Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/172

 Mother of the Universe, is making Herself mani- fest in this world of Her sports. Sri Ramakrishna, smiling: Oh, the Mother sports with the world, Her toy, under various aspects and names. Now She is the God Unconditioned, Absolute, Form- less (Maha-Kali): now the Everlast- ing as distinguished from Her works (Nitya-Kali). Under another aspect She is the Goddess of burning Ghats or crematories, the dreaded Being who presides over death (Smasan- Kali); now again does She stand before us ready to bless, to preserve Her children (Rakshya- Kali); under another aspect She appears pleasing to the eye of Her devotees as the Mother with the dark blue color, Consort of the God of Eter- nity and Infinity. Maha-Kali and Nitya-Kali are described in the sacred books, the Tantras: "When nothing was — neither sun, nor moon, nor planets, nothing but Darkness Deep, there was alone my Divine Mother, Formless, the Eternal Consort of the Infinite." As Mother with the dark blue color (Syama), She is tender and loving. She is the bestower of all blessings and makes Her children fearless; She is wor- shipped in the Hindu household. As Preserver She appears in times of plague, famine, earth-