The Slayer of Raktabīja

Now I’m sure most of you know the old story about the astronaut who went far out in space and was asked, on his return, whether he’d been to Heaven and seen God.

He said to them, “Yes.”

And so they asked, “Well, what about God?”

He replied, “She is black.”

- Excerpt/Alan Watts (1915-73)

//Present Day.

In a café somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere...

...Ma Kali: But I am not even sure if they will FW our playlist? I mean, it's not even a playlist really, it's more like Kirtan-invocations.

Ma Durga: It's not really about the playlist my dear Kali but rather the Spirit of Halloween, you know?

Ma Kali: Yeah I know spirits all right, I mean, have you looked at me Durga? I am literally wearing a garland of severed heads taken from all the mansplaining men I had the pleasure of meeting since last Halloween. A few of the cuts are quite fresh actually, like this one here just vomited blood all over my left breast.

Ma Durga: Yes, I see the mundamala Kali, impressive indeed. Might be a little too much though? Here in the West, it’s not so upfront.

Ma Kali: How do you mean?

Ma Durga: Well I'd say it's more innocent here in the West: Trick or treating with cute costumes, finding your way through a corn maze, or perhaps a mild-tempered horror movie to take your crush to.

If you are really feeling the pumpkin spirit, a Death Metal concert where you can indulge in deep guttural cries within the safety of a mosh pit.

Ma Kali: Hmm those do sound quite nice and who doesn't enjoy a deep guttural scream now and then. But surely you must agree Durga, they don't ring of Halloween where we come from!

Ma Durga: Well in the East there is no Halloween, Kali.

Ma Kali: Yes there is! It’s at the end of October, sometimes early November. Glittering lights all over the streets, village fairs, people dressing up as demons, sharing sweets, invocation-kirtans playing on the boombox….

Ma Durga: Yes but that’s Kali Puja. It’s to celebrate You Kali, the Master of Death and the Destroyer of Evil.

Ma Kali: Yes exactly, which is why if there was ever a season for me to claim, it has to be Halloween and this is my playlist!

Ma Durga: It is beautiful indeed. It is said if one were to simply hear the words from these Kīrtanas alone, the spirit of Kali moves into them.

Ma Kali: Well I am in everyone Durga, just a darker shade, so I can’t really move into someone, rather I always arise from within when called.

Ma Durga: Like how you arose within me as the slayer of Raktabīja that ominous week in late October five million years ago.

Do you remember?

It was really hopeless, I tell you Kali, before you came that is.

Ma Kali: My apologies Divine Mother, it has been a few ages since and you already know how my memory serves me under those circumstances. My new therapist says it's something to do with the mind blocking out stressful moments.

Ma Durga: Well I remember it clearly, in fact, moment by moment.

How out of duty I arrived at the battlefield, tasked with defeating the Great Demon Raktabīja, whom no other God had been able to conquer thus far. So there I was, the final warrior with my army of Matrikas.

Ma Kali: But Divine Mother, you are the whole Cosmos and the better half of Shiva. Pray, I still do not understand how you weren’t able to defeat the Great Demon Raktabīja, even with your army of warrior mothers.

Ma Durga: In the beginning the battle was fierce indeed Kali. Raktabīja had clearly underestimated me,

“I have defeated all the Gods that held your heavens in place”, Raktabīja sneered, “what use is a Goddess now?”

As the battlefield roared, in between the thundering clashes of my sword with his shield and those of my Matrikas with his demon army of asuras, Raktabīja still kept laughing,

“Have the heavens given up all hope? Sending a woman to a battlefield?”

Ma Kali: Oooh. I guess that was the moment of his undoing, eh?

Ma Durga: Precisely, he knew how to get under my skin. I understood then why the Eternal Gods needed me. His brawn and brains were unparalleled with those of the other mighty demons I had faced thus far.

I prayed and I prayed and I drew on all my strength.

I shifted my focus to his blindside and when the time was just right, with a singleness of purpose and a swift elegance in movement, I caught him off guard! As he turned to face my moving body, I deeply lacerated his left shin with the sharp end of my sword.

He stumbled down, his closed fists pressed hard against the soft earth in failing attempts to hold his body up.

Ma Kali: And the rest of them?

