Sri Guhya Kali

[Query] Is Kali associated with Dakshinamurti Sampradayam? Kali Kularnav instructs sadhak to offer only wine to kali, is there is a substitute? Can a Brahmin worship kali ma? Is there a guru sampradayam for kali Upasana? Is guhya kAli same as smashan kali?

shrImAtre namaH

Sri Dakshinamurti is the Rishi for kAmakalA kAli mahamantra. She is closely identified with the kAmakala aspect of Sri Lalitambika and is one of the chief AvaraNa devatA during ShoDashAvaraNArchana. It is said:

ShoDashArNA yathA mukhyA sarvashrIchakramadhyagA |

Also, according to Rudrayamala’s dakShiNA khaNDa, Dakshinamurti is the Rishi if Amba is worshipped for Moksha alone, whereas Sri Bhairava is the Rishi if Amba is invoked for Bhoga and Moksha [rShisyAddakShiNAmUrtiH etc]. When one reaches the stage of mahAsAmrAjya medhA, all guru maNDalas unify into the lotus feet of the great Guru mahA dakShiNAmUrti.

It is said in mahAkAla samhitA:

shrUyate yatphalAdhikyam tatrAdau madyadAnataH |
taddi shUdraparaM jneyaM na tu dwijaparaM priye ||
kShIreNa brAhmaNaistarpyA ghR^itena nR^ipavamshajaiH |
mAkshikaiH vaishyavarNaistu AsavaiH antyajAtibhiH ||

This is specifically said with regard to kAlI upAsanA. So, offering wine or meat to Amba is not necessary at all. It is unfortunate that people quote pancha makAra etc to cover their own gluttony and craving for alcohol.

Even for a vAma mArgi, the instructions are very clear:

vamamArgI divyabhavaM vinA kAlIM na pUjayet [niruttare]

It is said in same tantra:

brAhmaM vIryaM tathA kShetraM samskArAH brahmasaMbhavAH |
brAhmaNAcharaNAdbrahmavidyAbhirbrAhmaNo bhavet ||

Birth, nature, samskara and behavior are the four factors which determine who a brAhmaNa is.

ukteShu lakShaNeshwekaM yasmin vipre na drshyate |
tasyaiva brahamaNasyAtra vAme syAdadhikAritA |
chaturlakshaNahInAnAM mArgA syuH kaulikAdayaH ||

A namesake brahmaNa, who has none of the above qualities, is the only one who can take the leftist path.

The above holds good for a dakShiNAchAri. But for a pUrva kaula, who needs to use a substitute, yAmala recommends thus:

yatrAvashyaM vinirdishTaM madirAdAnamuttamam |
brAhmaNastAmrapAtre tu gavyaM peyaM prakalpayet ||

It should however be noted that the above applies only to those described earlier as chaturlakShaNahInAH, as anukalpa-s result in mishrAchAra and are not permitted technically for a dakShiNAchAri:

brAhmaNastvanukalpaM cha krtvA chANDAlatAmiyAt |

To summarize, a brAhmaNa can certainly worship Kali, who is not only mahAmAya but also brahmavidyA, but according to the rules prescribed in dakShiNAchAra.

There are different lineages or guru mandala for different forms of kAli. I am not very familiar with other forms except dakShiNA, guhya kali and kAmakalA kAli. The lineage for dakShiNA is well known. The lineage for guhya kAli is: Swacchanda Bhairava, Vishnu, Brahma, Vasistha, Bali, Rama, Kubera, Yama, Bharata, Ravana, Indra etc.

Guhya kAli is not the same as the smashana kAli form of Amba. Guhya Kali is of eight forms, with eight different mantras, worshipped by eight great seers. These forms of Amba appear with 100, 60, 36, 20, 10, 5, 3, 2 and a single face. In Kali Yuga, the 16-lettered mantra for the 10-faced form, consisting of 54 hands, worshipped by Bharata [rAma’s brother], is said to be best suited for upAsanA. There is another vidyA of 17-letters worshipped by Rama, which is said to have been locked (kIlitA) by sage hArIta. Amba represents both Srsti and Samhara equally in the form of guhya kali, unlike dakShiNA. It is said:

Saiva jneyA vararohe nirguNabrahmarUpiNI |
anyA vikrtayaH proktAH kAryakAraNabhedataH ||

Her Dhyana is elaborately described in scriptures:

udyadghanAghanAshliShyajjapAkusumasannibhAm |
mattakokilanetrabhAm pakkvajambUphalaprabhAm ||
pAshaM cha parashuM nAgaM chApaM mudgarameva cha etc.

kalau kAlI kalau kAlI kalau kAlI varapradA