Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 375: Shri Kama pujita (OM kAmapUjitAyai namaH)

Namams 373 to380 are describing, the Divine Mother’s Shakti  Peetams where She is residing.

The Divine Mother is worshipped by Kama. 

The Divine Mother is worshipped by Manmathan, the Lord of Kama. He plays a key role in universal creation process. He needs the Divine Mother’s grace and worships Her all the times. Without the Divine Mother’s grace nothing in this universe moves. He gets his support for his work/duty from the Divine Mother. 

Due to Her fondness to Rathi, Kama’s spouse, the Divine Mother got Kama back to life; Earlier Lord Kameshvara had burnt Kama to ashes with his third eye for disturbing his meditation. Kama is said to be worshipping the Divine Mother at Kanchi Kamakodi peetam. The Devi Kamakshi’s grace is there for Kama.  Namam 62 “Kamakshi” says that the Divine Mother has beautiful eyes. Kama is one of the key worshippers of the Divine Mother. 

There are fifty-one Shakthi Peetams in Indian sub-continent.  This Kama peetam is in Kanchipuram, in Tamilnadu, India.  Namams 375, 376,378 and 379 talk about four key Shakti Peetdams. They represent four chakras in our human body. They are:

·         Kamapeetam represents Mualadharam with Para sound.

·         Puragiri represents Manipurakam with Pashyanti sound.

·         Jalandaram  represents Anagtam with Madhyama sound.

·         Audiyam represents Vishukti with Vaikhari sound

 

With worshipping and blessings from the Divine Mother, Narayana (Mahavishnu) took Mohini rupa and in disturbing Lord Shiva with his romantic plays. Manmathan is the son of Narayanan; he won over his father Lord Maha Vishnu with the Divine Mother’s worship (Soundarya Lahari verse 5 explains this). 

The Divine Mother realized that Manmathan tried to unite the Divine Mother and Lord Shiva; he got himself being burnt to ashes for disturbing the meditation of Kameshvara. The Divine Mother (Krtajna with Her gratitude), accepted Manmathan’s devotion and gave all the credit to him. She shows that She by using Manmathan’s bow and arrows in Her hand to announce to the world that She accepts his devotion to Her. 

Our mind produces the kama thoughts. Kama is Ananga, the one without a physical body and without a definite form. He has a bow made of flowers (Sugarcane blossom is a key component), with bow string made with a line of bees, the five arrows are made from five flowers namely, lotus, asoka, mango, jasmine and blue lotus; he has a deputy named Vasanta, the spring season; his battle-chariot is the wind from Malaya mountains (unlike other chariots which need roadways, this chariot can fly anywhere). As Kama has no body structure, his equipment conquers and subjugate the whole world with the grace of the Divine Mother’s glancing (Soundarya Lahari verse six). 

She is worshipped as Kamarupa; we will further see in Namam 379 “Odyana peeta nilaya” with the meaning that the Divine Mother’s abode is at Odyana also. 

This Namam Kamapujita coming immediately after Krtajna (374) is very apt in showing the Divine Mother’s gratitude to Kama for helping all Her universal creation process.

The  Kamakshi Devi at Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu,

India; Kanchipuram is a key Shakti Peetam.

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 03 February 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.       Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.       The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Chithbavandar