Goddess Kali (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"Kali goddess" |"Kali, goddess" |"goddess Bhadra Kali" |"goddess Durga or Kali" |"goddess Durga, Kali" |"goddess Durga, and Kali" |"goddess Kali" |"goddess like Maha-kali" |"goddess of Kali"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Rādhārāṇī is spiritual energy, and Durgā, or Kālī, is material energy. So those who are materialist, they worship Drgā, Kālī, the material, different forms of material energy. And, so in both the cases... There is a word in Sanskrit, it is called śakta, śakta. Śakta, the word comes from śakti. Śakti means energy.

So there is a division, that those who are worshiper of the Supreme as mother—just like the worshiper of Goddess Kālī—that means those who are accepting the Absolute as mother, they are called śaktas. The śakta... The Vaiṣṇava, they are also śakta, because they are also accepting another pure energy, personal energy, or internal energy of Kṛṣṇa. That is also śakti. And the materialist also, they are also accepting another energy. The one energy, spiritual energy is in our normal condition, and material energy in..., is our abnormal condition. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice means you have to transfer yourself from this material energy to the..., under the control..., from the control of material energy, under the control of spiritual energy. That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

If you are actually brāhmaṇa, you must act as a brāhmaṇa. If you are a kṣatriya, you must act as a kṣatriya. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Not that "I am a brāhmaṇa; now I have become something else." Just like in Calcutta we have seen there are small slaughterhouses, and they have posted one deity, Goddess Kālī, and have got sacred thread, and the signboard is: "This meat is slaughtered by a brāhmaṇa. Therefore it is pure. Therefore it is pure." And that is going on. Oh, the meat-eaters, they take all this meat, and they think, "It is the prasāda of Goddess Kālī, and it is slaughtered by a brāhmaṇa. There is no sin; it is all right." This is going on. No. Brāhmaṇa is not meant for becoming a slaughterer, a killer. No. Brāhmaṇa should be truthful, brāhmaṇa should be cleansed, no sinful life. Brāhmaṇa should be controlling the senses, controlling the mind. Brāhmaṇa must be well-educated, jñāna, and he must apply the knowledge in practical life and believe in the Vedic injunctions. These are the qualifications of brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti means service, bhaja-sevāyām. The bhaj-dhātu, it is used for the purpose of rendering service, bhaja. And bhaja, there is Sanskrit grammar, kti-pratyaya, to make it noun. This is verb. So there are pratyayas, kti pratyaya, ti pratyaya, many pratyayas. So bhaj-dhātu kti, equal to bhakti. So bhakti means to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti cannot be applied to anyone else. If somebody says that "I am a great devotee of Kālī, goddess Kālī," that is not bhakti; that is business. Because any demigod you worship, there is some purpose behind that. Generally, people take to become a devotee of goddess Kālī for eating meat. That is their purpose.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

But meat-eating is also there in the Hindu society, but that is only by goat's meat or lamb's meat, generally goat. Generally goat. Now, these goats are sacrificed before a goddess Kālī, Goddess Kālī. So I have seen it, that one animal is being killed, slaughtered, and the, another animal, which will be slaughtered next, he's... It has been given some grass, and it is standing there. You see? It has no knowledge that "My next turn is mine," so it is not going away. So this is animal.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Suppose one is addicted to fish-eating or meat-eating. So the Vedas do not reject him also. He gives him direction that "You... All right, you can eat meat, but not you can start slaughterhouse. You can sacrifice one goat in the presence of goddess Kālī, and then you can eat." That means restriction. Goddess Kālī cannot be worshiped daily. So at least, he is forbidden to eat daily, meat. That is the idea.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Nārāyaṇa is ninety-five percent complete God, and Lord Śiva is eighty-five percent and Kṛṣṇa is cent percent. There is analysis. So yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvenaiva vīkṣeta. Samatvena, equal "Well, whatever is Nārāyaṇa, that is also Lord Śiva, that is also Lord Brahmā, that is also goddess Kālī." This is Māyāvāda. Because the Māyāvāda philosophy is that "The Absolute Truth is impersonal. That is the final understanding.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

