Kama Disturbs Shiva’s Meditation

Once upon a time, in a timeless time, long ago- the Gods were bewildered by a demon named Tarakasura. Tarakasura had been granted a boon which rendered him invincible to any creature other than the son of Shiva. Shiva was childless and was still grieving the death of his beloved wife Sati. Brahma advised that if Parvati (who is the reincarnation of Sati), would woo Shiva, their offspring would be able to defeat Tarakasura.

Although Parvati attempted to attract Shiva's attention, the god was too deeply immersed in his ascetic practices to notice her. Desperate to defeat Tarakasura, the Gods sent Kama (god of desire) to stimulate Shiva's lust, disrupt his meditation and thereby help Parvati gain his attention. Kama tricked Shiva’s guard by taking the form of a gentle breeze and thus entered the cave where he pulled out his sugar cane bow and shot his love arrows into Shiva’s heart. Shiva broke from meditation with great anger, opened his third eye and burned Kama to ashes.

However, while Shiva had his eyes open, he saw the pure force Parvati was causing in front of him and fell in love with her. They married and when their child, Skanda, was less than a week old, he killed the demon Tarakasura and saved the world. At the behest of the gods, Shiva reconstitutes Kama from the ashes, bringing him back to life not as an anthropomorphic being but as an incorporeal feeling- representing the true emotional and mental state of love rather than physical lust.