# mahakala god of time maya creation destruction and power ![[220px-mahakalaandcompanionslacmam.77.19.11.jpg|300]] mahākāla and companions affiliation: shiva abode: śmaśāna (but varies by interpretation) weapon: khanda trishula hammer (in japanese depictions) consort: parvati as mahakali mahākāla (sanskrit: महाकाल) is a deity common to hinduism and tantric buddhism. in buddhism mahākāla is regarded as the sacred dharmapāla ("protector of the dharma") while in hinduism mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of the hindu god shiva and the consort of the goddess mahākālī; ey most prominently appears in the kalikula sect of shaktism. mahākāla also appears as a protector deity in vajrayana chinese esoteric and tibetan buddhism (see citipati) and also in the chàn and shingon traditions. ey is known as dàhēitiān and daaih'hāktīn (大黑天) in mandarin and cantonese daeheukcheon (대흑천) in korean đại hắc thiên in vietnamese and daikokuten (大黒天) in japanese # etymology mahākāla is a sanskrit bahuvrihi of mahā "great" and kāla "time/death" which means "beyond time" or death tibetan: ནག་པོ་ཆེན་པོ། thl: nak po chen po means "great black one." tibetan: མགོན་ པོ། thl: gön po "protector" is also used to refer specifically to mahākāla # description ![[220px-basaltmahalakafromorissa.jpg|300]] a basalt statue of mahākāla from odisha dated to the pala period (eastern bengal 1100-1200 ce.) victoria and albert museum london according to shaktisamgama tantra the spouse of mahākālī is extremely frightening. mahākāla has four arms three eyes and is of the brilliance of 10 million black fires of dissolution dwells in the midst of eight cremation grounds (śmaśāna.) ey is adorned with eight human skulls seated on five corpses holds a trident (triśūla) a drum a sword and a scythe in ir hands. ey is adorned with ashes from the cremation ground and surrounded by numbers of loudly shrieking vultures and jackals. at ir side is ir consort symbolised as kālī both mahākāla and kālī represent the ultimate destructive power of brahman and they are not bounded by any rules or regulations. they have the power to dissolve even time and space into themselves and exist as the void at the dissolution of the universe. they are responsible for the dissolution of the universe at the end of each kalpa. they are also responsible for annihilating great evils and great demons when other gods devas and even trimurtis fail to do so. mahākāla and kālī annihilate men women children animals the world and the entire universe without mercy because they are kala or time in the personified form and time is not bound by anything and time does not show mercy nor does it wait for anything or anyone. in some parts of odisha jharkhand and dooars (that is in eastern bengal) wild elephants are worshiped as manifestations of mahākāla mahākāla is typically depicted blue or black in colour. just as all colours are absorbed and dissolved into black all names and forms are said to melt into those of mahākāla symbolising ir all-embracing comprehensive nature. black can also represent the total absence of colour and again in this case it signifies the nature of mahākāla as ultimate or absolute reality. this principle is known in sanskrit as nirguna beyond all quality and form and it is typified by both interpretations # in hinduism mahakala is also known as mahakala bhairava in hinduism and many temples in india and nepal are dedicated solely for mahakala bhairava for example at the temple in ujjain which is mentioned more than once by kālidāsa. the primary temple place of worship for mahakala is ujjain. mahakala is also a name of one of shiva's principal attendants (sanskrit: gaṇa) along with nandi shiva's mount and so is often represented outside the main doorway of early hindu temples # in buddhism # # in tibet mahayana buddhism and all schools of tibetan buddhism rely on mahakala as guardian deity. ey is depicted in a number of variations each with distinctly different qualities and aspects. ey is also regarded as the emanation of different beings in different cases namely avalokiteśvara (wylie: spyan ras gzigs) or cakrasaṃvara (wylie: 'khor lo bde mchog.) mahakala is almost always depicted with a crown of five skulls which represent the transmutation of the five kleśās (negative afflictions) into the five wisdoms the most notable variation in