Kamakhya Tantra and The Mysterious History of Kamakhya (English Translation of the Kamakhya Tantra)

‘Kamakhyatantra and the mysterious history of Kamakhya’ contains the translation in English of the tantra text Kamakhyatantram written in Sanskrit. This book is an exhaustive and exclusive study on the mysterious history of Kamakhya. It deals with the mythological history of the origin of the Pitha kamakhya, Narakasura and Mother Kamakhya, Vasistha and Mother Kamakhya, Naranarayana and Chila Rai and Mother Kamakhya, inauguration of the temple of Kamakhya, method of worship, festivals like Ambuvaci, Deodhan, Durgapuja, Kalipuja and Manasa Puja rituals like Kumari Puja, Animal Sacrifice, prominent Sadhaka like Acarya Brahmananda Giri, legendary figure like Swami Vivekananda, national political leader like Indira Gandhi, iconclasts like Kalapahara, Bakhthiyar Khalji, Nasiruddin and Tughril Khan, personal experience of Lal Baba.

Name: Parimal Kumar Datta

Father’s Name: Paresh Chandra Datta

Mother’s Name: Mukul Rani Datta

Date of Birth: 08-12-1955

Birth Place: Manindranagar, Cossimbazar Raj, Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal.

Educational Qualification: B.A. (Honours in Sanskrit), M.A. (Sanskrit) M.A. (English), M.A. (Political Science), B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D.

Awards: Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund Award by University Grants Commission through Calcutta University.

Srimat Taracaran Param Hamsa Silver Medal by Calcutta University.

Prasanna Kumar Sarbadhikari Silver Medal by Calcutta University.

Dr. Jayamantra Mishra Prize by All India Oriental Conference. (Kurukshetra University)

Padmashri Prof. Sumati Mutatkar by the All India Oriental Conference. (Kashmir University)

Published articles in reputed journals and magazines including reference books namely” Tantra: Its relevance to modern times” & “Studies in Tara Tantra “.

vyaghrambaradharam devam sulahastam subhairavam/ namami tvam mahadevam divyajyotirvibhusitam/ / acaryam pranavam devam asutosam varapradam/ namami saccidanandam sripranavanandavigraham/ / Paresh Chandra Datta who was not blessed with any children after his marriage for long 9 (nine) years, was offered a root of a herb by a tall matted-hair Sannyasi having a radiant face. He was advised by that Sannyasi who vanished in the air within a short moment, to give that herbal medicine to Mukul Rani Datta who would take it. That Sannyasi foretold that Paresh Chandra Datta and Mukul Rani Datta would be blessed with four children i.e. first daughter and three sons. The blessings of that Sannyasi proved to be absolutely correct. I am the third child and the second son of Paresh Chandra Datta and Mukul Rani Datta.

Paresh Chandra Datta, my father, was a classmate of Senior P. C. Sarkar, world famous magician. My father was a mathematical genius and devout worshipper of Mother KaIi. My mother was a versatile genius. She studied more than forty thousand (40000) books during her 82 years’ life span.

I was born and broght up in a pure Sakta Kayastha family surrounded by Brahmin families in a village where animal sacrifice was a common and compulsory ritual in Kali Puja, Durga Puja and Manasa Puja.

My father’s extra-ordinary retentive faculty and unbound devotion to Mother Kali, my mother’s omnivores readership and Sakta environment had much influence upon me.

I was initiated into Sakta Mantra by my father at the age of only eight years. I studied many tantra books during my student life. During my childhood I used to spend nights at the places of the Tantric rituals in connection with the Cadakapuja in the Caitrasamkranti (April 14-15). I used to spend much time in the cremation ground by the bank of the Ganga.

My Sakta blood, family cult and studies on Tantra ignited my soul for Tantra. I began to foretell. All the fore-telling proved correct. In spite of our strong belief in Mother Kali, I had to pass through poverty, sufferings, sorrows and struggles. But the devotion of my parents to Mother Kali gave me much mental strength. I chose the path of Tantra. We heard of the wonderful and mysterious stories and myths about Kamakhyapitha and Mother Kamakhya. But I never thought of becoming a permanent inhabitant of Assam and a regular visitor of Kamakhya, I also never thought that Mother Kamakhya would call me and place me on the zenith of Tantra world. But it happened.

In spite of my first class first position in Calcutta University, I was compelled to surrender myself to Providence. I had to discontinue my studies in Calcutta University on account of saving my family from acute financial crisis and joining the post of an assistant teacher in a high school in Assam.

I never left my studies, practice and studies on Tantra. I used to pass nights in Kamakhya in Ambuvaci. I was in search of Sadhakas having supernatural powers in Kamakhya and other parts of Assam. I met many astrologers and tantrasadhakas. But I never thought of writing any tantra books in spite of my study and practice.

