Kalikula : A Brief Overview

 A Brief Overview on Kālīkula 

॥ कालीरूपं महेशानी साक्षात् कैवल्यप्रदायिनी ॥ 

Introduction:- 

In Śaktism and Śaivism (Kāśmīrī), "Kula" is a famous term. Kaula system is associated with Śaktism and Trika Śaivism. But what is Kula ? 

Shortly, Kula means the doctrine where a specific Goddess form of Ādi Parāśakti with her consort Śiva (in Trika Philosophy, he is Paramaśiva) , Āvaraṇa Devatās (The deities who live in the Circular group around Devī), Parivāra Devatās (family deities) are worshipped.

The person who observes the Kula system is called as Kaula or Kaulika. 

अकुलं शिव इत्युक्तं कुलं शक्तिः प्रकीर्त्तिता। कुलाकुलानुसन्धानान्निपुणाः कौलिकाः प्रिये ।। 

[[ Reference:- Kulārṇava tantra : 17th Ullāsa, 27th Śloka]] 

“Akula is Śiva, Kula is Śakti: O my beloved, those who are intent in the meditation on Kula and Akula are Kaulikas."

Then Kālīkrama or Kālīkula means the path where Goddess Kālī with her consort Mahākāla (a form of Sadāśiva), her Āvaraṇa Devatās, Parivāra Devatās  are worshipped. 

Devī Kālī is none other than Sadāśiva's beloved wife Pārvatī. Sadāśiva or Paramśiva takes the form Mahākāla to stay with Kālī as her consort. 

[[ Mā Kālī at Baghore in Madhya Pradesh]] 

The historical evidences of Kālī's tradition are very ancient. The most ancient evidence has been found at Baghor in the valley of Son River in Madhya Pradesh. Researchers dated it between 10000-9000BCE. It was obtained from excavation site's in the Baghor region by archaeologists G. R. Sharma (Allahabad University) and J. Desmond Clark (University of California). Some triangular shaped Stone or Śīlā which were worshiped as Devī Śakti by the people of that region.

These Stone's have a geometrical structure that corresponds at once to the Devī Yantra used in Tantra. In the Vedic literature, she is mentioned as the tongue of Agni (equivalent to Goddess Jvālāmukhi). 

Apart from these, the Śāstrīya Pūjārcanā (शास्त्रीय पूजार्चना) of Bhagavatī Kālī was started in Kāśmīra region. At the very first time, she had no shape or form. She is Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī (who grasps Kāla or time). So the Sādhakas of Kashmir used to worship her as formless. After a long time, the elder Ācāryas and Sādhakas thought to make Young Sādhakas interested and energetic in the practice of Kālīkula. They composed Sākāra Dhyānas of Devī Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī. The pūjā description was changed a lot. In this way, Kālī was started to be worshipped in shapes or forms. Thereafter the lineages were spread from Kāśmīra to Nepāla, Mithilā, Gauḍa Vaṅga and Kerala. The various regional branches of Kālīkula have their own methods of worshipping and practices. Krama System rejects Brahmanical caste system or Smārtācāra based on selective discrimination,any one who is qualified can get initiation in this system. This System rejects authority of Vedas and Smritis .

Following are the different kramas of different schools ( Sampradāyas)  of Kālīkula:-

1) Kādi Krama (कादि क्रम)

2) Krodha Krama (क्रोध क्रम)

3) Hādi Krama (हादि क्रम)

4) Vāgādi Krama (वागादि क्रम)

5) Nādi Krama (नादि क्रम)

6) Dādi Krama (दादि क्रम)

7) Praṇavādi Krama (प्रणवादि क्रम) 

Each branch has it's own Mistress or residing Goddess or (कुलाधिष्ठात्री), Texts, Guru lineages, Mantras, Yantras, Practices, Āvaraṇa Devatās and Parivāra Devatās. 

Regional brunches of Kālīkula  :— 

1) Kāśmīra Krama 

2) Nepāla Krama 

3) Mithilā Krama 

4) Gauḍa or Vaṅga Krama

5) Kerala Krama 

We're discussing on the regional branches in this post. 

1) Kāśmīra Kālīkrama (काश्मीर कालीक्रम) :— 

[[ Devī Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī ]] 

Kāśmīra branch is the eldest sub-sect of Kālīkula. The presiding goddess is Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī . Mostly she is worshipped as formless or abstract. Jayadratha Yāmala Tantra (जयद्रथ यामलतन्त्र) [The main text ], kālīkulapañcāśat(कालीकुलपञ्चाशत्), Ucchuṣmāmudrāsaṃketa Prakāśa (उच्छुष्मामुद्रासंकेत प्रकाश), Kālasaṃkarṣaṇīmata Tantra (कालसंकर्षिणीमत तन्त्र), Tridaśaḍāmara Tantra etc are the sacred texts of this branch. This krama was born in Karavīra Śmaśāna of Oḍiyāna Mahāpīṭha. — 

करवीरश्मशानस्थां कालसंकर्षणीं शिवाम् । 

चण्डां प्रत्यंगिरां कालीं सिद्धिलक्ष्मी नमाम्यहम् ॥

[[Kālasaṃkarṣaṇīmata Tantra (कालसंकर्षिणीमत तन्त्र) ]]

Devī Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī is the Mistress of Uttara Āmnāya (उत्तराम्नाय) or Northern Tradition. It observes Vāmācāra (वामाचार). 