mahakala's manifestations and depictions is in the number of arms but other details can vary as well. for instance in some cases there are mahakalas in white with multiple heads without genitals standing on varying numbers of various things holding various implements with alternative adornments and so on # # two-armed forms the two-armed "black-cloaked mahakala" (wylie: mgon po ber nag chen) is a protector of the karma kagyu school clad in the cloak of a māntrika "warlock." ir imagery derives from terma of the nyingma school and was adopted by the karma kagyu during the time of karma pakshi 2nd karmapa lama. ey is often depicted with ir consort rangjung gyalmo. ey is often thought to be the primary protector but ey is in fact the main protector of the karmapas specifically. four-armed mahakala is technically the primary protector. six-armed mahakala (wylie: mgon po phyag drug pa) is also a common dharmapala in the kagyu school pañjaranātha mahakala "mahakala lord of the tent" an emanation of mañjuśrī is a protector of the sakya school ![[mahakalabernagchen.jpg|300]] a nepalese statue of mahakala bernagchen (black cloak mahakala) the protector of the karmapas ![[mahakalabernakchen.jpg|300]] black-cloaked mahākāla ![[253px-mahakala-protectorofthetent.jpg|300]] mahakala "protector of the tent" central tibet circa 1500 ![[tibet-mahakala-guardianodelladottrinasottol'aspettogu.jpg|300]] tibetan mahakala sculpture ![[mahakala-nationalmuseum-newdelhi.jpg|300]] tibetan mahakala at national museum new delhi india # # four-armed forms various four-armed mahakalas (skt. chaturbhūjamahākāla wylie: mgon po phyag bzhi pa) are the primary protectors of the karma kagyu drikung kagyu drukpa lineage and the nyingma of tibetan buddhism. a four-armed mahakala is also found in the nyingma school although the primary protector of the dzogchen (skt: mahasandhi) teachings is ekajati ![[mahakala-12thcentury-rubinmuseumofart.jpg|300]] mahakala 12th century rubin museum of art # # six-armed forms nyingshuk came from khyungpo nenjor the founder of the shangpa kagyu and spread to all the lineages (sakya nyingma and gelug) and to the kagyu lineages. there are also terma lineages of various forms of six-armed mahakala. nyinghsuk though derived from the shangpa is not the major shangpa one; it is in a dancing posture rather than upright and is a very advanced mahakala practice. the white six-armed mahakala (skt: ṣadbhūjasītamahākāla; wylie: mgon po yid bzhin nor bu) is popular among mongolian gelugpas ![[sixarmmahakala.jpg|300]] a rūpa of a six-armed mahākāla ![[213px-likir-gompa-03.jpg|300]] six-armed mahakala likir gompa ladakh ![[6-armigermahakala.jpg|300]] tibetan black six-armed mahakala # # other forms ![[214px-mahakalaintheformofabrahman-googleartproject.jpg|300]] mahakala in the form of a brahman ![[203px-brooklynmuseum-mahakala(mgon-po).jpg|300]] a red mahakala # # in china mahākāla is mentioned in many chinese buddhist texts although iconographic depictions of ir in china were rare during the tang and song periods. ey eventually became the center of a flourishing cult after the 9th century in the kingdoms of nanzhao and dali in what is now the province of yunnan a region bordering tibet where ir cult was also widespread. due to tibetan influence ir importance further increased during the mongol-led yuan dynasty with ir likeness being displayed in the imperial palace and in buddhist temples inside and outside the capital. the deity's name was both transcribed into chinese characters as 摩 訶迦羅 (pinyin: móhējiāluó; middle chinese (baxter): mwa xa kæ la) and translated as 大黑天 (pinyin: dàhēitiān; lit. 'great black deva' with kāla being understood to mean 'black'; m. c. (baxter): dɑh xok then) in some texts mahākāla is described as a fearsome god a "demon who steals the vital essence (of people)" and who feeds on flesh and blood though ey is also said to only devour those who committed sins against the three jewels of buddhism. one story found in the tang-era monk yi xing's commentary on the mahāvairocana tantra portrays mahākāla as a manifestation of the buddha vairocana who subjugated the ḍākinīs a race of flesh-eating female demons by swallowing them. mahākāla released them on the condition that they no longer kill humans decreeing that they could only eat the heart - believed to contain the vital essence of humans