Kamala Devi is the last of the ten Maha Vidyas. Goddess Kamala is also known as Kamalatmika and she is the Goddess of Prosperity. As the goddess of wealth and beauty, she is worshipped for her power that eliminates poverty and brings material wealth and prosperity. The name ‘Kamala’ means ‘Lotus’, thus she is called as the Lotus Goddess. She is revealed in grace and beauty. Goddess Kamalatmika represents the divine nature and her common identification is Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for her calmness with her nature of supreme peace and glory. Goddess Kamala Devi shares the three important features of Goddess Lakshmi – wealth and prosperity, crops and fertility, good luck and good fortune. Lord Vishnu is the preserver of the Universe. As the consort of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Kamala Devi is also the preserver of the Universe.
Goddess Kamala maintains the tenth position among all the ten significant Dus Mahavidya’s. The name, “Mahavidyas”, comes from the Sanskrit roots of Maha, which means great and Vidya, meaning, Wisdom, Knowledge, Manifestation or Revelation. The Dus Mahavidyas or the Ten Goddesses are actually ten aspects of the Devi or the Divine Mother in Hinduism. Maa Kamala as the name suggests is seated on the auspicious and pure Lotus. She symbolizes purity and great wisdom. No matter how much it is surrounded by the aquatic mud, it still remains as pure as it is born. Maa Kamala is the goddess of celibacy, purity, kindness and prosperity.
Significance of Goddess Kamala
Goddess Kamala is considered as the Mahavidya form of Goddess Lakshmi, who represents wealth and beauty. Kamala is a little different from Lakshmi. As one of the Ten Mahavidyas, Goddess Kamala represents the unfolding of inner consciousness into the richness of creation. The goddess is known for the power to eradicate poverty, both material and spiritual. Kamala’s name, which means ‘she of the lotus’, is also seen as ‘Kamalatmika’.
Maa Kamala is shown either seated or standing on a fully bloomed lotus, flanked by elephants on each side. Kamala’s greatest power is the destruction of poverty, both material and spiritual, and the bestower of well-being, prosperity and fertility.
Goddess Kamala Mantra :
|| ॐ ह्रीं अष्ट महालक्ष्म्यै नमः ||
|| नमः कमलवासिन्यै स्वाहा ||
Goddess Kamala is considered as the Mahavidya form of Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity and consort of Hindu God, Vishnu – the god of preservance. Lakshmi was emerged from the ocean of milk – Ksheer Sagar – when it was churned by the Devas (demi-gods) and Asuras (demons) to extract out Amrit – the elixir of life. Lakshmi personifies wealth, riches, and beauty. She is depicted as four-armed, holding lotus and pot filled with wealth.
Goddess Kamala Devi rules the outer form of beauty and she is addressed as Shri in her earlier references. The word ‘Shri’ means auspiciousness. She is relating to the positive qualities of energies and also she is related with food, fortune, beauty and royal power.
Kamala is portrayed as making the gestures of boon-giving and fearlessness. She sits on a lotus and holds lotus blossoms in her two upper hands. Even her name means “lotus.” She is flanked by two elephants. Obviously, Kamala is Lakshmi, who is portrayed in an identical manner, but in the context of the Mahavidyas, there are also significant differences.
Kamala is not a divine consort but the independent and all-supreme Divine Mother. She is not the spouse of any male deity. Interestingly, she is rarely identified with the other female forms found in orthodox Vaisnavism, such as Sita, Radha, or Rukmini. However, Kamala is not completely auspicious or one-sided. Sometimes she is called Rudra (“the howling one”), Ghora or Bhima (“the terrifying one”), or Tamasi (“the dark one”). Like Kali, the Tantric Kamala embraces the light and the darkness, for she is the totality.
Kamala Or Lotus Symbolizes Purity & Fertility
She is the most beautiful goddess of the Mahavidyas and she is appears as a beautiful young women with golden skin. She wears a shining heavily jeweled crown and wears clothes of silk. She appears as either standing or sitting posture on lotus. Kamala Devi has four hands. She holds lotuses in her two hands to symbolize the purity and fertility. Other two hands are in abhayamudra and varamudra. ‘Abhayamudra’ is a sign of giving assurance and the ‘Varamudra’ is a sign of granting boons respectively. Her palms are always expanded to bless devotees. She gives divine happiness, prosperity and spiritual satisfaction to the devotees who worship her with a full heart.
Goddess Kamala is associated with lotus and elephant. Lotus is considered very sacred and represents the universe created by Gods. Lotus has its root in soil and produces a beautiful flower just like the beautiful soul emerges from the physical body. Elephants symbolize supremacy, loyalty and wisdom. And also it is related to clouds and rains and they have good sense of hearing and smelling. Kamala Devi as lotus goddess also represents the growth of a person by maintaining the dharma. She helps us to see the divine quality and beauty in all things.
Importance Of Kamala Devi Among The Dasa Mahavidya
Among the ten Mahavidya, Goddess Kamala Devi is linked to wealth, good luck, profits and investments and fertility. She blesses and ensures prosperity to her devotees. Experience a refreshing and liberating spirituality by worshipping Mahavidya on Pradosh days. And offering special rituals to Goddess Kamala Devi will provide refuge, beauty, abundance, devotion and splendour and also attain Moksha — Salvation. Like Goddess Lakshmi, Kamala Devi also fulfills all the desires of her devotees and brings abundance of worldy wealth, love and bliss.
Only few temples are dedicated to her. They are as follows:
1. Chikkaladinni Temple is located in a small village in Belgaum district of Karnataka.
2. Dandi Pada Temple is located in a small village in the Thane District of Maharashtra.
3. Thiruvarur Temple is located in a village in Thiruvarur.
4. Challamambapuram Temple is located in a small village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
