Kali-puja

Expressions researched:
"kali" |"puja"

SB Canto 5

Due to bad association one often forgets that his prestigious position has been given to him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he misuses it by performing various kinds of so-called yajñas like kālī-pūjā or durgā-pūjā, in which poor animals are sacrificed. How such a person is punished is described herein.

SB 5.26.25, Translation and Purport:

A person who in this life is proud of his eminent position, and who heedlessly sacrifices animals simply for material prestige, is put into the hell called Viśasana after death. There the assistants of Yamarāja kill him after giving him unlimited pain.

In Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate: "Because of his previous connection with bhakti-yoga, a man is born into a prestigious family of brāhmaṇas or aristocrats." Having taken such a birth, one should utilize it to perfect bhakti-yoga. However, due to bad association one often forgets that his prestigious position has been given to him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he misuses it by performing various kinds of so-called yajñas like kālī-pūjā or durgā-pūjā, in which poor animals are sacrificed. How such a person is punished is described herein. The word dambha-yajñeṣu in this verse is significant. If one violates the Vedic instructions while performing yajña and simply makes a show of sacrifice for the purpose of killing animals, he is punishable after death. In Calcutta there are many slaughterhouses where animal flesh is sold that has supposedly been offered in sacrifice before the goddess Kālī. The śāstras enjoin that one can sacrifice a small goat before the goddess Kālī once a month. Nowhere is it said that one can maintain a slaughterhouse in the name of temple worship and daily kill animals unnecessarily. Those who do so receive the punishments described herein.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If you want to perform the sacrifice before the goddess Kālī, there is a certain date, there is a certain paraphernalia, you have to arrange for that. And that pūjā, that worship is allowed on the dark moon night.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

Just like a person is attached to eat meat. Now if all of a sudden if he is instructed that meat eating is not good. Or a person is attached to drink liquor. If he at once said that liquor is not good, he cannot accept. Therefore in the Purāṇas we'll find, "All right, if you want to eat meat, you just worship goddess Kālī and sacrifice a goat before the goddess. And you can eat meat. You cannot eat meat or flesh by purchasing from the slaughterhouse or butcher shop. You have to eat in this way." That means restriction. Because if you want to perform the sacrifice before the goddess Kālī, there is a certain date, there is a certain paraphernalia, you have to arrange for that. And that pūjā, that worship is allowed on the dark moon light. So dark moon night means once in a month. And the mantras are chanted in this way; the goat is advised that "You are sacrificing your life before the goddess Kālī. So you get immediately promotion to have a human form of life." Actually it happens. Because to come to the standard of human form of life one living entity has to pass through so many evolutionary process. But the goat who agrees or who is by force sacrificed before the goddess Kālī he gets immediate promotion to the human form of life. And the mantra says, that "You have got the right to kill this man who is sacrificing." Māṁsa. Māṁsa means that you will also eat his flesh, next birth. "Why eat this flesh? Then I'll have to repay with my flesh. Why shall I do this job?" You see. The whole idea is to restrain him.

The pravṛtti-nirvṛtti, the Vedic rules have been formulated in such a way that if a man has got pravṛtti for meat-eating or drinking or for sex-life or gambling... So we know that gambling is allowed on the kālī-pūjā day. We know. Especially northern Indian people, mercantile people, they take it, advantage, gambling.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

About, say, thirty years ago, one of my Godbrothers went to England, and Lord Zetland, he said that "Whether, Swamiji, you can make us brāhmaṇa?" So he proposed these four things: "Yes. We can make you brāhmaṇa, provided you give up these bad habits." "What is that?" "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible. This is our life!" You see.

