Kamalakanta was born in Burdwan India in the late 18th Century. 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. His songs made him famous during his lifetime and because of his fame as a singer poet the Maharaja of Burdwan, Tej Chandra asked Kamalakanta to be his Guru. Kamalakanta became 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 of 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 however 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. "
The poems of Kamalakanta and Ramprasad were later sung by 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.
Richard Pettinger
http://www.poetseers.org/
The Poet's Corner [Three poem/ see review of poetry under... Read More
Learn about love by reading poetry by a long dead... Read More
The Exit Poems [And Socrates]Iron and FireIron can be... Read More
Bells for Belphegor!...Where immortal veils never meet Belphegor, Arch devil... Read More
Says Mr. Dennis Siluk, when asked to review his poetry... Read More
"How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was... Read More
now is not the time to open open that great... Read More
Supernatural PoetryHere are five poems,-what I call-death and supernatural poems.... Read More
One of the most important poets of the post-war period,... Read More
Hammers. Timbers. Iron. Steel.They're laying down a mighty keel.As ant-like... Read More
Lord Byron's opening couplet to "She Walks In Beauty" is... Read More
I Shall Wait..On all the new mornings, and every singking... Read More
Ole Bulky JeepsThrough late summer's heat These bulky shaped jeeps... Read More
I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More
You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More
Kafka lands resurrected in Crewe deposited by a silvery alien... Read More
We were exiled from the Garden of Eden. Its... Read More
What's a prisoner to do when justice fails and... Read More
Little girl from HuancayoDo you really, really know? Just how... Read More
Memoirs of a Wasteland's RimIt still was light when she... Read More
Charlotte Bronte (1816 ?1855) Novelist and Poet.Charlotte was the daughter... Read More
Man UnbowedUnbowed by sin, the world of man, stands Upon... Read More
Here are three more poems by the author, Dennis Siluk,... Read More
Stone Beds [Pompeii's surge]Advance: after the great eruption of Pompeii's... Read More
JOINEDHeart beat of man pounding - yet unheard joined... Read More
maid service near Winnetka ..Lima, City with the Stretched out WingsIt's an ink-black... Read More
Poems have different cores, or so I believe, and can... Read More
We were exiled from the Garden of Eden. Its... Read More
Mother's Day Poetry,I'm Sorry Mom!I'm sorry for the troubles ... Read More
Old skin, once held tight Against her skeleton- Rose no... Read More
During interviews and general conversations with the public,one of the... Read More
Grandpa's House [The ole Real House]The house needed painting Sun-blistered... Read More
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression, finding... Read More
JOINEDHeart beat of man pounding - yet unheard joined... Read More
Is poetry too complicated for the average reader? Is it... Read More
Let's follow the poet to his Hell and heaven! Count... Read More
So many looked to you for inspiration,Unlikely hero for the... Read More
#25The King and Delka [Split Mawkishness-on Moiromma /Part V]Sickly SentimentalityI... Read More
1) Do?a Leonor's Revenge [1627 AD]Rafael Ortiz's fate Was... Read More
AFRICA (to africans in diaspora)africa here i come, africa africa... Read More
Man UnbowedUnbowed by sin, the world of man, stands Upon... Read More
She probably can't remember and I know I can never... Read More
Happy, Sad, Mad and Glad, Moved in down the streetCautious... Read More
If a happiness poem could bring forth a smile, Then... Read More
What can I do to keep this world in its... Read More
The Goat and the Ropewhere there were devils I saw... Read More
Bells for Belphegor!...Where immortal veils never meet Belphegor, Arch devil... Read More
Emlyn Williams Theatre, Mold, North Wales: 20th February 2003Clwyd Theatr... Read More
Truth is stranger than fiction according to many people who... Read More
Growing hurts sometimes; saying goodbye to friends, ... Read More
Poetry |