Kāmakalā

 

Kamala Srikanthanatha

 

A Nepalese idol of the yāmala of śrīkaṇṭhanātha and kāmakalā. śrīkaṇṭha bears three eyes that signify sūrya, chandra and agni. He sports ardhacandra in his matted lock and shows five faces (tatpuruṣa, aghora, vāmadeva, sadyojāta and īśāna) representing the five acts of creation, preservation etc. He holds in his lotus hands: varada, abhaya, naracarma, triśūla, triratna, daṇḍa, mālā and pustaka. The great Kāmakalā is depicted with six faces representing the six āmnāyas and twelve arms bearing kapāla, ghaṇṭā, cāpa, kartarī, bāṇa, triratna, triśūla, varada, abhaya and other āyudhas. The vāhanas of the divine couple, vṛṣabha and siṃha, can be seen at their feet.

śrīkaṇṭhanātha displays a dancing ardhaparyāya posture with the left leg of Kāmakalā wrapped around his waist. Both of them are seen trampling demons under their feet. Highly reminiscent of the Tantric Buddhist yab-yum iconography, the Divine Couple come together in harmony for the purpose of initiating the creative cycle of the cosmos.

 

 

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