This Cosmic Chant is based on an ancient Bengali chant entitled Shyama Ma ki Amar Kali (Is my Mother Shyama black), which was written by the saintly Kamalakanta Bhattacharya (1769-1829), who also wrote the original song for “Where Is There Love?” and “Who Tells Me Thou Art Dark?”
The original Bengali lyrics translate like this.
Kali is usually depicted black, naked, with a bright red tongue lolling out, along with various other symbols. Yogananda explained: “The statues of Kali are not intended to depict the Divine Mother as She looks, but simply to display Her functions in the aspect of Mother Nature. The Divine Mother is, of course, without form, though we may say also that Her body is the entire universe, with its infinity of suns and moons. She can also appear to the devotee in human form, however. When She does so, She is enshrined in supernal beauty.”
LYRICS:
Who tells me Thou art dark
O my Mother Divine?
Thousands of suns and moons
From Thy body do shine.
WHEN TO USE THIS SONG:
For wisdom.
SING ALONG:
This recording is from the Ananda Sangha album Divine Mother Chants.