Thus Spake the Divine - Story of Kamakshi

Thus Spake the Divine

Story of Kamakshi

In this chapter, Poojyasri Maha Periyava highlights the story of Kamakshi in the most adorable way. His narrative on Manmatha-Shiva-Ambal trio is really captivating. He draws references from various sources and inscriptions to substantiate the accuracy of the story. More than the story of Kamakshi, Periyava highlights Her Supreme Power – the Brahma Shakti.

Visualise the most compassionate and benevolent Kamakshi sitting in Kanchipuram, sporting a sugarcane bow and flower arrows in Her sacred hands! Another Deva, who is holding sugarcane bow and flower arrows, is Manmatha (God of Love). The string for the bow is made of honey bees, arranged in line from one corner to another corner of the string.

Manmatha strings this sugarcane bow with flower arrows and triggers eroticism in people. He thus reigns over the entire Universe.

All sweet eatables in the world are prepared with sugar and/or jaggery. Sugarcane is the base for both of them. Thus, the very taste of sweetness happens to be his bow in the form of sugarcane. Flowers emanate ecstatic aroma and colourful look. Five such different flowers form the arrow. Bees make the musical buzz, which is pleasant to ears. Thus, showering of all these stimulates erotic emotions in our sense organs as no one can resist these emotions. Thus he binds the whole Universe with lust and pleasure.

It is Ambal, who has bestowed on Manmatha all these armaments of lust. She has also given him the power to trigger this lust into living beings. Can anyone resist Manmatha’s such invitation? Kamakshi has conferred this authority to Manmatha only to run the function of procreation on a continuous basis. At the same time, Ambal does not wish the entire Universe to get immersed in sensory lust and pleasure all the time either.

Ambal is compassionate towards the beings of this Universe. She is concerned that people indulging in worldly life may disown their own Karmas. People must, therefore, adhere to Dharma while acquiring wealth as also enjoying the outcome of desires and lust. They should control their minds and keep themselves within the Codes of Dharma. This is the first stage in which, without completely renouncing worldly life, one must bring the mind under control in an increasing manner.

Then comes the next stage in which wisdom dawns on the individual, wherein he attains an unmoving state of mind, least influenced by sensory pleasures or other thoughts. If one can attain such a state, then there is no more birth for him. When the individual is in this state, Manmatha or Kama has no role to play. Here, Ambal Herself, the Director of this Leela or drama, brings in Dharma (discipline and morality) as a check on Artha (acquisition of material and wealth) and Kama (gratification of desires). This enables all life forms to eventually attain Moksha! There was a time when Ambal had to Herself take back from Manmatha the sugarcane bow and flower arrows once given to him by Her. She did this out of absolute compassion. This story goes as given:

Brahmam is sitting in deep meditation completely motion- less and action-less as Dakshinamurti. Dakshinamurti, the Cosmic Guru, transforms into an absolute epitome of wisdom and serenity. In case He remains action-less and Wisdom Persona, who will be the saviour of the entire living beings? Thus, Ambal desires that Brahmam, now completely devoid of external influences, must turn compassionate and protect the entire Universe. He must continue to confer Dharma and Wisdom on the world. With this intention, She repossesses the bow and arrows from Manmatha and turns into Kamakshi.

Is Ambal, Mother of Universe, not competent to protect the Universe? She is highly competent to do it Herself. But She wants to demonstrate the characteristics of a virtuous woman, who is absolutely devoted to her husband (Pativrata) and also to honour Her Consort Ishvara. Of course, She and He are not two different entities; They are One. The then circumstances necessitated Her intervention and circumstances became favourable for executing Her mission. Thus, She picks up the sugarcane bow and flower arrows and turns Kameshvari.

At this stage, let us first look at a side-story of this episode. It was the time when Asuras viz. Tarakasura and Soorapadma were harassing and torturing Devas of the three worlds. These Asuras had attained enormous power and authority by way of rigorous penance from Parameshvara. The boon conferred on them was that they could be terminated only by Parameshvara’s Son born out of His effulgent sparks. But Devas, who were victims of Asuras, find that Parameshvara is sitting absolutely action-less, immersed in His own blissfulness as Dakshinamurti! How to motivate Him towards the process of procreation? They took the only recourse they could.

At that time, Parvati, daughter of Parvata Raja, was engaged in worshipping Dakshinamurti to get Him as Her husband. Thus, Devas thought that if Manmatha, God of Love, could divert Parameshvara’s Heart to Parvati, the birth of Shiva Kumaran (Subrahmanya) would become imminent. Therefore, they direct Manmatha to unleash his power on Parameshvara.

