Kamdev (also spelled Kamadeva) is a Hindu god of sexual desire who is responsible for reproduction and hence the continuation of life. He is also popularly known as Madana and Kama. Because of the erotic nature of his powers, he is not commonly worshipped. You will hardly find any temples dedicated to him. He is similar to Cupid in Western culture.
The Meaning of the Word Kamdev:
The word Kamdev comprises two words, viz. Kama and Deva, which means “The god of erotic love.” The word Kama has other meanings also, like desire, work, pleasure, etc., but in this regard, it is “sexual desire.” The name Kamadeva is also used to address Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, and Lord Krishna in some religious texts.
Iconography:
Kamdev is mainly depicted as a young handsome man with a bow and five arrows. He is in the pose of hurling a flower-arrow (Kamabana) with the help of his flowery bow. His bow is made up of sugarcane and is known as Pushpadhanva. His arrows are decorated with five kinds of flowers. He rides a green parrot. Sometimes, he is accompanied by his gorgeous wife, Rati, in a romantic pose.
What Are the Five Flowers Used for Decorating the Arrow of Kamdev?
The five kinds of flowers used for decorating the arrow of Kamdev are white lotus, blue lotus, jasmine, Ashoka tree flowers, and mango tree flowers.
His five arrows are associated with five effects, such as fascination, disturbance, burning, desiccation, and destruction, and are named Lambini, Tapini, Dravini, Marini, and Bodhini.
Different Names of Kamdev:
1. Kama.
2. Madana.
3. Manmatha.
4. Kandarpa.
5. Ratikanta.
6. Abhipura.
7. Pradymuna.
8. Mara.
9. Ananga.
10. Kushumeshara.
Origin:
Per some sources, Kamadeva is mentioned in Rigveda and Atharva Veda, but his stories are more commonly found in the Puranas, like Shiva Purana, Matsya Purana, Brahma Vaivartya Purana, etc.
Interesting Stories About Kamadeva:
The Birth of Kamadeva:
There are two main stories about his birth. Per the one, he is the son of Dharma, and per the another, he is the son of Lord Brahma.
1. According to Taitriya Brahmana, Kamdev is the son of Dharma (the god of righteousness) and his wife Shraddha. Per the Mahabharata, his mother’s name is Lakshmi, the second wife of Dharma.
2. According to the Puranas, Lord Brahma created all the Prajapatis (the gods of creation) and a maiden Sandhya. She was extremely beautiful, and her beauty aroused sexual desire in the minds of everyone present there.
For a moment, Lord Brahma was also enamored by her beauty. At that moment, a handsome young man was born from his mind. He was armed with a bow and five flowery arrows.
Lord Brahma Cursed Kamdev:
When Kamdev was born from Lord Brahma’s mind, he was unsure about his purpose in life. So, he asked Lord Brahma. “O Father! What is the purpose of my life?” Lord Brahma replied, “O my son! You are Kama, and your job is to spread love in the world by shooting your arrows so that this world will continue to grow.”
Kama was unsure of how was it going to happen. Therefore, he decided to test his arrow and shot an arrow toward Lord Brahma. Struck by the arrow, strong sexual desires arouse in the mind of Lord Brahma, and he desired Sandhya who was his daughter. Dharma Prajapati got worried by the situation and called Lord Shiva for help. When Lord Shiva arrived there, he laughed at both Kama and Lord Brahma. Infuriated, Lord Brahma cursed Kamadeva that he would be turned to ashes by the hands of Lord Shiva in the future.
Scared, Kamdev pleaded for forgiveness from Lord Brahma and reminded him that he was his son. Therefore, Lord Brahma assured him that he would be born again.
Lord Shiva Burnt Kamadeva:
Tarakasura was a demon who practiced severe penance and propitiated Lord Brahma. When Lord Brahma expressed his inability to grant him a wish for immortality, he wished that only a son of Lord Shiva could kill him. Lord Brahma granted him the wish.
After receiving the boon, Tarakasura thought that he had become immortal because Lord Shiva had denounced the world and engaged in deep meditation after the death of his first wife, Goddess Sati. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that he would marry and produce a son. Hence, he started torturing gods and common people.
The gods needed to get Lord Shiva married and have a son to defeat Tarakasura. Therefore, they sent Kamadeva to Lord Shiva to invoke lust in his mind.
Kamdev and his wife Rati went to the place where Lord Shiva was lost in deep meditation. He shot many arrows toward him, but it was in vain. At that moment, Goddess Parvati came there with her friends. Just at that moment, Lord Shiva also came out of his meditative state. Kamdev thought that that was the right moment to get the job done and shot an arrow toward Lord Shiva.
