Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: She who has terrible fangs.
Elaboration
Ghora Danshhtra means "She who has terrifying or dreadful fangs (danshṭrā)." This name draws attention to one of the most fearsome and striking features of Goddess Kali.
The Significance of Fangs In Hindu iconography, prominent fangs are associated with fierce deities (Ugra Devatas) who embody powerful destructive energy. These fangs are not decorative. They signify an active force that rises against evil and destroys negative beings.
Devoured by Justice Her "terrible fangs" symbolize her unwavering power to tear through and devour the deepest roots of ignorance (avidyā), attachment (rāga), aversion (dveṣa), and ego (ahaṃkāra) that bind the soul. She stands as divine justice itself, allowing neither wickedness nor illusion to endure.
Protector of Dharma The Ghora Danshhtra aspect of Kali protects dharma (righteousness). When cosmic order is threatened by powerful malevolent forces, whether within the individual psyche or in the wider universe, she bares her fangs as the supreme warrior and consumes all that stands against truth and spiritual evolution.
Liberation Through Fear To those rooted in material attachment and ego, this form is terrifying. But for the sincere devotee, her fangs represent the swift destruction of the obstacles that block liberation. To face "Ghora Danshhtra" is to confront the most fearful aspects of existence and realize that her ferocity works for the devotee's highest good, opening the way to spiritual freedom.