Symbolism in the Black Color of Goddess Kali

Goddess Kali is the terrifying and angry form of Mother Goddess Shakti. She is pitch black in color and there is a symbolism attached to the color. She destroys and devours all that is associated with Adharma (inauspicious or evil).

As Kali, she is also the personification of the all-devouring time.

Her dark color and form is symbolic of future – future which is beyond the knowledge of ordinary living beings.

The color also symbolizes her power to suck in all forms of ignorance. Something like a black hole.

After sucking in all ignorance, she liberates her children from the cycle of reincarnation.

Mother Goddess Kali is black, girdled with severed arms, with a garland of severed heads, having a lolling tongue and eyes rolling with intoxication.

The Dark Complexion (Krishna Varna)

Kali is of dark hue, like the deep raincloud — in meditative language, Maha-Meghaprabha (the radiance of great clouds). The color of clouds is dark, and so is Kali’s complexion. Without rains (dark clouds) nothing remains on earth, so she is the ultimate nourisher and energy source.

The Mahanirvana Tantra (Chapter 13, Verses 5–6) states:

“O Daughter of the Mountain! Just as white, yellow, and all other colors merge into black,
so too does all creation dissolve into Kali.
Therefore, the sages perceive Her color as black —
for She, the formless, quality-less Power of Time (Kala-Shakti), absorbs all into Herself.”

Thus, Lord Sadashiva tells the Great Goddess: all colors dissolve in black, and all phenomena merge into Kali. Hence, the yogis perceive Her as the color black — the symbol of that which absorbs everything.

She is called Kali because She is the embodiment of Kala (Time) — Kala + ī = Kali. All time and all happenings merge into Her.

Since black absorbs all colors, Kali — being black — represents the One who absorbs everything into Herself.

That is why the Goddess is described as terrifying in appearance (Karala Vadana, Bhishana) — for She devours all. Yet this act of “devouring” signifies not destruction in a negative sense, but the acceptance of the devotee’s offering and devotion, and the absorption of all base instincts (Tamas) to bring balance among the three qualities — Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.