(South and Central Asian mythology)
Like Eros, Kama arose at the creation of the universe, first-born of the gods. Desire was the primal germ of the universal mind. Yet the Hindu god of love is no Cupid; instead of the fleshly infant portrayed by Western artists, Kama is a brilliantly adroit youth, the husband of Rati, the goddess of sensual desire. His sugar-cane bow is stretched by a string of bees, and fires arrows tipped with flowers, whose scent announces the sweet, piercing, irresistible attack of love. The mysterious origin of Kama and the general influence of his power have given rise to an interesting variety of titles. He is Dipaka, ‘the inflamer’; Gritsa, ‘the sharp’; Mayi, ‘the deluder’; Mara, ‘the destroyer’; Ragavrinta, ‘the stalk of passion’; and Titha, ‘fire’.
Kama's assay on Shiva cost the deity his beautiful form. Commanded by Indra to fire at the divine yogi, in order to break his perfect meditation and enflame him with love for the goddess Parvati, Kama received the full impact of Shiva's third eye and was reduced to cinders. Hence, his description as ananga, ‘bodiless’. In a later birth, however, Kama succeeded in piercing the heart of Shiva and filling it with love for Sati, an incarnation of the Divine Mother. The instigator of this second attack was Brahma, much concerned that Shiva's austerities would bring the universe to a standstill.