Now, those who have been in India, perhaps you have seen the goddess Kālī. The goddess Kālī, before the goddess Kālī a goat sacrifice is offered. But the Vedic principle says that if you want to take flesh, then you must sacrifice the goat before the goddess Kālī and then you can take. And that prescription is also very difficult because on the dark moon night the goat has to be sacrifice and there are so many paraphernalia and the mantra, the hymns chanted there.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

In Vedic rituals, you find so many differences of ritualistic performances. It is due to different kinds of men. Just like you have heard that Vedic literature, there is a ritualistic ceremony offering goat sacrifice in the presence of goddess Kālī. But this Purāṇa, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, is meant for the persons who are in the modes of ignorance.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

If he at once said that liquor is not good, he cannot accept. Therefore in the Purāṇas we'll find, "All right, if you want to eat meat, you just worship goddess Kālī and sacrifice a goat before the goddess. And you can eat meat. You cannot eat meat or flesh by purchasing from the slaughterhouse or butcher shop.

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

So the material energy is also the energy of the father, and as I am a spiritual spark, I am also a part of the Supreme. So He is my father and mother. Therefore somebody worships the Supreme Lord as mother, goddess Kālī, or... That is materialism. Because in the present conception of our life this body given by the mother is matter. Therefore worship mother means worship the matter. That's all.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

There are different kinds of desires. One who wants beautiful wife, he has been recommended to worship Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva. In this way, there are hundreds of demigods and we have got hundreds of desires. Just like one who wants to eat flesh, oh, he's advised to worship goddess Kālī because the Vedic literature will not allow to have a regular slaughterhouse.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

The idea is to restrict, to restrict. Those who cannot live without liquor, for them, there is some concession. Because one must live after all. Similarly, one who cannot avoid meat-eating, for him, that demigod, goddess Kālī... But unfortunately, some foolish persons, they have advertised by goddess Kālī worshiping, he has become God. These are all foolishness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

There are sāttvika-purāṇa, rājasika-purāṇa, tāmasika-purāṇa. Three kinds of purāṇas. So the aim is to take the leader on the liberation platform, but according to the quality. In the tāmasika-purāṇa there are recommendations for goddess Kālī and other.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Real self-interest is to become Vaiṣṇava, servitor of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava. That is real self-interest. Why people do not become Vaiṣṇava? Generally they worship various demigods-devotee of Lord Śiva, devotee of Goddess Kali, Durgā, so many.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

One European gentleman went to Calcutta. He saw many temples, and when he came to our temple, he saw the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. He went to other temples also, Kālī's. So he remarked, "Here is God." His remark was that "I saw in other temples, they are working. The Goddess Kālī is working. But here, He's enjoying."

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

Viṣṇu is not so easily pliable. Devī is easily pliable. Say, for a meat-eater, goes to Devī: "My dear goddess, I want to eat meat." Devī will allow: "All right. Bring a goat and sacrifice it before me, and you eat." But if you go to Viṣṇu, "Sir, I want to eat meat," He'll not allow. Therefore they are very much devotees of Goddess Kālī. Purpose is to eat meat. He's not a devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

These rascals, who have lost of their intelligence, they go to other demigods to pray for some temporary benefit. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Now suppose if I go to Goddess Kālī to get facility of eating flesh. Then the antavat. You eat flesh and acquire so much sinful result... Because you have killed one animal, he has to kill you. You take so much responsibility. Still, your pleasure by eating flesh is finished very quickly.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

There are varieties of men. So they have been given. These are regulative principles. Just like Kālī-pūjā, pūjā of the goddess Kālī. The real purpose is to eat meat. Because in any other demigod worship there is no animal sacrifice. But there are some demigods, the purpose is, instead of purchasing from the slaughterhouse, if they are restricted that "You eat meat after worshiping this demigod," there will be some restriction.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manāḥ. "Always become My devotee," mad-bhakta. "Always worship Me," mad-yājī. "Always offer your obeisances unto Me," māṁ namaskuru. "But I have got other religion, Sir. Why shall I think of You only? I have to think of Goddess Kālī. Otherwise I cannot eat meat." Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān paritya... "It is all nonsense. Give up all this nonsense." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). "Simply unto Me." Ekam. "Don't bother with other demigods. They are My servants. You are not to satisfy My servants."

