Tantric Tibetan MAHAKALA - Freedom Chants From The Roof Of The World - MAHAKALA - The Gyuto Monks
Mahākāla (Sanskrit) is a Dharmapala ("protector of dharma") in Vajrayana Buddhism, and a deity in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, particularly in the Vajrayana school.
He is known as Daheitian (大黑天) in Chinese and Daikokuten (大黒天) in Japanese.
Mahākāla belongs to the fourth hierarchy of deities.
In Hinduism, Mahakala is a name of Shiva, Lord Shiva himself is Time or he is God of Time, kala/kaal means Time, atit/bhoot kaal (past),vartman kaal (present) and bhavishya kaal (future) - these all formats of time are merged in lord Shiva .
Kala means also death and Shiva is also god of destroy, destroy means end or death, so Shiva is Mahakala. (as, for example, at the Shiva temple in Ujjain that is more than once mentioned by Kālidāsa), but it is also a name of one of his principal attendants (Sanskrit: gaṇa):
along with Nandi, which is Shiva's mount(vahana), and so is often represented outside the main doorway of early North Indian temples. In Sikhism, Mahakaal is main term used for "Hukam"(The Supreme Command) in Dasam Granth, written by Guru Gobind Singh.
Mahākāla is a Sanskrit bahuvrihi of mahā (महत्; "great") and kāla (काल; "time/death"), which means "beyond the time" or death.
The literal Tibetan translation is "Nagpo Chenpo" (Tibetan: ནག་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།) though, when referring to this deity,
Tibetans usually use the word Gönpo (Tibetan: མགོན་པོ།, Wylie: mgon po), the translation of the Sanskrit word Nātha meaning "lord" or "protector",
Description
Mahākāla is relied upon in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
However, he is depicted in a number of variations, each with distinctly different qualities and aspects.
He is also regarded as the emanation of different beings in different cases, namely Avalokiteśvara (Wylie: spyan ras gzigs) or Cakrasaṃvara (Wylie: ’khor lo bde mchog).
Mahākāla is typically black in color.
Just as all colors are absorbed and dissolved into black, all names and forms are said to melt into those of Mahakala, symbolizing his all-embracing, comprehensive nature.
Black can also represent the total absence of color, and again in this case it signifies the nature of Mahakala as ultimate or absolute reality.
This principle is known in Sanskrit as "nirguna", beyond all quality and form, and it is typified by both interpretations.
Mahākāla is almost always depicted with a crown of five skulls, which represent the transmutation of the five kleśās (negative afflictions) into the five wisdoms.
The most notable variation in Mahākāla's manifestations and depictions is in the number of arms, but other details can vary as well.
For instance, in some cases there are Mahakalas in white, with multiple heads, without genitals, standing on varying numbers of various things, holding various implements, with alternative adornments, and so on.
Manifestations
Six-Armed Mahākāla
Nyingshuk came from Khyungpo Naljor, the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu, and spread to all the lineages—Sakya, Nyingma, and Geluk, as well as various Kagyu lineages.
There are also Terma lineages of various forms of Six Armed Mahākāla.
Nyinghsuk, though derived from the Shangpa, is not the major Shangpa one—it's in a dancing posture, rather than standing straight up, and is a very advanced Mahakala practice.
There is also a White Six-Armed Mahakala (Skt: Shad-bhuja Sita Mahakala; Tib. Wylie: mGon po yid bzhin nor bu) popular among Mongolian Gelugpas.
Four-Armed Mahākāla
Various Four-armed Mahākālas (Skt. Chatur-bhuja Mahākāla, Tib. Wylie: mGon po phyag bzhi pa) are the primary protectors of the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu and the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
A four-armed Mahākāla is also found in the Nyingma school, although the primary protector of the Great Perfection (Skt: Mahasandhi, Tib. Dzogchen) teachings is Ekajati.
Two-Armed Mahākālas
The two-armed Mahākāla called Bernakchen (Black Coat) is a protector of the Karma Kagyu school, although he derives from Nyingma terma and was adopted by the Karma Kagyu during the time of 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi.
He is often depicted with his consort Rangjung Gyalmo.
(He is often thought to be the primary protector, but he is actually the main protector of the Karmapas specifically.
Mahākāla Chakshipa, a four-armed mahakala, is technically the primary protector.
Chakdrupa, a six-armed mahakala, is also common in the Kagyu.)
Panjaranatha Mahākāla, "Lord of Charms" or "Lord of the Pavilion", an emanation of Manjushri is a protector of the Sakya order.
Mahākāla in Hinduism
In some part of Orisa, Jharkhand and Dooars, that is the northern Bengal localities wild elephants are worshiped as Mahākāla.
All compositional rights on behalf of the Gyuto Monks © 1989 by 360° Publishing (ASCAP)
see also:
https://www.tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Mahakala
May All Sentient Beings Be Liberated.