Apart from Devī Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī, the forms — Saptakoṭeśvarī (सप्तकोटेश्वरी), Ghoracaṇḍā (घोरचण्डा), Mahāvyomavāgīśvarī (महाव्योमवागीश्वरी), Dvādaśakālī (१२ काली), Yamakālī (यमकाली), Nandākālī (नन्दाकाली), Īśānakālī (ईशानकाली), Raktakālī (रक्तकाली), Jaṅgharā (जङ्घरा), Carcikā (चर्चिका), Kāśmīra Śāradā (काश्मीर शारदा), Vidyāvāgeśvarīkālī (विद्यावागेश्वरीकाली), Prajñākālī (प्रज्ञाकाली), Vīryakālī(वीर्यकाली) etcetera are worshipped in this branch. Kālīkula empire Ācārya Abhinavgupta (आचार्य अभिनवगुप्त) was the best Sādhaka in this branch. Except him, Jayadratha (earliest Sādhaka), Ācārya Jñananetra, Ācārya Maheśvarananda also did Sādhanā in this krama. 

2) Nepāla Krama (नेपाल क्रम):— 

[[ Guhyakālī ]] 

After Kāśmīra krama, Nepāla Kālīkrama was originated. The Mistress of Nepāla Krama is Devī Guhyakālī. Her Pīṭha is situated near Paśupatinātha temple, at Kathmandu in Nepal. MBT says, 

गुह्येश्वरी महाभोगा नित्यं पशुपतेर्युताम् । नेपाले सस्थितां नौमि भवघोरान्धहारिणीम्  ॥ 

Siddhalakṣmī (सिद्धलक्ष्मी), Siddhakālī (सिद्धकाली), Kāmakalākālī (कामकलाकाली), haṃsakālī (हंसकाली) etcetera forms are also worshipped here. Some texts of this krama are — Bṛhad Vaḍavānala Tantra(बृहद्बडवानल तन्त्र), Parā Tantra (परा तन्त्र), Mahākāla Saṃhitā (महाकाल तन्त्र ), Hāhārava tantra (हाहारव तन्त्र), etc. 

3) Mithilā Krama (मिथिला क्रम) :— 

[[ Śyāmākālī ]] 

Mithilā branch was separated from Nepāla Krama. It is centered in Mithila region. The presiding Goddess is Śyāmā Kālī (श्यामाकाली). Rudrayāmala's Śyāmā Rahasya Tantra (not be confused with Śyāmā Rahasya of Rudrayāmala (श्यामारहस्य), Mahākāla Saṃhitā (महाकाल संहिता), Vārāhi Tantra (वाराही तन्त्र) etc are the texts of Mithilā Krama. Except her, Kāmakalā Kālī and Guhyakālī are also worshipped. Vidyāpati is a notable Sādhaka of this branch. 

4) Vaṅga Krama (वङ्ग क्रम) :— 

[[ Dakṣīṇākālī]] 

This doctrine came after Mithilā krama. This is centered in West Bengal, Bangladesh, Eastern Odisha. Some Sādhakas (like Vidyāpati) helped to spread Kālīkula in Vaṅga region. The Mistress of this branch is Devī Dakṣiṇākālī (दक्षिणाकाली). Besides her, Vāmākālī (वामाकाली), Siddheśvarī (सिद्धेश्वरी), Raktakālī (रक्तकाली), Śveta Kālī (श्वेतकाली), Rakṣākālī (रक्षाकाली), Brahmakālī (ब्रह्मकाली), Śmaśāna Kālī (श्मशानकाली), Niśākālī (निशाकाली), Pītakālī (पीतकाली), Kālamañjanī kālī (कालमञ्जनी काली), Jayapradā kālī (जयप्रदा काली), Kṛṣṇakālī (कृष्णकाली) are also worshipped in Bengal Kālīkula. Kālīkulasadbhāva (कालीकुलसद्भाव), kālīkulasarvasva (कालीकुलसर्वस्व), sarvollāsa tantra (सर्वोल्लासतन्त्र), mahānirvāṇa tantra (महानिर्वाण तन्त्र) etc are the texts of  Bengal Kālīkula. Sarvānanda Ṭhākur (सर्वानन्द ठाकुर), Rāmaprasād (रामप्रसाद सेन), Kamalākānta (कमलाकान्त), Jaganmohana Tarkālaṅkār (जगन्मोहन तर्कालङ्कार) etc were famous Sādhakas of Vaṅga krama. 

5) Kerala Krama (केरल क्रम) :—   

[[ Kodungallur Bhadrakālī ]] 

It was directly came from Kāśmīra Kramadarśana like Nepāla Krama. It is centered in Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. This Mistress of this branch is Bhadrakālī (भद्रकाली). Except her, Koḍuma kālī (कोडुम काली), Kariṅkālī (करिण काली), Mārī Devī (मारी देवी), Mahāmārī Devī (महामारी देवी), Bhūtakālī (भूतकाली), Porkkālī (पोर्क्काली), Śakti-Bhadrakālī (शक्ति-भद्रकाली), Mahābhairavī (महाभैरवी), Bālā Bhairavī (बालाभैरवी),Cāmuṇḍeśvarī(चामुण्डेश्वरी) etc forms are also meditated. Later, Jaḍabrahmavādīs(जड़ब्रह्मवादी) spread their philosophy and doctrines here and Kerala Kālīkula or Śākteya became cornered. Now this branch can be found in the rural areas of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. 

परमेकांशमेवन्तु परमेश्वरलोचने ।

जयते भद्रकाली तु दारुकावधकारिणीम् ॥

We'll discuss of the Alphabetical branches (Hādyādi Kramas) in the next post.