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

Just like we are trying to be under the guidance of Rādhārāṇī, daivī-prakṛti. Prakṛti means woman, and daivī, transcendental woman. And those who are materialists, they are under the mahā-māyā, material energy, Goddess Kālī, Durgā. They are the symbolic representation of material energy.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

God is puruṣa. God is never female. This is another rascaldom. There are many rascals who think that God is female. "Kālī, Goddess Kālī is God." Goddess Kālī, how can be God? She is śakti. Śakti. Every Vedic scripture it is said that parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Everything is energy. So how God can be... That is the impersonalist. He can think of God, imagine, imagine. It is imagination. The Māyāvādī theory is that God..., there is no God. The impersonal, there is voidness. You can imagine any form. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

But India, although the Bhagavad-gītā is the scripture of Hindus and the Indians, still, they are not so easy to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because their brain is puzzled. Somebody says that "You worship goddess Kālī." Somebody says that "You worship Lord Śiva." Somebody says, "You worship Brahmā." So mostly, in temples, in, I mean to say, temples which are meant for earning some money, they have got all kinds of deities. In one place there is Lord Śiva, one place there is Goddess Kālī, one place there is Rāmacandra, one place is... Just like store, store. You go to a store, and you'll find all kinds of goods are ready there. Whatever goods you want, you pay price and take.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

In the Ṛg Veda also it is said, "God is one." Tad viṣṇoḥ. Viṣṇu is paramaṁ padam. He is Supreme. Vedas does not say that Brahmā is supreme, or Lord Śiva is the supreme, or Goddess Kālī is supreme. No. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramam... This is Ṛg Veda mantra. And so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it is clearly said there by Kṛṣṇa. He says, "I am the Supreme. Nobody's greater than Me."

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

Just like Goddess Kālī. She is personified fear. Just see, just imagine the bodily feature of Goddess Kālī. She is killing all the asuras. So many asuras has been killed that all their heads have been made into a garland, and she is putting on the shoulder. And one asura killed, and she has taken the head in the left hand. And the other hand is engaged with the, what is called, chopper?

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And the, she's standing, bhīḥ, bhīr api. Bhīḥ means personified, personified fearfulness. So those who are criminals, they worship Kālī, Goddess Kālī: "Mother, please excuse me. I, I am criminal. I'll give you one goat." So these things are going on in the name of worshiping God. But that is not God worship. That is worshiping the fearful personified by the criminals.

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

ust like this bali-dāna. Bali-dāna, before the goddess Kālī, if it is done properly, then the goat which is sacrificed before the goddess Kālī, it gets immediately a human body which would have taken so many years, millions of years to come to the, but because it is being sacrificed, that is the Vedic mantra. Therefore, but this man who is killing, he has to become goat to be sacrificed by this goat having taken birth as human being. Therefore it is called karma-bandha.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

If they accept the śāstra, "No, no, if we eat meat from the butcher's place, then we shall be sinful. Let us eat meat..." Just like in Calcutta you'll find so many butchers, they have kept one Goddess Kālī deity so that people will think now it is not sinful.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

But the first-class, second-class men, they have got sense. They voluntarily give up. But the third-class fourth-class, fifth-class men, they do not. Up to fourth-class, they also abide. From the fifth-class men—they are called pañcama—they are very irregular. They don't care for any rules and regulation or any śāstra, scripture. They do whatever they like, fifth class. So what is legal meat-eating? Legal meat-eating is that you sacrifice one animal before the goddess, deity Kālī, Goddess Kālī, and there are so many rules and regulation.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

The explanation is, that a person who is a staunch meat-eater, he cannot give up meat-eating, so... At the same time he wants to be religious. This is the position. For such person it is enjoined, just like in Vedic system, "All right, if you want to eat meat, at the same time you want to become religious, then you worship Goddess Kālī. You cannot worship Viṣṇu." Because he's a meat-eater he cannot approach pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. The Supreme Personality is the supreme pure. So this meat-eater is impure. He cannot approach the pure. That is not possible. Therefore he is advised to approach some agent of the pure, some śakti, or just like Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī is the śakti or the agent, potency.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

āda: Yes. But her business is to cut off the heads of the demons. She is carrying one head in this hand, and in this hand she's carrying a chopper, and her business is to cut the heads of the demons. But she's also the agent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How she's agent? Because God has got two business: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). For them the goddess Kālī is engaged to cut their heads, kill them. That is also Kṛṣṇa's agent.

