Ananda Kali Ma

Kali’s Symbols

Kali is often depicted with dark blue or black skin. Kali wears a garland of skulls and a skirt of dismembered arms. She holds swords and weapons and a dismembered head. Kali’s name means “time.” She is the victor over time and death. The meaning of each of Kali’s symbols are outlined below:

BLUE SKIN: On the philosophical level, Kali’s blue skin represents infinity. This includes the vastness of the ocean, the sky and the universe.

DISCUS: The discus in Kali’s upper left hand symbolizes the constantly turning wheel of time. This is the endless cycle of creation, preservation and destruction.

CURVED BLADE: Kali’s scythe is a sickle-shaped blade known as a khadga. This symbolizes the destruction of the ego and all obstacles to full spiritual enlightenment.

TRIDENT: Kali’s trident demonstrates her power over the three realms of body, mind and spirit. The trident also shows her mastery over the three gunas (purity, activity and inertia).

SWORD: Kali’s sword cuts through falsehoods to reveal divine reality. The sword severs the chains that bind the soul to unreality.

MACE: Kali’s mace is a weapon as well as a symbol of authority. This is a type of club that signifies power and dignity. The weapon was traditionally used for crushing armor.

CONCH SHELL: The conch shell in Kali’s upper right hand is a source of the sound that indicates full spiritual liberation through the activation of the crown chakra.

BOW: Kali’s bow symbolizes her mastery over laziness as well as the motor and sense organs. This is a weapon of transformation and the mastery of the material world.

SEVERED HEAD: Since the head represents the ego or the lower self, the severed head means that Kali liberates devotees from ignorance and illusion, replacing this with divine wisdom.

KAPALA/BOWL: Kapala literally means skullcap. This bowl holds the blood of demons, symbolically representing the eradication of negative emotions including lust, greed and anger.

SHIELD/BLADE: The small shield symbolizes Kali’s protective nature. This is an active force used on behalf of souls trapped in ignorance.

SHIVA: Kali stands over Shiva with her foot on his chest to symbolize her immense power. In this situation, he is representing stillness and self-control.