Why Does Mother Kali Step On Shiva?

Markandeya Purana's Devi Mahatmyam (Chandi Patha), Chapter 5, Verse 3:

या देवी सर्व भूतेषु शक्ति रूपेण सम्स्थिता

नमस् तस्यै नमस् तस्यै नमस् तस्यै

नमो नमः

yā devī sarva bhūteṣu śakti rūpeṇa samsthitā

namas tasyai namas tasyai namas tasyai

namo namaḥ

Meaning: NamaHa to the Devi who abides in all beings in the form of energy ( shakti ).

The cosmic mother is verily energy, pervading the macrocosm as well as the microcosm. 

The inertia of the Universe only exists because of Her. Without energy as momentum, the whole Universe lays dead.

Most of us take energy for granted, thus missing the grandeur of Devi who is pervading every jiffy of our lives.

When a desire to produce a physical action arises, our spine channels pure energy, shakti as electricity which exits a very specific vertebral bone. A bundle of nerves transfer this shakti towards a specific muscle which it pierces. The shakti in the form of electricity shocks and contracts the muscle, which in turn pulls a bone it is attached to. Now, finally, you can move your desired part of body- be it the fingers, elbow, knee etc

The above ASIA chart shows you the segments along the body innervated by nerves which exit from very specific vertebrae along the spinal column.

The Yajur Veda describes this beautifully.

KrsHNa Yajur Veda ( TA 4-10-13 ):

नीलतो यदमध्यस्था द्विद्युल्लेखेव भास्वर

nīlato yadamadhyasthā dvidyullekheva bhāsvara

Meaning: It dazzles like a lightning streak in the midst of the blue cloud

The neural impulse, or shakti as lightning or electricity empowers the whole body. Without this shakti, we lie down as corpse. We won't be able to move a finger.

So, unless shakti acts upon us, we are nothing more than a corpse, regardless of a well-defined body with intact viscera and life-force ( praNa ).

This is why Kali is depicting standing on Shiva. Without Kali, Shiva remains Shava ( corpse ).

She is the manifest impulse which enables you to move.

Rig Veda 10.125.4:

मया सो अन्नमत्ति यो विपश्यति यः प्राणिति यैइम् श्ऱृणोत्युक्तम्

mayā so annamatti yo vipaśyati yaḥ prāṇiti yaiim śṛṇotyuktam

Meaning: By My power alone, those who eat, may eat. Those who see,may see. Those who breathe, may breathe. Those who hear, may hear.

The same Devi who is intricately manifest in your tiny body also governs the momentum of the entire cosmos.

Rig Veda 10.125.1

ओम् अहम् रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चराम्यहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः।

om aham rudrebhirvasubhiścarāmyahamādityairuta viśvadevaiḥ।

Meaning: I am the One who Powers the Rudras and the Vasus. I am the Power ! I am the One who rotates the galaxies.

The whole narration in this article got downloaded when I was demonstrating spinal injury to students as shown in video above.

The patient above ( videoed with consent ) has isolated injury at the vertebral colum, specifically at level L3-L4. This means the electrical energy, shakti, carried by nerves exiting L3-L4 is flawed. The knee reflex is possible due to the roots L2-L4. The ankle reflex is possible due to roots S1-S2.

So in this patient, his knee reflex is absent while the ankle reflex is intact. Sensation and movement over L3-L4 is also impaired.

Let us be mindful aware about Devi who is manifest at every moment of our lives. Devi is a living reality.

 

Video: Recitation of Rig Veda portion which describes Devi as the primal source of the cosmos by my student Shravanthi and Me. Meanings included.