Kamakhya, Kama-akhya, Kāmākhyā, Kāmākhya: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Kamakhya means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या, “her very name is lust”).—One of the names of the Goddess, Devī, who is regarded as the female principle of the divine; the embodiement of the energies of the Gods.
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या) is a famous pilgrimage site located outside of Guwahati in Assam, in the northeast region of India. Primarily important to Hindu Śāktas, or believers in the preeminence of Devī, the site is “regarded as a living center of her (the Goddess’) immeasurable power” and functions as the most important Śākta-pīṭha, or sacred “seat” of the goddess for devotees. Fifty-one sacred pilgrimage sites exist on the Indian sub-continent; the most sacred for Śāktas is Kāmākhyā.
Kāmākhya (कामाख्य) (cf. Siddhanātha) refers to the holy place called Kāmarūpa, according to the Ambāmatasaṃhitā (cf. Manthānabhairavatantra).—Accordingly, “[...] Then he (i.e., Siddhanātha) became (a god with a) divine body and went along with the goddess to the very holy (mahāpuṇya) place (where they were to enjoy love) games. Adorned with the sea and other (such beautiful sites) and possessing seven districts (viṣaya), it was called the venerable Kāmākhya. It is the venerable (land of) Kāmarūpa where (the god of) Love (Kāma) himself resides and is supremely beautiful. Thus, (my) descent (into the world) takes place there in (that) land along with you. [...]”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या) is another name for Śivā: the Goddess-counterpart of Śiva who incarnated first as Satī and then Pārvatī, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.16:—“[...] the great goddess Śivā is of the three natures. Śivā became Satī and Śiva married her. At the sacrifice of her father she cast off her body which she did not take again and went back to her own region. Śivā incarnated as Pārvatī at the request of the Devas. It was after performing a severe penance that she could attain Śiva again. Śivā came to be called by various names [such as Kāmākhyā,...]. These various names confer worldly pleasures and salvation according to qualities and action. The name Pārvatī is very common.
Kāmākhya (कामाख्य) refers to the name of a Tīrtha (pilgrim’s destination) mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. ). Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Kāmākhya) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या) or Kāmākhyātantra is the name of a work related to Ayurveda and medicine referenced by the “cikitsa bidhane tantrasastra”—a Bengali work authored by ‘Krishna Chaitanya Thakur’ in three volumes dealing with the treatments for diseases and disorders collected from Tantric and Ayurvedic texts.—Eastern India is one of the major strongholds of Tantrism in South Asia, and this region, particularly Bengal, has played and still plays a prominent role in the development of Āyurveda. It is indeed a fact that much medically relevant material is to be found in [the Kāmākhyā-tantra, or other] Tantric texts. The “cikitsā bidhāne tantraśāstra” (by Kṛṣṇacaitanya Ṭhākur) contains wealth of medicines and remedies for a large variety of diseases and disorders, arranged according to the individual diseases or disorders. The material presented is culled from a variety of texts [e.g., kāmākhyā-tantra], [most of which] seem to be classed as Tantric, but some are quite obviously not so, though their material may be related to that to be found in Tantric texts.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या) or Kāmākhyātantra refers to one of the Tantras mentioned in the Mahāmokṣa-Tantra, a Sanskrit manuscript collected in volume 12 of the catalogue “Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (second series)” by Mahamahopadhyaya Haraprasad Shastri.—The Mahāmokṣatantra manuscript, consisting of 3,024 ślokas (metrical verses), is deposit: Dhaka, Vikramapura Majhapada, Babu Rasavihari Raya. It deals with the salvation, cosmogony (i.e., the order of cosmic regions) and contains a bibliography of Tantric literature.—The catalogue includes the term—Kāmākhyā in its ‘subject-matter list’ or Viṣaya (which lists topics, chapters and technical terms).
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या, “She who is called Sexual Desire”):—Name of a goddess and her shrine, according to the Kālikā-purāṇa. She is said to energise the pīṭha in Kāmarūpa (now Assam) where Satī’s reproductive organs are said to have fallen, and who grants sexual fulfillment.
