# काली (kālī)

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

काली (kālī) is a Sanskrit word meaning black, dark-colored, or dark-blue, a black or dark-blue colour, the black part of the eye, the Indian cuckoo, the poisonous serpent Coluber Naga, the plant Cassia Sophora. Its 60 recorded definitions are grouped into 11 contexts, among them The Goddess Kālī & Divine Feminine Aspects, Male Deities/Figures Named Kāla or Related, Miscellaneous Objects, Phenomena, and Concepts.

- **Root:** 3. कल् (3. kal)
- **SLP1:** `kAlI`  **IAST:** kālī  **Devanagari:** काली
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kali/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** कालि (kāli), कलि (kali)

## Meanings by context

### The Goddess Kālī & Divine Feminine Aspects (11 definitions)
- the name of a shakti  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a शक्ति (śakti), Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi (Title) [ ID=49043 ]
- an epithet of Durga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Durgā, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49045 ]
- a form of Durga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a form of Durgā, Mahābhārata (Title) iv, 195; Harivaṃśa (Title); Kumāra-sambhava (Title) [ ID=49056 ]
- one of the divine mothers  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > one of the Mātṛs or divine mothers, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49057 ]
- one of the sixteen Vidyadevis  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > one of the sixteen Vidyā-devīs, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49059 ]
- a form of Durga  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > काली (kālī) [Printed book page 067-3 ] काली (kālī) kālī, f. the Black goddess, a. form of Durgā. [ ID=5846 ]
- Durga, the wife of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > काली (kālī) [Printed book page 0225-a ] Kālī, f., N. of Durgā, the wife of the god Śiva. —Kālī-kula-sarvasva, N. of a work. —Kālī-ta- naya, as, m. a buffalo (‘son or favourite of Durgā,’ more correctly haṃsakālī-tanaya ). —Kālī-pu- rāṇa, am, n. the Purāṇa of Kālī, title of an Upa- purāṇa. —Kālī-māhātmya, am, n. = caṇḍikā-mā- hātmya. —Kālī-rahasya, title of a work. —Kālī- śiva, as, m., N. of the author of the Kalpa-kedāra. —Kālī-hṛdaya, title of a work. [ ID=14571 ]
- Durva  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Kālī 2 = Durgā (Umā): IV, 195; VI, 796; X, 387. [ ID=5181 ]
- 1. A mother goddess and a varna shakti. 2. A goddess enshrined at Kalanjara.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Kālī (II) — a mother goddess, and a varṇa śakti; 1 a goddess enshrined at Kālanjara; took part in the Tārakā- maya and enveloped the whole in darkness. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Br. IV. 7. 72; 44. 59 & 76.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 13. 32; 172. 19.] [ ID=2962 ]
- a doorkeeper of Mahakala  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Kālī (III) — a doorkeeper of Mahākāla. Br. IV. 32. 18. [ ID=2963 ]
- 1. A mind-born mother. 2. A form born from the bones of Nrisimha.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Kālī (V) — a mind-born mother; 1 from the bones of Nṛsimha. 2 [ Footnote: 1) M. 179. 14.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. 179. 26, 64.] [ ID=2965 ]

### Male Deities/Figures Named Kāla or Related (10 definitions)
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Śiva [ ID=49028 ]
- an epithet of Rudra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Rudra, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) iii, 12, 12 [ ID=49029 ]
- a son of Hrada  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a son of Hrada, Harivaṃśa (Title) 189 [ ID=49030 ]
- of the prince Kalayavana  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of the prince Kāla-yavana, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) iii, 3, 10 [ ID=49031 ]
- a brother of king Prasenajit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a brother of king Prasena-jit, Buddhist literature (Literary category) [ ID=49032 ]
- of a future Buddha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a future Buddha [ ID=49033 ]
- an author of Mantras  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an author of Mantras (= Aśva-ghoṣa), Buddhist literature (Literary category) [ ID=49034 ]
- a serpent king in Buddhist literature  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Nāga-rāja, Buddhist literature (Literary category) [ ID=49035 ]
- pertaining to a Rakshasa  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Rakṣas, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) vi, 69, 12 [ ID=49036 ]
- an enemy of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an enemy of Śiva, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49037 ]

### Miscellaneous Objects, Phenomena, and Concepts (10 definitions)
- the planet Saturn  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the planet Saturn [ ID=49027 ]
- of a mountain  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a mountain, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) iv, 44, 21; Kāraṇḍa-vyūha (Title) [ ID=49038 ]
- one of the nine treasures  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of one of the nine treasures, Jaina literature (Literary category) [ ID=49039 ]
- a mystical name of the letter m  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a mystical N. of the letter म् (m) [ ID=49040 ]
- abuse, censure, defamation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > abuse, censure, defamation, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49047 ]
- a kind of clay  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of clay, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49053 ]
- one of the seven tongues or flames of fire  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > one of the seven tongues or flames of fire, Muṇḍaka-upaniṣad (Title) i, 2, 4 [ ID=49055 ]
- Name of a river  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (with or without गङ्गा (gaṅgā) ) N. of a river [ ID=49061 ]
- a kind of perfume  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a kind of perfume ( कक्कोलक (kakkolaka) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49063 ]
- iron  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > iron, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49064 ]

