Kama's Curse

Brahma said

The sages, my sons led by Marichi, read my face, understood my intent and gave Kama his names, a place and a wife. They said: "As soon as you were born you churned our minds and Vidhatri's, so you will be famous as Manmatha. You can take any form and have no equal, so you will be Kama; you intoxicate, so Madana; you were insolent at birth, so Darpaka; also Kandarpa. No god equals you in energy, and so everywhere is your home. Daksha, first of the Prajapatis, will give you a beautiful wife. When Brahma meditated a beautiful lady was born, so she is famous as Sandhya, with a jasmine complexion." Kama, born of the mind, took flowers as weapons and decided to stay hidden. His arrows are named harshana, rochana, mohana, shoshana and marana, and even sages are deluded by them.

Kama reasoned: Brahma has set me my eternal task in the sages' presence; the sages and the Prajapati are here as witnesses, and Sandhya too; I will test her to do my work. He fitted the flower arrows to the flower bow, took his stance and drew with great force. A fragrant wind rose and gladdened everyone. With sharp flower arrows he confused Vidhatri and all the mind-born sons. I and the sages were deluded and felt a great swerving of mind; we all looked at Sandhya again and again as desire grew. Deluded by Madana until our senses were out of control, I glanced at her and he struck me with five arrows. Struck by Kandarpa's arrows she too looked at me repeatedly with enchanting glances; naturally lovely, these sentiments made her more radiant. Though I was full of dharma I desired her. All the other sages, Marichi, Atri, Daksha and the rest, swerved the same way. Madana saw this and put more attention to his task: "This is what Brahma told me to do; I can do it easily." Seeing his brothers and father reduced to this state, Dharma remembered Shambhu, protector of dharma.

Dharma, born from Aja, praised him: "Lord of gods, Mahadeva, protector of dharma, I bow to you. You engineer creation, preservation and destruction; Brahma creates, Vishnu preserves and as Hara you dissolve; they carry sattva, rajas and tamas; you are without qualities, the fourth, beyond Prakriti, unchanging and playful. Save me from this sin that is impossible to cross; my father's and brothers' minds have turned evil." Praised, the supreme lord, self-originated, came quickly to protect Dharma. From the sky he saw Vidhatri in that state and in his mind laughed at us; in mock laughter he laughed aloud and shamed us. Vrishadhvaja said: "Brahma, how has desire been born from seeing your daughter? This is not worthy of those who follow the Vedas. A daughter, a sister and a brother's wife are like a mother, and a learned person should never look at them with evil eyes. That is the determined path of the Vedas in your own mouth. At the slightest twinge of desire how have you forgotten it? Four-faced one, find fortitude in your mind. Daksha, Marichi and the others practise yoga in solitude and always see the sun's light; how have their minds been drawn to a woman? Kama has limited intelligence and does not know the right time; the evil-souled one has become powerful and used his arrows to cause transgressions. If a person's constant fortitude is disturbed by a beautiful woman and his mind agitated and submerged, shame on his learning." Hearing him, I, who am Shiva's form in the world, felt twice the shame and perspired all over. I controlled my senses and gave up the transgression, though I still desired Sandhya, the form of desire, I was afraid.

From beads of my sweat on the ground arose the ancestors called Agnishvattas, collyrium-coloured, lotus-eyed, sacred perfect ascetics, turned away from samsara, sixty-four thousand of them; and eighty-six thousand Barhishads. From beads of Daksha's sweat a beautiful woman arose, slender, golden, lotus-faced, named Rati, able to confound sages. All of the sages except Kratu, Vasishtha, Pulastya and Angiras restrained their senses; for these four, semen fell to the ground and other classes of ancestors were born: the Somapas (Kratu's sons), Kalinas (Vasishtha's), Ajyapas (Pulastya's) and Havishmats (Angiras's), together called Kavyavahas, revered. Sandhya gave birth to ancestors for this purpose; Shambhu's glance freed her from taints and she turned to dharma. Having favoured the brahmanas and protected dharma, Shambhu vanished. I was ashamed of Shankara's words, and with furrowed brows looked at Kandarpa in rage. He read my intention and quickly withdrew his arrows, afraid of Pashupati. Still angry, I said: "Kandarpa is deluded by insolence; the fire from Bhava's eyes will burn him; Mahadeva will do this difficult deed." In the presence of the ancestors and self-controlled sages, Vidhatri spoke of Kama's destruction. Rati's husband, frightened, cast down his arrows and showed himself, humbled: "Brahma, why this terrible curse? You follow the law, and I have done you no wrong. I did only the task you gave me; you said you, Vishnu, Shambhu and everyone would be susceptible to my arrows, and I only tested it. I am innocent. Given the agreement, this curse is terrible." Madana had already mastered himself, but I wanted to subdue him more: "There is a reason: Sandhya is my daughter and you ignited desire by targeting her and me. I am pacified now, so give up fear. The fire from Bhava's eyes will reduce you to ashes, but he will soon be pacified, and you will easily get your body back when Hara takes a wife." Thus I raised Madana up; he vanished as the sages watched, and he and my mind-born sons were happy and went home.