The Puzzling Kali

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

The Puzzling Kali
When we step into the further consideration of particular aspects of the Devi immediately
we are confronted by a terrible problem. For the very first conception of the Mother, especially as it
is done during the Devi Puja is in a form and in an aspect which leaves ordinary minds quite
bewildered—not only those who are foreign to our culture and genius but even Indians, even
Hindus, many of them enlightened and educated, are unable to understand what is this conception
of divinity whom we call mother as an all-destructive, terrible, and fearful being?
In Bengal, the whole of the Dussera worship is the worship of Durga and Mahakali. To very
many people Kali is a name that strikes terror. We Hindus even think that Kali-worshippers are
Tamasic and that Kali is a dread deity. I can say from my own personal experience that if a picture
of Mahakali with Her dark body, lolling red tongue, with Her garland of skulls, dressed in a skirt
made of severed human hands, with a sword dripping blood in Her hand—if such a picture is kept in
an orthodox South Indian house, the ladies of the house will see that the picture is forthwith
removed from the house. If their feelings about the divinity as Kali was right, then how comes this
conception of Kali as the mother? How can you worship Her?
It is a natural mistake which requires to be corrected. Mother is never terrible, never fearful,
is always all-loving and all-compassionate. The explanation for the divine Mother Parashakti being
conceived of, among other aspects, also in Her aspect as Kali is a very simple one. It is not difficult;
it is not deeply metaphysical; it is not obscurely philosophical; it is very natural and very simple.

I shall first start by giving a very up-to-date and modern, and therefore, easily graspable
analogy. We have the modern antibiotics the various mycins and also Penicillin. They are called the
life-savers of the modern age and millions of people look upon them with feelings of gratitude. But
though these life-saving drugs which are benign and cure disease, are the benefactors of humanity, I
shall show how they may be also regarded to be terrible and destructive. They are destructive to the
germs which they attack in the system and destroy. You get infected; your body is filled with germs;
they cause disease. You take penicillin and it goes and destroys all the germs; and by thus
annihilating and destroying these germs, the disease is removed and you become well. Would it be
correct to call these life-saving antibiotics very destructive? If it were right to call them destructive
and terrible, then you may also be equally right to call Kali the mother, terrible and destructive.