The Guardian Devi who sits on a Yakshini.
A Powerful Protector in Kerala Traditions.
One who is said to go hunting for Dur Shaktis, along with Karuppan in Tamil Village Ballads.
In Fact, so close are they interlinked, that in some traditions, one sadhana isn’t complete without completing the other.
The Gurkha warriors are said to shout
“Jai Bhadrakali, Aayoo Gurkhali” when unsheathing their Kukri Knife.
Once The Madurai King was said to have neglected the Bhadrakali in Madurai Meenakshi temple which incensed the Great Devi.
When the legendary Kannagi went to see the King , to seek Justice for a wrong judgement , Bhadrakali of Meenakshi Temple is said to have entered her as an Avesha , and Kannagi as her Avesha, was said to have burnt Madurai to the ground.
Though some traditions frown upon Kali Devi upasana for Grihasthas , she is thought to be an exception.
A popular stotra of her below:
śrībhadrakālyaṣṭottaraśatanāmastotram
śrīnandikeśvara uvāca –
bhadrakālī kāmarūpā mahāvidyā yaśasvinī ।
mahāśrayā mahābhāgā dakṣayāgavibhedinī ॥ 1॥
rudrakopasamudbhūtā bhadrā mudrā śivaṅkarī ।
candrikā candravadanā roṣatāmrākṣaśobhinī ॥ 2॥
indrādidamanī śāntā candralekhāvibhūṣitā ।
bhaktārtihāriṇī muktā caṇḍikānandadāyinī ॥ 3॥
saudāminī sudhāmūrtiḥ divyālaṅkārabhūṣitā ।
suvāsinī sunāsā ca trikālajñā dhurandharā ॥ 4॥
sarvajñā sarvalokeśī devayonirayonijā ।
nirguṇā nirahaṅkārā lokakalyāṇakāriṇī ॥ 5॥
sarvalokapriyā gaurī sarvagarvavimardinī ।
tejovatī mahāmātā koṭisūryasamaprabhā ॥ 6॥
vīrabhadrakṛtānandabhoginī vīrasevitā ।
nāradādimunistutyā nityā satyā tapasvinī ॥ 7॥
jñānarūpā kalātītā bhaktābhīṣṭaphalapradā ।
kailāsanilayā śubhrā kṣamā śrīḥ sarvamaṅgalā ॥ 8॥
siddhavidyā mahāśaktiḥ kāminī padmalocanā ॥
devapriyā daityahantrī dakṣagarvāpahāriṇī ॥ 9॥
śivaśāsanakartrī ca śaivānandavidhāyinī ।
bhavapāśanihantrī ca savanāṅgasukāriṇī ॥ 10॥
lambodarī mahākālī bhīṣaṇāsyā sureśvarī ।
mahānidrā yoganidrā prajñā vārtā kriyāvatī ॥ 11॥
putrapautrapradā sādhvī senāyuddhasukāṅkṣiṇī ॥12॥
icchā bhagavatī māyā durgā nīlā manogatiḥ ।
khecarī khaḍginī cakrahastā śulavidhāriṇī ॥ 13॥
subāṇā śaktihastā ca pādasañcāriṇī parā ।
tapaḥsiddhipradā devī vīrabhadrasahāyinī ॥ 14॥
dhanadhānyakarī viśvā manomālinyahāriṇī ।
sunakṣatrodbhavakarī vaṃśavṛddhipradāyinī ॥ 15॥
brahmādisurasaṃsevyā śāṅkarī priyabhāṣiṇī ।
bhūtapretapiśācādihāriṇī sumanasvinī ॥ 16॥
puṇyakṣetrakṛtāvāsā pratyakṣaparameśvarī ।
evaṃ nāmnāṃ bhadrakālyāḥ śatamaṣṭottaraṃ viduḥ ॥ 17॥
puṇyaṃ yaśo dīrghamāyuḥ putrapautraṃ dhanaṃ bahu ।dadāti devī tasyāśu yaḥ paṭhet stotramuttamam ॥ 18॥
bhaumavāre bhṛgau caiva paurṇamāsyāṃ viśeṣataḥ ।prātaḥ snātvā nityakarma vidhāya ca subhaktimān ॥ 19॥
vīrabhadrālaye bhadrāṃ sampūjya surasevitām ।
paṭhet stotramidaṃ divyaṃ nānā bhogapradaṃ śubham ॥ 20॥
abhīṣṭasiddhiṃ prāpnoti śīghraṃ vidvān parantapa ।athavā svagṛhe vīrabhadrapatnīṃ samarcayet ॥ 21॥
stotreṇānena vidhivat sarvān kāmānavāpnuyāt ।
rogā naśyanti tasyāśu yogasiddhiṃ ca vindati ॥ 22॥
sanatkumārabhaktānāmidaṃ stotraṃ prabodhaya ॥rahasyaṃ sārabhūtaṃ ca sarvajñaḥ sambhaviṣyasi ॥ 23॥
iti śrībhadrakālyaṣṭottaraśatanāmastotraṃ sampūrṇam ।
Thanks to Sadhaka friend Rangan Ji for sharing the Bhadrakali, Kannagi tale.
– Jai Bhadrakalyai Namaha