The power to appropriate the entire Universe through lust had been bestowed on Manmatha by Parameshvara Himself! Had Manmatha just surrendered to Parameshvara, his mission would have got materialised easily! But Manmatha was high with ego. He felt he could by himself trigger lust in Ishvara and make Him enamoured of Parvati. This is like demonstrating one’s skill to one’s own mother! He went to Parameshvara and shot his arrows at Him.

The arrow flew from the bow and struck Shiva squarely on His chest.

Furious, Shiva opened His Third Eye and glanced at Manmatha. That’s it! Manmatha was reduced to ashes. Such was the potency of his gaze! He, who was always possessed with self- pride that he was the most handsome, turned to ashes. Physical beauty can never withstand the fire of wisdom and thus Manmatha became a bundle of ashes. The one, who was praised as the most handful man in every part of his body, (sarva + anga + sundaran) now lost his body to fire and turned body less (An + angan). Shocked at the sudden demise of Manmatha, Rathi beseeched Ambal to revive him. Ambal was compassionate to revive him, but told Rathi that only she could perceive him in physical form and nobody else, and Manmatha can continue his mission as already ordained by Her.

Parvati looks at Manmatha and says, “I gave you the power of instigating lust in living beings using the weapons of sugarcane bow and flower arrows. If all the people renounce their desires and seek wisdom, they will remain celibate; then the process of procreation process will get under strain. If reproduction of lives does not take place, people will not be able to take their next birth to exhaust their karmas. This will result in inexhaustible karmas on this earth. The entire process of creation will become chaotic. That is why I assigned you with this power and appointed you to carry out the mission of reproduction by way of triggering lust in people. But you have shown your skill to your own Employer! You did not realise that Parameshvara will respond only to love and Bhakti. Let me now show you how I take up the same mission”.

Saying this, She takes the bow and arrow in Her Own Hands, nears Ishvara and looks at Him overwhelmingly with love and compassion. It is here that She acquires the name Kamakshi (Kama – love and Akshi – Eye). Kamakshi is one whose eyes are filled with love and compassion. The direct, literal meaning of Kamakshi is Kamakkanni in Tamil, which means “One possessing eyes filled with love”.

(Here, there is a mild deviation from the main story by Periyava! Name of Kamakkanni for Kamakshi has been in use since long ago. A poetess of Sangam period was called “Kamakkanniyar Nappasalaiyar”. Since Kamakshi worship has been in existence since ancient times, this poetess must have acquired that name.)

Now, let us get back to the main story. Looking at Kamakshi’s love-filled eyes, Ishvara too becomes passionate and then turns erotic. Wedding of Parvati with Ishvara, birth of Subrahmanya (Kumara Sambavam) and Subrahmanya destroying Tarakasura and Soorapadmasura are all parts of the same story.

Here, Maha Periyava emphasises on the eminence of Subrahmanya. Generally, when a person loses to another, he feels disgraced. But there is an exception in the case of father-son relationship. If a father loses to his son, it will be a matter of pride, instead of disgrace. This happens between Parameshvara and Subrahmanya. When Subrahmanya kills the insurmountable Asuras, Parameshvara became happy and proud. On another occasion, He being the Cosmic Guru (Dakshinamurti), He voluntarily becomes the student of Subrahmanya and learns the meaning of Pranavam. With these incidents, however, Ishvara exposes the superiority of Subrahmanya, who gets one step ahead of Him. The very birth of Subrahmanya, who is the embodiment of wisdom and valour, even superior to that of Ishvara Himself, is only because of the effulgent Ambal in the form of Kamakshi unifying with Ishvara.

To stand as a testimony for this story, as depicted in Puranas, even today at Kanchipuram, in between the Ekambaranathar Temple and Kamakshi Temple, there is a temple for Subrahmanya called Kumarakottam. Like how Skanda is sitting in between Ishvara and Umadevi, in the same way, in between Kamakoti of Kamakshi and Rudrakoti of Ekambaranathar Temple, there is Kumarakottam of Subrahmanya!

Why did Kamakshi transform Dakshinamurti, Wisdom Persona, into Kalyana Sundara? She did so not only for the extermination of Asuras, but also to liberate people from their cycle of birth and death, as well as to make their karmas extinct. Many humans have to undergo several births to extinct their karmas; there is the need for a Supreme Power that alleviates their ignorance and sorrows. But Dakshinamurti is absolutely not bothered about this Universe, which is shielded by the delusion of Maya, along with its beings and their sorrows.

