Kali Natakam - The Dance of Kali

Adoration

Oh, Embodiment of Nada and Bindu,

the Imperishable, adoration to Your lotus feet, ever woshipped by saints like Narada.

Oh, pearl-bedecked sacred Lamp of Wisdom that illuminates the four Vedas,

Prostration to You, Oh, Mother, who is dear to Brahma the Omniscient gazing in all directions, and the host of gods.

This whole universe is created and presided over and joyously destroyed by You

Who remains as ever rejoicing and playing and becoming overwhelmed,again and again, making most terrifying cries, residing in the heart of my rapture, speaking words which enlighten and fill the universe to overflowing,

While penetrating within and becoming its centre, the size of a sesame seed, centrifugally spiralling, and continously showering great joy upon the devotees of your lotus feet,

Of whose misery You are fully aware, and You burn the seed from which the universal suffering proliferates; those devotees who can, even for a moment, contemplate You do not know any other form of emancipation than this

Of Your's which fills the entire universe permeated with the self-same substance and those who dwell in You do not experience even a little flaw and they have no degtruction even after a tong time.

Wrapped in mystery, indiscernible You are, and yet by sheer grace You let some know a glimpse of Your dreadful secret and even they have no idea when

You will change and transform into the Benign for which they ardently desire and pray.

Of all those who are obsessed with fear and see nothing but the terrifying form

Alas! will there be any who will have the penetration of vision to realize that

You are the sole reality of the entire universe?

Oh Supreme divine Lord of the shining ones,

Lord of Gauri, Abode of peace, Wielder of Maya,

Your potential for proliferation is imponderable

Who else could pacify the torrential flow of Mandakini who could easily shatter the very ground to which she falls

and who shakes both earth and heaven in her descending course from above?

And yet You did it by lovingly receiving her in Your matted hair, so compact that it would't allow even a trickle to escape,

it is bedecked with the crescent of the new moon and the residual bone of the bygone past

And those garlands swinging and twirling in Your dance which are made of the finest mandara flowers of the heavenly tree interlaced with priceless gems of purple hue that radiate their dazzling sheen of colourful effulgence from their place in Your golden crown.

Even the fifth-night moon renowned for its beauty having decided there is no shame in surrendering to You,

has abandoned its pride aand pays homage to Your forehead adorned with the beauty mark, of the third eye,

into which has fallen the Lord of the Earth, whose waist is eternally encircled by the girdle of the seven oceans,

and Mahadeva and Brahma, despite all their supremacy, are, also, enchanted by the magic of Your maya, incredible!

Considering carefully the fate of those great ones, O Supreme Mother, who can ever cross

Your oceanic spell without Your Grace?

Kama's bow that shoots flowery buds of libidinal disquiet is put to shame by your curved eyebrows,

so much like tender vines, yet if the bodiless Kama receives even a little slap from them

he must slink silently away and go somewhere to clam down;

Those who worship your dear lotus feet have their state of misery extinguished by the same pair of eyebrows;

Ever engaged in compassionates side-glances, your incessantly sparkling lotus eyes are brimming with the nectar tears of mercy which dispel the fear arising from suffering and death;

From the corners of both eyes sobbing and sobbing, comes a rapid rush of murmuring waters, efficiently providing the incessant flow of the river of Grace that carries all to the vast ocean of continuous joy,

On the other shore of which hymns born of devotion to your feet are heard, accompanied by dance and music, filling your divine ears, from the lobes of which golden bejewelled earrings glitter, raising their reflection that registers a magnificent sheen on your cheeks and they glow like jewel-mirrors;

The rubeous hibiscus pays homage to your two ruby-red lips, sparkling within which the row of your teeth, equal to pearls, when put to shame a pearl necklace to what then can they be compared?

Having thus attained to brilliance, the full moon has now lost its lustre;

The conmingling of the light from two rival sources only enhances the radiant spell of your awesome face,

Of the orb of its visage of tragic yet auspicious import, with a pair of frightful fangs,

Wrists bedecked with bracelets and bells, followed by devoted females, ghosts, ghouls and demonesses in mad procession flying and crying aloud

As you hurl your spear again and again, brandishing a sculptured conch, seimitar and decapitated head, your horrible shout makes the lion's roar sound weak;

And you repeatedly bursting into cluster-peals of bright laughter which suffice to pulverize all the eight directions;

And in the brisk dance your hard breasts that have a semblance to iron balls come into loud clash charging the valley between with a sound like the drums

Keeping to the rhythmic pace of time-beat as well as the melody of the celestial music accompanied by dance animated with orchestral symphony of tambourine, bell, flute and veena music,

Which you listen with avowed interests, your comely breasts bright as a pair of golden pots smeared with scented paste of saffron and sandalwood, partly concealed by a band of crystalline pearls;

Thus you are seen under heavenly tree kalpaka decorated with garlands of bouquets, adorned by this array of ornaments and many more

Stop!--it is absolutely impossible to describe!

Your midsection can be completely encompassed within a hand's grasp;

Beneath it is wrapped a precious silken skirt of exquisite beauty,

Your unkempt hair is tied with a gold brooch,

Your waist, the chariot of Kama

From the hub of which course downward your plump thighs, so soft and graceful that even the elephant's trunk pays homage;

The beauty of Cupid's quiver is being challenged in turn by each of your perfect ankles, having established a rivalry, which will be victorious?

It is amusing, the tortoise having failed to gain a similitude to the beautiful curve of your metatarsus takes once again the cover of water to do penance;

Victory to your toes set in the lotus flowers of your feet for whose service are gathered celestial nymphs

Like bees of unsatiated greed sipping lotus honey and dance with intoxication of loveful mirth

Their sweet music resonating with chiming bells and veena, a whole symphony is heard;

When you join them in jovial comradery and paces with rhythmic steps, which in turn make the soul-stirring harmony of the jingling sound of the pail of your charming anklets;

As you thus walk on the snowy peak of Mt. Kailas there assemble before you to kneel in reverence the celestial beauties agitated with devotion, and all the gods are bowing low, aspiring to be caressed by your side-glance of love;

Everyone gains what each aspires, as you walk past radiating your self-generated joy,

Receiving worship from all those who want to dwell only where the Devi is present,

And thus when all revel in exquisite bliss, this unfortunate one is caught in the eddy of a confused agitation born of that misery

Whenever the glimmering of your gracious side-glances is withheld even momentarily;

Therefore, Oh Compassionate One, to You the prayer is offered...namaste, namaste;

To cross beyond the immensely dreadful ocean of change there is no way than taking refuge in the ship of your twin lotus feet, Oh Mother,

Infinite ocean of succor and compassion, to you my prostrations.

I have come to receive your Grace that grants whatever is desired;

Let not reluctance arise in me in giving my adoration to your lotus feet;

To you prostrations again and again!

Money, sex and worldly possessions, having gone after and attained,

One enjoys only a distorted pleasure which destroys all virtue and brings sadness;

Oh, do not send me in that direction. Thinking "1 am the body," I have become bound by the three qualities of sattva and so on; see into what a snare of maya

I am caught; Oh Mother, transform this dwindling world of transcient forms, and let there be the lightening flash of illumination that will last as long as the moon and stars shimmer in the sky.

Namaste Siva Mother, Namaste, Namaste.