. Kali, the Dark Mother is one such deity with whom devotees have a very loving and intimate bond, in spite of her fearful appearance. In this relationship, the worshipper becomes a child and Kali assumes the form of the ever-caring mother.

"O Mother, even a dullard becomes a poet who meditates upon thee raimented with space, three-eyed, creatrix of the three worlds, whose waist is beautiful with a girdle made of numbers of dead men's arms..." (From a Karpuradistotra hymn, translated from Sanskrit by Sir John Woodroffe).

Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the mother goddess. She assumed the form of a powerful goddess and became popular with the composition of the Devi Mahatmya, a text of the 5th - 6th century AD. Here she is depicted as having born from the brow of Goddess Durga during one of her battles with the evil forces. As the legend goes, in the battle, Kali was so much involved in the killing spree that she got carried away and began destroying everything in sight. To stop her, Lord Shiva threw himself under her feet. Shocked at this sight, Kali stuck out her tongue in astonishment, and put an end to her homicidal rampage. Hence the common image of Kali shows her in her mêlée mood, standing with one foot on Shiva's chest, with her enormous tongue stuck out.

Kali is represented with perhaps the fiercest features amongst all the world's deities. She has four arms, with a sword in one hand and the head of a demon in another. The other two hands bless her worshippers, and say, "fear not"! She has two dead heads for her earrings, a string of skulls as necklace, and a girdle made of human hands as her clothing. Her tongue protrudes from her mouth, her eyes are red, and her face and breasts are sullied with blood. She stands with one foot on the thigh, and another on the chest of her husband, Shiva.

Idol of Mother Kali  - Lake Kalibari - Southern Avenue South Kolkata

Kali's fierce form is strewed with awesome symbols. Her black complexion symbolizes her all-embracing and transcendental nature. Says the Mahanirvana Tantra: "Just as all colors disappear in black, so all names and forms disappear in her". Her nudity is primeval, fundamental, and transparent like Nature — the earth, sea, and sky. Kali is free from the illusory covering, for she is beyond the all maya or "false consciousness." Kali's garland of fifty human heads that stands for the fifty letters in the Sanskrit alphabet, symbolizes infinite knowledge.

Her girdle of severed human hands signifies work and liberation from the cycle of karma. Her white teeth show her inner purity, and her red lolling tongue indicates her omnivorous nature — "her indiscriminate enjoyment of all the world's 'flavors'." Her sword is the destroyer of false consciousness and the eight bonds that bind us.

Her three eyes represent past, present, and future, — the three modes of time — an attribute that lies in the very name Kali ('Kala' in Sanskrit means time). The eminent translator of Tantrik texts, Sir John Woodroffe in Garland of Letters, writes, "Kali is so called because She devours Kala (Time) and then resumes Her own dark formlessness."

Kali's proximity to cremation grounds where the five elements or "Pancha Mahabhuta" come together, and all worldly attachments are absolved, again point to the cycle of birth and death. The reclined Shiva lying prostrate under the feet of Kali suggests that without the power of Kali (Shakti), Shiva is inert.

The image of Kali usually shows her foot on Lord Shiva’s chest, a severed head in one hand, her sword in the other, and wearing a garland of skulls. Kali is worshipped as the Mother Goddess who protects from evil. She also epitomizes strength or ‘Shakti’ and the darker side of life. The actual puja takes place at midnight on the day of the new moon.

The national festival of the Bengalis, The Durga Puja ends with a somber tone. But soon, this melancholy slowly disappears with the arrival of Lakshmi Puja in between to finally the tri-festival of the Bengalis - Kali Puja, Diwali and last but not the least the ‘Bhai Phota’. Kali Puja coincides with Diwali, the North Indian New Year, the festivals of lights.

Every households clean their houses and light up candles all over their houses. Children and adults set off firecrackers all night. No one sleeps on that night.

Krishnananda Agambagish and The Book Tantrasaar Part - II

Kali

Maa Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of Maa Durga. She is usually shown with her feet on the chest of Lord Shiva and wearing a garland of skulls. She symbolizes the darker side of life and epitomizes strength or “Shakti.” Kali is worshipped on the night of Kartik Amavasya in October/November. The day is also celebrated as Shyama Kali, the first 10 avtaars of Devi Durga. The reason behind worshipping Kali is destroying all evil both that lies in the outside world and within us.Kali became popular as a powerful goddess with the composition of the text Devi Mahatmya in the 5th and the 6th century AD. The legend goes that two demons, Shambhu and Nishambhu disturbed the peace of Lord Indra. After endless battles when the gods failed, they sought help from Lord Shiva and Parvati. The gods sought protection of Maa Durga or Shakti. Kali was born out of Durga’s brow as Kal Bhoi Nashini.Along with her two escorts, Dakini and Jogini, she was meant to destroy all evils and the growing cruelty of demons. It is believed that Kaali was so much engrossed in the killing spree that she went on killing everything within her sight. To stop this, Lord Shiva, threw himself under her feet. She was so shocked with this act of Lord Shiva, that she stuck her tongue out in disbelief. Hence we have the common image of Kali standing with her feet on Shiva’s chest and her tongue out.

