Kamalakanta Bhattacharya

Kamalakanta Bhattacharya Poems

Kamalakanta Bhattacharya Biography

Sadhaka Kamalakanta (Bengali: কমলাকান্ত ভট্টাচার্য, usually known simply as Kamalakanta sometime known as Shadhak Kamalakanta, was a poet of India of the late 18th century. He is often considered to have followed the example of Ramprasad, both in his poetry and in his lifestyle. Early Life Kamalakanta was born in Bardhaman, India. His father was a Brahmin priest who died when Kamalakanta was still a boy. His mother struggled financially to provide for the family with the meager income from the small amount of land left to them, but she managed to send Kamalakanta to higher education. Kamalakanta was a bright student, studying Sanskrit and showing an early talent for poetry and music. It is said that "his heart opened to the love of God" when he received the sacred thread and was initiated into spiritual practice by Chandra Shekhar Goswami. From an early age he expressed an interest in spirituality and later in life Kamalakanta received initiation into Tantric Yoga from a Tantric yogi named Kenaram Bhattacharya. Career In order to support his family, Kamalakanta started a small school in addition to his work as a Brahmin priest. But Kamalakanta struggled to make ends meet. His songs made him famous during his lifetime. Because of his fame as a singer poet, the Maharaja of Bardhaman, Tej Chandra, asked Kamalakanta to be his Guru and appointed him as a court advisor. Throughout his life Kamalakanta was a great devotee of Kali and composed many impassioned and devotional love poems to the Mother. It is said that the Divine Mother in her aspect of Mahakali wishes her sincere devotees to make the fastest progress. Kali is often depicted as the great destroyer of ignorance and hostile forces. The poetry of Kamalakanta displays this heroic attitude, imploring Kali to destroy limitations and bondage. The poetry of Kamalakanta also displays a profound faith in his all-powerful Kali. The earth quakes under Your leaps and bounds. You are frightful with that sword in Your hand. Whilst Kali is often depicted as a black and terrifying form, this is just one aspect of hers as a destroyer of ignorance. Kamalakanta also alludes to the other aspect of Kali as he states in his poem - "Is my Mother Really Black?" If She's black, how can She light up the world? Sometimes my Mother is white, sometimes yellow, blue, and red. I cannot fathom Her. My whole life has passed trying. [trans. Rachel Fell McDermott] The poems of Kamalakanta and Ramprasad were later sung by mystic Sri Ramakrishna, who himself was a great devotee of the Divine Mother. These devotional songs would often send Sri Ramakrishna into an ecstatic state as he became absorbed in contemplation of the Divine Mother. Many of these songs are recorded in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, which at one point mentions, "...he (Ramakrishna) would spend hours singing the devotional songs of great devotees of the Mother, such as Kamalakanta and Ramprasad. Those rhapsodic songs describing direct vision of God...")

The Best Poem Of Kamalakanta Bhattacharya

O Kali

O Kali! I am going to devour You this time…
Therefore, I ask You, O Kali...
O ever blissful Kali, the enchantress of the heart of almighty Mahakala.
You dance alone. And You sing alone, clapping Your hands.

O Mother, You are the first Cause,
the Eternal One, in the form of the Void
and wearing the moon on Your forehead.
When the universe did not exist,
where did You find Your string of severed human heads?

You alone are the Mover in everybody;
we are but instruments in Your hands.
We move as You make us move;
we speak as You make us speak.

But the restless Kamalakanta gently chides You, saying,
‘Mother, the Destroyer of all, holding Your sword,
now You have devoured both my virtue and vice!’
If I die uttering, ‘Victory to Kali, victory to Kali!’
I shall assuredly attain Shivahood.
Then what is the use of going to Benares?

Infinite are my Mother Kali’s forms.
Who can find the end of Kali?
Knowing a little of Her greatness,
Shiva lies prostrate at Her red-hued feet.

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