Mahakala
/ˌmɑːhəˈkɑːlə/noun
Mahakala is a Hindu and Buddhist deity or divine protector associated with Shiva, time, death, and the destruction of obstacles.
Did you know?In Tibetan Buddhism, Mahakala is commonly regarded as a wrathful protector and an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, while in Hindu traditions he is a fierce form of Shiva.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meg-
“great, large; the ancestral root behind the first element, mahā”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mahā
“great, mighty, vast”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
kāla
“time; also black or dark, creating a deliberate double meaning in the compound”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Mahākāla
“Great Time or Great Black One; an epithet of Shiva and the name of a powerful deity”
Medieval Buddhist Sanskrit
Buddhist Sanskrit
Mahākāla
“A wrathful protector deity incorporated into Buddhist tantric traditions”
Modern English
English
Mahakala
“A name used in English for the Hindu deity and Buddhist protector”