Goddess Mahakali
Goddess Mahakali is the Hindu goddess associated with empowerment, shakti. She is the fierce aspect of the goddess Durga (Parvati). The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death: Shiva. Since Shiva is called Kāla— the eternal time — the name of Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" (as in "time has come"). Goddess Kali is regarded as the most fierce and destructive form of Shakti. She has a dark complexion, red eyes and has four arms. In one of Her hands She carries a sword (khadaga) and in another hand She carries the decapitated head of a demon. The other two hands are in the position of blessing Her devotees. She also wears a garland of heads of the demons She has killed which makes this form of the Goddess even more fearful and divine. Her dark skin colour, unorthodox look, the fiery tongue and bloodshot eyes are enough to send chills down the spine. But She is one of the most powerfulGoddess in Hindu mythology. Aghoris and other Tantrik cults worship Goddess Kali as the main deity along with Lord Shiva. Almost all the Tantrik cults in India refer to their presiding deity as the 'The Mother' by which they mean Goddess Kali.
Maa Kali is worshiped as a nurturing Mother, a source of sexual power, a spiritual guide, a fierce warrior, a defender, an avenger and the Goddess of all death, natural and otherwise. In her many forms she is lovable as well as terrible . Kali being a protecting Mother is also invoked to destroy all the evil or demonic forces in any form whether in your mind such as anger , selfishness , ego and many other bhavas in ourselves , She also destroys ignorance in order to bestow knowledge. She destroys darkness so that we may realize light. She destroys all pain, all sorrow, all misery and all the earthly travails and tribulations; and bestows upon us bliss, joy and immortality of being with her forever . As Vidya-Maya, Mother Parvati using Her aspect as Kali, destroys Avidya and takes us to her path .
Devi Kali is strongly associated with Lord Shiva. It is often said that Lord Shiva derived his masculine power from her feminine power, Devi Kali. As per Shabdakalpadrum, nineteenth-century Sanskrit dictionary, Kali is derived from the shloka “Kalah Shivah Tasya Patniti Kali”, meaning “Shiva is Kala and his consort is Kali”.
