Meaning of Kamadevaya
Kamadevaya is the master of the senses who by His desires (kamena) plays (divyati)
various pastimes. By sounding His enchanting flute or arching His seductive eyebrows
Syamasundara shows or expresses (divyati) His desire (kama).
Krishna is the transcendental Kamadeva, the God of desire, who conquers all desire
by redirecting it to Himself.
"It is also stated in the Gopala-tapani Upanisad that when Krishna is spoken of as Cupid
(kamadevaya), one should not think of Him as the Cupid of this material world. As
already explained, Vrndavana is the spiritual abode of Krishna, and the word Cupid is
also spiritual and transcendental. One should not take the material Cupid and Krishna
to be on the same level.
The material Cupid represents the attraction of the external flesh and body, but the
spiritual Cupid is the attraction by which the Supersoul attracts the individual soul.
Actually lust and sex are there in spiritual life, but when the spirit soul is embodied
in material elements, that spiritual urge is expressed through the material body and
is therefore pervertedly reflected.
When one actually becomes conversant in the science of Krishna consciousness, he
can understand that his material desire for sex is abominable, whereas spiritual sex is
desirable.
"Spiritual sex is of two kinds:
-one in accordance with the constitutional position of the self
-the other in accordance with the object
When one understands the truth about this life but is not completely cleansed
of material contamination, he is not factually situated in the transcendental
abode, Vrndavana, although he may understand spiritual life.
When, however, one becomes free from the sex urges of the material body, he
can actually attain the supreme abode of Vrndavana. When one is so situated,
he can utter the Kama-gayatri and kama-bija mantra." (TLC ch. 31)
Kamadevaya means He who performs pastimes by His desire or by the power of His
love. Kama (love) is called a minister because it advises. Kama permeates the whole
universe from Brahmaloka on down.
Kama has five arrows that produce five effects:
(1) maddening
(2) burning
(3) cleansing
(4) obstructing
(5) bewildering
These five arrows are permeated by the following five flowers:
K—mango
L—asoka
I—madhavi
M—jasmine
bindu—bakula.
The Gopala-tapani Upanisad says:
'Krishna is the transcendental Cupid of Vrndavana. The Krishna Cupid has five
flower arrows, which represent taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell.
They also represent the five rasas: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya.
The names of the five arrows:
(1) cittananda-dhara
(2) vidyananda-dhara
(3) sadananda-dhara
(4) kamananda-dhara
(5) ramanananda
The names of Krishna's arrows correspond to five flowers and five sweet forms
of Krishna:
mango flower—citta-kandarpa (Cupid of the mind)
asoka flower—kamananda-prakasa (manifestation of the bliss of love)
bakula flower—vidyananda-dhara (holding the bliss of wisdom).
The place of Cupid's divine love is Vrndavana. The lotus flower is Shrimati
Radhika, and the flavor of Her love is always beyond comprehension. Shri Krishna
is a bumblebee hovering over that lotus forever drinking its nectar.' "(KVV)
Meaning of Vidmahe
"Vidmahe means may we attain or come to know and surrender unequivocally unto
that Kamadeva who has flowers (puspa) for arrows (banaya)," (KVV)
Meaning of Puspa, Banaya, Dhimahi
Puspa-banaya is a name for Cupid who is also known as Kandarpa or Kamadeva,
the flower archer who ever shoots arrows of lust into the hearts of the fallen.
Krishna, however, is the transcendental Kamadeva, the spiritual Cupid, who
shoots five flower arrows with His flower bow.
These are the arrows of spiritual kama represented by the five letters of the
kama-bija klim. Each arrow, which is permeated by a different kind of flower,
corresponds to a different part of Krishna's sweet form. These arrows
produce five different wonderful effects within the hearts of His loving
devotees.
Dhimahi means, "Let us meditate on that transcendental Kamadeva, Lord Shri
Krishna, who is the all-attractive, clever, and witty Vidagdha Madhava. By
shooting His five divine flower arrows (puspa banaya) into the heart of His
devotee, He maddens him with the enchantment of His beauty and prema.
Then the arrows burn up all the devotee's material desires and completely
cleanse His mind and heart. Protecting him, these arrows obstruct and prevent
any further assaults by the illusory energy upon that fully surrendered devotee.
