Kāmakalā rūpā कामकला रूपा (322)

She is in the form of kāmakalā.  This is Her subtler form which is known only to Her spouse Śiva.  The subtlest form is Her kuṇḍalinī form in sahasrāra, where She conjoins Her spouse.  Kuṇḍalinī in lower cakra-s does not become subtlest and it attains the subtlest form only in sahasrāra. Kāma refers to the object of adoration, the object that is desired.  Here, Śiva becomes the most desired of all, as He is the Supreme Reality or Paramārtha.  Śiva being the Supreme Ruler, He is addressed as Kāmeśvara.  By addressing Him thus, He not only becomes the object of desire (Kāma), but also becomes the Supreme Ruler (Īśvara). This how He becomes Kāma + Īśvara = Kāmeśvara. Kalā refers to vimarśa form of Śiva, Mahātripurasundarī. Śiva alone is Self-illuminating and Śaktī illuminates the universe with the brilliance of Śiva. Their conjoined form is Kāmakalā.

Kāmakalā consists of three bindu-s (dots) forming a triangle and below this triangle there is an inverted triangle (hārda-kalā) where the three kūṭa-s of Pañcadasī mantra are placed.  From this lower inverted triangle all triads are born which ultimately leads to the creation of this universe.  The two parallel dots are Her bosoms by which this universe is nurtured and a single dot above these two dots is Her third eye.  Kāma means intent to create and kalā refers to a part of the main object, in this case, Śiva. The conjugation of Kāma and kalā leads to the manifestation of Kāmeśvara and Kāmeśvarī forms.  Śiva and Śaktī unite only in their kāma forms i.e. kāma + īśvarī and kāma + īśvara.  These two, are Their highest forms that cause Creation.  She is known as ‘Mahā-tripura-sundarī’ in the Kāmakalā form and is also known as bindutraya samaṣti rūpa divyākṣara rūpiṇi.  Mahā means supreme, tripura means three cities (could mean entire triads, the cause for creation that are ruled by Her).  The deeper meaning of tripura is Her three actions viz. creation, sustenance and destruction.  Sundarī means beauty.  So ‘Mahā-tripura-sundarī’ means the beautiful and Supreme Mother, who creates, nourishes and dissolves.  These three acts are subtly mentioned in Kāmakalā. 

The three bindu-s are extremely powerful.  They represent sun, moon and fire. Bindu is called the highest light.  The highest form of light naturally should be the origin of light from which all others should have emerged.  Self illuminating light is Śiva and that is why He is called as prakāśa form.  Śaktī reflects and distributes the light received from prakāśa form and that is why She is called as vimarśa form.  Vimarśa can be explained as knowledge with reasoning. The light of Śiva will not be reflected unless Śaktī is by His side.  These three bindu-s are therefore the three different forms of Śaktī and each of which represent three divine energies viz. Vāma, Jyeśta and Raudrī.  These goddesses represent Her three acts of creation, nourishment and absorption.  This is as far as the upper triangle is concerned.  It must be remembered that there is no triangle here but only three bindu-s (Bindu-s are further elaborated in nāma 905).  It is called as a triangle because if these dots are joined by straight lines, a triangle is formed. 

This upper conceived triangle is coupled with the lower hārda-kalā or the lower inverted triangle.  Each of the three lines of the triangle represents the three kūṭa-s of Pañcadasī mantra.  From this lower triangle which is formed out of the three kūṭa-s of the supreme Pañcadasī mantra, all other mantra-s are born leading to the creation of the universe.  Thus the lower triangle is known as the organ of creation from which the universe was created.  In the upper triangle the two lower bindu-s mean the sustenance or nourishment and the upper most triangle is the bindu for destruction.  These bindu-s are also known as sun, moon and fire possibly indicating sustenance (sun-without which the universe cannot function), sustenance (moon – moon is the symbolic representation of love) and fire (one of the qualities of fire is destruction).   This can be in fact compared to the three kūṭa-s of Pañcadasī where the kūṭa-s are also known as agni (fire) kūṭa, Sūrya (sun) kūṭa and Chandra (moon) kūṭa. 

The same interpretation is given in Saundarya Laharī (verse 19) which says, “The one who meditates on your Kāmakalā form, treating your face as the bindu (the upper bindu) and the pair of your bosom (the two lower bindu-s) and the half of the letter H below it (the lower triangle), at once impassions women, is but a triviality.” 

It is not appropriate to provide a detailed interpretation, which should be known only from a learned guru of Śrī Vidya cult.  But those who do not have a guru, but are deeply attached to Śrī Mātā, the Divine Mother MĀ, should not be deprived of the opportunity to know the significance of Kāmakalā. Hence, a moderate interpretation is given here.  The usage of this Kāmakalā in ṣoḍaśī mantra in an appropriate place will provide early siddhi of the mantra.