Destroyer of Doubts (12 Kalis #7)

Furiously frowning in Her dance of destruction.

By the flame of Her unlimited power, she devours in one gulp the entire universe at the time of total dissolution. She destroys all doubts immediately without any effort on the part of the yogi. Compare to Yamakālī who requires effort.

An exploration into the 12 Kalis thru #paintings #art #centering #findyourown #innerworld #KashmirShaivism #artist #intuitiveart

The seventh Kali: Rudrakālī/Bhadra Kālī Destroyer of Doubts

Destruction in the cycle of cognition. The seventh expansion*.

acrylic and collage on wood, 12 x 12 x 0.75 inch, 30,5 x 30,5 x 1.9 cm

The frown is represented by two eucalyptus leaves (remembering Australia and the fires) and one of the eyes was part of the face of a black women (an ear still visible) whereas the other eye is the symbol of the “flower of life” surrounded by the shape of a leaf. Another symbol is two triangles facing down (feminine). And the circle of life appears again in the middle (of the face?). A map of connections of various internet providers also made its way into the painting as a reminder of samsaras (flux of thoughts and words and ideas that our world is made of). Whereas from the top emerges a different world, magnificently beautiful and intricate it is crushing all the doubts and ideas we have.

7. Rudrakālī/Bhadra Kālī.

विश्वं महाकल्पविरामकल्प-
भवन्तभीमभ्रूकुटिभ्रमन्त्या ।
याश्नात्यनन्तप्रभवर्चिषा तां
नमामि शुभभद्रकालीम् ॥७॥

viśvaṁ mahākalpa-virāma-kalpa-
bhavānta bhīma bhrūkuṭi-bhramantyā /
yāśnātya nanta prabhavār ciṣā tāṁ
namāmi bhadraṁ śubha-bhadra kālīm //7//

I bow before the pure and auspicious Rudra-kālī furiously frowning (/knitting her eyebrows – bhrūkuṭi) in Her dance of destruction. By the flame of Her unlimited power, she devours in one gulp the entire universe at the time of total dissolution-(mahākalpa).

Each of the twelve Kalis is called a vikasa or expansion because this universe is not created in the sense of being made from something. It is simply the expansion of Lord Shiva’s own nature. ~Swami #Lakshmanjoo, #Abhinavagupta #Tantraloka.

Read more about the concept behind the series here.

Trying the impossible – painting the 12 Kalis

This is the continuation of a series on the 12 Kalis, read more about the concept behind the series here. Previous Kalis: creation (#1 Sṛiṣṭikālī,) maintaining (#2 Rakta-kālī,) and destruction (#3 Sthitināśakālī) and the void (#4 Yamakālī) in the objective cycle. The creation in the cognitive cycle (#5 Samhārakālī – re-absorbing energy), maintaining (#6 Mṛtyukālī – Destroyer of Death) . . .