Ma Durga: A pin drop silence overcame the field as all the asuras looked on at Raktabīja’s dying body. The Matrikas' started chanting my name in reverence but alas...it was too premature.

Ma Kali: But you killed him though!

Ma Durga: Well not entirely. Yes I was stronger, as Raktabīja realized to his own inconvenience but still, he continued to grin as thick crimson drops fell to the ground,

drip

drip

drip

and then,

the very first drop as it was absorbed by the earth, birthed a new Raktabīja like a plant growing into a human! And then another drop turned into another Raktabīja, and another one and another one….

“I have a boon Durga”, the true Raktabīja bellowed in between spurts of blood-infused coughs.

“I am rakta (blood) and bīja (seed)”, he roared

“I am no match for mortals or immortals alike,

this drop of blood is but a seed

when planted, it shall grow into a new life!”

And so there he was standing resolute or rather I should say, there they were standing in solidarity. The drops of blood that I had freed from his body, ended up creating new demons for me; a metaphor for life perhaps.

As more and more Raktabījas multiplied, my Matrikas slayed the clones but only to make them multiply even more!

It was hopeless. I knew I had lost.

Ma Kali: As long as I live, you will never lose my Durga.

Ma Durga: I smile because I know you are always there Kali, never gone throughout the yugas, always by our side, just like that gory day when out of faith, I invoked your mantra...

Oṃ jayantī mangala kālī bhadrakālī kapālinī.

Durgā ksamā śivā dhātrī svāhā svadhā namō'stu‍tē

- Kali's Mantra

and then,

You arose in me!

The Matrikas bore witness as my skin started to turn black, as my dilated eyes reddened like the dying Sun, as my tongue extended out from an undying thirst...

Kali had arrived.

Ma Kali: Hmm, yeah this rings a bell…

Ma Durga: And you remember what you did after, like the thirsty demon you are my sweet Kali?

Ma Kali: Tell me.

Ma Durga: You looked across the cosmic battlefield in silence and reasoned that if every single drop of blood that fell to the ground birthed a new Raktabīja, you said:

“Then I shall not let one more drop fall to the earth”.

And with that Kali, you rolled out your tongue outward towards him, inch by inch, further and further, growing in size until finally, your tongue had completely covered the entire battlefield!

Ma Kali: Ahh I remember now, it was that October? Five millions years ago?

Ma Durga: Yes, how time flies!

Ma Kali: Well all this maybe true but it makes me look a tad bit unapproachable Durga. I am trying to turn a new leaf out here in the West, you know? Make some friends I can grab dinner with or perhaps even as you say, watch a mild-tempered horror movie with. All these tales of my past adventures might throw a spanner in the works.

Ma Durga: Of course Kali, I do understand. Powerful women can come across as arrogant and intimidating as we both know. I only share out of impulse. I promise to restrain myself when we are with your 'new friends' from the West. Honestly though, I could share a thousand such stories where you have come to my rescue when called upon.

Ma Kali: To our rescue.

Ma Durga: You can try to hide this side of you Kali, but we all have patterns of growth and destruction within us, it's only natural. After all, isn't this what Halloween is all about? The day the souls of the dead return home, so we dress up and light bonfires to ward off evil spirits and what better way to ward them off but by invoking the Master of Death and the Destroyer of Evil!

To me you will forever be the Queen of Halloween Kali.

Ma Kali: I know, I know. I just get a little self-conscious these days, I really need to quit Instagram.

Ma Durga: Funny you should say that for I was praying just last week for a world without such toxic platforms and what do you know, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsAPP 'mysteriously' all go down! Fine with me as long as Spotify and Soundcloud are up and my heavens, I tell you Kali with a kirtan-playlist like yours, you might just win over a few unexpecting Gods from the West. I heard through the grapevine that Hades has recently downloaded Tinder again!

Ma Kali: Ugh, men bore me Durga. I am at a stage where I am looking for a level of companionship these severed heads lack in. Really that’s all I want, a friend to be with this Halloween, without their blood spewing all over my breasts.

What about you? Are you coming to my first Halloween Celebration here in the West or will you be too busy with saving the World and all that?

Ma Durga: Shiva and I wouldn't miss it for the World! Just for the playlist alone. In fact, let's play it right now! Maybe it'll help bring out the food faster, the service here is terrible. //

~ The Ultimate Kali-Kirtan Playlist ~