31. 05. 2019. (1) Who is Kamakhya?

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Who is Kamakhya?
WILLIAM THOMAS · FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017

Kamakhya (Assamese: কামাখ া দৱী), is an important Hindu Tantric goddess of desire who
evolved in the Himalayan hills. She is also identified as Kali and Maha Tripura Sundari.
According to the Tantric texts (Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra) that are the basis for her
worship at the Kamakhya temple, a 16th-century temple in the Kamrup district of Assam.

“As the Goddess has come to the great mountain Nilakuta (Nilachala) to enjoy
making love with me (Shiva), she is called the goddess Kamakhya (renowned
Goddess of desire), who resides there in secret.

“Since she gives love, is a loving female, is the embodiment of love, the beloved,
she restores the limbs of Kama, and also destroys the limbs of Kama, she is
called Kamakhya.”
Kalikapurana 62.1-2

Kamakhya is one of the most important goddesses in the history and development of Tantra
and Shaktism, but she remains obscure today, somewhat fitting for a goddess presiding over
esoteric rites and rituals. Many people have never heard her name, nor do they understand
what her name means. But even those who do understand the Sanskrit meaning of her name,

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and its explanations in various Tantras and Puranas, often do not know the pre-Vedic,
hidden history of this truly ancient Mother Goddess.

Kama means love or desire, and akhya means well-known or renowned. Therefore, in
Sanskrit, Kamakhya is literally the Renowned Goddess of Love, or the Renowned Goddess of
Desire. Her name is explained in the Kalikapurana, a Tantric text composed at and important
to Kamakhya (Devi, 2015).

Kamakhya Temple near Guwahati, Assam

The present day Kamakhya Temple was built by the Koch ruler Naranarayana (Malladev) and
his brother Chilarai (Sukladhvaj), according to an inscription in the Temple. However, the
Darrang Raj Vamsavali, a chronicle of the Koch royal family, records the reconstruction of
only the Sikhara (dome) of the Kamakhya Temple in 1565 C.E. by the architect
Meghamukdam. It states that he tried to rebuild the dome twice with the original stone
blocks that had fallen down, but failed. As a result, he built it in the shape of a beehive with
bricks. The King also issued copper plates endowing land and the service of different paiks
(servitors) to the Kamakhya Temple. These paiks consisted of Brahmans, Daivajna
(astrologers), flower suppliers, garland makers, washer-men, cleaners, carpenters, oil
pressers, sweetmeat makers, leather workers, cobblers, dancers, ballad singers, weavers,
goldsmiths, potters, fishermen and others. Thousands of animals were also sacrificed during
the worship of the goddess.

Within the temple premises, we can also find two full size representational statues of
Malladeva and Sukladhvaj. According to a folk legend, the Goddess Kamakhya, assuming the
form of a beautiful woman, used to dance within the closed doors of the Temple at the time of
the evening prayers. The Koch king Malladeva and his brother Sukladhvaj desired to see the
dancing Goddess and as suggested by the chief priest Kendu Kalai, they peeped through a
hole in the wall. She, however, got offended by the intrusion and tore off the head of the
priest and turned the King and his brother to stone. According to another version, the King

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and his future descendants were henceforth, forbidden 'to cast a look even at her very hill' the
Nilachal or they would die. Even today, descendants of the Koch royal family pass by the hill
under the cover of umbrellas.

The Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Kamakhya Temple dates back to the seventh
century, while the Sikhara (dome of the sanctum) is dateable to the sixteenth century. The
semicircular Natyamandir (dancing hall) was constructed by the Ahom monarch Rajeswar
Simha in the eighteenth century. During the reign of the Ahom king Rudra Simha Krisnaram
Nyayavagis, a Sakta Brahman from Nabadwip in Bengal was installed on the Nilachal as the
chief priest of the Kamakhya Temple. He came to be called the Parbatiya Gosain. One of his
descendants, known as the Nati-Gosain, was instrumental in the construction of the temple
of the Na-Math Kali Mandir, adjacent to the Kamakhya Temple. This temple was embellished
by terracotta tiles and decorative blocks and strongly resembles the temples of Bengal. An
inscription of Gaurinath Simha, fixed to the inner wall of the temple premises, bears
testimony to the sacrifice of one lakh animals by the Bhitarual Phukan. The Kamakhya
Temple is a living shrine and even today hordes of pilgrims pay homage to the Goddess on
the Nilachal.

During the annual Ambubachi Mela, the Temple precincts are closed to the worshippers as it
is believed that the Goddess, along with the Earth, goes through her menstrual cycle. During
this festival held in the month of June (the seventh day of Ahar according to the Hindu lunar
calendar), during the height of the rainy season, the red haematite present in the soil mixes
with the water of the natural spring that moistens the yoni, leading credence to the
commonly held belief of a menstruating Goddess.

