Soundarya Lahari Series (Article 8) : Verse 6 – “Kama Deva is powerful and wins the entire world with the grace of Devi., Getting Sons as Progeny” – Written by Hema

The Devi grants her devotees each and every living being insane with romance, that is the sammohana shakti. This is very evident with kama deva. Her very staunch devotee, the cosmic energy. Kama deva is called the god of love. Though he is body less and the bow made of flowers and honey bees with only five arrows. Malaya Marutha as his Chariot, Spring as his assistant Kanchi paramacharya talks about the five flowers and these five flowers are Aravinda pushpa, Ashoka, Chutha, Navamallika, neelotpala. “ Panchabanah Prakeertittah”, each of the flower stands for a particular sense organ and is associated with five senses. In Lalitha Sahasranama we find Pancha tanmatra Sayaka. The five tanmatras are five subtle panchabhutas (Shabda, sparsha, ruupa, rasa, gandha). These are the weapons of pancha banas.

In fact Kama Deva has nothing in his favor. Spring season is a very short period, not permanent and even Malaya Marutha or soft and cool breeze is not reliable, does not blow all the time. Yet he can sway , subjugate the entire universe with the force of attraction. Why is that so? Because Kama Deva is capable of driving away great Saints, Sages, Celibacies mad with passion. That is the power of Manmatha. Kama deva never misses his target and he is able to conquer the entire world! How is that possible?. It is only possible because of little grace bestowed by Parashakti. The devi is infinitely powerful. Her side glace itself empowers weak Kama deva to win over the world. Kama deva who happens to be a staunch devotee of devi had realized her within himself. The kama beeja mantra which is the source of Srividya mantra originates from Manmatha, Kama beeja mantra is hidden in this mantra. He obtained the mantra directly from devi after prolonged meditation on devi. For Manmatha vidya there are 15 Srividyopasakas, eternal Vidhyopasakas, ancient vidhyopasakas mentioned in Srividya tantra. 

Manmathopastha Vidya where manmatha is the rishi and from there all other upasana has emerged. Mantradrashtrara is what we call it. 

The mantradrashtrara is the rishi for that mantra which means that he has felt, seen and imagined the mantra.

This is why Shankaara Bhagavathpadha has given a lot of reference to Kama deva or Manmatha in many verses of Soundarya Lahari.  Reciting this mantra is most effective for invoking and awakening the shakti within oneself. For example, some people are able to gather crowds around them, this is the sammohana shakti.The magnetic power of shakti can cross all boundaries and penetrate into the deepest core of the heart. Here Shankara builds on the concept of beauty without directly referring to devi’s beauty. 

He is referring to the force of attraction which is inherent nature of Prakriti. One is led to the idea of how compelling Devi’s attraction  is and if she can grant the attraction as boons to her devotees. She could grant good fortune to behold her or to have her darshan. Kama beeja is hidden in the Dhanush, pushpam, mourvi, madhukara mayi, kamapi krupam.Seed of desire(Kama beeja), Klim is concealed in the verse. K from kam api, L from malaya,  I from maurvi and M from paushpam together form the seed syllable of desire, Klim.

  Maya Shakti- Shristi shakti – creative kleem is the cause for that.

The sixth verse or mantra is for fertility, Santana Prapthi.

Kanchi Paramacharya talks about this dualistic world  dvaita which emerges from advaita as a result of kama and bheeja. 

     The universal consciousness that is the unmanifest. The dualistic world emerging from non- dualistic world from kama or desire and the same dualistic word dvaitha made non-dualistic world through the compassion of devi which has a central place in her leela. This cosmic energy has no form that has divine names Kameshwara and Kamameshwari. So kamakshi , the cosmic energy, refers to Kameshwara. The fragrance of the bow of flowers and humming of the honey bees and the Malaya Marutha, the mild sweep, fresh and cool breeze is experienced.

The attack of Manmatha is quite , unlike – negatively when Parameshwara made a strong bow of Meru parvatha, it’s string and Vasuki and Maha Vishnu was the arrow, Sun and Moon were the Charioteer wheels and Bramha was the Charioteer during Tripura Samhara. 

Tripura can be referred to for so many things, for example three gunas. Parameshwara before Tripurasura having a laugh

 and said “ I have Parashakthi in me”. Similar is the case of Manmatha, the ananya backed up by Kameshwari herself.

           When Parameshwara destroyed Manmatha  devi was present in him to lend the necessary strength, how and what strength?. Rama used a blade of grass to control Kakasura from his bow. 

Without her being seated on the left side of the lap of Kameshwara. This  is the essence of the 6th Mantra.

              The panchatanmatra’s the banas of kama will be always hunting us forcing on us as creation of the universe shakthi is required. Otherwise  there is no creation at all. Though he is ananga, Shakti wants to keep Manmatha alive.

Here Shankara is telling us the importance of creation, creation of living beings. This is on part.

Other part is Srividhyopasaka himself becomes Shiva and Shakti. This is Shiva and Shakti. That’s how one should meditate. We meditate in Srividhyopasana as Srichakra which is our body. This is the bhavana we should invoke the cosmic energy within us, also a way to to invoke universal consciousness. 

When someone performs Srichakrarchana as per saparya padhathi i.e to invoke all tatvas there.  Make the arga amrutha, make the body itself of Shiva and Shakti. This is only Symbolic, Even though Srichakra is in front of it but everything is within ourselves. Srichakra puja is nothing but Atmasakshatkara but realizing Shiva Shakti, feeling us. At this stage shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa and gandha all that panchatanmatras are not distributed, They are required for creation Manmatha is required for creation and is needed for every living being. He becomes Tripura when he gets into Srividyopasana. This is the meaning of it. Even  when we have Sarvasammohana on one side and attraction from Manmatha on Shabda, sparsha, roopa, rasa and gandha repeals during the Srividyopasama. At the same time, the sammohana shakti, the force of attraction has to attract to go to the extent  of attraction to universal consciousness. Srividya is bhukti-mukti pradayini. It gives us dharma, artha, kama and moksha. The whole sadhana is to be one with paramatma. 

Srividya is Bramhavidya, knowledge of Bramha, once we have knowledge of Bramhan it is easy to attain Bramhan. Establishing one with Bramhan is Jeevan mukthi. This should be the goal for every Srividya upasaka in this lifetime.  That is the first stage of Videha mukti. Unless we experience oneness with Bramhan, oneness with self, oneness with atman and when the body becomes lifeless, when the vital force, the prana is prana in the body, moksha cannot be attained or there cannot be dahamukthi. 

Once we become one with Bramhan all the desires are dissolved. The thoughts are dissolved, no thoughts or desires. When we know the trick of difficult task, it becomes easy to work on it. The ignorance avidya gives us a wheel Maya veil ( a curtain of ignorance). She is Maya. Once we takes out ignorance it becomes easy. Soundarya Lahari the essence of tantra Shastra, essence of Veda, essence of Upanishads, all that has put in 103 mantras of Soundarya Lahari.

Chanting procedure and Nivedyam( offerings to the Lord) : If one chants this verse 500 times every day for 21 days, and offer Sugarcane to the Lord as prasadham, one is said to be blessed with a son to protect the riches of the family

Note: Am Nidruva penning the blog posts as an extract from attending daily online ” Soundarya Lahari Jnana Yagna” conducted by ‘ Atmanandanatha’

Link to Article 1: Introduction to Soundarya Lahari

Link to Article 2: Synopsis of first 41 verse of Soundarya Lahari

Link to Article 3: Verse1 of Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 4: Verse 2 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 5: Verse 3 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 6: Verse 4 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 7: Verse 5 Soundarya Lahari explanation