### Plants and Plant Products (9 definitions)
- the plant Cassia Sophora  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the plant Cassia Sophora, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49024 ]
- a red kind of Plumbago  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a red kind of Plumbago, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49025 ]
- the resin of the plant Shorea robusta  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the resin of the plant Shorea robusta, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49026 ]
- the name of several plants  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 277,1] काला (kālā) f. N. of several plants ( Indigofera tinctoria, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author); Piper longum, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author); (perhaps) Ipomoea atropurpurea, Suśruta (Title); Nigella indica, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author); Rubia Munjista, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author); Ruellia longifolia, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author); Physalis flexuosa, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author); Bignonia suaveolens, Bhāvaprakāśa (Title) ) [ ID=49041 ]
- the fruit of the Katuka plant  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the fruit of the Kālā g. हरीतक्य् - आदि (harītaky-ādi) [ ID=49042 ]
- the plant Kalanjani  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the plant Kālāñjanī, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49051 ]
- Ipomoea turpethum  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Ipomoea Turpethum, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49052 ]
- Bignonia suaveolens  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Bignonia suaveolens, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49054 ]
- a black kind of Agallochum  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 277,1] काल (kāla) n. a black kind of Agallochum, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49062 ]

### The Color Black/Dark (6 definitions)
- black, dark-colored, or dark-blue  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 277,1] 1. काल (kāla) mf( ई (ī), Pāṇini (Author) iv, 1, 42 )n. ( fr. √ 3. कल् (kal) ?), black, of a dark colour, dark-blue, Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=49019 ]
- a black or dark-blue colour  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > काल (kāla) m. a black or dark-blue colour, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49020 ]
- the black part of the eye  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the black part of the eye, Suśruta (Title) [ ID=49021 ]
- black colour, ink, or blacking  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1B) [Printed book page 277,1] काली (kālī) a f. black colour, ink or blacking, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49046 ]
- a row or succession of black clouds  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a row or succession of black clouds, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49048 ]
- Black or of a dark blue color  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > काल (kāla) ी (kālī) [Printed book page 185-08 ] काल (kāla) (I) a. (f. ली (lī) ) Black, of a dark or dark blue colour. [ ID=9149.1 ]

### Satyavatī (Mother of Vyāsa) (4 definitions)
- 1. Satyavati, wife of king Shantanu and mother of Vyasa. 2. According to other legends, the wife of Bhimasena and mother of Sarvagata.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Satyavatī, wife of king Śāntanu and mother of Vyāsa or Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana (after her marriage she had a son Vicitra-vīrya, whose widows were married by Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana, and bore to him Dhṛta-rāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, Mahābhārata (Title); Harivaṃśa (Title); according to other legends Kālī is the wife of Bhīmasena and mother of Sarvagata, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) ) [ ID=49060 ]
- Satyavati, the wife of Shantanu  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > काली (kālī) [Printed book page 375-2 ] Kālī 1 = Satyavatī, the wife of Śāntanu. I, 2209 ( janayām āsa yaṃ K°ī Śaktreḥ putrāt Parāśarāt, sc. Vyāsa), 4244; V, 4975, 4987, 5976 ( Gandhavatī ); VI, 5601. [ ID=5180 ]
- the Dasheyi who brought forth Vicitravirya by Shantanu  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Kālī (IV) — the Dāśeyī brought forth Vicitravīrya by Śantanu. M. 50. 45. [ ID=2964 ]
- the wife of Parashara and mother of Krishna-dvaipayana  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Kālī (VI) — the wife of Parāśara and mother of Kṛṣṇa- dvaipāyana. Vā. 70. 84. [ ID=2966 ]

### Animals (3 definitions)
- the Indian cuckoo  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the Indian cuckoo, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49022 ]
- the poisonous serpent Coluber Naga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the poisonous serpent Coluber Naga (= कालसर्प (kālasarpa) ), Vetāla-pañcaviṃśatikā (Title) [ ID=49023 ]
- a worm or insect generated in the sour fermentation of milk  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a worm or animalcule generated in the acetous fermentation of milk (= क्षीर - कीट (kṣīra-kīṭa) or क्षार - कीट (kṣāra-kīṭa) ), Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49050 ]

### Other Specific Female Personages Named Kālī (3 definitions)
- a daughter of Daksha and mother of the Kaleyas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a daughter of Dakṣa (the mother of the Kāleyas or Kālakeyas, a family of Asuras), Mahābhārata (Title) i, 2520; Harivaṃśa (Title) [ ID=49044 ]
- Name of a female evil spirit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a female evil spirit (mother of the Kālakeyas), Harivaṃśa (Title) 11552 [ ID=49058 ]
- one of the wives of Bhimasena and mother of Sarvagata  
  *The Purana Index*
  > काली (kālī) [Printed book page 1-368 ] Kālī (I) — one of the wives of Bhīmasena, and mother of Sarvagata. Bhā. IX. 22. 31. [ ID=2961 ]

### Grammatical/Referential Notes (2 definitions)
- feminine form of kala  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 278,1] काल (kāla) ी (kālī) b ( f. of 1. काल (kāla), q.v. ) [ ID=49322 ]
- See page 278  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 279,3] काली (kālī) c See p. 278, col. 1. [ ID=49705 ]

### Kālī (f.): Lexicographical Summary (1 definition)
- 1. Black ink. 2. An epithet of Parvati, Shiva's consort. 3. A row of black clouds. 4. A woman with a dark complexion. 5. Night. 6. An epithet of Satyavati, mother of Vyasa.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > [Printed book page 186-14 ] काली (kālī) f. 1. Ink, black ink; 2. an epithet of Pārvatī, Śiva’s consort; 3. a row of black clouds; 4. a woman with a dark complexion; 5. night; 6. an epithet of Satyavatī, mother of Vyāsa. [ ID=9250 ]

### Night (1 definition)
- night  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > night, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=49049 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546