The Hindu god Kama is the embodiment of love and sexual attraction. It has long been considered one of the most important inhabitants of the Indian pantheon, as it was responsible for the continuation of the genus. Therefore, it is not surprising that many sacred rites and legends are associated with it, which we will talk about.
Birth of god
God Kama is the fruit of the love of two great celestials of India. So, his father was Vishnu himself - a god who keeps order and harmony in the world. As for the mother of Kama, she became Lakshmi - a heavenly princess, personifying beauty, abundance and wealth.
Given such a pedigree, it is not surprising that the god Kama became one of the most powerful avatars in Hindu mythology. Only a few deities who were also descendants of the highest celestials of India could compare with his greatness.
The essence of Kama
Kama is the god of love in Hinduism. He personifies everything connected with this feeling, and also carries the wisdom of bodily pleasures. Perhaps for a Russian person such a worldview will seem a little vulgar, but it should be understood that for Hindus, sex is one of the most important components of a happy marriage. They have long believed that both partners should do everything possible to satisfy each other's bodily needs.
Therefore, one should not be surprised that mythology attributes to Kama the sexual education that he used to educate his followers. Also, those who wanted to acquire posterity as soon as possible appealed to the help of God. After all, who, if not him, is able to help in this matter.
Kama - the god of love, armed with a bow
Since ancient times, the god Kama has been portrayed as a beautiful young man, armed with a bow. For many researchers, this fact seems very strange, as it raises the idea of its similarity with the Greek Cupid. True, today there is no evidence that one of the cultures adopted the image of the god of love from another.
In addition, there are a number of features that are inherent only to the Hindu celestial. So, the god Kama is armed with a bow consisting of sugarcane. At the same time, honey bees play the bowstring, symbolizing the sweetness of love. In addition to the bow, the god Kama held a fluttering banner in his hand. It depicts a makara - a chimera animal with the features of a crocodile and dolphin.
Also, according to myths, in the quiver of God there are always five arrows, the tips of which are inflorescences of various colors. For example, the flower of the ashoka tree generated love, and the mango aroused burning passion. In this unusual way, Hindus tried to explain the fact that each person's love experiences manifest themselves in different ways.
Mount Kama
I would like to pay special attention to the mount of God or, as it is also called, Wahan. Kama had such a beast a huge parrot, whose growth was slightly smaller than the rider himself. However, more importantly, the bird was always depicted with a red beak and green plumage, because there were good reasons for that.
So, the red beak was a symbol of bright emotions, passionate love and determination. Green feathers, on the contrary, spoke of calm, harmony and prosperity. Together, these two colors personified a happy marriage, built on genuine feelings and promising family well-being.
Family ties
According to popular belief, the god Kama was married to the goddess of love passion Rati. It was she who accompanied her husband throughout his heavenly life. However, there are several myths that the second wife of Kama was the goddess of pure love, Prity. In general, this is not unusual, since polygamy is a common practice for Hindus.
Much more difficult to understand the hereditary line of this deity. So, he had a daughter, Trishna, who personified spiritual thirst or passion for life. In addition, some sources report that Kama had either a son or a younger brother named Krodha (a god that creates anger in people's hearts).
Rebirth of the god Kama
The power of the arrows of Kama acted on both people and celestials. And then one day the goddess Parvati came to him, asking to fall in love with her Shiva. He was her strongest passion, but he did not reciprocate, since for many centuries he devoted himself entirely to yogic practices.
Without thinking twice, Kama agreed to help Parvati. He crept up to the meditating god and struck his heart with an arrow. At that moment, Shiva fell in love with the beautiful maiden, but, enraged by the insolent behavior of Kama, incinerated him with only one look. Seeing what happened, Parvati was horrified, since she was the culprit of what was happening.
Therefore, she fell to her knees and began to tearfully ask to resurrect the god of love. Rati also joined her plea, who came running here after hearing of great grief. Shiva's anger quickly gave way to pity for the girls, and he brought life back to the murdered Kama.
Rites and traditions
In ancient India, there were many temples dedicated to the god of love. Moreover, they performed not only a spiritual, but also an educational role. So, inexperienced boys and girls were taught the wisdom of love, so that they could use them in family life.
Kama’s blessings were also requested at wedding ceremonies and during the conception of a child. Because of this, many rituals and prayers have appeared that can attract the attention of a deity. Some of them are still used in the life of Hindus, thereby glorifying the deeds of the god Kama.