Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: Knower of All Tastes, the Enjoyer and Discerner of all Essences and Experiences.
Elaboration
The name Jihvā Rasa-gnyā combines Jihvā, meaning "tongue," and Rasa-gnyā, meaning "knower of tastes" or "discerner of essences." This profound name speaks to Mahakali's absolute awareness of sensory and existential experience, especially in the realm of flavor, emotion, and essential nature.
The Tongue as a Gateway The tongue (Jihvā) is not merely an organ for tasting food; it is a profound symbolic gateway. It is the organ of speech, through which knowledge is articulated and mantras are chanted. It is also the primary organ of sensual experience in terms of taste, representing the many flavors of life: sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, pungency, and astringency. Jihvā Rasa-gnyā signifies that Kali is aware of every flavor, every nuance, and every sensation that passes through this gateway.
Knower of All Rasa (Essences/Emotions) Rasa is a central concept in Indian aesthetics, philosophy, and spirituality. It means "juice," "taste," "flavor," and, more profoundly, the "essence," "emotional mood," or "aesthetic experience" evoked by art, poetry, or sacred practice. There are nine primary Rasas (Navarasas): love, humor, pathos, anger, heroism, fear, disgust, wonder, and peace. Jihvā Rasa-gnyā implies that Kali is not only the knower of these nine emotional states but also their very essence. She contains within herself the full spectrum of human and cosmic experience, from the most ecstatic joy to the deepest sorrow.
The Omniscient Enjoyer As the Knower of All Tastes, she is the omniscient witness and the ultimate enjoyer (Bhoktrī) of the entire cosmic drama. Nothing created, no experience, no emotion, no flavor, and no sensation exists outside her awareness or her being. She is the ground of all experience, tasting and digesting all of creation. Even the bitter or sour experiences of life are known to her and form part of her divine play (Lila).
Spiritual Implication For the devotee, recognizing Kali as Jihvā Rasa-gnyā means surrendering all experiences, the good and the bad, the pleasant and the unpleasant, to her. It is an acknowledgment that she both pervades and knows everything that is experienced. By offering all tastes and emotional essences to her, one can transcend duality and find liberation in her all-encompassing awareness. She purifies and transforms all experiences, revealing their ultimate divine essence.