• Kālī

1. Kālī. See Kālakannī (3).

2. Kālī.Called Kururagharikā, described among laywomen as the best of those who believe even from hearsay (anussavappasannānam) (A.i.26).

She was the mother of Sona Kutikanna, and her husband belonged to Kuraraghara in Avanti. When with child, she came to her parents in Rājagaha, and there, while enjoying the cool breeze on the balcony above her roof (sīhapañjare), she overheard the conversation which took place between Sātāgira and Hemavata on the excellences of the Buddha and of his teaching; as she listened, faith in the Buddha grew in her and she became a sotāpanna. That same night Sona was born. Later, Kālī returned to Kuraraghara and there waited on Mahā Kaccāna. When Sona entered the Order under Kaccāna and visited the Buddha, she gave him a costly rug to be spread in the Buddha's chamber. When Sona returned home after this visit, Kālī asked him to preach to her in the same way as he had earlier preached to the Buddha, earning the applause of the Buddha himself and of the devas of the ten thousand worlds.

Kālī was considered most senior among the women who became sotāpannas (sabbamātugāmānam antare pathamakasotāpannā sabbajetthikā) (AA.i.133ff; SnA.i.208f). She was the constant companion and staunch friend of Kātiyāni (AA.i.245). Kālī's wish to attain to the eminence which she reached in this life was made in the time of Padumuttara Buddha when she heard a laywoman declared pre-eminent among those who had begotten faith by hearsay (AA.i.247).

A conversation between her and Mahā Kaccāna is related in the Kālī Sutta.

3. Kālī. Maidservant of Videhikā of Sāvatthi. Videhikā was reputed to be gentle and meek, but Kālī, who was a bright girl and a good worker, thought she would test her mistress. One day she rose late and, on being reproved, spoke very lightly of her fault. Finding that Videhikā lost her temper, Kālī repeated her offence several times, until one day her mistress struck her with a lynch-pin, drawing blood from her head. Kālī ran out and roused the neighbourhood with her shrieks. Videhikā's reputation for meekness was no more. The story is related in the Kakacūpama Sutta. M.i.125f

4. Kālī. A Māra-woman, sister of Dūsī (q.v.) and mother of the Māra of the present age (Vasavatti?). (M.i.333)

5. Kālī. A crematrix (chavadāhikā) of Sāvatthi. Seeing Mahākāla meditating in the cemetery, she cut off from a recently cremated body its thighs and arms, and making of them a sort of milk bowl, placed it near where the Thera sat. Thag.151; ThagA.i.271; more details are given in DhA.i.57ff.

6. Kālī. A Yakkhinī. A householder, having a barren wife, married another woman, a friend of the former. Every time a child was conceived, the first wife brought about a miscarriage; at last the second wife died through a miscarriage and, on her deathbed, vowed to take her revenge. After several births, in which each, alternately, devoured the children of the other, the second wife became an ogress named Kālī and the first wife was born in a good family. Twice the ogress ate the latter's children; on the third occasion Kālī was occupied in Vessavana's service and the child was left unhurt. On his naming day the parents took him to Jetavana, and there, as the mother was giving suck to her child, while her husband bathed in the monastery pool, she saw the ogress and, being terrified, dashed into the monastery where the Buddha was preaching. The guardian deity, Sumana, prevented Kālī's entrance, but the Buddha, having heard the story, sent for Kālī and preached to her, whereupon she became a sotāpanna. The Buddha persuaded the two women to become friends, and Kālī lived in the house of the other; but being uncomfortable there and at various other lodgings provided for her, she ultimately lived outside the village. There her aid was invoked for the protection of the crops, and eight ticket-foods (salākabhatta) were established in her honour. DhA.i.37ff

7. Kālī.Wife of Kotūhalaka (q.v.) and mother of Kāpi (DhA.i.169). When Kotūhalaka was born as Ghosaka, she became his wife after having saved his life (DhA.i.181). See Ghosaka.

8. Kālī. A maidservant of the setthi of Kosambī. She it was who secured Ghosaka (q.v.) for the setthi, and when the setthi wished to get rid of him, the task was entrusted to her. Seven times she tried to have him killed, but all her attempts failed (DhA.i.174ff). Later Kālī confessed her share in the setthi's crime, and seems to have been forgiven by both Ghosaka and his wife (DhA.i.186f).

9. Kālī. -A courtesan of Benares, sister of Tundila. She earned one thousand a day. Tundila was a debauchee, and so wasted her money that she refused to give him any more and had him cast out. A merchant's son, visiting Kālī, found Tundila in despair and gave him his own clothes. When the latter left the courtesan's house the next day, the clothes with which he had been provided according to custom were taken away, and he had to walk the streets naked.

The story is included in the Takkāriya Jātaka (J.iv.248ff). In the stanzas of the Jātaka Kālī is also called Kālikā.