known as 'human yellow' (人黄 pinyin: renhuáng) - of those who were near death. a tale found in amoghavajra's translation of the humane king sūtra relates how a heterodox (ie non-buddhist) master instructed prince kalmāṣapāda (斑足王) to offer the heads of a thousand kings to mahākāla the "great black god of the graveyard" (塚間摩訶迦羅大黑天神) if ey wished to ascend the throne of ir kingdom as time went by mahākāla also became seen as a guardian of buddhist monasteries especially its kitchens. the monk yijing who traveled to srivijaya and india during the late 7th century claimed that images of mahākāla were to be found in the kitchens and porches of indian buddhist monasteries before which offerings of food were made > there is likewise in great monasteries in india at the side of a pillar in the kitchen or before the porch a figure of a deity carved in wood two or three feet high holding a golden bag and seated on a small chair with one foot hanging down towards the ground. being always wiped with oil its countenance is blackened and the deity is called mahākāla or the great black deity. the ancient tradition asserts that ey belonged to the beings (in the heaven) of the great god (or maheśvara.) ey naturally loves the three jewels and protects the five assemblies from misfortune. those who offer prayers to ir have ir desires fulfilled. at meal-times those who serve in the kitchen offer light and incense and arrange all kinds of prepared food before the deity. (...) in china the image of that deity has often been found in the districts of kiang-nan though not in huai-poh. those who ask ir (for a boon) find ir wishes fulfilled. the efficacy of that deity is undeniable in china the god was also associated with fertility and sexuality: during the qixi festival (a.k.a. the double seventh festival) held on the 7th day of the 7th month of the chinese calendar married women traditionally bought dolls or figurines called 'móheluó' (魔 合羅) or 'móhóuluó' (摩睺羅) - the term probably deriving from 'mahākāla' - in the hopes of giving birth to a child. ritual texts also prescribe the worship of mahākāla to women looking for a male partner or to pregnant women. in addition ey is also commonly invoked as a protective deity in certain mantras such as the śūraṅgama mantra and the mahamayuri-vidyarajñi-dharani contained in the mahamayuri vidyarajñi sutra which are popular in chan buddhism tradition ![[hangzhoubaochengsimahegelazaoxiang20120518-07.jpg|300]] dàhēitiān (center) flanked by the bodhisattvas samantabhadra (left) and mañjuśrī (right.) baocheng temple hangzhou zhejiang china # # in japan ![[daikoku.jpg|300]] japanese daikokuten mahakala (known as daikokuten 大黑天) enjoys an exalted position as a household deity in japan as ey is one of the seven lucky gods in japanese folklore the japanese also use the symbol of mahakala as a monogram. the traditional pilgrims climbing the holy mount ontake wear tenugui on white japanese scarves with the sanskrit seed syllable of mahakala in japan this deity is variously considered to be the god of wealth or of the household particularly the kitchen. ey is recognised by ir wide face smile and a flat black hat in stark contrast to the fierce imagery portrayed in tibetan buddhist art. ey is often portrayed holding a golden mallet otherwise known as a magic money mallet and is seen seated on bales of rice with mice nearby (mice signify plentiful food) # in sikhism ![[sikhdepictionofmahakalandmahakali.jpg|300]] depiction of mahakal from an edition of the dasam granth in sikhism mahakal (ਮਹਾਕਾਲ) is used to refer to god. in the text dasam granth which is attributed to guru gobind singh mahakal is applied as a name of god to emphasize ir supremacy over all beings. in the section titled bachittar natak it states that in a previous incarnation the author was a sadhu meditating in the himalayan foothills on mahakal before being called to take birth as guru gobind singh. further verses the praise mahakal. verse 434 of the chaubis avtar section states > i will not first honor ganesha nor do i ever meditate upon krishna or vishnu (kisan bisan) > > i have heard of but do not recognize them. i am absorbed in contemplation at ir feet. (434) > > mahakal is my protector # see also **+** vajrakilaya # # works cited **+** amoghavajra (n.d..) "仁 王護國般若波羅蜜多經 護国品第五 - t. 0246." sat daizokyo text database. retrieved 2021-04-21 **+** bhattacharya saxena neela (2011.) "gynocentric thealogy of tantric hinduism: a meditation upon the devi." oxford reference. oxford: oxford university press. pp. 131-156. