Mahakala

E110362

Mahakala is a fierce, time-devouring form of the Hindu god Shiva, associated with destruction, protection, and the transcendence of temporal existence.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Mahakala canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hindu deity
form of Shiva
associatedWithConcept annihilation of time
cosmic dissolution
death
destruction
impermanence
kala (time/death)
protection
time
transcendence of time
associatedWithDeity Shiva
associatedWithPlace Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
linked to: Ujjain

cremation grounds
associatedWithText Puranic literature
Tantric texts
Tibetan Buddhist ritual manuals
epithetOf Shiva
hasAlternativeName Great Black One
Great Time
Mahākāla
linked to: Shiva
hasAttribute fierce form
protector aspect
terrifying appearance
wrathful deity
hasRole cosmic regulator of time
destroyer of evil
dharmapala
guardian of sacred spaces
protector of devotees
time-devouring deity
iconographicFeature crown of skulls
dark or black body color
garland of severed heads in some forms
multiple arms in many depictions
skull cup (kapala)
standing or dancing on a corpse
trident (trishula)
isFormOf Shiva
religion Buddhism
Hinduism
symbolizes destruction of ignorance
overcoming attachment to time
ultimate reality beyond time
tradition Shaivism
Tantric Hinduism
linked to: Tantra

Tibetan Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism
linked to: Vajrayana
worshipedIn Bhutan
India
Mongolia
Nepal
Tibet

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Shiva epithet Mahakala