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Hinduism: Hymn to Kali
VERSE 9
WHAT, indeed, O Mother, 1 can we of so dull a mind say of Thee whose
True Being 2 not even Dhata, 3 iSa, 4 or Hari 5 know? Yet, despite our
dullness and ignorance, our devotion towards Thee makes us talk of Thee.
6 Therefore, O Dark Devi, 7 forgive this our folly. Anger towards
ignorant creatures such as we, is not befitting Thee 8.
COMMENTARY
'Mother'
Of us all including Brahma, Viṣṇu, and Rudra. In the Devi-Sūkta, Viṣṇu
says, 'One, subtle, and unchanged, and yet many, Thou dost give birth to
millions of worlds. Who am I Viṣṇu, and who is the other Siva and who
are the Devas that we and they should be able to (fully) sing Thy
praises? ' In the Markaṇdeya-Puraṇa, Brahma says, 'When Viṣṇu, iSvara
and myself owe our appearance to Thee who has the power to (fitly)
praise Thee?' In Viṣṇuyamala, Viṣṇu says to Devi 'Oh Mother, none know
Thy supreme aspect. The heavenly ones therefore worship that gross (Sthūla)
aspect of Thine in the form of Kali and the rest.' The Mahakala-saṁhita
says, 'When Dhata was not, nor Viṣṇu, nor Kala, when the five Bhūtas
were not, then Thou the Cause wert alone as the Supreme Brahman, the
Being of all that is.'
(Asite) 'Unlimited'
She is not limited by the Guṇas and is Nirguṇa.
p. 67
Footnotes
66:1 Janami; origin of the three worlds.
66:2 Paramaṁ, or 'reality' (Commentator K. B).
66:3 p. 67 Dhata is Brahma who dispenses the fruits of Karma. (V)
66:4 Siva. iSa: Rudra who wields the power of iSvara-hood. (V)
66:5 Hari: Viṣnu who dispels the threefold sorrows of Jivas. (V)
66:6 Tathapi tvadbhaktir mukharayati. Tathapi: still, despite our
dullness and ignorance (V) Tvadbhaktih: inclination to sing Thy praises
(V). Mukharayati: impels to utter words in praise of Thee (V)
66:7 This is literal but According to V Asite = unlimited one.
Mahakala-saṁhita says, 'Unthinkable, unlimited, Sakti Itself, which is
That on which all that is manifested rests, beyond the Guṇas, free of
the opposites (Dvandva) to be apprehended only through Buddhi: Thyself
alone art Supreme Brahman.' (V)
66:8 As one does not become angry with animals (PaSu or animal and
ignorant men also called PaSu) because they do wrong, so do not be angry
with us. It is moreover, the part of the great to overlook the faults of
their inferiors (Commentator. K. B.)
from Hinduism: Hymn to Kali
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