Why does Kali Ma have her tongue out?

Why is the Hindu Goddess Kali Ma always seen with her tongue out?

One of the fiercest images in Sanatan Dharma is that of an angry Kali Ma standing with weapons in her hand & drenched in blood, which makes many people think she’s the Goddess of Destruction & even evil herself.

But Kali comes from Mahakaal, which means she represents the cyclic nature of time & the universe, with her sitting above it & devouring everything so that it can be created again.

So her protuding tongue symbolizes her ability to swallow you & help you escape this cycle. It’s also gives us the lesser known yoga pose called “Simhasana” representing the protective lion.

Many sects believe her to be an Avatar of Durga Ma & she’s seen as the protective fierce mother of all innocent people, only destroying darkness in the interest & for the protection her worshippers, not because she likes to do it. She’s black because all light comes from her & it also stands for the infinity of the universe.

People worship her for protection against untimely death, epidemics, disasters, misforturnes, etc.

When the Gods were fighting against a demon called Raktabeeja, he was defeating them with his power to be able to regenerate hundreds of demons from every drop of his blood that fell on the ground.

So the Kali Ma avatar appeared to swallow these demons & drink their as well as Raktabeej’s blood to prevent it from falling on the ground & creating more demons.

Some groups also believe that Shiva came to calm her down by laying on top of her legs & she felt embarrased by it, which is why her tongue is out in disbelief.

Interestingly, this is only one form of Kali. The Smashan Kali doesn’t have her tongue out because she sits near cremation grounds to bless the dead & help them in their journey ahead.