Kamala - The Lotus Goddess

The name Kamala means "she of the lotus" and is a common epithet of the goddess Lakshmi or Shri, who is said to adore lotuses and to be lotus eyed and surrounded by lotuses. Indeed, Kamala is none other than the goddess Lakshmi. She is usually listed as the tenth and last of the Mahavidyas. Of all the goddesses in the Mahavidya group, Kamala is the best known and most popular and has the oldest tradition of worship outside the Mahavidya context.

Kamala is a beautiful young woman with a shining complexion. Two elephants flank her and shower her with water while she sits on a lotus and holds lotuses in each of her four hands. The lotus is related to life and fertility. The cosmos as lotus-like suggests a world that is organic, vigorous and beautiful. It is the fecund vigor suggested by the lotus that is revealed in Kamala. She is the life force that pervades creation.

Kamala's association with the elephant suggests other aspects of her character that are ancient and persistent. The elephants have two meanings. According to Hindu tradition, elephants are related to clouds and rain, and hence fertility. Second, elephants also suggest royal authority.

This description by Nitin Kumar, Executive Editor, Exotic India.

References:

Kinsley, David. Tantric Visions of the Diveine Feminine. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1997.