Bhadrakali

{{short description|Hindu deity}}

{{about|the consort of Virabhadra|the form of Parvati|Kali|the goddess of time and death |Mahakali}}

{{other uses}}

{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox deity

| type = Hindu

| image = Goddess Bhadrakali.jpg

| caption = Goddess Bhadrakali, gouache on paper (ca. 1660–70)

| name = Bhadrakali

| other_names = Maha Maya, Shiva Purana also addresses as Rudra Kali being Shiva's daughter, Shiva nandini

| Sanskrit_transliteration = भद्रकाली

| affiliation =

| deity_of = Time

| abode = No abode. Considered digambari (space-clad), or all-pervading

| weapon = * Sword: A symbol of divine knowledge that cuts through ignorance.

• Trident: Represents the three fundamental aspects of creation, preservation, and destruction.
• Mace: Symbolizes power and strength to subdue enemies.
• Discus: Represents the cycle of time and the impermanence of existence.
• Bow and Arrow: Signify precision and accuracy in targeting evil.
• Noose: Used to capture and bind enemies.
• Skull and Rudraksha beads: Represent detachment from worldly desires and the cyclical nature of life and death.

| mount = Vetala

| consort = Virabhadra

| texts = Shiva Purana, Kalika Purana, Devi Bhagavatham, Durga saptha shati etc.

| festivals = Various cultures across the Indian subcontinent observe reverence through diverse festivals.

| battles = Daksha yajna, Wars with Darika, Ruru, Raktabija.

| mantra = *oṃ bhadrakāl̤yai namaḥ

| day = Tuesday/ Friday {{cite web | url=https://cyberdhuni.org/sri-ramakrishna-swami-vivekananda-and-kali-in-the-west | title=Article - Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and Kali in the West }}

}}

{{Saktism}}

File:The Hindu Goddess Kali LACMA M.2011.5 (1 of 5).jpg]]

Bhadrakali (IAST: Bhadrakālī; {{Literal translation|auspicious Kali}}{{Cite book |last=Hudson |first=D. Dennis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0IE8DwAAQBAJ&dq=bhadrakali+means&pg=PA562 |title=The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram |date=2008-09-25 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-536922-9 |pages=562 |language=en}}) is an important goddess, mainly worshiped by Hindus, and is a form of Kali. She is considered to be the auspicious and fortunate form of Adi Shakti or Durga, the supreme mother who protects the good, known as Bhadra or Bhadra Bhagavathy. She is worshipped predominently in the South indian state of Kerala{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-01-28 |title=Story of Bhadrakālī |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241454.html |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}} and Nashik.{{Cite web |date=2025-06-17 |title=Sri Bhadrakali Shaktipeeth (Chin), Nashik, Maharashtra |url=https://sannidhi.net/sannidhi/sri-bhadrakali-shaktipeeth-chin-nashik-maharashtra/ |access-date=2025-06-17 |website=sannidhi.net |language=en}}

In Vaishnavism, Bhadrakali is among the many epithets of Yogamaya, the internal potency of illusion of the supreme preserver deity, Vishnu.{{Cite book |last=Bryant |first=Edwin F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TRtREAAAQBAJ&dq=yogamaya+bhadrakali&pg=PA468 |title=Krishna: A Sourcebook |date=2007-06-18 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-028756-6 |pages=468 |language=en}} In Shaivism, she accompanies Virabhadra, a form of Shiva, as manifestations of Shiva's wrath.{{cite book |last1=Dalal |first1=Roshen |title=The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths |date=18 April 2014 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-396-7 |page=371 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=87k0AwAAQBAJ |language=en}}