Little known aspects of Kamakshi temple

Sri Kamakshi Amman temple in Kanchipuram was buzzing with activity, swarmed by devotees from near and far, during the recent Navarathri festival. I visited the temple not only to offer worship on one of the special days for Devi but also to get clarifications from some authentic priest in the temple for some doubts I had and also to find out the little known aspects of  the Amman. I went there wondering whether a Devi described as “Unnatha Kartha” can be frightening in her appearance to the sincere devotees.

Someone had recently confused me into thinking that the original Kamakshi was in the Adhi Kamakshi Amman temple outside the famous temple I was visiting. Another person had told me that  Kamakshi was originally a Ugra Swaroopini, and that Adi Sankaracharya, after establishing Sri Chakra (in front of the main deity) personified her as Shanta Swaroopini. According to my friend, during the days of Adi Sankara, the presence of the Ugra Swaroopini was felt outside the temple precincts, and Sankaracharya had appealed to her not to leave the complex. He further pointed to a tradition in which the Utsavamoorthy of  Kamakshi takes leave from Sankaracharya, at his shrine in the inner prakaram, each time she is taken out in procession.
I approached Neelakal N Ramachandra Sastrigal, a 70-year plus hereditary priest of Kamakshi temple, to collect special details about the temple and the Goddess . He recalled a stanza  from the Dhyana  sloka in Lalitha Sahasranamam: “Shree vidyam shantamurtim sakala suranutam Sarvasanpatpradatrim .” He highlighted the “Shantamurtim” aspect of the Devi, and said the Adhi Kamakshi Amman temple was being touted as original for reasons best known to the campaigners.
“Lalitha Thirupura Sundari dwells here as Goddess Kamakshi, in a posture offering penance, with four hands with Pasa, Angusa, sugarcane bow and flower arrows. The Amman is always graceful and protects the devotees with Her eyes. Her name Kamakshi itself signifies Saraswathi and Lakshmi aspects are in her eyes.”
He further said Kamakshi is enshrined in Padmasana posture in the sanctum sanctorum and is referred to as  “Parabhrama Swarupini”, seated with Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Eswara and Sadasiva.
The Sri Chakram installed in front of the Devi  is offered archana and poojas. There are no shrines for Ambal  in any of the shrines for Shiva in Kanchipuram. “As the supreme Shakthi, Her writ runs everywhere in Kanchipuram.”
Immediately surrounding the sanctum are small shrines for Ardhanareeswarar, Soundaryalakshmi, Kalvar (who has been mentioned in the hymns of Tirumangaialwar) and Varaahi.
The sanctum where Kamakshi idol is installed is called Gayathri Mandapam and has 24 pillars, standing for 24 letters of  the all-powerful Gayathri Mantra. On the right side of the Gayathri Mandapam, there is a sannadhi for Varahi and Arupalakshmi and Santhana Ganapathy, and we can see Santhana sthambam covered by a silver plate. Dasaratha consecrated the Santhana Sthambam in the Gayathri Mandapam to pray to be blessed with children. Sri Kamakshi is the family deity of Rama and his descendants. The Kumkumam prasadam of Kamakshi  is offered first to Arupalakshmi with prayers and is taken from her feet by the devotee for adorning his forehead, according to custom and practice in this temple.
One of Sri Ramachandra Sastrigal’s sons,  Syama Sastry, (he  is one of the priests in the temple now), gave me rare details about  a work “Kamakshi Vilasam” which contains all information about Kanchipuram, its boundaries (avaranas), etc., and the Kamakshi Amman temple, its relationship to other temples surrounding it. He spoke at length about Kamakshi Vilasam.
In Kamakshi Vilasam, there is a vivid description of the glory of Sakthi Kamakshi, and the sanctity and distance of temples of Shiva, Vishnu, Sakthi, Ganesha and Karthikeya situated around the Amman temple .
The sanctum sanctorum of Devi in all Shiva temples beyond Kanchipuram is described as “Kamakoshtam” in Silpa Shastras. Even the deities in those temples are referred to as Kamakoti. The 14^th chapter of Vilasam has explanations for points shrouded in mystery in other Puranas. Kamakshi Vilasam contains all the information buried in Agama and Silpa Shastras, and details about the temples in Kanchipuram,  the sayings of ancient Saivaite savants, and elucidates points made by them.
In the Kamakshi temple, poojas are performed according to Sowbhagya Chintamani, believed to have been  written by Sage Durvasa. Chintamani  describes Kanchi as delineating  the Akasa swarupam of Devi while explaining the five kshetras of Sakthi that embody the five elements (like Chidambaram is associated with Akasa swarupa of Shiva).
In Lalitha Ashtotrasatanamavali, Kamakshi Amman is hailed as “ Kamakotimahapeetasthayai Namo Namaha.”  In Lalitha Trisathi, she is  extolled as “Kameshwari” and “Kamakoti Nilaya.” She is called “Trikoota” and “Kamakotika” in Lalitha Sahasranamam.
Only priests belonging to two Gothras (Kausika and Bharatwaja) are performing poojas in the temple now, and there was a time when the priests belonged to six Gothras. But all those from the other four Gothras left Kanchi  to worship at the Bangaru Kamakshi Amman temple in Thanjavur.

Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 3:43 PM