# भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhadrakali

भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī) is a Sanskrit word meaning name of a goddess, later a form of Durga, one of the Matris attending on Skanda, of a village on the right bank of the Ganges, a type of plant, a form of the goddess Durga, a fragrant grass. Its 11 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them The Goddess Bhadrakālī (form of Durgā/Pārvatī), Bhadrakālī as a Mātṛ, Bhadrakālī as a plant/grass.

- **Etymology:** E. भद्र SĪVA, कल् to approximate, affs. घञ् and ङीप् । — E. bhadra SĪVA, kal to approximate, affs. ghañ and ṅīp
- **SLP1:** `BadrakAlI`  **IAST:** bhadrakālī  **Devanagari:** भद्रकाली
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhadrakali
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhadrakali/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### The Goddess Bhadrakālī (form of Durgā/Pārvatī) (7 definitions)
- name of a goddess, later a form of Durga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 746,1] भद्र (bhadra) — काली (—kālī) f. N. of a goddess (later a form of Durgā), Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra (Title); Manu-smṛti (Title); Mahābhārata (Title) &c. [ ID=148329 ]
- 1. A form of the goddess Durga. 2. A fragrant grass.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भद्र (bhadra) काली (bhadrakālī) [Printed book page 612 ] भद्र (bhadra) काली (bhadrakālī) f. ( - ली (-lī) ) 1 One of the forms of the goddess DURGĀ. 2 A fragrant grass, ( Cyperus pertenuis or rotundus.) E. भद्र (bhadra) ŚIVA, क्ल (kla) to approximate, aff. घञ (ghaña) and ङीप् (ṅīp). [ ID=28201 ]
- 1. A form of Durga. 2. A fragrant grass.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī) [Printed book page 549-a ] भद्र - काली (bhadra-kālī) ( ली ) ((lī)) 3. f. One of the forms of Durgā; a fragrant grass. [ ID=27713 ]
- 1. A form of the goddess Durga. 2. A fragrant grass.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भद्र (bhadra) काली (bhadrakālī) [Printed book page 524-b ] भद्र (bhadra) काली (bhadrakālī) f. ( - ली (-lī) ) 1. One the forms of the goddess DURGĀ. 2. A fragrant grass, (Cyperus pertenuis or rotundus.) E. भद्र (bhadra) SĪVA, कल् (kal) to approximate, affs. घञ् (ghañ) and ङीप् । (ṅīp.) [ ID=29076 ]
- an epithet of Durga  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī) [Printed book page 372 ] भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī) f. N. of a goddess (in l. l. Durgā). [ ID=22570 ]
- a form of Durga  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī) [Printed book page 113-1 ] Bhadrakālī 1 (a form of Durgā). § 576 (Bhagavadgītāp.): VI, 23, 797 (in Arjuna's hymn to Durgā).—§ 695 b (Dakṣa- yajña-vināśa): XII, 285, 10327. [ ID=1238 ]
- 1. A form of Yogamaya. 2. A goddess depicted with three eyes, a trident, and a lion mount.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > भद्रकाली (bhadrakālī) [Printed book page 2-529 ] Bhadrakālī — a name of Yogamāyā; 1 bestows good on children when propitiated with human sacrifice; when the Goddess found the man sacrificed was a virtuous Brahmana like Bharata she became fiery and cut off the heads of the Vṛṣala chief and his attendants who offered him to her; 2 fought with Niśumbha and Śumbha in the Devāsura war; 3 worshipped by the Gopīs at the end of their vrata. 4 Lion as her riding animal; having three eyes and a trident: praised by Paraśurāma; 5 came out of the wrath of Umā for the destruction of the Dakṣa's yajña. 6 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. X. 2. 11.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. V. 9. 12-18.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. VIII. 10. 31.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. X. 22. 5.] [ Footnote: 5) Br. III. 39. 33, 44 to 53.] [ Footnote: 6) Vā. 30. 140, 165.] [ ID=9399 ]

### Bhadrakālī as a Mātṛ (2 definitions)
- one of the Matris attending on Skanda  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of one of the Mātṛs attending on Skanda, Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=148330 ]
- a goddess of the divine mothers  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Bhadrakālī 2 (a Mātṛ). § 615 u (Skanda): IX, 46 θ, 2629. [ ID=1239 ]

### Bhadrakālī as a plant/grass (1 definition)
- a type of plant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a plant (= गन्धोली (gandholī) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=148332 ]

### Bhadrakālī as a village name (1 definition)
- of a village on the right bank of the Ganges  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a village on the right bank of the Ganges, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=148331 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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