Chapter 13 - Kāmeśvara (kāma-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: When the god of Love [i.e., Kāma] got burnt by Śiva, he propitiated this Śiva Liṅga. God Śiva blessed and gave him a place near him here [i.e., Kāmeśvara].

Śrī Hara said:

1-5. Know, O goddess, that Kāmeśvara Liṅga is the thirteenth deity. Merely by visiting it, splendid bliss and fortune result.

While Brahmā was in meditation, O Pārvatī, with a desire for progeny, a great mass of beauty with refulgence of the sun appeared before him fully decked with ornaments and embellished with divine adornments.

On seeing him excessively refulgent, sublime, very difficult to be comprehended and beyond reasoning, Brahmā spoke to him: “Who are you? Why have you come here? You appear to be Kandarpa with all the features of Manmatha (god of Love).”

On hearing the words of Brahmā, he said with due respect: “I have been created by your mental power, as you are desirous of creation. O illustrious Patriarch, what shall I do? Direct me.”

Brahmā said:

6-10. Desirous of creation, I have created Prajāpatis (Patriarchs). But, O Kāma, they are incapable of creating progeny. Let them be happy. You are the leader in the creation of progeny. This universe is under your control. O Kandarpa, at my bidding, create beings of diverse kinds.

On being told thus by Brahmā, O goddess, Smara vanished from view. He was cursed by the angry Brahmā: “Certainly you will undergo destruction. You will become destroyed by the fire issuing from the eye of Bhava (Śiva), since you did not carry out my instruction.”

On hearing that terrible curse, Kandarpa became excessively afraid. With humility he bowed down to Brahmā and said: “Be pleased, O Lord of the chiefs of Devas, with me who have no other resort (except you). Masters do not become inordinately furious on dependents.”

Brahmā said:

11-18. O highly intelligent one, since your devotion to me is unparalleled, twelve places are being given to you by me, viz. women’s side-glances, tresses of hairs, buttocks, the two breasts, navel, armpit, and lower lip resembling tender shoots, young maidens and spring season, cooing of the cuckoo, moonlight and advent of monsoon. For the purpose of love (making) the powerful months of Madhu and Mādhava (are given). Women are nectarine and blessed. They are the cause of the stability of worldly existence. They are the storehouses of conjugal bliss. They have been created for the sake of progeny. The universe is subjected to control by these excellent women. Whence can there be steadiness of mind in a man who is attracted by women? How can there be self-dependence in a man who has surrendered himself to the influence of women? Women alone caused the destruction of the former Daityas. Women alone are the causes of the fright of Indra and other Devas. If a man gets his sustenance through women, his discomfiture is enormous. His helplessness is terrible. To a man whose mind is overwhelmed by women, vulnerability to threat of dangers is easy.

19-29. After saying this, O fair lady, Manmatha was given a flowery bow and five arrows by Brahmā and was sent off. The fish-emblemed, mind-born god of Love, accompanied by Rati (Sexual Pleasures) and Prīti (Love), overcomes the three worlds. He is a bowman with accomplices overpowering scholars, ascetics, heroes, wise men, men of controlled sense-organs, those who are conversant with the proper time and attitude conducive to welfare, Devas, groups of Pitṛs, goblins, ghosts and vampires, Yakṣas, Gandharvas and Kṛnnaras, insects, worms and locusts and all the four types of living beings (e.g., those born of eggs, germinating ones, etc.). Attempt was made by him even to attract me, thinking: ‘It is heard that Lord Śaṅkara cannot be easily subdued by anyone in all the three worlds. Excepting me who is competent to make that Lord agitated?’ After saying thus, he came to the place where I was engaged in penance. He was accompanied by Rati and the haughty friend Madhu. Kāma saw me with a mass of matted hairs tied up. Serpents constituted my ornaments and I was awake for some reason. I was seated with my back straight and with the eyes fixed to the tip of the nose. Madana then assumed a very minute form like that of the worm Avamaraka. Through an aperture in my hand he entered my heart. Thus scorched by Kāma, you were remembered by me for the sake of sexual pleasure.

