Kamadeva

A Thai depiction of Kamadeva riding a parrot, 1959

The story of the birth of Kamadeva has several variants in different Hindu scriptures.[18]

In the Taittiriya Brahmana and the epic Mahabharata, he is mentioned as a son of Dharma, the god of righteousness and a prajapati (agent of creation).[19][2] His mother is mentioned to be Dharma's wife Shraddha in Taittiriya Brahmana,[20] while the appendix of the Mahabharata, Harivamsa, states his mother to be Lakshmi, another wife of Dharma.[lower-alpha 3][20][3][21]

According to Puranic scriptures including the Shiva Purana, the Kalika Purana, the Brahma Vaivarta Purana and the Matsya Purana, Kama is one of the mind-born sons of the creator god Brahma.[22][23][13][4][24] In the most common narrative, after Brahma creates all the prajapatis (agents of creations) and a maiden named Sandhya, an extremely handsome and youthful man emerges from his mind and enquires Brahma about the purpose of his birth. Brahma names him Kama and orders him to spread love in the world by shooting his flower-arrows. Kama decides to first use his arrows against Brahma and shoots him with his floral arrows.[lower-alpha 4] He becomes attracted to Sandhya and desires for her. The prajapati Dharma becomes worried by this and calls the god Shiva, who watches them and laughs at both Brahma and Kama.[lower-alpha 5] Brahma regains consciousness and curses Kama to be burnt to ashes by Shiva in the future. However, on Kama's pleading, Brahma assures him that he would be reborn.[24][2][25][13][lower-alpha 6] A later version of the myth is found in the Skanda Purana, according to which, Brahma creates Kama from his mind to ignite passion in the prajapatis (agents of creation) after they refused to procreate.[13][lower-alpha 7]

In some traditions, Kama is considered a son of the goddess of wealth Lakshmi and the preserver god Vishnu due to his birth as Pradyumna to Rukmini and Krishna, the incarnations of Lakshmi and Vishnu respectively.[5][26][4] According to Matsya Purana, Visnu-Krishna and Kamadeva have a historical relationship.[16]

Both the epics and the Puranas attest the goddess Rati as the consort and chief assistant of Kamadeva. She is his female counterpart representing sensual pleasure. According to Kalika Purana and Shiva Purana, she emerged from a sweat drop of prajapati Daksha who was assigned by Brahma to present Kamadeva a wife. The Shiva Purana also mentions that Kama himself was pierced by his love-arrows when he saw Rati. The Brahmavaivarta Purana gives Rati another origin, according to which Sandhya died after Brahma desired for her but was revived as Rati by Vishnu who presented her to Kama.[27][28] Priti ("affection") is mentioned as Kamadeva's second spouse in the Skanda Purana, while in other texts, 'Priti' is just an epithet of Rati.[4]

In the most scriptures, Kama and Rati have two children, Harsha ("Joy") and Yashas ("Grace"). However, the Vishnu Purana mentions that they only has one son – Harsha.[3]

Besides Rati, Kama's main assistant is Vasanta, the god of spring season, who was created by Brahma. Kama is served by a group of violent ganas known as the Maras.[29][4]Kama also leads the celestial nymphs, the apsaras, and they are often sent by Indra—the king of heaven—to disturb the penance of sages to prevent them from achieving divine powers.[30]

Painting of the Madana-bhasma (Shiva turns Kamadeva to ashes)

One of the principal myths regarding Kama is the legend of his incineration by Shiva, called the Madana-bhasma, also rendered the Kama dahana. It occurs in its most developed form in the Matsya Purana (verses 227–255), [31] but is also repeated with variants in the Shiva Purana and other Puranas.[32]

In the narrative, Indra and the devas suffer at the hands of the asura Tarakasura, who had received a boon from Brahma that he could not be defeated by any god except the child of Shiva, who was yet unborn. The deities scheme to make Shiva, who was performing a penance, sire a son with Parvati. Indra assigns Kamadeva to break Shiva's meditation. To create a congenial atmosphere, Kamadeva creates an untimely spring (akāla-vasanta). He evades Shiva's guard, Nandi, by taking the form of the fragrant southern breeze, and enters Shiva's abode.

After he awakens Shiva with a flower-arrow, Shiva, furious, opens his third eye, which incinerates Kamadeva instantaneously, turning him into ash. Shiva observes Parvati before him. Impressed by her ascetic practice, he allows her to choose a boon of her choice. She enjoins him to restore Kamadeva to life. Shiva agrees to let Kamadeva live, but in a disembodied form, travelling like the wind with his bow and arrow with his consort, Rati. Shiva and Parvati's marriage results in the birth of a son, Kartikeya, goes on to defeat Taraka.[33]

According to Garuda Purana, Pradyumna and Samba - the sons of Krishna, Sanat Kumara - the son of Brahma, Skanda - the son of Shiva, Sudarshana (the presiding deity of Sudarshana Chakra), and Bharata are all incarnations of Kama.[34] The myth of Kamadeva's incineration is referenced in the Matsya Purana and Bhagavata Purana to reveal a relationship between Krishna and Kamadeva.[16] In the narrative, Kama is reincarnated in the womb of Krishna's wife Rukmini as Pradyumna, after being burned to ashes by Shiva.

Kama (left) with Rati on a temple wall of Chennakesava Temple, Belur

Holi is a Hindu festival, celebrated in the Indian subcontinent. It is sometimes called Madana-Mahotsava[38] or Kama-Mahotsava.[39][40] This festival is mentioned by Jaimini, in his early writings such as Purvamimamsa-sutra, dated c. 400 BC.[39]

The Ashoka tree is often planted near temples. The tree is said to be a symbol of love and is dedicated to Kamadeva.[41]

In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Krishna is identified as the original Kamadeva in Vrindavana. Kamadeva also incarnates as Krishna's son Shamba after being burned down by Shiva. Since he was begotten by Krishna himself, his qualities were similar to those of Krishna, such as his colour, appearance, and attributes.[42] This Shamba is not considered identical with Vishnu's vyuha-manifestation called Shamba, but is an individual soul (jiva-tattva) who, owing to his celestial powers, becomes an emanation of Vishnu's prowess.

The Kamadeva that was incinerated is believed to be a celestial demigod capable of inducing love and lusty desires. He is distinguished from the spiritual Kamadeva.[43] Here Krishna is the source of Kamadeva's inciting power, the ever-fresh transcendental god of love of Vrindavana, the origin of all forms of Kamadeva, yet above mundane love, who is worshiped with the Kama-Gayatri and Kama-Bija mantras.[43][44][45]

When Kamadeva is referenced as smara in Bhāgavata Purāṇa (book 10) in the context of the supramundane love between Krishna and the gopis (cowherd maidens), he is not the Deva who incites lusty feelings.[43] The word smara rather refers to Krishna himself, who through the medium of his flute increases his influence on the devoted gopis. The symptoms of this smarodayam (lit. "arousal of desire") experienced by the gopis have been described in a commentary (by Vishvanatha Cakravarti) as follows:[46] "First comes attraction expressed through the eyes, then intense attachment in the mind, then determination, loss of sleep, becoming emaciated, uninterested in external things, shamelessness, madness, becoming stunned, and death. These are the ten stages of Cupid’s effects."[43] The beauty of Krishna's consort, Radha, is without equal in the universe, and her power constantly defeats the god of love, Kamadeva.[47]