MOOKHA PANCHASATHEE OF MOOKHA KAVI

 

Mookha Kavi, a poet who was known to many of us as dumb.  We have no evidence about his family, parents, birth, education domestic life and career.  It is believed that a deaf-mute abiding at the enclosure of Sri Kaamaakshi Ambaal temple used to worship the deity and be very deeply devoted to Ambal.  Consequently he used to immerse himself in the Advaita Concept, supreme Bliss, and Consciousness and with such total absorption of his mind he was shut-off from the external world.

There is a prevalent opinion that Fourth Sankara-Aachaarya Svaamigal who succeeded Vijnaanendra Sarasvathi, the Second Sankara-Aachaarya Svaamigal of Kaamakoti Peeta, was none other than Mookha Kavi.  He ascended the throne in 399 AD and attained Mukthi in 437 AD.  He attained such lasting heights of glory and fame through the pervasive influence of his poesy describing the Divine Mother Sri Kaamaakshi Ambaal in such a manner that he soon got widely acknowledged and his work was accepted with the title “Mookha Panchasathee”.

Mookha Panchasathee occupies a very high niche in the Sanskrit Literature. Both because of the intense devotion and fervour of the verses and the rare literary excellence, sublime heights of glorious ideas, beautiful style and melodious diction.  It consists of five chapters which contain one hundred and odd poems in each chapters, named Aarya Satakam, Paadhaaravindha Sathakam, Sthuthi Sathakam, Kataaksha Sathakam and Mandhasmitha Sathakam.

The poetic soul which had been revelling in the enthralling experience of love continued to dwell on the same sentiment and produced a pearl of lyrical poetry.  Just we can enjoy the aesthetic pleasures through five poems.

Kaarana para chidhroopa kaancheepura seemni kaamapeetagathaa l

Kaachana viharathi karunaa Kaasmeerasthabaka-komalaanga-lathaa ll1.I ll

She who is the divine cause of creation, who sits in the Kama Peeta in Kanchi,
Makes her divine presence like the Saffron which is a tender pretty climber

Mahaamanthram kinchinmanikataka-naadhair mrudhu japan

Kshipandhikshu svaccham nakharuchimayam bhaasman-rajaha l

Nathaanaam kaamaakshi prakruthi paturacchatya mamathaa

Pisaacheem paadho(a)yam prakatayathi the maanthrika dhrusaam ll 36.II ll

Oh Sri Kaamaakshi, your feet by nature shrewd seem to be a wizard driving a way the evil goblin of ego in the devotees.  The sound produced by gem anklets seems to be the chanting of Manthras.  The spreading lustre of the white hue of the toe-nails on all quarters seems to be the throwing of the sacred ashes (Vibhoothi).

Paraa vidhyaa hrudhyaasrithamadhana vidhyaa marakatha

Prabhaa neelaa leelaaparavasitha soolaayudhamanaaha l

Thamaf pooram dhooram charananatha pourandharapuree

Mrugaakshee kaamaakshee kamalatharalaakshee nayathu me ll 56.III ll

May Sri Kaamaakshee who is the incarnation of the highest knowledge, who is the patron of the science of cupid, who is dark emerald in hue, who has utterly subjugated the mind of Sri Paramesvara, who has the celestial women of Indraloka ever doing obeisance to Her and who is graceful and lotus-eyed, drive away the heaps my sins.

Eshaa thavaakshisushamaa vishamaayudhasya naarachavarshalaharee nagaraajakanye l

Sanke karothi sathadhaa hrudhi dhairyamudhraam sree kaamakoti yadhasou sisiraamsumouleh ll 93.IV ll

Oh Daughter of ParvataRaja(Himavaan), Oh Sri Kaamaakshi, I think the lustre of your glance belongs to the traditional weapons of Cupid because it smashes Sri Paramesvara’s courage to smithereens.

Aaryaameva vibhaavayan manasi yaf paadhaaravindham puraha

Pasyannaarabhathe sthuthim sa niyatham labdhvaa katakshacchavim l

Kaamaakshyaa mrudhulasmithaamsu laharee jyothsnaavayasyaanvithaam

Aarohathyapavarga soudhavalabheem aanandhaveecheemayeem ll 101.V ll

He who meditates ever in his mind the Supreme symbol of Femininity, Sri Ambaal, concentrating on the lotus like feet in front and begins the chanting of praise, attains the glances of Sri Ambaal directed towards him, along with the fountains head of the effulgence of smile attended by the compassion of moonlight and ascends the multi-storeyed mansion of Beatitude to have a strolling at the flood of Bliss consciousness.