Shraddha Kamayani (First Century AD) was one of the female Rishis and the famous woman during the first Century AD. It is believed that she was born in a village in Maharashtra in a pious family. She has contributed certain portions of texts in the Rig Veda (10.151), and she was considered as a pure, pious and a chaste woman, who lived a very simple life, and covered her whole body with her long hair itself.
Apart from her contribution in Rig Veda, She has made her various holy writings on Lord Shiva. She was praised by the great Ujjain king Sri Vikramaditya, for her selfless devotion on Lord Shiva.She established an Ashram on the banks of the holy River Ganges in Varanasi and began to meditate on Lord Shiva. While she was doing meditation, she used to sit in between fire flames in order to avoid disturbances from the people and from the animals. She controlled her senses, and concentrated her attention only on Lord Shiva. She is also considered to be an aspect of Ma Parvati.
At her younger age itself,she left her family in order to worship Lord Shiva sincerely.She made her travel to various Shiva temples in North India, and finally she had the divine vision of Lord Shiva.She also discussed about the spirituality and about the devotion of Lord Shiva along with other sages and saints. Till the end of her life, she lived in Varanasi and worshipped Lord Shiva.
She was a sincere devotee of Lord Shiva and says that her mind, body, and soul were belonged to Lord Shiva.
She never enjoyed a luxuries life, and she fully concentrated her attention on Lord Shiva, and travelled throughout the region, and sung in praise of Lord Shiva.
In recognition tothe Shiva Bhakti of Ma Shraddha Kamayani, many people in Maharashtra had named their girl children as “KAMAYANI”, and still in some villages, she is worshipped as mother goddess.
Shraddha Kamayani considered Lord Shiva as everything in her life. According to her, Lord Shiva is the permanent one, and he cannot be destroyed by anyone.
Let us worship the holy mother and the great Female Rishi Ma Kamayani, and concentrate our entire attention on Lord Shiva.
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR