Articles on Spiritual Books | Vedic Cosmos

The Mūkapañcaśatī is an extraordinary work of five-hundred verses, penned by Śrīmūka-Śaṅkarendra-Sarasvatī, the twentieth pontiff of the Kāñcī-kāmakoṭi-pīṭha. Chronicles of the Kāñcī-maṭa define Mūka-Śaṅkara to have been an amiable deaf and mute boy born to an astronomer, Vidyāvati somewhere between the last 4th and early 5th century CE. It is stated that the boy would resort to the temple of Kāmākṣi and prostrate before the presiding deity regularly. Miraculously one day, the lad was blessed with hearing and the power of speech. Hearing of the astonishing grace of Kāmākṣi that had descended upon the lad, the then pontiff of the Kāñcī-maṭa, Śrī-Vidyāghana, called for the parents of the lad. The pontiff expressed his desire to induct the lad into the monastic order of the maṭha. Consented by the parents, Śrī-Vidyāghana initiated the lad in sanyāsa and announced Śaṅkara to be as his own successor. The lad mastered the Vedas under the guidance of the pontiff and himself assumed the responsibility later on, to become the twentieth pontiff of the celebrated Kāñcī-maṭha. The Mūkapañcaśatī is an ecstatic outpouring of love, gratitude and admiration for Goddess Kāmākṣī penned by this ācārya. The work is a collection of five-hundred verses, divided into five sections of hundred verse each. The sections are Āryā-śatakam, Pādāravinda-śatakam, Mandasmita-śatakam, Katākṣa-śatakam, and Stuti-śatakam1. Āryā-śatakam is so called for the obvious reason of the verses in this section being composed in the meter called Āryā. It can also be said that the section is so called for it describes the mistress of the universe, Kāmākṣī. The section begins with the glorification of the personified Supreme that is in essence beyond description – 1 The various Śatakams are not necessarily given in the same order in all printed versions of the books. Various publishers have adopted various orders. कारणपरिचिद्रूपा काञ्चीपुरसीम्नि कामपीठगता। काचन विहरति करुना काश्मीरस्तबककोमलाङ्गलता॥ kāraṇaparicidrūpā kāñcīpurasīmni kāmapīṭhagatā| kācana viharati karunā kāśmīrastabakakomalāṅgalatā|| There revels upon the pedestal of Kāmakoṭi on the borders of Kāñcī, an inexplicable (embodiment) of compassion, her creeper like person delicate as a bunch of Saffron Crocus blooms. - Āryā-śatakam, 1 This is the opening verse of the Āryā-śatakam and it is significant for the following reason - the verse forms a beautiful blend of the transcendental and cosmic essence of the Supreme. In using the term ‘kācana’, the poet suggests the transcendental nature of the Supreme that defies definition or explication2. The poet then personalizes the Supreme by stating that the inexplicable phenomenon becomes a personal experience because it is embodied as compassion. By further adding that this inexplicable truth revels in the sacred town of Kāñcī, the poet localizes the embodied Supreme and thereby affords devotees a place of succor. In a nut-shell, the poet removes the Supreme from the esoteric and unreachable realm to the personal goddess of Kāmākṣī who is compassion incarnate and thus supremely approachable. 2 Any phenomenon that defies explanation is represented by usages such as ‘kācana’. This is a trend followed in Sanskrit literature at large, when dealing with descriptions of the Supreme. For instance, Ādi Śaṅkara refers to the lovely form of Gaṇeśa as ‘kāpi kalyāṇamūrtiḥ, (an inexplicably auspicious form,) in the Subrahmaṇya-bhujaṅgam. Swami Deśikan refers to the exquisiteness of Kṛṣṇa’s budding youth as ‘kimapi brahmakiśorabhāvadṛśyam’ (an inexplicable budding youth of the Supreme, a vision that renders the eyes fruitful in their creation,) in the Gopālaviṃśati. Absolutely mesmerized by the exquisite form the otherwise formless Supreme has assumed, the poet states, परया काञ्चीपुरया पर्वतपर्यायपीनकुचभरया। परतन्त्रा वयमनया पङ्कजसब्रह्मचारिलोचनया॥ parayā kāñcīpurayā parvataparyāyapīnakucabharayā| paratantrā vayamanayā paṅkajasabrahmacārilocanayā|| We are not lords of ourselves owing to this Supreme resident of Kāñcī, whose breasts bear the fullness of hillocks and eyes share camaraderie with lotus (petals). - Āryā-śatakam, 6 Mūka-Śaṅkara then reveals that it is not us the created mortals alone who are entranced by the exquisite charm of Kāmākṣī. He states, आम्रतरुमूलवसतेरादिमपुरुषस्य नयनपीयूषम्। आरब्धयौवनोत्सवमाम्नायरहस्यमन्तरवलम्बे॥ āmratarumūlavasaterādimapuruṣasya nayanapīyūṣam| ārabdhayauvanotsavamāmnāyarahasyamantaravalambe|| I cherish within my (heart) (she who is) the feast of the eyes of the Supreme Being who resides at the base of the Mango tree, (she who is) the carnival of budding youth, and the esoteric (essence) of the Vedas! Mūka-Śaṅkara next glorifies the lotus-feet of Kāmākṣī in the hundred verses of the Pādāravinda-śatakam. He pleads in this delectable verse, प्रणम्रीभूतस्य प्रणयकलहत्रस्तमनसः स्मरारातेश्चूडावियति गृहमेधी हिमकरः। ययोः सान्ध्यां कान्तिं वहति सुषमाभिश्चरणयोस्तयोर्मध्ये कामाक्ष्या हृदयमपतन्द्रं विहरताम्॥ praṇamrībhūtasya praṇayakalahatrastamanasaḥ smarārāteścūḍāviyati gṛhamedhī himakaraḥ| yayoḥ sāndhyāṁ kāntiṁ vahati suṣamābhiścaraṇayostayormadhye kāmākṣyā hṛdayamapatandraṁ viharatām|| The crescent moon, a nestler in the firmament of the tresses of the foe of Smara (lord Śiva) whose head remains lowered in the distress of a lovers spat, bears the twilight hue (as reflection) of the charm of whose feet, in those feet of Kāmākṣī may my heart revel, an alien to sloth. - Pādāravinda-śatakam, 5 The poet draws an endearing picture of the relationship shared by Kāmākṣī and Ekāmranātha as the lord of Kāñcī is called. A lovers spat leaves the lord defeated and humbled at the feet of Kāmākṣī, his head lowered. The poet states that the crescent moon nestled in the tresses of the lord sparkles with the hues of twilight reflected from the ruddy-hued feet of Devī. In other words, the poet suggests that the lord has lowered his head at Kāmākṣī’s feet in loving surrender. The significance of this suggestion is accentuated by the name used for the lord in the verse. The poet deliberately calls lord Śiva the foe of Manmatha here. He who reduced to cinders the lord of amour has fallen prey to the love and charm of Kāmākṣī is the allusion made by the poet, and he pleads that his heart ever dwells on those feet that conquered the lord. As if to explain further what keeps lord Śiva entranced, Mūka-Śaṅkara next delves into the description of the endearing smile of the Devī in the section called Mandasmita-śatakam. He states in this verse, आशासीमसु सन्ततं विदधती नैशाकरीं व्याक्रियां काशानामभिमानभङ्गकलनाकौशल्यमाबिभ्रती। ईशानेन विलोकिता सकुतुकं कामाक्षि ते कल्मषक्लेशापायकरी चकास्ति लहरी मन्दस्मितज्योतिषाम्॥ āśāsīmasu santataṁ vidadhatī naiśākarīṁ vyākriyāṁ kāśānāmabhimānabhaṅgakalanākauśalyamābibhratī| īśānena vilokitā sakutukaṁ kāmākṣi te kalmaṣakleśāpāyakarī cakāsti laharī mandasmitajyotiṣām|| O’ Kāmākṣī, the flood of resplendence of your gentle smile, an adept at shaming the pearly white Kāśa blooms, that blossoms on being looked upon with desire by Īśa, eternally shines forth as the moon of the firmament of desires and alleviates the misery of sin. - Mandasmita-śatakam, 6 Having satisfied his desire to sing the paeans of the mesmerizing smile of the Devī in a hundred verses, the poet then begins to describe the inexplicable flourish of Kāmākṣī’s glances. Kāmākṣī is so called because even a languid glance of hers is celebrated as fulfilling of a devotee’s deepest longing. Highlighting this basic hallmark of the presiding deity of Kāñcī, Mūka-Śaṅkara alludes to the blessing bestowed upon him in the very first verse of the Katākṣa-śatakam – मोहान्धकारनिवहं विनिहन्तुमीडे मूकात्मनामपि महाकवितावदान्यान्। श्रीकाञ्चिदेशशिशिरीकृतिजागरूकानेकाम्रनाथतरुणीकरुणावलोकान्॥ mohāndhakāranivahaṁ vinihantumīḍe mūkātmanāmapi mahākavitāvadānyān| śrīkāñcideśaśiśirīkṛtijāgarūkānekāmranāthataruṇīkaruṇāvalokān|| To rid myself of the darkness of ignorance do I glorify the glances of the youthful consort of Ikāmranātha; compassionate glances that rain eloquence of poesy upon the mute, and glances that are alive to rendering the country of Kāñcī pleased. - Kaṭākṣa-śatakam, 1 This section of the work contains exquisite poetry rich with delectable usages and fascinating analogies. One particular verse even likens the glances of the Devī to the march of the Pāṇḍava army. Having described the glances of the Devī in a hundred verses, Mūka-Śaṅkara finally returns to extolling Kāmākṣī in general. He states, कामाडम्बरपूरया शशिरुचा कम्रस्मितानां त्विषा कामारेरनुरागसिन्धुमधिकं कल्लोलितं तन्वती। कामाक्षीति समस्तसज्जननुता कल्याणदात्री नृणां कारुण्याकुलमानसा भगवती कम्पातटे जृम्भते॥ kāmāḍambarapūrayā śaśirucā kamrasmitānāṁ tviṣā kāmāreranurāgasindhumadhikaṁ kallolitaṁ tanvatī| kāmākṣīti samastasajjananutā kalyāṇadātrī nṛṇāṁ kāruṇyākulamānasā bhagavatī kampātaṭe jṛmbhate|| She who with a wealth of coquetry, moonlike charm and the splendor of an endearing smile renders tumultuous the ocean of Kāmāri’s (Śiva’s) longing; she who bestows well-being upon mankind and is glorified by the Divine Name Kāmākṣī by the noble; she whose heart is awash with the compassion rests resplendent upon the banks of river Kampā. - Stuti-śatakam, 4 The Mūkapañcaśatī has merely been introduced here. It is a hymn, as can be observed, rich with poetic excellence, aesthetic pleasure and devotional rapture. The work definitely deserves more than a reading in passing.

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