Mahakali
Mahakali appears from the body of sleeping Vishnu as goddess Yoga Nidra to wake him up in order to protect Brahma and the world from two asuras (demons), Madhu-Kaitabha. When Madhu and Kaitabha were enchanted by Mahakali, Vishnu killed them. She took the form of Mahamaya to enchant the two asuras.
↻ synthesized from 11 sources
When
- First attested
- 0 CE
- Attested period
- 0 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Appears in the sixth century text Devi Mahatmyam.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Lakkesiri, Jumadi, Guliga, Vishalakshi, Raktabija, Daruka, Shumbha, Nishumbha, Saraswati, Mahamaya, Śruti, Smriti, Ātman Vidya, Brahmavidya, Adya Kali, Gayatri, Parameshwari, Shakti, Kauśikī, Akhilandeswari, Gauri, Kamakshi, Annapurna, Kshethra Balaka, Rudra Savarni Manu, Mahasaraswati, Mahalaxmi, Mahavidyas, Chandi, Bhadrakali, Mahishasuramardini, Katyayini Durga, Vindhyavasini, Yogmaya, Maheshwari, Vaishnavi, Andreye, Sadasiva, Satis, Kamakhya, Tulja Bhavani, Guhyakali, Navadurgas, Katyayani, Matangi, Bagalamukhi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Dakshinakalika, Smashanakalika, Ekajata, Ugratara, Taritni, Nilasarasvati, Jayadurga, Vashuli, Virupaksha, Nāgas, Narasimha, Chennakeshava, Renuka, Kala Bhairaveshwara, Lakshmi Devi, Chamundeshwari, Male Mahadeshwara, Veerabhadreshwara, Anjaneya Swamy, Panjurli, Mahalakshmi, Parvati, Meenakshi, Bhramari, Bhairavas, devi, Lakshmi, Ambika, Daksha, Pratyangira
- enemy of
- Madhu-Kaitabha, Chanda, Munda
- allied with
- Vishnu, Brahma, Vīrabhadra
- manifests as
- Mahamaya, Yoga Nidra, kali
- consort of
- Mahākāla
- created by
- Śiva
- sibling of
- Vīrabhadra
Mentioned by
- Virupaksha
- Nāgas
- Narasimha
- Chennakeshava
- Renuka
- Kala Bhairaveshwara
- Lakshmi Devi
- Chamundeshwari
- Male Mahadeshwara
- Veerabhadreshwara
- Anjaneya Swamy
- Panjurli
- Mahalakshmi
- Parvati
- Meenakshi
- Bhramari
and 10 more
Sources
Source passages
“Some of the primary kuladevatas of Tulu Nadu include: Mahakali”
#9917 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Mahakali (Sanskrit: Mahākālī, Devanagari: महाकाली, Bengali: মহাকালী, Gujarati: મહાકાળી), literally translated as "Great Kali", is sometimes considered as a greater form of Kali, identified with the Ultimate reality of Brahman. It can also be used as an honorific of the Goddess Kali”
#12725 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Then the supreme Yogi, Bhagavān Viṣṇu, of immeasurable spirit began to praise with folded palms that great Bhuvaneśvarī Mahā Kāli, the giver of boons for the destruction of the Dānavas. “O Devī! I bow down to Thee O Mahāmāyā, the Creatrix and Destructrix!”
#12843 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“She is closely associated with Mahakali or Durga.”
#23063 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“This goddess is usually identified as the terrible Mahakali (time).”
#29303 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5