During my college service I decided to do my Ph.D. in Comparative Grammar or Sri Radha or the political career of Lord Krsna. I met a few scholar professors and approached them for helping me in my research and becoming my guides. But all of them refused because of their lack of studies on those topics.

Just at that period I met with a major traffic accident followed by three consecutive major surgical operations at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. When I was under the potency of anesthesia in the operation table, Mother Kali appeared in my sub-conscious mind and instructed me to carry on my research on Tantra for the Ph.D. Degree. It is a matter of great, mystery and wonder that I could not forget that mystic revelation.

After the publication of my books 1. Tantra its relevance to modern times. 2. Studies in Taratantra. I ventured to translate Kamakhyatantra into English from Sanskrit and write the history of Kamakhya.

I do not know why repeated cyclones in the form of obstacles and sufferings flung to my life when I started this herculean task. I visited Kamakhya for more than 100 times for research works.

Probably Mother Kali (Kamakhya) wanted to test my devotion to her. Obstacles, hindrances, Sufferings, sorrows, sacrifices, struggles and misunderstandings i.e. seven chariot-warriors, surrounded me like the Saptarathis of the Mahabharata War. Abhimanyu was killed by the Saptarathis in the Mahabharata War, but I was saved and rescued by Mother Kamakhya (Kali) Herself. She smiled upon me. I could complete this herculean task.

This task would not have been successfully performed if my dearest and nearest ones had not helped me in various forms and different ways. I may fail in my duties if I do not acknowledge their contributions.

Mr. Prashanta Kumar Bhattacharya, proprietor of Punthi Pustak, Kolkata, deserves my first thanks for his inspiration.

It is the interest and initiative taken by Mr. Bhattacharya have made the publication of the book possible.

I have culled the material of my book from many books, but two books to which I am specially indebted are - 1. Heritage of Kamakhya on the Nilacala Hill and 2. Devipitha Kamakhya.

I offer my deep gratitude to Swami Sadhanananda Maharaj, Dhruvajyoti Datta, Pankaj Datta, Tandra Datta, Parul Ghosh, Pradip Nag, Abdus Subahan, all the faculty members, staff and students of S. M. College, all the professors and non- teaching staff of Kharupetia College and the pandas of the Kamakhya temple for their inspiration.

I am thankful to my wife Jyotsna Datta for her unending and ungrudging help in translating my dream into reality.

I take this opportunity in recording my heartful thanks to Sanjana Nagraj Pothi, Sandra Hamilton, Sandra Kedhar, Mandavi Chaturvedi, Joan Punyet, Uma Korua, Anuradha Sinha, Nabanita Sharma, Eva Elizorova, Caterina Maria Fasulo, Anjana Kumar, Felicia Gosein, Sanchari Bhattacharya, Anita Lama, Madhura Chakravorty, Natasha Kardam, Annapurna Tiwari, Mousumi Chandra, Alka Shukla, Sushil Surana, Chandraprabha Singh.

May Mother Kamakhya bless her following children who always take pride in my glory -

Pallab-Sikha, Pratik-Sutapa, Subham-Rima, Palas-Nupur, Champalal-Sarala, Anirvan-Beauty, Pankaj-Pinky, Dharani- ,Jaya, Tapas-Trisha, Raju-Manisha, Sankar-Sikha, Manik-Mani, Pradyut-Rina, Prasenjit-Samyukta, Rima, Pranit, Pranay, Abir, Adi, Adya, Paushali, Surajit-Suman, Abhijit, Sakshi, Jit, Tapodhir, Sanjay, Rakesh, Manoj, Rimi, Rahul, Chayanika, Priyanka, Manti, Shila, Aparajita, Pradip, Pratap, Gopal Guha Roy, Eshita, Kali, Zahida, Mahmuda, Erina, Rubina, Mazeda, Rakhi, Pankaj-Devarshi, Nandita, Dyutiratna, Prasenjit, Misri, Rajesh, Sonu, Puja, Poonam, Dipika Deka, Mon, Babli, Nilima, Tanuja, Rinku, Kritti, Maumita, Pompy, Wahida, Ganesh, Nandan, Rupanjali, Sabita, Sabitri, Banashri, Monali, Gautam, Uttam, Vicky, Surabhi, Sandip, Saikat, Bhaskar, Biswajit, Pintu, Anju, Ganga, Monika Sharma, Shikha Sikder, Pritam, Maman, Nurul, Gargi, Indrajit, Geeta, Rachana, Pallavi, Usha, Baby, Gopal, Debabrata Sutradhar, Jay Bhattacharya, Raju, Dipsikha, Sudipta, Piyush, Jhuma, Jayshri, Shweta Jain, Asish Roy, Anju Ganguli.

I will deem my labour amply rewarded if the book serves the need of those for whom it is meant.

Jai Ma KaIi, Jai Ma Kamakhya, Jai Ma Tara, Jai Siva Sankara, Jai Pranabananda Maharaj.