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

Eighteen purāṇas there are. Some of them are for the persons who are situated on the modes of goodness, and some of them are for the persons who are in rajo-guṇa, and some of them are for persons in tamo-guṇa. Just like in the Vedic śāstras, there is also recommendation to worship goddess Kali. That is for the tamo-guṇa, not for the sattva-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

Tamo-guṇa is meat-eating, drinking. These are tamo-guṇa, in the darkness. So the Vedas has given chance to them, "All right, you want to eat meat? All right, you eat meat. But offering to the goddess Kālī." Means restriction. It is not required, but the rascal will not hear immediately. Therefore give him some concession, "All right, you can eat meat by offering sacrifice..., not the cow, but one lower animal which is useless, like goats." Generally, goat and the chicken.

Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:

If I say directly, "Don't eat meat," he'll protest, "Why shall I not? It is our food. I must eat." Therefore, instead of directly prohibiting, the śāstra says, "Yes, yes, you can eat. But by sacrificing it before Goddess Kālī." That means condition, restriction.

Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:

Why this demigod worship, marriage, these are prescribed? They are prescribed to stop it, not to encourage it. But the foolish persons, they say, "Well, it is in the śāstra. Why shall I not do?" Therefore Lord Buddha, when he appeared, he wanted to stop this animal killing, but because these rascals will show the evidence that "Here is sanctioned by the Vedas to kill an animal before Goddess Kālī. Why you stop?" Therefore he said, "I don't care for your Vedas." Because his only idea was to stop this animal killing. Ahiṁsā.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

Because there are so many mantras. If you understand mantras, the mantra, when a goat is sacrificed before Goddess Kālī, before the goat being cut by his throat, the priest says that "Because you are sacrificing your life before Goddess Kālī, next life you are going to have human form of body for your, this sacrifice." Otherwise you have to undergo the process. That is gradual evolutionary process. But because you are forced somehow or other in the presence of mother material energy, she will give you the facility to promote immediately to the human form of life. And as human being, you will have every right to kill this man who is killing you. That is meaning of māṁsa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

Take any demigod, even Lord Brahmā. He's also anxiety. He's meditating. And... Lord Śiva is dancing with his triśūla. He has got something to do, to annihilate. He has got anxiety. Goddess Kālī. She's also standing with sword and so many things. So they have got activities. Durgā, she is engaged in so many activities. But Kṛṣṇa, you'll find always svacchandātmā, always peaceful. Kṛṣṇa, when He's engaged in killing some demons, that Kṛṣṇa is different from the original Kṛṣṇa. That is Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. That is Vāsudeva.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

There are so many devatās. In the śāstras there are thirty-three millions of devatā. They say, "Whatever you worship," the rascals say, not any intelligent man, that "whatever devatā. You worship Kali, that's all right. You worship Gaṇeśa, that's all right. You worship Sūrya, that's all right. Whatever you are doing is all right. It is the same thing." No. Kṛṣṇa does not say. Kṛṣṇa says mām ekam. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa never says that "You are worshiping Goddess Kali, or Durga, or this, or that, that's all right." But these rascals said, "Oh, this is all right." And he has become guru. He does not know what is the path of salvation, how one can get out, can get rid of this problem of birth, death—and still they preach.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

Even in the Koran, the animal killing is restricted. Animal is to be killed in the, in certain Bakri Eid ceremony and in the Masjid. Similarly, animal killing amongst the Hindus, they are to be done in the temple of Goddess Kālī. But no slaughterhouse is recommended.

Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:

And the Goddess Kālī is worshiped once in a month. That means by restriction he will come to his senses; he will give it up.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

Just like some people, some foolish say, "Bhakti-yoga... I have got very much devotion to Goddess Kālī, to Goddess Durgā, or so many demigods. This is also bhakti." No. Bhakti-yoga means bhagavati. Love means love of Godhead. Otherwise, there is no love—only lust. Similarly, bhakti means, when this word used, bhakti-yoga, that is only in relationship with the bhakta, or devotee, and Bhagavān. That is called bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

So if somebody says, "If everything is Bhagavān, why not worshiping the Goddess Kālī and Durgā becomes bhakti?" No. That is not. Here it is distinctly stated, bhakti-yogaḥ bhagavati. Bhakti-yogaḥ bhagavati. And that bhakti-yoga, how it begins? Tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ. Tan-nāma, His name, His holy name, grahaṇa, chanting. The method is very simple. Tan-nāma-grahaṇa-ādibhiḥ. Ādibhiḥ means beginning is chanting.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- Vrndavana, December 8, 1975:

Become a human being and get married and have your sex life under restrain." Similarly, "If you are rākṣasa—you want to eat meat—don't eat like rākṣasa. Better offer a goat to be sacrificed before Goddess Kālī." This is śāstra. Because the goat will be benefited. Because it is offering his life before Goddess Kālī, he will immediately get the body of human being, immediately promotion. He is benefited, and he has the right to kill this man. These are the injunction in the śāstras.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

Māyā is very strong. You have seen the picture of Māyā, Durgādevī, and the Mahiṣāsura is fighting, very strong, just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. There are many asuras. So Mahiṣa... Sometimes Kṛṣṇa Himself comes to kill the asura, or sometimes His agent, Māyā, Durgādevī, kills. You have seen the picture of Goddess Kālī. She is killing simply the asuras, chopping one after another, one after another, one after..

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

He never prays to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me facility of drinking." No. Because he's bhadram. But abhadra will pray, will go to the goddess Kālī: "Mother, give me your prasādam meat." Abhadra. Why should we eat meat? Abhadra. Therefore this explanation is very nice, bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttiḥ. Aniṣṭa... If you eat meat, that means you become implicated in sinful activities.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

And this word, śraddhā, has been described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Kavirāja Gosvāmī,

śraddhā śābde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

This is called śraddhā, that "If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all business of my life is done." This is called śraddhā. Not that sometimes I worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, sometimes Lord Śiva, sometimes goddess Kali, sometimes this, sometimes that. That is not śraddhā.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

In the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find, when Arjuna is recognizing Kṛṣṇa, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam (BG 10.12). Again puruṣam. So God is never woman. The foolish person who says that God is, can be worshiped as woman, as mother... No. That is not according to Vedic literature. God is always father. Therefore Bible is all right-conception of father, not mother. Not that "I worship Kali, goddess mother, and become God." These are all nonsense. He's always father, puruṣa. Everywhere we find puruṣa. Never we find that God is a female. No. God cannot be female. Female is energy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

So in the matter the living, the seeds of living entities, as we are, they are impregnated. As the father impregnates the mother, similarly, this material nature is just like mother, and therefore material nature is worshiped as mother, goddess, mother goddess, Durgā, Kālī. Yes. And this worship of the country, nationalism, that is also the same matter—worship. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). So, so long we are not enlightened, we are worshiper of this matter, energy. And when we are advanced in knowledge, then we are worshiper of the Supreme.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

The Supreme has many kinds of potencies. Goddess Kālī is also one of the potencies, Durgā is also one of the potencies. Not that Durgā is the Absolute Truth. This is nonsense. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir eka chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā. What is that Durgā? Durgā is the material nature, very powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She has got the power of creating, maintaining and dissolving. She is so powerful.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1971:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, there is a great missionary activities in India. They have got their branch here also. They propagate that "You may worship any demigod, goddess Kali or this or that. Everything is all right." No. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān (SB 1.3.28).

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say it is childish. Only the foolish child knows that he doesn't require any father, "My mother is everything." Just like these foolish scientists, they are thinking the nature is everything. Nature is mother. Just like a small child on the lap of the mother, he knows simply, "My mother is everything." But when he is grown up, he understands that "I have a father."

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, these so-called scientists who does not see God behind this nature, they are just like the same child. They are simply amazed with mother's activities, mother nature. That is called śakta. The worshipers of Goddess Kālī and Goddess Durgā are like that. They simply see the supremacy, the wonderful activities of the mother. But when he is grown up, he knows that "My mother has a controller, has a husband, who is my father."