In the Yogini Tantra (a text on tantric worship), we find a different version of the origin of
the Yoni-Goddess of Nilachal, stressing upon its creative energy. In the course of a
conversation, Parvati (Sati reborn as the daughter of the Himalaya Mountains) asks her
spouse Siva, 'Who is Kamakhya?', and Siva replies Kamakhya is the same as Kali, the
eternal in the form of Brahma who fulfils all desires. Siva then narrates the origin
of Kamakhya. In primeval times, Brahma after having created the universe became
arrogant, seeking to become the supreme creative force. To deal with his arrogance, the
Mother Goddess Kali created a demon called Kesi from her own body. Kesi attacked
Brahma who fled for refuge to Visnu the preserver. Kesi then built the city of Kesipura and
harassed the denizens of the Three Worlds. All around the universe, the chants of 'Kill
Brahma' reverberated. Brahma then shed his vanity and along with Vishnu propitiated
Kali who, after being satisfied that Brahma's arrogance had ended, reduced the demon Kesi
to ashes by uttering the single syllable 'hum'. She then directed Brahma to fashion a hill
from the mountain of ashes and cover it with grass for cattle to graze on. Brahma's sin of
arrogance would lessen when the cattle fed upon the grass. She then said that the seat from
where Brahma and Visnu had propitiated, a Yoni circle out of her own creative- energy
existed, which should be regarded as the source and origin of all life. Brahma should create
only after having meditated upon the Yoni. This Yoni circle was located in Kamarupa.

The Nilachal is also the abode of the Dasamahavidya or ten forms of the Goddess Uma.
According to the Brihaddharma Purana, when Uma (Sati) wanted to attend her father
Daksha's yajna (sacrifice) and Siva forbade her, the ten different forms, the
Dasamahavidya, came out of the third eye of Sati to frighten Siva into granting consent.
These different forms of the Mother Goddess, namely Kali, Tara, Mahavidya, Sodasi,
Bhubanesvari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Sundari, Bagalamukhi and Dhumavati are
enshrined in different temples dedicated to her on the Nilachal. They contain no image and
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are known as Sakti peethas. The object of worship consist of a stone each moistened by a
natural spring. According to the Pithanirnaya, the names of the Bhairavas associated with
the Goddess Kamakhya are Umananda, Sivananda, Ramananda and Ravananda. The
Nilachal Hill also has a number of temples dedicated to the different forms of Kamakhya's
consort Siva. They are the Ghantakarna, Kedar Kshetra, Amratakesava, Kamesvara,
Siddhesvara, and Kamalesvara. In the middle of the Brahmaputra river that flows beside
the Nilachal, on the island of Bhasmachala (Ash Hill), are the shrine of Umananda,
Haragauri and Chandrasekhara. All of them enshrine the aniconic form of the God, i.e. the
linga or male genital organ. The adjacent islands of Urvasi and Karmanasa also bear the
remains of Saivaite shrines, the latter being the abode of jalpesvara Siva.

The practice of Tantrik rites is also prevalent on the Nilachal Hill. Before the advent of Neo-
Vaisnavism in Assam, Tantricism flourished in the area during the reign of the Pala
dynasty. Secret esoteric rites were practiced in the shadow of the night, upon the hill by a
sect known locally as the rati khowa sampraday. To attain heavenly bliss, they indulged in
orgies, relating to the practice of the five 'Ma', namely; the eating of matsya and mamsa
(fish and meat), drinking of madira (alcohol), indulging in maithuna or sexual intercourse,
and mudra or hand gestures (Das,2016).

This is the Kamakhya Yoni worshipped at the Kamakhya Temple in Devipuram,

Andhra Pradesh.

Kama is often translated as lust or desire, but it is also love. Kama is the name of the God of
love, and the urge of love and desire within. She is the eternal, cosmic yoni (vulva, womb,
source), from which all things emerged, and to which everything will return. She is
worshipped by her devotees as the Adi Shakti, the original, primordial power from which
consciousness and being arose. In Hindu terms, she is nothing less than the Brahman, or
Infinite Being, from whom Shiva and Shakti emerged and began creating the universe
through their vibratory unity.

However, although we can see her cosmic supremacy in her Hindu and Tantric mythology
and theological development, this is not the whole story. The goddess we know as Kamakhya

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has a history that goes back far beyond the arrival of Brahminical Hinduism and the Sanskrit
language in Assam, and it is likely that “Kamakhya” is the closest Sanskrit word to her
original name(Devi, 2015).

‘‘In Kaula every woman is thought of as a manifestation of the Goddess. No man may raise
his hand, strike or threaten a woman. When she is naked, men must kneel and worship her as
the Goddess. She has equal rights with men on all levels.’’ (Occult World of a Tantrik Guru,
Values Volume.IX)

Mantra: “Ohm Kleem Kaam Yoni Kaam Roop Kamakhya”

Edited by William Thomas

References: Paromita, Das. Dr (2016 ) Kamarupa and Kamakhya: The Land and a
Deity:http://kamakhyatourism.com/kamakhya.html

Kulasundari Devi (2015) What’s in a name? The ancient origins of Maa Kamakhya
http://www.jaimaa.org/articles/kalikapurana-why-is-she-called-kamakhya/

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Krishna Kumar my goodness I just thought about her she came now as a post from u so thanks sir
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Vedrana Sunko Wow! This is great!

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Padmini Gotety Divine mother

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Gopal Narayan Jai maa kaamyoni kaamroop kamaksha parmeshwari

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Ashmita Deb Ghosh Thus we abide by the divine prohibition

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Leena Kalra Thanks my dear...

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Chandra Dutt Sharma Thanks sir.good articles.

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Ashmita Deb Ghosh Our family had been cursed by her

That's y we can't get her darshan
There's a legend about this curse
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Rajasekharan Nair replied · 1 Reply

Ma Laurence Para Shakti Thank you dear William for complet article . Sending love and
blessings
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Krishna Kumar am I eligible to worship her in my home

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William Thomas With the Guidance of a Guru is what i suggest.

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Krishna Kumar is she dangerous?

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William Thomas Anything can be dangerous if you dont approach with the correct attitude and or
intention.
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