Five Arrows of Desire: Kamadeva
Five Arrows of Desire:
Kamadeva
(Purana Myth)
Himavata, the king of mountains and, his wife, Mena had a baby girl whom they named Parvati. When Parvati became eight, Himavata took her to Kailash Mountain and asked Shiva if he could place her in his service. Shiva agreed and young Parvati began to serve Shiva, along with his other Ganas (attendants). Years passed. Parvati blossomed into a beautiful, sensual young lady. She still served Shiva but now her motive was not just service. She was secretly in love with Shiva, but Shiva was oblivious to the external world; his inward contemplation was complete and unshakable.
The gods knew something had to be done to discompose him so that he would desire Parvati. They needed Shiva and Parvati to marry and to have a son so that the boy could help destroy Tarkasura. That asura was causing great misery to the gods with the two boons he had received from Brahma for his thousands of years’ tapasya– lifelong youth and victory. If he had had his way, he would have also become immortal, but when he had asked Brahma for that boon, as well, the Grandfather had refused. “No being can be immortal; death is inevitable to those who are born,” Brahma had told Tarkasura. Then he had offered: “You can choose your agent of death.”
Taraksura’s response had been, “If I have to die then only an infant, who is no more than seven days old, can kill me.” Brahma had granted the boon, and the asura had congratulated himself on his cunning, for he was pretty sure that his choice of a death agent rendered him next to immortal.
Made fearless by his boons, Tarkasura had defeated the gods and had begun to threaten destruction of the world. War-weary and disheartened, the gods had finally gone Brahma, seeking his help.
“Is there any way we can defeat this asura?’ they had asked him.
“Only an infant no more than seven days old can kill him.”
“In other words, Tarkasura is indestructible,” the gods had wailed. “What child can be so powerful immediately after he is born?”
“Actually, such as child is very possible,” Brahma had said. “But you will have to facilitate his birth.”
“Whose child will it be?”
“Shiva’s. A son borne by his new wife.”
“That’s impossible,” they had shouted. “You know better than us that after Sati’s immolation, Shiva has lost all interest in worldly affairs. He’s somewhere in the Himalaya deep in meditation. And you know what that means—let alone sensual pleasure, wife, child, he’s not even conscious of the world. Think of another, candidate, Brahmaji,” the gods had implored. “Shiva isn’t an option.”
“Actually, it can only be Shiva’s son who can destroy Tarkasura,” Brahma had told the gods. “Shiva’s is the only seed fiery enough to create a child who will become a consummate warrior in the first seven days of his life.”
Then Brihaspati, the chief priest of the gods had come up with a plan—to request King Himavat and Queen Mena to have a daughter, who would induce Shiva out of his meditation. The royal couple had agreed, and the result was Parvati. But now the question was—how to make Shiva notice Parvati, and it was imperative that this happen soon, because Taraksura’s oppression was increasing by the day. The gods tried whatever they could to rattle Shiva, but the god sat on Kailash, unperturbed.
Finally, his patience exhausted, Indra summoned the god of love and desire, Kamadeva, to Indraloka.
When Kamadeva came, accompanied with his wife, Rati, and his best friend, Vasant (Spring), Indra ordered him: “Conquer Shiva. Pierce him with your arrows so that he feels such intense desire for Parvati that he is compelled to marry her.”
“Shiva is unconquerable,” Kama replied with trepidation. “His senses are so controlled that my arrows will not even register. Besides, I’m fearful of what he’ll do to me if he becomes angry at me for disturbing him, which he surely will be. Such schemes to conquer him ricochet back on the schemer.”
“Kamadeva,” Indra thundered, “You have no choice. A blacksmith is of no use without his tongs…do you get my drift?”
Kamadeva, bowed in obedience, shaking in fear at Indra’s veiled threat. “I’ll try, O great Indra,” he said. “But, may I please request assistance from your apsarās (heavenly nymphs)? Rambha, Urvashi, Tilottama and Sukeshi and the others are irresistible in their sexuality. If they help me, I may be able to accomplish this most difficult of tasks.”
Indra called his apsaras and together with Rati and Vasant, Kamadeva went to Kailash Parvata. When this sex-pheromone inducing group arrived in Kailash, the sky suddenly became clear blue with soft tendrils of clouds floating about on gentle breezes. The air filled with the tender songs of Kokila love birds, Asoka, Champa, and Chameli bushes suddenly burst into full bloom, and grapevines became heavy with sweet fruit.