Ambal does not want such apathy to continue. Therefore, to transform Dakshinamurti, Epitome of Wisdom, into an Epitome of Compassion, Ambal becomes Kameshvari and transforms Dakshinamurti into Kalyana Sundarar. Though it appears that He protects the world, in reality She is the one, who is energising Him to carry out this mission as a “Just Being”, the central attribute of Ishvara, whereas “Execution” is Her trait. Still, She presents it as a divine play as though carried out by Him. She wants to demonstrate the Dharma to be followed by women and, therefore, She does all these divine acts.

Interestingly, while inducing lust in Parameshvara, She simultaneously condemns our lust! As against Manmatha goading our mind and senses towards sensuous pleasures using his five weapons, namely, sugarcane bow stringed with bees shooting five flower arrows, Kamakshi, holding the same weapons in her Holy Hands, uses them as reins to control the unruly wandering of human senses.

In this case, She is holding the sugarcane bow, which is symbolised as our mind (mano rooperkshu – Lalita Sahasra Namam), that destroys all our undesirable and unwarranted desires. Like all stimulants that our senses experience, such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell, are all manifestations of only Her Beauty; our mind is also under Her reign. These philosophies are demonstrated by the sugarcane bow and flower arrows held in the hands of Kamakshi. She is as soft as the flowers and as sweet as sugarcane.

If the slightest glance of Her eyes falls on us, the eyes with which She made Parameshvara enamoured of Her, all our obtuse desires and sensuous feelings will be erased. After that, whatever we see, will only be Her Beauty. Everything will turn into One, the philosophy of Advaita. Nothing is superior or inferior. Home or forest, friend or enemy, enamelled tile or a sensuous woman’s lips – all appear the same, says Mooka Kavi. This is the stage of Brahma Jnyana.

Let us now go to Parvati’s wedding. All the worlds are immensely happy over Her wedding, expect Manmatha, who has lost his body. He wants his body to be revived again. Ambal and Ishvara are so compassionate that they do so.

The celibate Parameshvara, who is in rigorous penance, is enamoured of Parvati and marries Her and Subrahmanya is born. Manmatha feels that in a way, he too is part of this success. He wants the entire world to recognise this as his victory. After all, it is his Department, which is responsible for inducing lust in people and making them enter into conjugal relationships. Ambal Herself has appointed him as the Officer of this Department! And it is he who has triggered passion in Parameshvara towards Parvati! Therefore, Manmatha realises that to accomplish his desire of getting due recognition for his role, the only course available to him is to pray at the Feet of Ambal.

He comes to know that Ambal, the Parabrahma Shakti, has taken the form of Kamakshi in Kanchipuram with a unique sanctity. Before knowing about that, let us first understand the positioning of Kanchipuram. If you consider the whole world as a woman, Kanchipuram is placed in the centre of the world, which is the navel part of the woman adorned with a golden ornament (Oddiyanam). Kanchi in Tamil means Oddiyanam. The Sanctum Sanctorum) of Kamakshi Shrine is located in the navel area. Ii is called as Bilakasam (Bil + Akasam). Bil means cave and ‘akasam’ means space or sky. As the foetus in the womb gets its nourishment through the umbilical cord, all living beings in this entire Universe get their requirements from this Bilakasa with the Anugraha of Ambal.

Akasam is the indication of Atma. The all-pervasive space is called “Mahakasam” {Maha (big) + Akasam (sky)}. When it pervades itself into an individual as an Atma filled with wisdom, the Mahakasam becomes small-akasam or ‘daharakasam’, which means ‘space in the heart’. The term Chidambaram is derived from ‘Chit + Ambaram’. “Chit” means awareness and “Ambaram” means space. When we attain the wisdom to become aware of ourselves, we acquire the knowledge of the ‘real self’, the source of our breath and being, the root of our existence. This enables us to experience and enjoy the ‘dahara akasa’.

Puranas make a comparison between Kanchipuram and Chidambaram. For knowing about this, let us consider the entire world as the body of Virata Purusha (Virata Purusha is a form of the Supreme Lord without whom nothing can happen). Virat is to be viewed as Brahman, but Brahman is not to be conceived as Virat. We cannot meditate or conceive of Nirguna Brahman, we can only contemplate Saguna Brahman (Virat). His heart is Chidambaram, where the secret of Chidambaram is hidden (Chidambara Rahasyam). The same is Bilakasam in Kanchipuram. Though Bilakasam permeates within the Sanctum Sanctorum of Kamakshi in Kanchipuram, as per Puranas, its power has permeated throughout Kanchipuram, whereas in Chidambaram, the same is spread only within its Sabha (Hall).

