Cupid the God Of Love

The Story of Cupid

"Kaman kanaigal tooviran" Kama showers his floral arrows, sings the maiden of love. Here he comes all set to steal your heart, Kama, the God of Love.

Oh! to be in Love. The Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune when shot by Kama, the God of Love, are most welcome. Indeed, whether mere desire on montage or serebral surrender, the concept is just as pleasing. Love! And to it a precocious God with the charm and appearance of the perfect and the idea grows even more alluring.

The Eros of the Geek, the Cupid of the latins is Kama in Hindu mythology. He churns the mind as he enters it and so, as the one who distracts, he is also known as Manmatha. catching you unawares unseen, he is the same one who showers floral arrows and so is called Kushumeshu. For the pain he causes he is referred to as Mara or the one who wounds.But there is sweetness in that pain. No wonder then that Mara is also called Madana of the one who intoxicates.

One of the most beautiful descriptions of the God of love is of him being the first movement that arose in the One after it had come into life through the power of fervour or abstraction. In the older text like the Atharva Veda KamaDeva is revered as the most superior of Gods representing not only amorous desire but all that is good. Kama is worshipped for victory over one's enemies. In later texts like the Puranas he appears in the form of the God of love like Eros and Cupid.

As is true for most deities of the Hindu pantheon, there are many stories of his birth. He is generally regarded as the son of Vishnu and Lakshmi in the incarnations of Krishna and Rukmini but in some places he is also described as the son of Brahma. Whichever way the story is told, there is no doubt that Kama was born very early in the story of creation.

If in the above version Kama was the cause for all creation as he stirred the primeval movement in nothingness, there is another version which believes that Brahmha in the process of creation gave form to ten lesser deities and then a woman called Sandhya. No sooner was Sandhya created than all the deities desitred her. The attention of all the lesser gods were transfixed on Sandhya. As personification of such desire, a handsome youth emerged from Brahma's mind. He carried with him a floral bow. He was desire. He was Kama. He shot five arrows: one that gladdened the heart, one that caused attraction, one that led to infatuation. One that weakened and one that was killing but in the pleasant kind of way.

Kama has been portrayed as a charmer. Not only was he physically handsome, he was also ready to spread the message of love and joy. Story goes that soon after Kama came into being he went to Brahma and asked, Kaam darpayami?, (who should I please?). Then he acquired the name of Kandarpan. What answer did Kandarpan get? Brahma told him, "You move about everywhere in this world engaged in the eternal work creation which the five arrows of flowers in your hands and thus multiply the population. Not even the gods will be able to obstruct your arrows."

The kama has been more than doing his job is evident in India's burgeoning population!

Not always do people appreciate Kama's handiwork.Here is a story that is particularly evocative of the feeling. Brahma was meditating upon creation when a wipsy feeling arose him and a young girl emerged from his mind. This girl was Saraswati. Brahma married Saraswati and she is revered even today as the Goddess of Learning. When all this was over and Brahma was ready to meditate all over agin, he realised that it was because of Kama he had left the surge of desire. Instead of feeling responsible for his actions, he blamed it all on Kama. He cursed Kama." You will be burnt to ashes by Shiva," he declared in anger.

So Kama became victim of Shiva's anger. What Cupid has to go through all for the sake of love! When Shiva was grieving over the death of his wife Sati, the Gods persuaded Kama not to try and work his magic on this fiery God. They wanted him to put an end to Shiva's grieving and make him come alive to the realisation that Sati had been born again in the form of Parvati who was waiting for him. The devotees and other gods also said that the world had to be saved from a demon names Taraka, a task only Shiva's son would be able to accomplish.

So Kama set to work. When his arrows pierced Shiva, he cast a loving glance at Parvati. But within a second realised this was somebody's mischief. Shiva was enraged. How dare anyone have the presumption to disturb his meditaion! He opened his third eye and the flame that shot out reduced Kama to ahses. He did try to put out the fire. But when he jumped into a river, the river bed dried up!

Rati, Kama's wife, was having a hard time throughout all this. Her grief led her to Parvati. Parvati was by now basking in Shiva's attention. She too felt bad foe the handsome lord but for whom she would not have been able to realise her love. She assured Rati that her husband would be reborn and told her to wait for him at the house of the demon who he was destined to destroy in this new birth.

Time came for Kama to be reborn and this time he was born as Pradyumna. Rati found him again.

Kama's craft became documented as an art in the treatise on love and love-making, the kamasutra. In Hindu marriage rituals a part of hymns refer to him. The hymn is taken from the Atharva Veda.

Kama is usually represented as a beautiful youth holding in his hand a bow and an arrow of flowers. Five kinds of flowers are strung together in his bow. He is believed t be forever travelling the three worlds accompanied by his wife Rati. Rati is the perfect match for Kama.In beauty she is unparalleled. Kama and Rati bring with them the cuckoo, the humming bee,spring and a gentle breeze. So when you go out into the garden and hear the cuckoo calling out to you, you know it is Kama visiting.                                           Back

                                                                                               Courtesy- Discover India, July 1999