So it is very difficult. Therefore the pravṛtti-nirvṛtti, the Vedic rules have been formulated in such a way that if a man has got pravṛtti for meat-eating or drinking or for sex-life or gambling... So we know that gambling is allowed on the kālī-pūjā day. We know. Especially northern Indian people, mercantile people, they take it, advantage, gambling. And sex life is allowed married life. That is gradually nivṛtti, married life; otherwise they will become upstarts. The society will be lost. And meat-eating allowed also: "All right. Just offer a goat before Kali and take that." Not purchase from the market or slaughterhouse. No. So these things are there just to gradually make him refrain from all these habits. Nivṛtti. This is Vedic. Not that "Oh, there is in the Vedas Kālī-pūjā. We are devotees of Kali." Why? For meat-eating. That's all. They are..., they become devotees of Kali only for meat-eating. That's all. There is no other devotion. So actually... So nivṛtti. But that is nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga. And in the Vaiṣṇava philosophy that immediately, immediately give up these things; otherwise it will be not possible.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

There are varieties of men. So they have been given. These are regulative principles. Just like Kālī-pūjā, pūjā of the goddess Kālī. The real purpose is to eat meat. Because in any other demigod worship there is no animal sacrifice.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

Now it has been taken as, "I am brāhmaṇa. So how to earn more money by giving somebody blessings," or "Give me some money,"or "I shall make some pūjā; he will get some material benefit, this pūjā, that pūjā," especially demigods. You worship Kālī-pūjā. So you will be able to eat meat. Then Caṇḍī-pūjā. Then he will be able to drink wine, and so many others. They are also in the scriptures. Because people want... There are varieties of men. So they have been given. These are regulative principles. Just like Kālī-pūjā, pūjā of the goddess Kālī. The real purpose is to eat meat. Because in any other demigod worship there is no animal sacrifice. But there are some demigods, the purpose is, instead of purchasing from the slaughterhouse, if they are restricted that "You eat meat after worshiping this demigod," there will be some restriction. That is the purpose, to come in, to bring him under restriction. Otherwise it is not required at all. And you will find in the Pañcāṅga that "Today meat-eating is prohibited." Actually, it is prohibited. But those who are meat-eaters, they cannot give up. Therefore one day, restriction, this restriction, that restriction—everything to bring him under regulative principle. Because real purpose is to make him detached from this material attraction and make him promoted āpavargyasya, how to get out of this material miserable condition of life. This is called dharmasya hy āpavargyasya, not that "We have got this ceremony today, Kālī-pūjā ceremony. Let us sacrifice thousands of goats and eat and drink and enjoy." That is not the purpose.

This Kālī-pūjā means because the Vedic śāstras are so made that from the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent man should be elevated. That is the purpose. From the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent brāhmaṇa. Because all classes of men are there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

Just like when we present Kṛṣṇa, especially in India... This botheration is not there in other countries, outside India, because they had no information. I have placed before them that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are searching after God. Here is God. Here is God's name, here is God's address, here is God's activities. You try to understand God. Why you are speculating?" So they have accepted it. They are not asūyava. They are not envious. Here, if I present Kṛṣṇa, one may say, "Why not Kālī?" Ghora-rūpān. "Oh, Kālī is very active. It has got so long tongue. And it has got a sword in her hand, cutting the heads. It is very nice. And we are, we shall be able to eat goats." You see. Actually the Kālī-pūjā means for the meat-eaters. The Kālī-pūjā... Now this, this season is Kālī-pūjā. This Kālī-pūjā means because the Vedic śāstras are so made that from the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent man should be elevated. That is the purpose. From the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent brāhmaṇa. Because all classes of men are there. Some of them are influenced by the modes of goodness; some of them are influenced by the modes of passion; some of them are influenced by the modes of ignorance. But the Vedas are meant for study for the human being. Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). The Vedas are meant for human being.

So there are different types of human being; therefore there are different types of śāstras, to attract all classes of men. So the meat-eaters, for them, the Vedas says, "Yes," loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantoḥ, "every living being, entity, has a general tendency..." Because he has come here to enjoy, to satisfy the material senses, and material senses means eating meat, drinking wine, and have sex life. This is material, satisfying the material senses. So they are regulated. "All right. You want meat, you want to eat meat, all right, then sacrifice one goat before Goddess Kālī and worship her on the on the āmāvāsya, dark moon night." So many regulations. The real purpose is to restrict him, but if it is directly said that "Don't eat meat," he'll be revolting. Therefore there are so many prescription of worshiping different demigods. Otherwise, there is no necessity. There is no necessity.