Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Kamadeva
Indra asks Kamadeva to help bring Shiva and Parvati together so that their son can overcome Taraka. Desire travels with his wife and Spring, but is daunted by Shiva’s absorption. When Kamadeva prepares to shoot, Shiva’s third eye consumes him with fire. The narrative later promises and grants the restoration of his body at Shiva’s marriage, connecting the loss of Desire to its eventual return.
Also known as Kāmadeva · Ananga · Desire
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalIndra asks Kamadeva to help bring Shiva and Parvati together so that their son can overcome Taraka. Desire travels with his wife and Spring, but is daunted by Shiva’s absorption.
Further detail
TraditionalWhen Kamadeva prepares to shoot, Shiva’s third eye consumes him with fire. The narrative later promises and grants the restoration of his body at Shiva’s marriage, connecting the loss of Desire to its eventual return.
Context & interpretation
Kamadeva’s burning and restoration follow this collection’s Uma narrative. The bodily transformations and divine third eye are traditional elements. The entry does not treat the episode as a physical account of desire or prescribe suppression of ordinary feeling.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
Kamadeva, or Desire, the god of LoveOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 358
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0358
- Original scan leaf
- 358
- Recorded leaf number
- 358
- Current Reader position
- 349
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
he will restore Love s body to his soulOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 361
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0361
- Original scan leaf
- 361
- Recorded leaf number
- 361
- Current Reader position
- 352
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Kumara
The young war god born to bring the gods victory over Taraka.
Shared source pageParvati
The mountain daughter whose devotion brings her into union with Shiva.
Same subject and traditionAshvins
The twin divine physicians whose gift of youth earns a place in the gods’ offerings.
Same subject and traditionBalarama
Krishna’s brother, associated in the collection with the serpent Shesha.