Trying the impossible – painting the 12 Kalis

Kali is an Indian name for the feminine energy, who like a divine mother creates, maintains and destroys the universe from within her own nature. You have probably seen already a painting of her with tongue sticking out and many arms, one of them holding a sword. Well, that is not what I had in mind when painting the Kalis. I want to show their qualities in my style of surreal and abstract paintings, mixed with collage and whatever comes thru me, which might even be figurative or parts of figures, like hands and mouths and eyes. Let’s see how she wants to show up on my paintings.

The idea for this series of paintings has been on my mind for years now. It has been a fascination born from my studies of Kashmir Shaivism.

In Kashmir Shaivism, there are twelve verses of what is called the Ancient Kramastotra*, which form a poetic eulogy to the twelve Kalis, which I first heard chanted at functions in Kashmir. I will add an audio recording after each of the Kalis of me and my partner singing them.

Swami Lakshmanjoo compiled the essential meaning of each verse in Hindi in his Kramanaya Pradipika (1959) after contemplating each verse for a few days, a short translation of each verse was extracted from that for recitation by the Universal Shaiva Fellowship.

The other source was the more poetic (french) translation and commentary by Lilian Silburn, (Hymnes Aux Kali La Roue Des Energies Divines), which I found very inspiring.

Twelve Kalis:

“God consciousness is multiplied in each and every objective world, that is saṁvit cakrodaya–twelve Kālis.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka.¹

Those twelve energies are not separate from the creator, like fire and its power to burn. The energy holder and the energy/power are identical. How to visualize the energies that created this universe?

“Kali is none other than Brahman. That which is called Brahman is really Kali. She is the Primal Energy. When that Energy remains inactive, I call It Brahman, and when It creates, preserves, or destroys, I call It Shakti or Kali. What you call Brahman I call Kali. Brahman and Kali are not different. They are like fire and its power to burn: if one thinks of fire one must think of its power to burn. If one recognizes Kali one must also recognize Brahman; again, if one recognizes Brahman one must recognize Kali. Brahman and Its Power are identical. It is Brahman whom I address as Shakti or Kali.” ~Ramakrishna Nikhilananda 2000, p. 734.

“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.” Footnote, Kramanaya Pradipika, Swami Lakshmanjoo².

“That energy of consciousness [mātari] takes hold of those four-fold faces or formations of her nature in which she shines always, i.e. sṛiṣṭi [creation], sthiti [protection], saṁhṛitī [destruction] and anākhyā. [Anākhya cakra is that state of movement without movement, it is the gap, or state of śunya [emptiness] between the objective, cognitive and subjective.” [End of Swamiji’s exp. from Tantraloka 4.¹]

The twelve Kalis are the energies of the creator, through which he extends his creation as his energies of 1. creation, 2. protection, 3. destruction and the gap/emptiness-between (4. anakya/turya), into the realms of 1. objective world, 2. cognitive world, and 3. subjective world: 4 x 3 = 12.

Process:

To make it more visual and see them all at a glace I have added them along with their Sanskrit names and a little bit of what I had studied about them on a large piece of paper that I stuck to the wall. I also did some sketches to visualize all the qualities of Kali. As well as collected everything I could about it in my sketchbook along with some free associations.

Some possibilities:

After listening to the verses and the translations, chanting them, meditating on them, I started to sketch and paint, freely associating and letting some images appear. Trying to find the connections. Using the verses and the translations more as an inspiration to explore our true nature, and to get closer to the divine.

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