Thus, Manmatha reaches Kanchipuram, where Kamakshi is enthroned as Bilakasa Roopini sporting the sugarcane bow and flower arrows of Manmatha. Realising that only a strong prayer towards Raja Rajeshwari will get the desired result, he starts his rigorous penance. Kamakshi is pleased with his penance and appears before him. Manmatha, looking at Ambal says, “Amma! After burning me to ashes, Parameshvara became enamoured of you. It is You who had appointed me as the Head of Love and lust for the whole Universe. Therefore, whoever falls in love, the credit should come only to me. In this case too, Parameshvara falling in love with you is only because of my efforts. Therefore, its credit should accrue to me alone”. Manmatha speaks of jurisdiction here!

He continues, “Amma! It is to my sole credit that Parameshvara married you. However, the world knows only about my being burnt off by Him. It is your responsibility, as Mother of the Entire Universe, to highlight my victory to the world, as being responsible of Your wedding with Parameshvara, which led to the birth of Subrahmanya!” Mother then takes pity on the child.

Immediately, She withdraws all Her powers from Kailasa and all other statues of Ambal installed in the Shrines of Hers in all Shiva temples on earth and moves them into the Kanchipuram Bilakasam. Following this, the life-force of Ambal goes missing from Kailasa. Similarly, on earth too, all Ambal statues lose their life force and look lifeless. Parameshvara too loses His loving wife and feels depressed.

Does Parameshvara not know the divine drama of Ambal in response to Manmatha’s desire? Thus, He is also acting as though letting things happen as per Manmatha’s wish. Looking at Shiva, Brahma comes forward in support of Him and pleads with Ambal. Pleased, Ambal tells Brahma, “Only for the sake of Manmatha I have withdrawn my power, so that the role of Manmatha is known to all. Now, the entire world knows his heroism. So, I am restoring my power and becoming omniscient across the world”. Thus, Shiva is relieved of His solitude and all the temples are again refurbished with sanctity of Her life force.

This story has been excellently narrated in “Kamakshi Vilasam (Glory of Kamakshi)”. There are also stone inscriptions that stand as evidence of this incident. Many stone inscriptions reveal that Ambal Shrines in various Shiva Temples are called “Kamakottam”. They also reveal the repairs or refurbishment of such temples by Chola Kings carried out from time to time. In places like Avinashy, Vijaya Mangalam, Tiruvorriyur, Tirukkattuppalli, Vallam, Tiruppazhanam, Koiladi etc., the inscriptions in the Ambal Shrines call the respective Ambal as “Tirukama Kottathu Nachiyar, Tirukama Kottamudaiya Azhagamar Mangaiyar” etc. Even in Chidambaram, there is an inscription in Sanskrit, which reads the name of Ambal in Chidambaram temple as “Kamakoshta Sthithaya”, which in Tamil means “Shiva Kama Sundari”.

We have seen Puranas say that the life force of Ambal had been withdrawn from all Ambal temples throughout the world, and the same was moved into Kanchipuram. But after a while, the sanctity of Ambal got refurbished in all those temples. Since all life force in this case was disbursed from Kanchipuram to other temples, it must have become a practice to also call Ambal Shrines in other temples as “Kama Kottam”.

Okay! Now, let us see what Ambal has done to establish the victory of Manmatha. She wants a permanent monument of reminiscence for Manmatha’s deeds. For this, She carries out two things; one is that no other Shiva temple in Kanchipuram (other than Kamakottam) will have a sanctum sanctorum of Ambal; second, Kanchipuram is to be given a new name as “Shivajit Kshetram” as a mark of Manmatha’s victory over Shiva. By doing so, people coming to Kanchipuram temples might wonder why there is no Ambal Shrine and the reason for the new name. Then, they will come to know of this Purana by which Manmatha’s victory will come to limelight.

Such is Ambal’s compassion even towards someone, who has committed an unwarranted act! Even today, though there are many Shiva temples in Kanchipuram, none of them possesses an Ambal Shrine except Kamakshi Temple!

Sundaramurti Swami satirically addresses Shiva saying, “When there is Kamakottam (Kamakshi), who feeds the entire Universe, why should You go seeking alms on the streets?” He has the answer too, “May be there is no separate Ambal Shrine in Shiva temples in Kanchipuram. That is why He goes out for alms!” Kamakshi, apart from being the benefactor of Wisdom, is also Annapoorneshwari, who feeds the entire Universe. Spiritual manuscripts in Tamil reveal that She has nurtured 32 Dharmas after just receiving 32 naazhi paddy. The very meaning of Kamakshi is one who fulfils all our desires and wishes with Her graceful glance at us.

If we meditate on Shiva Kama Sundari (Kamakshi), all our desires and lust will be erased. Our mind will be cleansed from other evils, viz. anger, greed, madness and jealousy.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.