Kamadeva
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other meanings, see kama (disambiguation).
| Kama Deva | |
| love | |
| Devanagari | काम देव |
|---|---|
| Tamil script | காம தேவன் |
| Affiliation | Deva |
| Weapon | Sugarcane Bow and Floral Arrow |
| Consort | Rati |
| Mount | Parrot |
Kāmadeva (Sanskrit: कामदेव) is the Hindu god of love.[1] His other names include Ragavrinta (Stalk of Passion), Ananga (incorporeal), Kandarpa ("God of amour"), Manmatha (churner of hearts), Manosij (He Who Arises from the Mind; the contraction of the Sanskrit phrase Sah Manasah Jāta), Madana (intoxicating), Ratikānta (lord of the seasons), Pushpavān, Pushpadhanva (one with bow of flowers) or just Kāma ("desire").
Kāmadeva is represented as young and handsome winged man who wields a bow and arrows. His bow is made of sugarcane with a string of honeybees, and his arrows are decorated with five kinds of fragrant flowers.
His companions are a cuckoo, a parrot, hummingbees, the season of spring, and the gentle breeze. All of these are symbols of spring season.
According to the Shiva purānam, Kāmadeva is a son (actually a creation) of Brahma, creator of the universe. According to other sources including the Skanda purānam, Kāmadeva is a brother of Prasuti; they are both the children of Shatarupa, a creation of Brahmā. Later interpolations consider him as Vishnu's son.[2] All sources concur on the fact that Kāmadeva is wed to Ratī, a daughter of Prasuti and Daksha (another son/creation of Brahmā). According to some beliefs, Kāmadeva was also once reincarnated as Pradyumna, the son of Krishna and Rukminī.
Contents |
[edit] Temples
Aragalur Kameshwara temple. Stala Purana indicates that the Kamadeva woke up Shiva at this place. This temple has ashta Bhairava (8 bhairava) statues.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- About.com page
- Shiva purānam[dead link – history]
- http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/kamadeva.html
- Kamadeva's holy sacrifice
- God Of Desire: Tales Of Kamadeva In Sanskrit Story Literature (book)
- Theosophical dictionary on Kamadeva
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