Swimming in the blissful ocean of his eternal loving relationship with Krishna,
the devotee sometimes becomes overwhelmed and bewildered by various
ecstatic symptoms.
At that time the actions of such a premika bhakta, dancing to the tune of
Kamadeva's flute, may appear most unusual and bewildering to the jivas bound
by the chains of lust."
In this way, one should meditate upon the wonderful effects of the arrows of
the beloved Kamadeva, Shri Krishna the beautiful.
Meaning of Tan
"Tan means "that"—We know that Kamadeva (Krishna). We meditate upon that
Kamadeva who has flower arrows and is ananga, the bodiless Cupid." (KVV)
Meaning of Ananga
The word ananga generally refers to Cupid, the bodiless one, whose body was
once burned to ashes by Lord Siva.
Although Siva partially defeated Cupid by destroying his body, Krishna
completely vanquishes Cupid and enlists him in His service.
The word ananga, therefore, can refer to Krishna, the transcendental
Kamadeva, who is attracting the hearts of all purified persons.
Acaryas say that ananga may also refer to Krishna who once fainted due to the
ecstasy of love.
At that time Tulasi-manjari (Rati-manjari) leaned against the gate of the kunja and
sang a sweet love song. Upon hearing that song, Krishna came back to life again. Due
to loving ecstasy, He had lost His body (or bodily consciousness) which means He
became ananga, without a body or awareness of His body, but by Tulasi's singing he
regained His body.
Meaning of Pracodayat
"Pracodayat means 'Let Him appear fully.'
By meditating (dhimahi) on Krishna one gets knowledge (vidmahe) of Krishna in His
pastimes of love.
Then one prays to Krishna to help him realize that form (pracodayat), which means 'May
He (Krishna) impel us to do it.'"(KW)
In the eighth verse of Manah-siksa, Shrila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami prays:
"O Giriraja, please give me conjugal love of God, and engage me in the loving service of
Gandharvika."
Dasa Gosvami uses the word "prerayati" which means, "He will engage" (referring to the
service of Shri Radha). Devotees accepting the service of Shrimati Radhika as their
life and soul will take the word "pracodayat" in the Kama-gayatri to be identical with
the word prerayati.
As Raghunatha dasa Gosvami prayed to Krishna for Shri Radha's service, sadhakas will
pray in the same way when they meditate upon the Kama-gayatri.
Meaning of Kama-gayatri
Kamadevaya refers to Madan-mohana, the Deity of Krishna, signifying
initiation (mantra-diksa), which is a function of sambandha.
Puspabanaya refers to Govindaji, the presiding Deity of abhidheya, who helps
one awaken love of God.
Ananga refers to the Deity of Gopinatha who represents prayojana, the goal of
Krishna-prema especially exemplified by the love of the gopis.
"The Kama-gayatri is divided into three parts representing sambandha,
abhidheya, and prayojana.
(1) Kamadeva—is the Deity (Madan-mohan) who captivates our minds and hearts
to establish our relationship with Krishna (sambandha-tattva).
(2) Puspabanaya—is He (Govindaji) who carries the arrows of flowers, and
develops our relationship with Krishna as an eternal maidservant of the gopis
(abhidheya-tattva).
(3) Ananga—is He (Gopinatha) who delivers the ultimate goal of life of
satisfying the gopis, Radhika and Syama (prayojana-tattva).
"The Kama-gayatri mantra is just like a Vedic hymn, but it is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself. There is no difference between the Kamagayatri
and Krishna. Both are composed of 24-1/2 transcendental syllables.
The mantra depicted in letters is also Krishna, and the mantra rises just like
the moon. Due to this, there is a perverted reflection of desire in human
society and among all kinds of living entities.
In the mantra, klim kama-devaya vidmahe puspa-banaya dhimahi tan no 'nangah
pracodayat, Krishna is called Kamadeva, Puspa-bana and Ananga.
Kamadeva is Madana-mohana, the Deity who establishes our relationship with
Krishna.
Puspa-bana ("He who carries an arrow made of flowers") is Govinda, the
Personality of Godhead who accepts our devotional service.
And Ananga is Gopijana-vallabha, who satisfies all the gopis and is the ultimate
goal of life.
This Kama-gayatri (klim kama-devaya vidmahe puspa-banaya dhimahi tan no
'nangah pracodayat) simply does not belong to this material world.
