Dakşiņākālikā
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Jit Majumdar
- Kāli of the rightward movement; south facing Kāli
- the Kāli who endows; the auspicious Kāli
- the foremost of all forms of Kāli, and the primary deity of the Kālikula stream of the Śākta or Tāntrika tradition, and the most commonly seen and widely worshipped form of Kāli. She is described as “dakşinā”, since her image is always established as facing southwards, and since her right leg is extended and rests on her right foot while her left leg is on its knee in her half-kneeling “straddling” upon the supine image of Śiva in the reverse sexual (vīparita rati) position, or her right leg is forwarded on Śiva’s chest if she is depicted in the more common standing position – thus representing the manifesting or evoluting (“outwardly flowing” or “endowing”) aspect of the Primordial Energy towards creation.