Chapter summary
कामकोष्ठमाहात्म्यम् Kāmakoṣṭha Māhātmyam
The Glory of Kāmakoṣṭha
**Śrī Sadguru spoke:**
In the great sacrifice hosted by Dakṣa, the goddess Satī, deeply insulted by her own father, abandoned her body through yogic power, her mind fixed upon Śambhu, the Lord. Reborn as the daughter of Himavat, beautiful in every limb, the lotus-faced goddess yearned to obtain Śambhu alone as her husband (v.1-2).
Meanwhile, the gods, tormented by the demon Tāraka and desperate for a commander for their army, urged Kāma, the god of love, to strike Parameśvara. Instantly, Sadāśiva incinerated Kāma with a fiery gaze. Gaurī, witnessing Śiva's formidable prowess, fled in fear (v.3-4). Yet, with her father's permission, Pārvatī, the all-auspicious one, undertook severe penance and once again obtained Śiva as her husband (v.5). Even after regaining his beloved Pārvatī, Śaṅkara remained steadfast in celibacy; having consumed Kāma, he himself blazed like a purifying fire (v.6).
To rekindle desire in Śiva's heart, Pārvatī sought an expedient from Kṛṣṇa, the lotus-eyed Lord. Then, Viṣṇu, the giver of boons, Kṛṣṇa — who is the very god of love to Kāma himself — bestowed upon the goddess His own potent seed-syllable, 'klīṁ' (v.7-8).
**Śrī Bhagavān spoke:**
"O Kāmārūpiṇī [one whose form is desire], meditate upon my seed-syllable 'klīṁ' within the center of a triangle, and swiftly generate desire yourself. O Gaurī, in the time of creation, Kāma was indeed brought forth by Me for the proliferation of progeny in the world. He was, however, consumed by your husband. You must now generate Kāma once more for the growth of the worlds. I, too, shall manifest him again in the form of Pradyumna" (v.9-11).
"In the mango grove at Kāñcī, Śambhu is engaged in profound penance. Go there and worship Śiva, who is the beloved of your life. O Kāmākṣī, O Kāmārūpiṇī, take up a flower-arrow and a splendid sugarcane bow yourself, and approach Him. Then, beholding your form, which is desire itself, Parameśvara, Mahādeva Himself, out of compassion, will come under your sway" (v.12-14).
"O lotus-eyed one, you are capable of generating desire with your eyes alone. What then to speak of what you can achieve through penance and the repetition (japa) of 'klīṁ'?" (v.15).
**Śrī Sadguru spoke:**
Thus instructed, the goddess Kāmākṣī, beautiful as desire itself, journeyed to the mango grove in Kāñcī, and she of the lovely face performed severe penance. On the bank of the river Kampā, Pārvatī established a Lingam of Śiva and worshipped it daily with profound devotion (v.16-17). During the rainy season, a great flood surged in the river Kampā. To protect the Śiva Lingam, she reverently praised Kṛṣṇa (v.18).
**Śrī Devī spoke:**
"O Kṛṣṇa, O Lord, I am worshipping Śiva solely by Your command. The river Kampā, flowing forth with its mighty current, now threatens to shake the Lingam. You must halt this Kampā river, which has come with such arrogance, just as the Yamunā was stopped by You previously in Your incarnation" (v.19-20).
**Śrī Sadguru spoke:**
Addressed thus, the ocean of mercy, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, appeared there, and the Kampā river instantly vanished. Kāmākṣī then worshipped Parameśvara according to the prescribed rites. Upon beholding Kāmākṣī, desire arose in the heart of Maheśa (v.21-22). Indeed, Kāmākṣī, the beloved of Śiva, generated desire even in the mind of the enemy of Kāma (Śiva) merely by the repetition of 'klīṁ' (v.23).
Here ends the eighth chapter, named 'The Glory of Kāmakoṣṭha', in the Second Part of the 'Divyadeśavaibhavam' composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus, any woman who desires to bring a man under her control, or any man a woman, should chant the syllable 'klīṁ' in this world. Kṛṣṇa, Kāma, and Kāmākṣī are the presiding deities of the syllable 'klīṁ'. Pleased by its repetition, they grant all desired objects (v.24-25). This sacred place, Kāmakoṣṭha, shines as a Mantra Pīṭha [a seat of sacred syllables], where, in the center of a triangle, the syllable 'klīṁ' is worshipped (v.26). By the auspicious sight (darśana) of Kāmākṣī, maidens obtain an excellent husband, and wives, much honored by their husbands, are blessed with sons (v.27). Kṛṣṇa, worshipped by Kāmākṣī, shines brightly on the bank of the Kampā. By the sight (darśana) of Kṛṣṇa in Kāñcī, people obtain all their desired objects (v.28).
