Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: The consort of Rudra; thus she is also known.
Elaboration
The name Rudrani Tāthaiva means "The consort of Rudra; thus also known." It identifies Kali as the feminine counterpart and active power of Rudra, Shiva in his fierce and primordial aspect.
Identification with Rudra Rudra is one of the most ancient and potent manifestations of Shiva, associated with storms, wilderness, healing, and destruction. He is the primordial roar and the untamed force of the universe. When Kali is called Rudrani, the name points to her inseparable relation to this fierce and primal power. She is not merely his wife in a conventional sense, but the Shakti through which Rudra's cosmic functions become active.
The Fierce Aspect As Rudrani, Kali embodies the destructive and transformative force attributed to Rudra. She is the power behind dissolution (pralaya), the fierce protection of cosmic order, and the burning away of ignorance. This aspect is terrifying to those who cling to ego and delusion, but profoundly purifying and liberating for those who seek truth.
Feminine Complementary Power The word "Tathaiva" ("thus also known") emphasizes that this identity is fundamental to her being. She is not merely similar to Rudra; she is Rudra's own essence in feminine form. This reflects the vision of Ardhanarishvara, in which the divine masculine and feminine are not separate, but two inseparable aspects of one ultimate reality. Rudrani is the dynamic, creative, and destructive potency of Rudra made manifest. Her dance with Rudra's wildness brings purification and renewal to consciousness and the cosmos.