Devi Dakṣiṇa Kālikā is the first among Daśa Mahāvidyās. She is also called Ādyā, Vidyā Rājñī and Śyāma Sundari; since, She is before time in the creative descent, figuratively called first, above time or without a beginning, hence called Kālikā.
Her dhyāna śloka is:
śavāruḍhāṁ mahābhīmāṁ ghoradamṣṭrāṃ hasanmukhīṁ
caturbhujāṁ khaḍga-muṇḍa-varābhayakarāṁ śivāṁ |
muṇḍamālādharāṁ devīṁ lalajjihvāṁ digambarām
sadā sañcintaye kālīṁ śmaśānālaya-vāsinīṃ ||
śavāruḍhāṁ = Riding a corpse (Śiva is corpse-like); mahābhīmāṁ = Huge figure; ghoradamṣṭrāṃ = Terrible fang like teeth; hasanmukhīṁ = Laugh filled face; caturbhujāṁ = having four hands; khaḍga-muṇḍa-varābhayakarāṁ = (holding) sword, severed head, the gesture of dispelling fear and granting boons; śivāṁ = Auspicious; muṇḍamālādharāṁ = wearing a garland of severed heads (51); devīṁ = Glowing playful divine; lalajjihvāṁ = rolling her tongue; digambarām = directions are her clad (means naked); sadā = Ever; sañcintaye = with deep in depth meditation; kālīṁ = Kālikā Devi (I meditate); śmaśānālaya-vāsinīṃ = who resides in the cemetery.
The aspirant is to mediate on Śrī Kālikā Devi as riding a corpse, with a huge body and ferocious teeth, filled with loud thunder-like laughter, holding in Her four hands the sickle-sword, a severed head, gestures of removing fear and granting boons, auspicious, wearing a garland of severed heads dark, illumined with energy, playful with a rolling tongue, clad with the directions (naked) and ever residing in the cemetery.
Additional descriptions from other sources will include pair earrings of young corpses (bāla śava yugma karnāvatamsau), shining crescent on Her head (candrottunga makutām) and surrounded by terrible featured jackals (śivābhiḥ ghora rūpābhiḥ parivrtām), wearing a waistband of thousands of severed hands (sahasra śava kara kāñcī).
Her mula mantra has twenty two syllables:
krīṃ krīṃ krīṃ hūṃ hūṃ hrīṃ hrīṃ dakṣiṇe kālike
krīṃ krīṃ krīṃ hūṃ hūṃ hrīṃ hrīṃ svāhā
śavāruḍhāṁ, śivāṃ, digambarā, śmaśānālaya vāsinīṃ:
The description of riding a corpse - who is Śrī Mahā Kālā, identified as a lifeless body, for without Devi’s movement He is inert; the most auspicious one another name for Mahā Kālā; since corpses are seen in a cemetery, described as living in a burial ground - Lord Mahā Kālā is also such; clad with the directions - naked, an explicit reference to the Lord Mahā Kālā, who is also meditated thus. These descriptions point to the four ‘hūṃ’ in the mūla mantra, which is about the association with Lord Mahā Kālā.
mahābhīmāṁ ghoradamṣṭrāṃ muṇḍamālādharāṁ:
She is meditated as a huge, having terrible teeth (usually protruding canine teeth which is curved), wearing a garland of severed heads (also Her waistband had thousands of severed arms - sahasra śava kara kañcī). These three aspects will explicitly point to the Devi Kālikā and thus Her three bījas ‘krīṃ’. The second occurrence of these three bījas is for emphasis.
The garland of severed heads are fifty-one in number thus pointing to the alphabets (mātṛkākṣarās), will show us the name Vidyā rājñī.
caturbhujāṁ khaḍga-muṇḍa-varābhayakarāṁ kālīṁ:
Kālikā Devi is meditated as holding a curved sword, severed head and gestures of removing fear and granting boons in Her four hands. These show Her actions, which are removal of duality and conferring a universal experience. The word ‘catura ’ will point to skill with an awareness of the totality of an action, ‘dakṣa’ will also mean skill; thus one who is skilful is called so. ‘Dakṣiṇe’ in the mantra will show Her skill in above said action when seen with this idea will now point to ‘Dakṣiṇe Kālike’ in the mantra.
hasanmukhīṁ lalajjihvāṁ: These will show aspects of hearty laughter and rolling tongue, which will show the expression of bliss. The bīja of bliss, which is a result of the union of the divine couple, is ‘hrīṃ’. Thus the above two aspects will point to this bīja occurring twice, the second occurrence is for emphasis.
The beauty of laughter combined with the dark one (Kālī), is seen as Śyāma Sundarī.
devīṃsadā sañcintaye: This will indicate that aspirant will always meditate on such a form of Kālikā Devi. The result of such meditation is the realisation of the unity of upāsya devata and aspirant which is likened to the offering into a fire that will consume offered materials - this is ‘svāhā’ in the mantra.
The additional descriptions also will fall in line: earrings of young corpses - āgama and nigamā are child like in Her presence and without Her grace will be lifeless; these are the portrayal of the idea - child corpses. This is reflected in ‘hūṃ’ - Since Mahā Kāla is a revealer of āgama and receiver (listener) in nigamā.
The thousands of severed hands as waistband will show karma yoga, with the submission of all actions to divine; surrounded by terrible featured jackals will point to the removal of fear. These are messages as seen from above of gestures and weapons in Her hand thus pointing to ‘Dakṣiṇe Kālike’ in the mantra.
Similar to Sundarī Vidyā, this karma also has sixteen nityās, navanāthā. Guru Maṇḍala - divyaugha, siddhaugha and manavaugha.
Source: "Meditative Texts - Revised Thoughts on the Way" by Yogamba Sameta Atmanandanatha (Ramesh Kutticad)
Yogamba Sahita Atmanandantha (Ramesh Kutticad) is a Śrī Vidyā Guru from Chennai. He is associated with Guruji since 1996. Smt. and Sri Ramesh have painstakingly written the following scholarly, research. We're grateful to him for allowing us to make these articles available for the public.
