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Subject: The Heart of Kali
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    "Final liberation is attained by the knowledge that the atma is
   the witness, is the truth, is omnipresent, is one, free from all
     deluding distractions of self and not-self, the supreme, and
     though abiding in the body is not in the body." - Mahanirvana
                           Tantra XIV, 116.
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   Shri Mahakala said: Listen, dearest, to Dakshina's supreme
   secret, very hidden and difficult to obtain, her very marvellous
   hymn known as the Hridaya. Unvocalised before, I reveal it now
   because of your love. It should be concealed from others! This is
   true, true, O Mountain Born One.
   
   Shri Devi said: Shambhu Maheshvara, ocean of compassion, in which
   yuga did my hymn arise, and how was it created?
   
   Shri Mahakala said: A long time ago I decapitated Prajapati, and
   due to this evil act of slaying a brahmana came to be Bhairava
   (1). I created this hymn to destroy the sin of brahminicide,
   dearest. This hymn destroys the consequence of killing brahmins
   (2).  Application: Om. Shri Mahakala is the rishi of this heart 
   mantra of Shri Dakshina Kalika. Ushnik is the metre. Shri Dakshina
   Kalika is the devata. Krim is the bija. Hrim is the shakti. Namah
   is the peg. Its application follows from its continual recitation.
   
Heart nyasa etc.

   Om. Kram to the heart namah.
   Om. Krim to the head svaha.
   Om. Krum to the peak vasat.
   Om. Kraim to the armour hum.
   Om. Kraum to the three eyes vausat.
   Om. Krah to the missile Phat.
   
   Meditate on Kali Mahamaya with three eyes, of different forms,
   with four arms, a rolling tongue, bright as a full moon, the
   colour of a blue night lotus, dispeller of the assembly of
   enemies, holding a man's skull, a sword, a lotus, and giving
   boons.
   
   Her mouth is bloody and fanged, she has a fear inspiring form,
   she is addicted to very loud laughter and completely naked.
   
   The Devi sits on a corpse and is adorned with a garland of
   skulls. After meditating on Mahadevi like this, then read the
   Hridaya.
   
   Om Kalika, primordial and terrifying form, bestower of the fruit
   of all desires, hymned by all gods, destroy my enemies.
   
   Hrim, you who are the essence of Hrim, the most excellent thing
   in the three worlds, hard to obtain, out of love for me, deny
   anything whatsoever to he whom I name!
   
   Now I speak of the meditation, O supreme self, the essence of
   night. Whoever knows this becomes liberated while still living.
   
   Meditate on her having dishevelled and matted hair, decorated
   with strings of serpents, a half moon as her diadem, in union
   with Mahakala.
   
   Boon giver, visualising her like this causes all people to become
   liberated in every way. This is true, true.
   
   Now listen to the yantra of the supreme goddess, the giver of
   success in whatsoever is desired. Hide this greatly
   quintessential secret of secrets with every effort.
   
   The Kali yantra, the giver of true siddhi, is made from five
   triangles, an eight petal lotus, surrounded by a bhupura, and
   encompassed by skulls and funeral pyres (3). The mantra,
   previously spoken of, should always be worn on the body dearest!
   
   Now Devi Dakshina Kali's garland of names is revealed: Kali,
   Dakshina Kali, black of body, the supreme self, wearing a garland
   of skulls, large eyed, cause of creation and dissolution, self of
   maintenance, Mahamaya, the power of yoga, the essence of good
   fortune, the female serpent, intoxicated with wine, the
   sacrificial offering, with the vagina as her banner, primordial
   one, always ninefold, terrifying, the greatly effulgent one,
   formidable, with a corpse as her vehicle, Siddhi Lakshmi,
   Niruddha, Sarasvati.
   
   Whoever recites this garland of names daily causes me to become
   their slave. Maheshvari, this is true, true.
   
   Kali, destroyer of time, goddess of skeletal form, taking the
   form of a raven, blacker than black, I worship you O Dakshina
   Kalika!
   
   I bow to you Kalika, Maharaudri, fond of the night, Devi liking
   kunda, gola and svayambhu flowers (4).
   
   I bow to you Duti (5), the Duti causing yoga to arise from sexual
   intercourse, you who are the great Duti, fond of Dutis, the
   supreme Duti, the Lady of Yoga.
   
   Those who recite the mantra Krim seven times over water and then
   sprinkle themselves with it destroy all disease. There is no
   question about this.
   
   Those who seek any object who charge sandal paste with the great
   mantra Krim Svaha and then make a forehead mark of it become the
   most intelligent of people, and always able to subjugate.
   
   Dearest, those who offer unhusked rice while reciting the mantra
   Krim Hram Hrim seven times, destroy great worries and obstacles,
   there is no doubt of it.
   
   Those who pronounce the mantra Krim Hrim Hrum Svaha over the
   cremation pyre, then encircle the house of their enemies with the
   ashes kill their enemies.
   
   Those who offer seven flowers and pronounce the mantra Hrum Hrim
   Krim uproot their foes, no doubt of it.
   
   If, after reciting Krim Krim Krim, while offering unhusked rice,
   it causes the object of attraction to swiftly come from a
   distance of even 1,000 yojanas (6).
   
   Those who recite the mantra Krim Krim Krim Hrum Hrum Hrim Hrim
   seven times, purifying water and making a forehead mark of it,
   delude the whole world.
   
   Parameshani, this Hridaya is the destroyer of all evil, a million
   million times greater than Ashvamedha and other sacrifices. The
   fruit it gives is one million million times better than the
   offerings given to virgins (7). Its results, it is said, are
   greater by one million million than those obtained from offering
   to Dutis.
   
   It is a million times greater than the results obtained from
   bathing in the Ganges and other sacred waters. Reciting it only
   once bestows these results. This is true, true, I swear it.
   
   The initiated person who, after worshipping a kumari of beautiful
   form, and then recites this hymn, becomes liberated whilst
   living, O Maheshani.
   
                                 Notes
                                   
   (1) This story is related in the Skanda Purana. BrahmĖ liked his
   daughter and wanted to couple with her. But that didn't meet with
   the approval of Shiva, who cut off his fifth head. Brahma and
   Shiva had a great fight, which the latter won. Shiva, however,
   had committed the sin of killing a Brahmin, an act requiring
   expiation. Forever afterwards, Shiva in his form of Bhairava, the
   terrible one, bears the fifth head of Brahma.
   
   (2) So followers of Shiva have a licence to kill brahmins! This
   probably stems from a time when the Aryan race was entering India
   and faced opposition from the indigenous tribes already occupying
   the subcontinent.
   
   (3) Kali has eight different cremation grounds. They are
   enumerated in the huge work called the Mahakalasamhita, Guhyakali
   Khanda.
   
   (4) The three primary types of menstrual blood in the tantrik
   tradition.
   
   (5) Duti means messenger. Yet the meaning is She who makes Shiva
   Her messenger.
   
   (6) A Hindu measure of distance.
   
   (7) Kumari Puja - to this day performed in Nepal, where a young
   girl is treated as an incarnation of the goddess.
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   Artwork is (c) Jan Bailey, 1995. Translations are (c) Mike Magee
   1995. Questions or comments to ac70@cityscape.co.uk
  
EOF