After advancing in spiritual understanding, a devotee worships the Supreme
Personality of Godhead with his spiritual senses and fulfills the desires of the
Lord.
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad'yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te pratijane priyo 'si me
“Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your
homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this
because you are My very dear friend.” (Bg. 18.65)" (Cc. Madhya 8.138)
Shrila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura defines the Kama-gayatri
"Kama-gayatri is a maha-mantra which flows according to desire. The sadhakas who chant
this mantra take their next birth in Vraja-mandala. In other words, they attain a
spiritual body like one of Krishna's eternal Vrajavasi associates for the purpose of
rendering pure devotional service.
"The worshipable object of this mantra is Rasaraja Shri Krishna, the King of srngara-rasa
(the most blissful form of ecstatic conjugal love). He is Madana, the transcendental Cupid;
He is Krishna, the all-attractive one; He is Nandatmaja, the darling son of Nanda Baba;
and He resides in one and only one place—the blissful realm of Vraja-dhama.
"Klim—due to stealing the minds of the vraja-gopis headed by Shrimati Radhika with the
sweetness of His flute (venu-madhurya), the word klim is used.
Kamadevaya—Due to stealing the discrimination of the vraja-gopis headed by Shrimati
Radhika with the sweetness of His pastimes (lila-madhurya), the word kamadevaya is
used.
Puspa-banaya—Due to Krishna stimulating the excitement of the blissful mellow of
enjoyment in union with the vraja-gopis headed by Shrimati Radhika, and stimulating this
sambhoga-rasa by other things including the sweetness of His lovely graceful qualities
(lavanya-guna-madhuryadi), the word puspa-banaya is used.
klim kama-devaya vidmahe
"The word kama (desire) indicates sambandha (relationship with the Lord), and
also connotes anuga (following obediently). Only on the path of spontaneous
devotional love known as kamanuga is this Gayatri used for worship.
Kamanuga is that path which follows the purified transcendental lusty desire for
serving Radha and Krishna. This mantra's effect is that it illuminates and
intensifies the manifestation of one's most cherished desires.
"Vidmahe—"We know" that Person Kamadeva, who sports according to His own
heart's desire. In other words, kama-devaya-vidmahe means "we who are doing
this sadhana in vraja-madhurya-rasa are aware in consciousness only because
our consciousness is for Kamadeva, Who is the transcendental Cupid, Krishna.
puspa-banaya-dhimahi
"Kamadeva is a "puspa-banaya"—a flower-archer Who uses five weapons which
are the five letters of the kama-bija klim. By shooting them with His sarnga
bow, these five weapons cause the bow to act in five specific qualities.
"Dhimahi—"We meditate" upon this type of puspa-bana.
tan no ‘nangah pracodayat
"Ananga—He who is the all-pervading transcendental Cupid devoid of a body.
He is situated in Vraja as the fresh young transcendental Cupid. He is the
alluringly adolescent God of Love. He is the only worshipable object. He not
only attracts the hearts and minds of all living beings, but He even attracts
His own mind.
"His super excellent bodily beauty cannot be equalled or surpassed by any
other form. He is Syama, the dark beauty possessing the bodily luster of a
fresh monsoon cloud.
His transcendental body is a compressed living flow of divine luscious mellows.
His stature perfectly personifies the King of srngara-rasa (the ornament of
the most intimate mode of supreme conjugal mellows).
"Nah—This kind of Lord.
"Pracodayat—May this kind of Lord be pleased with us, and may He kindly
engage us in His own loving service." (MD)
Shrila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given a marvelous explanation of the
intimate meaning of Kama-gayatri. Aspiring servants are forever indebted to
such stalwart rasika acaryas for bestowing their boundless mercy.
Only the most advanced devotees can have such revelations. If one is not so
advanced, he should sincerely continue chanting the mantra on the strength of
the spiritual master's order.
The combination of genuine bhakti and full faith in guru and Krishna gradually
qualify the devotee to see Krishna in His most enchanting form as Kamadeva,
the ever-fresh transcendental Cupid.
Brahma personally set the example of a bewildered, confused soul who
eventually became Krishna conscious by his sincere devotional attitude.
Similarly, anyone following in his footsteps (mahajana yena gatah sa pantah) can
achieve the same beautiful realizations.
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