Samadhi (Burial) Mandir of Krishnananda Agambagish.Mollarpur - Dist-Birbhum - West Bengal

Kali puja is celebrated with lots of gusto and fanfare in Bengal after Durga Puja during the time of Diwali. It is believed that Maharaja Krishnan Chandra of Nawadweep was the first to celebrate Kali Puja in his territory. Everyone was ordered to celebrate Kali puja and thus 10,000 images of Kali were worshipped. Ratanti Kali Puja was celebrated in ancient times before the present Kali puja. It is believed that the present form of Kali is due to a dream by a distinguished scholar of Indian charms and black magic or ‘Tantra’ and the author of Tantric Saar, Krishnananda Agambagish, a contemporary of Lord Chaitanya. In his dream he was ordered to make her image after the first figure he saw in the morning. At dawn, Krishnanand saw a dark complexioned maid with left hand protruding and making cow dung cakes with her right hand. Her body was glowing with white dots. The vermillion spread over her forehead while she was wiping the sweat from her forehead. The hair was untidy. When she came face to face with an elderly Krishnananda, she bit her tongue in shame. This posture of the housemaid was later utilized to envisage the idol of Goddess Kali. Thus was formed the image of Kali.

Kali Puja is a major festival for the people of Bengal after Durga Puja. It is celebrated with gusto and enthusiasm. Like Diwali, people in Bengal light lamps, and fire crackers to welcome Ma Kali. Houses are decorated and rangoli is drawn in front of the houses. Kali puja is carried out late in the night. People seek he blessings of Maa Kali during the puja.

The popular forms of Kali are Shyama, Adya Maa, Tara Maa and Dakshina Kalika, Chamundi. There are other forms as well. They are known as Bhadrakali who is gentle and Shyamashana Kali who stays at the cremation ground. Kali has four arms and is represented with perhaps the fiercest creatures among all the deities in the world. She has a sword in one hand and a demon’s head on the other. Her other two hands bless her devotees. Her eyes are red and her body is smeared with blood. Her black complexion represents the transcendental nature. Kali is free from all artificial covering beyond all maya or false consciousness. She has infinite knowledge which is represented by the garland o fifty skulls depicting 50 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Her inner purity is represented by her white teeth while her omnivorous nature is depicted in her protruding tongue. Three modes of time, the past, present and future are represented by her three eyes.

Krishnananda Agambagish and The Book Tantrasaar Part - I

Krishnananda Agambagish was born in the year 1650 at Nabadwip, the birthplace of Chaintanya Mohaprovu.Agameswari Kali Maa, the oldest Kali Pujo of Nabadwip started by the Great Tantra Sadhak Krishnananda Agambagish.

Ma Agomeshwari is being worshipped entire Deepabali night, Priests follow the Baishanaba way to worship her instead of Tantra way as Krishnananda Agambagish belonged to Baishnaba family.

The idol’s height is equivalent to a two storied building and she is decorated with gold and silver ornaments weighted more than 100 Kgs.

Mata Agomeshwari, Shantipur, West Bengal

Around 600 years ago, when the entire Bengal, Orissa and Assam were flooded with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Baishnaba Religion, Krishnananda Agambagish – descendant of Late Mathura Goswami, the elder son Adwaitya Mahaprabhu, Teacher and coworker of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, started to worship Shakti at their Nabadwip residence. He cried to Shakti everybody begging to see her – one night Maa told her to see at dawn as the first lady he wd ever see that dawn. Next dawn he saw his tribal maid servant standing with right foot in front- the hair was open- the black lady was keeping her hands as raised – from there he conceptualized the idol of Shakti as Dakshina Kali and worshipped her. Name of this 1st Dakshina Kali Idol is Mata Agomeshwari and she is being worshipped till date on Deepabali night at Nabadwip and Shantipur, place of work and birth of Krishnananda Agambagish.

Now we are coming to Shantipur which is famous for peaceful coexistence of both Baishanavas and Shaktas. Here the Mata Agemeswari temple is adjacent to the house of Late Mathura Goswami, famous as Bado Goswami Bati and she is being worshipped there for 600 years. If you see the picture minutely , you can see two boys are standing on ears of the idol – one at each ear. People say that once the priesthas gone to some work during Puja keeping his two sons near Mata Agomeshwari. When he returned, he could not find his sons. He asked Mother about their whereabouts, then mother told him she ate them as she could not eat anything from Naibedya ( offered food ) since the Puja was not completed, Then Priest prayed to her and she released his sons through her ear – so you can find those sons at two ears of the mother.

Though Mata Agomeshwari is being worshipped entire Deepabali night, Priests follow the Baishanaba way to worship her instead of Tantra way asKrishnananda Agambagish belonged to Baishnaba family.

The idol’s height is equivalent to a two storied building and she is decorated with gold and silver ornaments weighted more than 100 Kgs.

Previously the puja was observed in Mashal ( torch ) light and the immersion procession was also happened with those torches. Now the practice has been stopped by some notice of Government of West Bengal.

The Goswamis have the patent of face of the Idol and the surprising thing is, the artisan draws the eyes from behind of the mother.