How To Invoke the 12 Secret Kalis | Krama Stotram & The Wheel of Fire

After our lecture on The 12 Secret Kālīs | & The Most Closely Guarded Secret in Tantra where we introduced the powers of non-dual consciousness which flow in a 12-step sequence (which we argued was one of the subtlest teachings of Tantrik non-duality if not THE subtlest teachings), many were asking: "how do we invoke the 12 Kālīs, worship them, relate to them and incorporate them into our day-to-day sādhanā?" In this talk, we introduce one of the two Krama Stotrams and introduce Abhinava Gupta's "wheel of fire meditation" from Tantrasāra Chapter 4, which he received from his Krama guru, Bhūtirāja. 

The 12 Kalis

Prameyam (aparā): KNOWN OBJECT
Sṛṣṭikālī = manifesting an object internally, she then 
Raktakālī (bahirmkuhī) = becomes passionate towards that object 
Sthitināśakālī = wishes to reabsorb it and starts to internalize it 
Yamakālī = manifests and dissolves a "vighna" (obstacle) to re-absorption 

Pramānā (parāpara): ACT OF KNOWING 
Saṃhārakālī = reabsorbs the object 
Mṛtyukālī = and contemplates "svabhava": my very nature is to reabsorb! (i.e savors the experience just had) 
Rudrakālī = perceives a subtle impression left over from perception + also Pure Consciousness and then devours the subtle impression
Mārtaṇḍakālī = reabsorbs the solar-mandala of 12 faculties into the "Lord of the Circle" (ego) 

Pramātr (parā): KNOWER 
Paramārkakālī = reabsorbs the Lord of the Circle (ego) 
Kālāgnirudrakālī = reabsorbs the separation of one purusha (individual knowing subject) from another (mayīya-mala) 
Mahākālakālī = reabsorbs the Universal Subject (Shiva) into full expansion 
Mahābhairavacaṇḍograghorakālī = reabsorbs even that fully expanded ground into...what? void unspeakable! (or rather: articulates transcendence as immanence!) 

Here are just the first 5 verses of the Krama Stotram:

Kaulārṇavānanda-ghanormi-rūpām unmeṣa-meṣobhaya-bhājam antaḥ |
nilīyate nīla-kulālaye yā tāṃ ṣṛṣtikālīṃ satataṃ namāmi || 1 ||

I always praise that Kālī of Emission, who blooms and recedes like a wave of bliss in the ocean of the Kaula! 

mahā-vinodārpita-mātṛ-cakra- vīrendrakā-sṛg-rasa-pāna-saktām |
raktīkṛtāṃ ca pralayātyaye tāṃ  namāmi viśvākṛti-rakta-kālīm || 2 ||

I always praise that Passionate Kālī who manifests this world and who savours the world during a pause in dissolution, she who happily drinks the nectarean blood offered to the circle of Mothers by heroes (Tantrik adepts)! 

vāji-dvaya-svīkṛta-vāta-cakra- prakrānta-saṅghaṭṭa-gamāgama-sthām |
śucir yayāstaṃ gamitorciṣā tāṃ  śāntāṃ namāmi sthiti-nāśa-kālīm || 3 ||

I salute that peaceful one, The Kali Who Destroys Stasis, who is there in the coming and going of the breath and the perfect union of breath which is set in motion by the Wheel of Wind (life-force), who dissolves all notions of purity! 

sarvārtha-saṅkarṣaṇa-saṃyamasya  yamasya yantur jagato yamāya |
vapur mahāgrāsa-vilāsa-rāgāt  saṅkarṣayantīṃ praṇamāmi kālīm || 4 ||

I prostrate before that Kali who out of desire for the play of great devouring and controlling the world dissolves Yama the controller, who controls the destruction of things! 

unmanyanant

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