Form 7 of 9 · Night 7 of Navratri
Kalaratri
The seventh form of Durga, worshipped on the seventh night: Kalaratri, the dark night, her fiercest form, who destroys darkness, fear and evil.
- Her name means
- The dark night
- Rides a donkey
- Her night
- Night 7
- of Navratri
The story
When the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha and their general Raktabija attacked, the Goddess took her darkest form. Every drop of Raktabija’s blood that touched the ground became another demon.
In the Devi Mahatmya it is Kali who drinks his blood before it can fall, and so destroys him; the tradition of the nine forms sees that dark Goddess in Kalaratri. She is the night in which all evil ends.
For all her terrible looks she only ever does good, and so she is also called Shubhankari, “she who brings good”.
What she gives
Freedom from fear: of darkness, of enemies, of the unknown.
How she is shown
Dark as night, hair loose, a garland flashing like lightning, breathing fire, four-armed with a sword and an iron hook, riding a donkey.
Her verse
एकवेणी जपाकर्णपूरा नग्ना खरास्थिता। लम्बोष्ठी कर्णिकाकर्णी तैलाभ्यक्तशरीरिणी॥
वामपादोल्लसल्लोहलताकण्टकभूषणा। वर्धन्मूर्धध्वजा कृष्णा कालरात्रिर्भयङ्करी॥
Ekaveni japakarnapura nagna kharasthita, lamboshthi karnikakarni tailabhyakta sharirini;
Vama padollasalloha latakantakabhushana, vardhana murdhadhvaja krishna Kalaratrir bhayankari.
With a single braid, red flowers at her ears, bare, riding a donkey, her body anointed with oil, her left foot flashing with an iron ornament: dark, terrifying Kalaratri, whose banner rises high.
एक चोटी, कानों में लाल फूल, निर्वस्त्र, गधे पर सवार, तेल से सना शरीर, बाएँ पैर में चमकता लोहे का गहना: साँवली, भयंकर कालरात्रि, जिनकी ध्वजा ऊँची लहराती है।
Her mantra ॐ देवी कालरात्र्यै नमःOm Devi Kalaratryai Namah
Her night
The seventh night of Navratri
Kalaratri is worshipped on the seventh night of Navratri, the tithi of Saptami, in spring (Chaitra) and in autumn (Sharad).
Find this year’s NavratriWhere she is worshipped
In every Durga temple and festival pandal on her night of Navratri. In Varanasi each of the nine forms has a temple of her own, and pilgrims visit one each night.
Questions
Why is Kalaratri called Shubhankari?
Though she looks terrible, she only ever brings good to her devotees: shubha-kari, “she who does good”.
Is Kalaratri the same as Kali?
She is closely linked to Kali: both are the dark, fierce Goddess who destroys evil, and in the Devi Mahatmya Kali drinks Raktabija’s blood.