January 25, 2021

Kālī Sankarshinī is the attribute of the One translated as “She who devours time” or “impeller.” Impeller as a noun is the rotating component of the centrifugal pump that moves outward from the centre. Impel as a verb means to drive, urge or propel; it is action beneath even superficial will or desire. In this reference, Kālī dances the universe into being, everything moving outward from the still point at the centre.

The still point, referenced here, is significant. It is the point of singularity where everything is in potential and from which everything emerges. In the Shiva Nataraja image, the still point is represented by his fixed gaze, infinite calm in the chaos of the spinning world of the dance that is all around us.

This point is also the void between creation and dissolution. It is the pregnant pause that nourishes and replenishes, preparing for the next round of creation. While necessary, this space can feel scary as it is where we rest in the unknown.

In the point of origin, everything temporal is removed and everything returns to the source. This is the image of the snake eating its own tail - time devoured as form dissolves into the still point from which new creation will be spun out. With the new creation, time re-emerges.

The world of form is created sequentially, extending outward from the initial point. This centrifugal movement brings forth linear time and the misunderstanding of the significance of this forms. In this aspect, Kālī reminds us of the foolishness of investing in a temporal structure of the world. Instead, her invitation is to touch eternity as we are suspending in the atemporal experience of the world unfolding, being created and dissolved, moment to moment.