Story of Kāma

God of beauty in Indian mythology.

General.

A Prajāpati named Dharma was born from the right breast of Brahmā. Dharma was very handsome. Three sons, Śama, Kāma and Harṣa who were exceedingly handsome, were born to him. Of them, Kāma became the god of beauty. His wife was Rati. Śama became the husband of Prāpti. Harṣa had Nandā for his wife. (Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 66, Verses 31-33).

In Kālikā Purāṇa we see another story about Kāma’s birth. Brahmā created ten Prajāpatis. After that, the woman Sandhyā was created. At the very moment of her birth, Brahmā and the Prajāpatis were irresistibly fascinated by her charm and they sprang up from their seats. All their thoughts converged on the same object. At this time a handsome youth emerged from Brahmā’s mind with a floral bow in his hands. Immediately after his birth, he asked Brahmā "Kaṃ darpayāmi" (Whom should I make proud?) Brahmā replied—Let the minds of living beings be the aim of your arrows". He suggested Rati the daughter of Dakṣa, to be Kāma’s wife. Since he stirred the mind of Brahmā, he got the name "MANMATHA", and since he was extremely attractive in appearance he came to be called "KĀMA". (For further details, see under "RATI.")

How Kāmadeva got the name "KANDARPA".

As soon as Kāma was born, he went to Brahmā and asked him "Kaṃ darpayāmi?" (Whom should I make proud?). Therefore he got the name "KANDARPA". (Kathāsaritsāgara).

Brahmā cursed Kāma.

Once Brahmā was meditating upon Para Brahman for the purpose of creation. He felt carnal thoughts rising in his mind. At once a girl was born from his mind. She appeared before him and did obeisance to him. This girl was Sarasvatī. Brahmā fell in love with her. He declared that she should stay in the tongues of all living beings, and particularly at the tip of the tongues of all scholars. After that he made Sarasvatī his wife. Soon he felt repentant for his weakness of mind. His anger blazed at Kāma who was the cause of all this. He cursed that Kāma would be burnt to ashes in the fire from Śiva’s third eye. After that Brahmā gave his carnal desire to the great sage Atri who transferred it to his wife Anasūyā. It hardened itself within her and took the form of Candra, who was thus born to her. (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Chapter 43).

Kāma was burnt up in fire.

Long ago an Asura named Tāraka, who was proud of his invincible might, was causing much havoc and terror in the whole world. Even the gods were afraid of him because he had received a boon that Śiva’s son alone was capable of killing him. It was the time when Pārvatī, the daughter of Himavān, was performing a penance praying that Parameśvara should become her husband. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Indra sent Kāma to rouse the passion of love in Śiva’s mind. Kāma reached Śiva’s seat and tried to stir up his passions. Śiva who was enraged at this, opened his third eye blazing with fire. Kāma was. burnt to ashes in that fire. The place where Kāma’s body (Aṅga) fell, came to be called "Aṅgarājya". Since he lost his body, Kāmadeva got another name "Anaṅga". (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 23).

Kāma’s Next Birth.

When Śiva burnt up Kāma, the latter’s wife Rati prayed to Śiva to restore her husband to life. Śiva was pleased and said that Rati would be born in the world and Kāma would take birth as her son." (Kathāsaritsāgara).

According to Śiva’s blessing Rati was born in the world under the name of Māyāvatī. She became the kitchenmaid of an Asura named Śambara. At that time Śrī Kṛṣṇa approached Śiva with a request that he should be blessed with a son. Śiva blessed him saying that Kāma who was burnt up in the fire of his eye would be born as the son of Rukmiṇī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s wife. Accordingly, Rukmiṇī, conceived and a handsome child was born to her.

Śambara, who employed Māyāvatī as his kitchen-maid had received a boon from Śiva. A condition laid down in it was that Śambara would die not long after Kāmadeva’s birth in the world. So Śambara was making careful enquiries to ascertain whether Kāma was born anywhere in the world. It was during this period that Śambara received the news that Kāma had been reborn as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s son. At once he went secretly to Rukmiṇī’s house and stole the little baby and threw it into the sea. A sea-fish swallowed the child and a fisherman who caught it presented it to Śambara. When Śambara cut it open, he saw a lovely baby inside the fish. He entrusted the child to Māyāvatī to be brought up.

At this stage, the sage Nārada happened to come there and he explained to Māyāvatī in secret, that the baby was Kāmadeva and she was Rati. From that time, she brought up the child with great affection and tenderness. As years passed and Kāma grew up into a youth, Māyāvatī began to make amorous advances towards him. Looking upon her with regard due to a mother, Kāma was displeased with these advances. Then she told him what Nārada had disclosed to her about their relations in the past life. She advised him to kill Śambara and to leave the place for Dvārakā as soon as possible.

As advised by her, Kāma killed Śambara and both he and Māyāvatī went to Dvārakā in a Vimāna and paid their respects to their parents there. In the presence of a large number of sages, Kāma was christened "Pradyumna". Aniruddha, the husband of Uṣā, was the son of Pradyumna. Besides Aniruddha, Pradyumna had a daughter Tṛṣā.*

Other names of Kāma.

The following names have been used for Kāma in the Purāṇas:—Madana, Manmatha, Māra, Pradyumna, Mīnaketana, Kandarpa, Darpaka, Anaṅga, Kāma, Pañcaśara, Śambarāri, Manasija, Kusumeṣu, Ananyaja, Puṣpadhanvā, Ratipati, Makaradhvaja, Ātmabhū, Irāja, Iṣma, Kiṅkira, Abhirūpa, Gṛdhukalākeli, Kañjana, Ramaṇa, Dīpaka, Madhudīpa, Śamāntaka, Muhira, Rūpāstra, Vāma, Puṣpaketana. Makaraketu, Ratināyaka, Rāgavṛnta, Saṃsāraguru, Gadayitnu, Māpatya, Māyī.

Kāma’s weapons.

Kāma has a bow made of sugarcane, its string is made up of beetles, and the tips of his arrows are flowers. His vehicle is the parrot and the sign on his banner is fish. The five flowers of his arrows are:—Aravinda, Aśoka, Cūta, Navamālikā, Nīlotpala. Besides these, he has five more arrows which are-Unmādana, Tāpana, Śoṣaṇa, Stambhana and Sammohana. (Amara Kośa).

*) From Kathāsaritsāgara we find that Udayana and Vāsavadattā were the rebirths of Kāma and Rati.