Original text
॥ ध्यानम् ॥ गलद्रक्तमुण्डावलीकण्ठमाला महोघोररावा सुदंष्ट्रा कराला । विवस्त्रा श्मशानालया मुक्तकेशी महाकालकामाकुला कालिकेयम् ॥ १ ॥ भुजे वामयुग्मे शिरोऽसिं दधाना वरं दक्षयुग्मेऽभयं वै तथैव । सुमध्याऽपि तुङ्गस्तना भारनम्रा लसद्रक्तसृक्कद्वया सुस्मितास्या ॥ २ ॥ शवद्वन्द्वकर्णावतंसा सुकेशी लसत्प्रेतपाणिं प्रयुक्तैककाञ्ची । शवाकारमञ्चाधिरूढा शिवाभिश्- चतुर्दिक्षुशब्दायमानाऽभिरेजे ॥ ३ ॥ ॥ अथ स्तुतिः ॥ विरञ्च्यादिदेवास्त्रयस्ते गुणांस्त्रीन् समाराध्य कालीं प्रधाना बभूबुः । अनादिं सुरादिं मखादिं भवादिं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ १ ॥ जगन्मोहिनीयं तु वाग्वादिनीयं सुहृत्पोषिणीशत्रुसंहारणीयम् । वचस्तम्भनीयं किमुच्चाटनीयं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ २ ॥ इयं स्वर्गदात्री पुनः कल्पवल्ली मनोजास्तु कामान् यथार्थं प्रकुर्यात् । तथा ते कृतार्था भवन्तीति नित्यं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ ३ ॥ सुरापानमत्ता सुभक्तानुरक्ता लसत्पूतचित्ते सदाविर्भवत्ते । जपध्यानपूजासुधाधौतपङ्का स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ ४ ॥ चिदानन्दकन्दं हसन् मन्दमन्दं शरच्चन्द्रकोटिप्रभापुञ्जबिम्बम् । मुनीनां कवीनां हृदि द्योतयन्तं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ ५ ॥ महामेघकाली सुरक्तापि शुभ्रा कदाचिद् विचित्राकृतिर्योगमाया । न बाला न वृद्धा न कामातुरापि स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ ६ ॥ क्षमस्वापराधं महागुप्तभावं मया लोकमध्ये प्रकाशिकृतं यत् । तव ध्यानपूतेन चापल्यभावात् स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ ७ ॥ ॥ फलश्रुतिः ॥ यदि ध्यानयुक्तं पठेद् यो मनुष्यस्- तदा सर्वलोके विशालो भवेच्च । गृहे चाष्टसिद्धिर्मृते चापि मुक्तिः स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥ ८ ॥ ॥ इति श्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यविरचितं श्रीकालिकाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
Transliteration
Dhyanam: Galadraktamundavalikanthamala mahoghorarava sudamshtra karala vivastra shmashanalaya muktakeshi mahakalakamakula kalikeyam (1) Bhuje vamayugme shiro'sim dadhana varam dakshayugme'bhayam vai tathaiva sumadhya'pi tungastana bharanamra lasadraktasrikkadvaya susmitasya (2) Shavadvandvakarnavatamsa sukeshi lasatpretapanim prayuktaikakanchi shavakaramanchadhirudha shivabhish- chaturdikshushabdayamana'bhireje (3) Stuti: Viranchyadidevastrayaste gunamstrin samaradhya kalim pradhana babhubuh anadim suradim makhadim bhavadim svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (1) Jaganmohiniyam tu vagvadiniyam suhritposhinishatrusamharaniyam vachastambhaniyam kimuchchataniyam svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (2) Iyam svargadatri punah kalpavalli manojastu kaman yathartham prakuryat tatha te kritartha bhavantiti nityam svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (3) Surapanamatta subhaktanurakta lasatputachitte sadavirbhavatte japadhyanapujasudhadhautapanka svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (4) Chidanandakandam hasan mandamandam sharachchandrakotiprabhapunjabimbam muninam kavinam hridi dyotayantam svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (5) Mahameghakali suraktapi shubhra kadachid vichitrakritiryogamaya na bala na vriddha na kamaturapi svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (6) Kshamasvaparadham mahaguptabhavam maya lokamadhye prakashikritam yat tava dhyanaputena chapalyabhavat svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (7) Phalashruti: Yadi dhyanayuktam pathed yo manushyas- tada sarvaloke vishalo bhavechcha grihe chashtasiddhirmrite chapi muktih svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah (8)
Two parts: seeing her, then praising her
The Kalikashtakam has a clear structure. The first three verses are the dhyana, a meditation image to hold in the mind before praying. The next eight are the stuti, the praise itself, each ending with the same line: svarupam tvadiyam na vindanti devah, "the gods do not know your true form". Tradition attributes the hymn to Adi Shankaracharya, and the sanskritdocuments.org edition notes that it is also said to be found in the Kalirahasya.
The dhyana: Kali as she is seen
The meditation verses describe the classic Dakshina Kali. A garland of severed heads hangs at her throat; her roar is terrifying, her teeth fearsome. She is unclothed, her hair loose, and her home is the cremation ground. In her two left hands she holds a severed head and a sword; her two right hands grant boons and fearlessness. Her face is smiling. She stands on a couch shaped like a corpse, and jackals call from the four directions.
Every frightening detail has a meaning. The heads are the ego cut away, the sword is the knowledge that cuts it, and the cremation ground is the place where everything false ends. The right hands, granting boons and fearlessness, tell the devotee that all this terror is aimed at what binds them, never at them. That is why she smiles.
The stuti: beyond every description
- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva became the chief gods only by worshipping Kali through the three gunas (1).
- She enchants the world, gives eloquence, nourishes friends and destroys enemies (2).
- She is the wish-fulfilling creeper who grants heaven and every heartfelt wish (3).
- She appears in the purified hearts of her devotees, their stains washed away by the nectar of japa, meditation and worship (4).
- She is the root of consciousness and bliss, smiling gently, radiant as millions of autumn moons, shining in the hearts of sages and poets (5).
- She is dark as a great raincloud, yet sometimes red, sometimes white: Yogamaya of many forms, neither young nor old (6).
- The poet asks forgiveness for revealing in public what is deeply secret (7).
The last verse is the phala-shruti: whoever recites the hymn with meditation is honoured everywhere, has the eight siddhis at home and liberation at death.
When to recite it
It suits Kali Puja night (the new moon of Kartik), the seventh night of Navratri, every Amavasya, and Tuesdays and Saturdays. Before reciting, light a lamp before her picture and hold the dhyana image in your mind. Pair it with the Kali Chalisa, the mantra Om Kreem Kalikayai Namah and the aarti Ambe Tu Hai Jagdambe Kali.
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