Om Kreem Kalikayai NamahKali Mantra

The seed syllable Kreem

A bija, or seed syllable, is a one-syllable mantra that holds a deity's power the way a seed holds a tree. Kali's bija is Kreem (क्रीं). It is chanted on its own in tantric practice, but in household worship it is placed inside a full salutation: Om Kreem Kalikayai Namah, "Om, Kreem, salutations to Kalika". Kalika is simply an affectionate form of Kali's name, the one used in the Kalikashtakam and in temple names such as Gadhkalika in Ujjain.

The second form, Om Kreem Kalike Svaha, has six syllables and ends with svaha, the word spoken when an offering is placed in the sacred fire. It is used in havan and in Navratri japa.

How to chant it at home

• When: Tuesdays, Saturdays, Amavasya, the seventh night of Navratri (Kalaratri) and Kali Puja night, the new moon of Kartik.
• Where: before a picture of Kali or Durga, facing east or north, with a mustard-oil or ghee lamp.
• Offering: red hibiscus, her favourite flower, and a simple sweet.
• Count: 108 times on a rudraksha or red sandalwood mala. Begin and end with a moment of silence and a bow.

Chant it calmly, the way you would call a mother. Her devotees say that what she asks for above all is fearlessness, and the mantra is meant to give it.

A word about the longer mantras

Tantric texts give many longer Kali mantras: the twenty-two-syllable Dakshina Kali mantra, mantras of Bhadrakali and of Shmashana Kali, and others built from several bijas together. These belong to diksha, formal initiation from a qualified guru, along with the rules that come with it. They are not meant to be picked up from a webpage. For everyday devotion, the name mantra above, the Kali Chalisa and the Navarna mantra are complete in themselves.