As a martial embodiment, not only does Kāmākhyā protect during the performance of an apotropaic rite (śāntikaṃ), in prison (kārāgāre-nibaddho) or during raids by enemies (paracakrāgame) dressed in the trappings of a warrior deity, but, as an embodiment of sexual properties, she also enhances erotic pleasure during love-making. So the Kālikā-purāṇa instructs that a man must always meditate on Caṇḍikā (here of course also implying Kāmākhyā) before copulating with his wife.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या) (Kāmarūpa) refers to one of the four pīṭhas (sacred spots) according to the Sādhanamālā.—It is difficult to say from what exact locality Tantrism took its origin. In the Sādhanamālā are mentioned the four Pīṭhas or sacred spots of the Vajrayānists, namely, Kāmākhyā, Sirihaṭṭa, Pūrṇagiri and Uḍḍiyāna. [...] Uḍḍiyāna being one of the four Pīṭhas sacred to Vajrayoginī should be at least near Kāmākhyā, and Sirihaṭṭa (Sylhet) in Assam and it is not unusual to think that all these four Pīṭhas received their sanctity from temples dedicated to Vajrayoginī. Thus Uḍḍiyāna has to be located in Eastern and Assam area.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
India history and geography
Kāmākhyā (near Gauhati) is an archaeologically important site situated in Kamrup district (Assam), known for inscriptions regarding the ancient history of India. For example, at the Kāmākhyā hill there is a Sanskrit inscription which records the construction of the western gate of Prāgjyotishapura by the Dehīṅgīya Baḍa-Phukkana under the king’s order. The king is called a descendant of Indra.
There is also an inscription at the Kāmākhyā temple which records the gift of a muktābharaṇa made of 15 tolas of gold and 60 tolas of silver in favour of the goddess by the Rājamantrin Baḍa-Gohāñi.
This inscription belongs to king Śivasiṃha of the Ahom dynasty. It is dated Śaka 1654.
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या) or Kāmākhyātantra is the name of a Tantra categorized as “Viṣṇukrānta”, and is mentioned in a (further unknown) book in the possession of Kamlesh Punyark [=Śrī Kamaleśa Puṇyārka or श्री कमलेश पुण्यार्क].—This book contains a detailed discussion of the basics of Tantra and opens with a list of three times sixty-four Tantras. One such text is the कामाख्या-तन्त्रम् [kāmākhyā-tantram] or कामाख्या [kāmākhyā].
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या).—Name of Durgā.
Kāmākhyā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms kāma and ākhyā (आख्या). See also (synonyms): kāmākṣī.
1) Kāmākhya (कामाख्य):—[from kāma] n. Name of a Tīrtha, [Mahābhārata]
2) Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या):—[from kāmākhya > kāma] f. a form of Durgā, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]
3) [v.s. ...] Name of a Tantra
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या):—(kāma + ākhyā) f. dass. ebend.
--- OR ---
Kāmākhyā (कामाख्या):—Nomen proprium einer Göttin [Kalikāpurāṇa 61 im Śabdakalpadruma] eine der Durgā geheiligte Localität in Assam; s. u. kṣobhaka .
Kāmākhya (कामाख्य):——
1) n. Nomen proprium eines Tīrtha [Mahābhārata 3,82,185.] —
2) f. ā = kāmākṣi [VP.².,5,85.] [Pañcadaṇḍacchattrabandha] [Indische studien von Weber 15,395.fgg.]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Kamakhyadevi, Kamakhyadoshavivarana, Kamakhyasvarupa, Kamakhyatantra.
Full-text (+116): Kamakhyatantra, Kamarupa, Siddhakameshvari, Shrikamakhya, Kamakhyadevi, Kshobhaka, Kamakhyasvarupa, Shringata, Dipavant, Kameshvari, Kamakuyatantra, Uttarakamakhyatantra, Kamakshi, Shaktapitha, Parbati, Sirihatta, Vishala, Pragjyotisha, Nilagiri, Niladri.
Relevant text
Search found 56 books and stories containing Kamakhya, Kama-akhya, Kāma-ākhyā, Kāmākhyā, Kāmākhya; (plurals include: Kamakhyas, akhyas, ākhyās, Kāmākhyās, Kāmākhyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 2.1.35-37 < [Chapter 1 - Vairāgya (renunciation)]
Verse 2.1.93-94 < [Chapter 1 - Vairāgya (renunciation)]
Verse 2.1.101 < [Chapter 1 - Vairāgya (renunciation)]
Vratas depicted in the Gangajala (study) (by Maitreyee Goswami)
Part 3.1 - A study on the Ambuvācī-vrata < [Chapter 4]
Part 3.1 - Discussion on Aśokāṣṭamī-vrata < [Chapter 3]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Cidvilasastava by Amrtananda (by Brian Campbell and Ben Williams)
Using Verbal Art to Deal with Conflicts < [Volume 10, Issue 8 (2019)]
Wonderland < [Volume 14, Issue 3 (2023)]
Good Queen, Bad Queen < [Volume 14, Issue 8 (2023)]
Studies in the Upapuranas (by R. C. Hazra)
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