MEDITATING SIVA BEING DISTURBED BY KAMA DEV Kamadeva is the god of human love and passion who is known to awaken carnal desires among humans. Etymologically, Kama means sensual desire and Deva means a divine being. He is regarded as the heavenly god of love who arouses passion and love among those struck by His cosmic arrow. He is described as a beautifully winged youth with greenish skin, holding a bow while a quiver with arrows hangs on his back. His bow is made of sugar cane and its string is made of a line of honey bees. His arrows are made of 5 types of flowers, his vehicle is a green parrot and he is accompanied by his wife Rati (sexual desire), Vasant (spring personified) and a gentle breeze. His story is mentioned in various Puranas with a few versions. We will describe the main stories here: According to the Shiva Purana, Kamadeva was born from the mind of Brahma. According to another story, he was the son of Shri (Lakshmi). The Shiva Purana explains that right after he was born from BrahmaÕs mind, Kama stood in front of his creator and asked ÓKam darpayani?Ó, or Òwhom shall I please?Ó By this famous question he acquired the name Kandarpa, and this was his fatherÕs answer: ÒYou should move around this world engaged in the eternal work of creation with the five arrows of flowers in your hands and thus multiply the population. Not even the gods will be able to obstruct your arrows.Ó For this reason, Kamadeva is considered as one of the most popular and well-known deities. References to Kamadeva can also be found in various scriptures, including the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda and others, although He figures more prominently in the Puranas. Product Code-ART_6175_35663