Shiva was seated in total stillness on a tiger skin in a small hamlet between tall trees covered with vines. The Ganga flowed out of his locks, and the moon hung resplendent on his head. A necklace of rudraksh beads adorned his neck, ashes covered his forehead, and snakes ranged around his neck and upper body. His Ganas were guarding his abode, and the bull, Nandi, grazed nearby, keeping a watchful eye.
Kamadeva thought it prudent to conquer Shiva in stages. He decided that first he would move the god’s other emotions, such as memory, jealousy, and anger, and then shoot the final arrow of love. With this plan in mind, he entered the god through his ear and filled him with desire. Shiva suddenly roused from his meditation, remembering Sati, his beloved who had died in Daksha’s fire, and he was filled with new grief. But even as his mind began to think more actively about Sati, Shiva halted his thoughts, realizing immediately that he had been the assaulted by Kamadeva, the god who quickened all desire. He took a deep breath, deliberately filling his mind with anger, and when he released his breath, it emitted so much Yogamaya that it almost consumed Kamadeva. Burning up, the god of love flew and hid under a Devadar tree. Then, taking a few moments to gather his wits and bring his fear under control, he selected five arrows from his quiver and scanned the area to see where Shiva was.
Just when he closed his eyes and envisioned his five arrows piercing Shiva, Parvati appeared on the scene with her friends, carrying platters full of flower garlands. Parvati selected a garland of Datura flowers, whose fragrance is an aphrodisiac, and tiptoeing up to Shiva placed it around his neck. At that moment Kamadeva mounted an arrow with a mango blossom head called Sammohan, (bewitching) on his bow and shot it at Shiva’s heart. As the arrow pierced him, Shiva slowly opened his eyes and looked upon Parvati. He was bewitched. His eyes were transfixed on her face, his heartbeat increased, and his mind became agitated.
When Shiva could not move his gaze away from Parvati, he realized the change that had occurred in him. His eyes then darted in all directions and he saw Kamadeva hiding under the Devadar tree, the incriminating bow still in his hand. The third eye on Shiva’s forehead opened and the immense desire that had risen in his body erupted into flames around Kamadeva, burning him to ashes in mere seconds. When the flames began to spread in the grove, Shiva brought them under control by distributed fire among mango trees, spring, the moon, flowers, black bees and nightingales. But the flames, like desire-filled arrows, began to fall everywhere, tormenting people, so Shiva took a deep breath and consumed them back into his body, but the flames that had struck sensuous people remained within them, tormenting them forever.
When Rati saw that her husband was reduced to ashes, she, along with her brother, Vasant, began to wail loudly. She smeared her body with the ashes of her Smara–memory of her husband–who is also called Smara, and going to Shiva, fell at his feet. “I beg you to bring him back to life,” she wailed. “It wasn’t his fault.’
At that moment, the gods too arrived on the scene. “Calm your anger, O Great god,” they said. We are the ones who sent Kamadeva to break your samadhi. We need you. You must marry Parvati and have a son. The asura Taraka is destroying the world and needs to be dealt with, and Brahmaji says that only your son can accomplish this most difficult task.”
Ignoring the gods, Shiva turned to look at Rati with compassion in his eyes. “Forgive me, devi,” he said. I can’t recreate Kama’s body, but I will restore his life. He will be born again and will be famous in the world as Ananga (without limbs) — the invisible Kama—Desire, and being invisible, he will pervade the world.”
Making this promise to Rati, Shiva went back into Samadhi. The gods, now turned to Parvati with their plea. “It is up to you, Devi,” they said. “Awaken him and save the world.”
“It shall be done,” Parvati promised. She had realized that the only way to reach the god was on his own level. So, finding a suitable spot on Kailash, she began to do tapasya (meditation). It took her many years to reach Shiva through her subconscious, and when she did, she conveyed to him that she was the reincarnation of his Sati. When Shiva received this subliminal message, he opened his eyes and gazed upon Parvati, seeing in her his beloved Sati. The love and desire that Kamadeva had evoked in him was moved again, and he allowed it to fill his mind and body.
Soon after, Shiva married Parvati, and they had a son, Kumar, who, in the first six days of his life, learned the total science of war, and on the seventh day, he challenged Tarkasura and killed him.
Meena Nayak’s The Blue Lotus: Myths and Folktales of India. (Original Source: Matsya Purana, verses Volume 2, verses 227-255 and Skanda Purana)
