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Meaning & Translation
Sanskrit
ॐ क्रीं कालिकायै नमः
Transliteration
Om Krim Ka-li-ka-yai Na-ma-ha
Deity / Quality Invoked
Kali
Pronunciation
ohm kreem kah-lee-KAH-yai NAH-mah-hah
Full Translation
This is the principal bija (seed-syllable) mantra of the goddess Kali: Om, followed by Krim — the concentrated sound-form of Kali's energy — and "Kalikayai Namaha," salutations to Kalika. Where a hymn describes the Goddess, a bija mantra is understood to *be* her energy in sound.
Spiritual Significance
Kali is the fierce mother who cuts through illusion, ego, and fear — everything that binds. Her bija mantra is chanted for protection, for courage in facing what must be faced, and for radical inner transformation. Practitioners approach it with respect: Kali's grace works by removing what is false, which is not always comfortable.
Cultural Context & History
Kali worship is ancient in Bengal and in the tantric traditions, where bija mantras like Krim are given from teacher to student. In Western kirtan the fierce goddess is usually approached through name-chants like "Kali Durge Namo Namah"; the formal bija mantra itself is chanted in meditation circles and recorded chiefly by traditional Indian artists.
Terms in the Glossary
Words from this page, explained in our A–Z reference.