Goddess Mahakali & cremation ground.

Hello seekers of knowledge in path of Spirituality.

On the occasion of Kali chaudash & Diwali, lets try to understand significance of Cremation ground- Smashan in Goddess Mahakali worship.

For her devotee, Mahakali is the most beautiful Goddess. Her beauty is multi dimentional. With her feet on Lord Shiva's body, She is most enchanting. Killing Asuras, in battle field exhibits her strength to reduce burden on Earth. In her calm form, She is a lovely mother for Her children.

Her Real form is absolutely sparkling Golden at higher level. Only when she comes down, takes her dark form. She is full of compassion for her devotees, hence appears as Golden glowing figure. Allows them a vision, to be able to see Her. She descends for betterment of the World. By destroying -ve forces, paves way for re-construction. Destruction is only a step or state before new construction begins, bringing cycle of new karmas. She teaches, how of perform karmas without getting any karma- bandhan & remain free.

Mahamaya Mahakali, only removes veil of Maya, leading a soul towards liberation. She represents the extreme power. 

Lets try to understand significance of smashan in her worship.

Cremation ground is a place where a  Human body, who's soul has already departed, is burnt to ashes. 

Life is actually a cremation ground, where at each & every moment something is getting destroyed. If the art of creation is not learnt, life becomes stagnant. So one has to continue the cremation fire in life. True peace & happiness is achieved only after we know, what to burn. 

Give oblation of our -ve pts. Offer oblation of moha, maya, greed, anger, mis-understandings, hate, revenge in the fire of cremation ground of our life. Make way for creating wealth, harmony, peace, joy. Life will become a festival. Unless -ve is not burnt, destroyed, paving way for +ve, one cant live. Hence destruction is important for re-creation. Life does begin again with re-creation. 

It is said, the World is Maha smashan. Only those who have understood this secret, can live & enjoy life the most. Bhog & Moksha both exists together. 

One doesnt have to go any where to find cremation ground. It exists in our life only. Goddess Mahakali teaches true essence of life. One needs to be fearless to meet her. 

Wishing a Happy Kali chaudash and a very Happy Diwali to all. 

Great post Minakshi esp the analogy between life and smasaan, the cremation ground .👏  This ground, it is the end of everyone in the world,looks upon the backs of all humans, and hasn't seen anyone yet who will look upon its back!! I always recollect a beautiful quote written by some Sufi poet---" whenever you feel dominated by vanity, think of the crematorium where people more talented than You were turned in to ashes!" 

Kali comes from the Sanskrit root word Kal which means time. There is nothing that escapes the all-consuming march of time! The time knows how to write a never-ending story with no beginning or the end! Minakshi, as you rightly mentioned,Mother Kali is the most misunderstood of the Hindu goddesses. whose iconography, cult, and mythology commonly associate her with death, sexuality, violence, and, paradoxically in some of her later historical appearances, motherly love! Whenever I see into her picture or statue ,I feel it is partly correct to say Kali is a goddess of death but she brings the death of the ego as the illusory self-centered view of reality! I heard that both Kali and Shiva are said to inhabit cremation grounds and devotees often go to these places to meditate, esp the Tantriks. This is not to worship death but rather it is to overcome the I-am-the-body idea by reinforcing the awareness that the body is a temporary condition. It is our attachment to the body that gives rise to the love for material world and  ego. Shiva and Kali grant liberation by removing the illusion of the ego. Thus we are the eternal I AM -- the Soul, and not the body. This is underscored by the scene of the cremation grounds. Of all the forms of Devi, MahaKali  is the most compassionate because She provides moksha or liberation to Her children. She is the counterpart of Shiva the destroyer. They are the destroyers of unreality. The ego sees Mother Kali and trembles with fear because the ego sees in her its own eventual demise. A person who is attached to his or her ego will not be receptive to Mother Kali and she will appear in a fearsome form to them. A mature soul who engages in spiritual practice to remove the illusion of the ego sees Mother Kali as very sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with incomprehensible love for her children, the devotees.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