Mahākāla is a deity common to Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism.[1] In Buddhism, Mahākāla is a fierce form of Vishnu,[a][b] While in Hinduism, Mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of both Shiva and Vishnu (Narasimha),[1][2] and is the consort of the goddess Mahākālī; he most prominently appears in the Kalikula sect of Shaktism.[3][4][5] Mahākāla also appears as a protector deity known as a dharmapala in Vajrayana, Chinese Esoteric, and Tibetan Buddhism[1] (see Citipati), and also in the Chàn and Shingon traditions. He is known as Dàhēitiān and Daaih'hāktīn (大黑天) in Mandarin and Cantonese, Daeheukcheon (대흑천) in Korean, Đại Hắc Thiên in Vietnamese, and Daikokuten (大黒天) in Japanese.
Mahākāla is a Sanskrit bahuvrihi of mahā "great" and kāla "time/death", which means "beyond time" or death.[6]
Tibetan: ནག་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།, THL: nak po chen po means "Great Black One". Tibetan: མགོན་པོ།, THL: gön po "Protector" is also used to refer specifically to Mahākāla.
According to Shaktisamgama Tantra, the spouse of Mahakali is extremely frightening. Mahakala has four arms, three eyes and is of the brilliance of 10 million black fires of dissolution, dwells in the midst of eight cremation grounds. He is adorned with eight skulls, seated on five corpses, holds a trident, a drum, a sword and a scythe in his hands. He is adorned with ashes from the cremation ground and surrounded by numbers of loudly shrieking vultures and jackals. At his side is his consort symbolized as Kālī. Both Mahakala and Kālī represent the ultimate destructive power of Brahman and they are not bounded by any rules or regulations. They have the power to dissolve even time and space into themselves and exist as Void at the dissolution of the universe. They are responsible for the dissolution of the universe at the end of Kalpa. They are also responsible for annihilating great evils and great demons when other gods, Devas and even Trimurtis fail to do so. Mahakala and Kali annihilates men, women, children, animals, the world and the entire universe without mercy because they are Kala or Time in the personified form and Time is not bound by anything and Time does not show mercy, nor does it wait for anything or anyone.[3][7] In some parts of Odisha, Jharkhand and Dooars, (that is, in northern Bengal), wild elephants are worshiped as Mahakala.[4][5]
Mahakala is typically black in colour. Just as all colours are absorbed and dissolved into black, all names and forms are said to melt into those of Mahakala, symbolising his all-embracing, comprehensive nature. Black can also represent the total absence of colour, and again in this case it signifies the nature of Mahakala as ultimate or absolute reality. This principle is known in Sanskrit as "nirguna", beyond all quality and form, and it is typified by both interpretations.[8]
Bhagavata Purana (VII.2-10), Linga Purana, Kurma Purana describes Lord Narasimha as Kala, Mahakala or fire of destruction. Markandeya Purana, Padma Purana, Harivamsa (226ff.), Skanda Purana (II.5.43) and Kurma Purana describes Lord Narasimha doing total destruction during Pralaya in the form of Mahakala or Kala.[2]