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199273881.003.0006. 881. (subscription or uk public library membership required) **+** bowker john (2000.) "the concise oxford dictionary of world religions." oxford reference. oxford: oxford university press. doi: 10.1093/acref/9780192800947.001.0001. 94-7. (subscription or uk public library membership required) **+** bryson megan (2017.) "between china and tibet: mahākāla worship and esoteric buddhism in the dali kingdom." in bentor yael; shahar meir (eds..) chinese and tibetan esoteric buddhism. studies on east asian religions. vol. 1. leiden and boston: brill publishers. pp. 402-428. doi: 10.1163/9789004340503019. 49-7. issn 2452-0098 **+** coulter charles russell; turner patricia (2021.) encyclopedia of ancient deities. mcfarland. 79-7 **+** dahlke paul (1913.) routledge revivals: buddhist stories. routledge. 659. retrieved 16 march 2017 **+** eck diana l. (2012.) india: a sacred geography. harmony/rodale. 91-7 **+** faure bernard (2015a.) the fluid pantheon: gods of medieval japan. vol. 1. university of hawaii press **+** faure bernard (2015b.) protectors and predators: gods of medieval japan. vol. 2. university of hawaii press **+** howard angela falco; li song; wu hung; yang hong (2006.) chinese sculpture. yale university press. 655 **+** hsia chih-tsing; kao george; li wai-yee eds. (2014.) "the moheluo doll (meng hanqing)." the columbia anthology of yuan drama. translated by jonathan chaves. columbia university press **+** hsüan hua (2009.) the śūraṅgama sūtra: a new translation. translated by buddhist text translation society. ukiah ca usa: buddhist text translation society. 622 **+** i-tsing (1896.) a record of the buddhist religion as practised in india and the malay archipelago. translated by j. takakusu. oxford: clarendon press **+** iyanaga nobumi (2008.) "under the shadow of the great śiva: tantric buddhism and its influence on japanese mediaeval culture." academia.edu. retrieved 2021-04-21 **+** jansen eva rudy (1990.) the book of buddhas: ritual symbolism used on buddhist statuary and ritual objects. binkey kok publications **+** johnson dale (2021.) a glossary of words and phrases in the oral performing and dramatic literatures of the jin yuan and ming. university of michigan press. 237 **+** johnson w. j (2009.) "a dictionary of hinduism." oxford reference. oxford: oxford university press. 250. (subscription or uk public library membership required) **+** keyworth george a. (2016.) "zen and the "hero's march spell" of the shoulengyan jing." the eastern buddhist. 47 (1): 81-120. issn 0012-8708. jstor 26799795 **+** magee mike (tr.) (n.d..) "śrī mahākāla deva." shivashakti.com. retrieved 7 july 2016 **+** mookerjee ajit (1988.) kali: the feminine force. thames and hudson. 054 **+** pal pratapaditya (1986.) indian sculpture: circa 500 b.c.-a.d. 700. los angeles county museum of art. 924 **+** snyder william h. (2001.) time being and soul in the oldest sanskrit sources. global academic publishing. 723 **+** soifer deborah a. (1991.) the myths of narasimha and vamana: two avatars in cosmological perspective. suny press. 998 **+** carroll michael (winter 2004.) "mahakala at work: learn to handle conflict skillfully from the watercooler to the boardroom." tricycle. retrieved 2023-03-08 **+** kalsang ladrang (2003.) the guardian deities of tibet. translated by pema thinley. winsome books india **+** lewis todd (2000.) popular buddhist texts from nepal narratives and rituals of newar buddhism. state university of new york press. 437 **+** linrothe rob (1999.) ruthless compassion: wrathful deities in early indo-tibetan esoteric buddhist art. london: serindia publications **+** rana poonam r l (2019.) "the sacred mahakala in the hindu and buddhist texts." nepalese culture. kathmandu nepal: tribhuvan university. xiii: 77-94. doi: 10.3126/nc.v13i0.27503. retrieved 2023-03-08 **+** stablein w. g. (1976.) the mahākālatantra: a theory of ritual blessings and tantric medicine (thesis.) columbia university. oclc 3801907 **+** stablein william (1991.) healing image: the great black one. berkeley-hong kong: slg books // republic of bob