His arrow did its job, and Lord Shiva was enthralled by the beauty of Goddess Parvati and desired her. But soon, he wondered how come such thoughts arouse in his mind. He suspected that something was not right. He looked around and found Kamdev with his bow and arrow on his left side.
Lord Shiva got angry and opened his third eye. Scared Kamdev tried to call other gods for help, but before that, he was burnt to ashes by the fire from the third eye of Lord Shiva.
Kamdev Reborn as Pradyumna:
Seeing this, Rati started crying incessantly. When other gods came there, they consoled her that Kamdev would be reborn and get another body. All the gods praised Lord Shiva and calmed him down. He told Rati that Kamdev would be born as the son of Lord Krishna and Rukhmini in Dwapara Yuga.
Pradyumna was born in Dvaraka. Within 10 days of Pradyumna’s birth, he was abducted by the asura Shambara. Recognizing him as his foe, the asura threw him into the ocean. The infant was swallowed by a mighty fish, which was caught by fishermen and presented to Shambara, whose cooks cut it open in the kitchen, discovering a child. The child was given to Mayavati, who was the earthly incarnation of Rati. Recognizing the son of Krishna as her divine consort, Rati fell in love with him once more. Years passed until Pradyumna flowered into adolescence, raised by Mayavati.
When chastised by the deity for her amorous notions towards him, she explained to him the circumstances of his new birth. She bestowed Pradyumna with the mystic art of mahamaya, which dispelled all magic. The youth then summoned the asura to battle, where the latter first attacked him with a club and followed with his magic. Hundreds of weapons belonging to guhyakas, gandharvas, pishachas, and uragas (celestial snakes) were amassed to combat him, but all fell before the son of Krishna. Drawing his sharp-edged sword, he beheaded the asura. Accompanied by his wife, he descended upon the palace in Dvaraka. The crowds of noble women mistook his handsome countenance and bluish-black curling locks for Krishna himself. Rukmini, however, recognized him as her own son. Krishna manifested himself to the scene along with Vasudeva and Devaki, and together with the residents of Dvaraka, embraced the couple and rejoiced.
Why is Kamdev Called Ananga?
When Lord Shiva burnt Kamdev to ashes, Rati cried inconsolably and asked him how would life in the world continue without desire. Life would seize to exist on Earth in some years if there is no Kama.
Lord Shiva consoled her by saying that Kamdev would exist without a body and hence would be known as Ananga (the one without a body).
Wife of Kamdev:
Rati is the wife of Kamdev. She is extremely beautiful and is the Hindu goddess of love and romance. Rati was born from the sweat of Prajapati. After the death of her husband, she incarnated as Mayawati on Earth and married her husband, who was born Pradyumna.
Children:
Per some stories, they have two children named Harsha and Yasha, but according to Vishnu Purana, they have a single child named Harsha.
When they were reborn as Mayawati and Pradyumna, they had a son named Aniruddha, who married Usha, the daughter of Banasura.
Kamdev Worship:
Most Hindus don’t worship Kamdev because he is the god of sexual desire. The desire keeps us attached to the world and can prove to be a hurdle in the path of attaining Moksha. Most people are born with enough sexual desire, so if you worship Kamdev, you would get more which can be harmful.
Also, if children ask about the god, it might be embarrassing for parents to explain to them his nature and powers.
Temples:
There is only one temple of Kamdev in the world which is an archaeological site, but no one offers prayer there. The temple is in a dilapidated condition. The temple is Madan-Kamdev temple in Kamrup Rural district of Assam. Madan-Kamdev is the main temple, with ruins of other huge and small temples scattered around it. Some structures with erotic images carved on them are found near the temple. From the ruins of the temple, we can conclude that Kamadeva was worshipped in the past by some Hindus.
Kamdev Mantra:
“Om Kamadevaya Vidmahe Pushpa Baanaya Dhimahi Tanno Ananga Prachodayath.”
ॐ कामदेवाय: विदमहे पुष्पबाणाय धीमहि तन्नो अनंग: प्रचोदयात।
Why is a Parrot the Vahana of Kamdev?
Kamdev is depicted as riding a green parrot with his bow and arrows, but I could not find any story about how it became his carrier. It could be that a parrot resembles male genitalia, therefore, he is depicted as his carrier or there might be another reason. In some Indian languages, like Marathi, the male genital is often called “Popat” (which means a parrot) in slang.