The divine concentration and absorption in the Absolute aimed at vanished, O Pārvatī. My purity seemed to have gone instantly. I became mad, as it were, with excitement caused by sexual urge. But, O goddess, I strenuously regained my fortitude and eradicated the adverse effect.

30-40 Manmatha, the cause of the improper effect (thoughts), was seen in my own heart. Then I thought of burning him while stationed within my body by employing the method of Pratyāhāra (withdrawal). If he enters the heart of a Yogin, he is likely to be born as a non-human creature. One should perform Dhāraṇā (concentration) on the external fire and burn what is stationed there within the body in that fire. In the meantime, Madana too was excessively scorched. Since he could assume any body as he wished and become very difficult to be known, he escaped from his painful situation. He then resorted to the root of a Sahakāra (mango) tree along with his friend Madhu. The fish-emblemed one (i.e. Kāma) then discharged the arrow named Mohana (Fascinator). That arrow easily struck my heart.

Thereupon, O goddess, I got infuriated and opened my third eye. Even as the heaven-dwellers began to cry, Kandarpa, who inflames (as it were) the lustful, was reduced to ash at once by the flames of that eye.

When Kāma was burnt, the grief-stricken Rati lamented miserably due to her fervent devotion to her husband: “O my Lord, O my Master, O my vital breath, why do you forsake me? O Lord, why do you leave me, a chaste wife whose husband is her vital breath?” Even as she was lamenting thus an unembodied voice spoke to her: “O lady of wide eyes, do not cry. By the grace of the Lord of Devas, Śiva, your husband will rise up alive again.”

At that time, O my beloved fair lady, I was thus requested: “O Parameśvara, this Kāma has been burnt by you due to anger. Thereby, O Lord, the creation on the earth has come to an end. Have pity (on me), O Lord of Devas. Give this wretched woman her husband once again.”

41-53. Then, O goddess, I spoke to Rati who was crying piteously: “My mind was rendered unsteady today by this Madana. Therefore, his body has been burnt by me. I shall resuscitate him because of my favour towards you. Since his body was burnt by me through the fire of the third eye, he will be moving about among the beings of the world as Anaṅga (unembodied). When he serves as Anaṅga the Liṅga at Avantī (I shall resuscitate him). It was to show favour to Devas that he has been rendered bodiless by me.” Directed by Devas, Kāma went to Avantī. After going there, Anaṅga saw the great Liṅga that bestowed desired benefits. The delighted Liṅga said: “O Kāma, you will attain your desires. Though you are devoid of limbs, you will undoubtedly be efficient and powerful. You will be born of Rukmiṇī’s womb after her union with Kṛṣṇa, with the name ‘Killer of Śambara’ (Śambarasūdana). You will become famous in the world, since I was mentally propitiated by you; because you have no limbs, I shall be well-known after your name, O Kāma, for ever. Those who see you (? me), O Kandarpa, with great devotion will attain the goal that gives perpetual bliss. Those who see you (?me), O Manmatha, will become long-lived. Their complexion and family shall become free from blemishes. They will enjoy great prosperity and highest pleasures and wives endowed with divine arts. Undoubtedly their progeny shall be free from ailments. Those men who devoutly visit me on the thirteenth lunar day of the bright half of Caitra, will rejoice after attaining Devaloka. They shall become Yakṣas, Gaṇeśvaras and Siddhas served by Siddhas and Gandharvas. They will go to Rudraloka by means of aerial chariots that can go as they (i.e. occupants) please.”

54-55. On being told thus by the Liṅga, O great goddess, Kāmadeva made his hermitage there in the vicinity of the Liṅga. Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power of Kāmeśvara has been recounted to you. Henceforth, listen to the power of Kutuṃbeśvara.