The Kali Yantra

After many months i decided to go and work in the studio. This was a busy academic year and in the winter months I took up sketching upstairs and because of the nature of projects I ended up using my iPad to draw and create. I kind of avoided my cold semi-basement studio and found it comfy working in my living room where earlier I have also transferred my study -pc and all- to make room for little Markie to have an independent room. And the more i did not go down, the more I started avoiding it. I also thought I would move into a new space in-front, which however did not get ready and is not close to getting ready... So semester finished and I had no excuse to linger upstairs around my computer and my iPad. And I felt its time to reacquaint myself with my studio. I kind of get estranged, does that happen to you guys? and I try to postpone it. But then I feel I shouldn’t. Anyway. And disconnected from my previous work I thought its a good idea to just go and make whatever comes to mind. Just start. Just do. 

So, I opened my saved items on FB where for months i was getting inspired but not allowed myself to follow my inspirations. That's so oppressive. Honestly, no one can oppress you the way you can inflict it upon yourself. I was drawn to a bluish purplish yantra, which was as if calling me all this time. I soon figured out it is called the Kali Yantra. Honestly, I didn't know anything about this yantra. But I decided to go on hunch and intuition. While looking for some guidance on how to draw it, i came up to some pages explaining the meaning. I was blown away. I think this is just what i needed right now. How did the goddess know?

It was something like: Kali is the Hindu Goddess of time, of change. She is the power of action, of the breath and of transformation (kriya-shakti). Kali’s essence is Divine Love. Through time, breath and Divine Love all things are accomplished. If we surrender to Her essence, She creates the energy and all is possible. The Kali Yantra, then, contains within it the transformative energy of change. When we internalize this energy and surrender to its sweet transformative power of love, we begin our inward journey toward healing and spiritual growth. And even more it read like this: This yantra should stimulate non-attachment, transformation, the strength and courage to overcome our inner negativity and fears, and the removal of ignorance by opening the door of the knowledge of eternity. 

 So there it was. Kali coming to my rescue. To release me from my fears and guide me safely through transformation and change. Goddess knows how much I prayed for this. So I surrendered to draw it.

 The geometry was simple to figure out. The painting of it, not that much. I found an exquisite mantra to chant along though: I am still in the process of it. Hopefully tomorrow I will finish. Then I can use it to meditate on. 

 This evening I opened my book Tools for Tantra and found some very interesting information on Kali and this yantra. (And a full scale design, which I wish I had found earlier in the day ;) According to Johari here is how Kali incarnated : Once upon a time two danavas (demonic forces), Shumbh and Vishumbh, undertook hard penances to please the creator, Brahma, and obtained from him the boon of being unconquerable by any man (maleenergy). After acquiring the power which came from the boon, they became invincible and started conquering the three worlds; the bhuloka (earth), bhuvarloka (astral plane), and swargloka (celestial plane, the dwelling place of the gods and subgods, ruled by Indra). They drove the gods and subgods out of the Swargloka (the heavens). Knowing that no male energy could conquer these demonic forces, the gods and subgods, including Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer, collected on the bank of the river Ganges (also known as Janhvi) and prayed to the Divine Mother with the mantra NAMO DEVAIYE. 

Hearing their prayers, the Divine Mother was pleased and sent her shakti, the Mother Gauri, to help the gods. Mother Gauri appeared before the gods and heard their story about the powerof Shumbh and Nishumbh. She then assumed the ferocious form of Kali and destroyed the evil forces of Shumbh and Nishumbh and their two generals, Chand and Mund. Kali is thus Mother Gauri, the present wife of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva in his destructive aspect is known as Mahakala, and the Divine Mother Gauri as Kali or Mahakali. 

The Sanskrit word kala is "death" on one hand and "time" on the other. Everything in this phenomenal world is time-bound. When a being's time is over, its shakti is gone and the being is dead. Death, in other words, is the end point in time of the life force (prana). Matter is neither created nor destroyed; it only changes form. Death is therefore a change or transformation. Kali is the goddess of this transformation, which is essential for the renewal of the energy (the life force) and spiritual growth. 

Attachment to the material form (the physical body) causes fear of death. This is the basic fear rooted deep in our brain stem, the primitive brain, and is the basic obstacle in the path of the spiritual growth. Shumbh and Nishumbh are the demonic forces of attachment, threatening our spiritual helpers and forcing them out of their abode.

 And now a few words about the symbolic meaning of the shapes to be found in this yantra, again based on Harish Johari’s book. 

The outside square, is known as bhupur, and it is the seat of the yantra, or the gates of the Godess temple, with four gates at the east, west, north, and south, corresponding to the four cardinal points. The two lines and the solid colour of the square represent the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gaseous. Inside the bhupur and outside the circular pattern appears a triangle that is only partially visible-This triangle represents theCosmic Mother (Tripuramba), inside of whom is the entire phenomenal world, represented by an eight-petaled lotus. This partially visible triangle is symbolic of the infinity of the Divine Mother, who is only partially manifested as Kali. The eight-petaled lotus represents the octave of prakriti, the manifested phenomenon: (1) akasha, (2) air, (3) fire, (4) water, (5) earth, (6) mind, (7) intellect, and (8) ego. The three gold circles inside the eight petaled lotus symbolize the three aspects of time to which these eight petals of the phenomenal existence contribute their karmas. These three golden rings of time are past, present, and future, which are connected with the same point, the center being concentric. The three triangles overlapping each other represent the three gunas-sattva, rajas, and tamas -which are the three qualities or modes of energy, the shakti. These three triangles are connected with the three rings of time. In the center is the bindu, the central point of meditation-the Divine Mother Kali herself. The color of this yantra is dominated by a dark or deep blue. Meditation on this color forms its complementary color, orange, which gives inspiration, makes one ready to accept the ideas of others, makes one sociable, and cures depression and pessimism. The crimson with a touch of blue, which is the color of the central triangle, inside of which is the golden bindu, is a color of love (faith).