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High on the Himalaya, on a peak where even the snow seems to hold its breath, the lord of yogis, Shiva, sat lost in the deepest austerity. Each day, at her father’s command, Parvati, daughter of the mountain-king, came to serve him with two companions at her side. The loveliest maiden in all three worlds stood before him in worship morning after morning, and Maheshwara, sunk in meditation, never once let the thought of looking her way enter his mind. In heaven, meanwhile, there was uproar. Tarakasura could be killed only one way, by the hand of a boy born of Shiva’s seed. Yet how was a son to arrive in the house of one who sat beyond all desire?
The King of Heaven’s Plea
Brahma turns to Narada and says, listen. Once the gods had gone back to their own realms, Indra, tormented by the demon Taraka, called Kamadeva to mind. The moment he did, Madana stood before him. Indra said, “My friend, a turn of fate has brought a suffering upon me that nothing can cure, and no one but you can lift it. A giver is tested in a famine, a warrior on the battlefield, and a friend in the hour of ruin. Today, then, will be your test. And every god in heaven shares in this errand with me.”
Kamadeva smiled, then spoke in a voice deep and full of affection. “King of heaven, what talk is this? A true friend shows himself in the deed; talk of it settles nothing. This enemy of yours who performs some terrible austerity to seize your throne, I will break him from that austerity completely. The wise man sets each task upon whoever is fit to accomplish it. So place on my shoulders whatever work suits me.”
Indra was overjoyed. He said, “Dear Manobhava, you alone have the power to accomplish what I have set my mind on. A mighty demon named Taraka has won an astonishing boon from Brahma and become invincible, and he torments the whole world. Every weapon the gods possess has failed against him. Varuna’s noose snapped. Even the Sudarshana of Vishnu turned blunt against his throat. Brahma has told us that his death will come by the hand of a boy born from the seed of lord Shambhu. Lord Shambhu sits in austerity upon Himalaya, king of mountains. He is our master too, a sovereign lord who bows to no desire. Parvati stays near him with her two companions and serves him, and all her effort is aimed at winning Mahadeva as her husband. Yet Shiva holds his mind under perfect restraint. Mara, by whatever means, wake in him a deep longing for Parvati. Do this, and you will have fulfilled your purpose; all our sorrow will end, and your glory will spread through the worlds and endure.”
At these words Kamadeva’s face opened like a lotus. “This work I will do, have no doubt of it.” Brahma says that Kama, bewildered by the maya of Shiva, took up that burden at once. The one who had brought down the greatest of beings could not see for himself who the target was this time. Taking his wife Rati and his comrade Vasanta, he went in high spirits to the place where Shiva, lord of yogis, sat in austerity.
The Fire of the Third Eye
When he arrived, Kama loosed his arrows upon lord Shiva. And listen, they took effect. In Shankara’s mind an attraction toward Parvati began to stir, and his composure began to slip. The story is often told in the world that no arrow ever touched Mahadeva, yet the Shiva Purana states plainly that the great yogi’s steadiness wavered first. Seeing this loss of his own composure, he was struck with amazement and began to reflect within himself: I was absorbed in the highest austerity, so where has this disturbance come from? What wretched creature has stirred this agitation in my mind?
Reflecting so, Maheshwara looked out toward the directions. Just then his gaze fell to his left, where Madana stood with his bowstring drawn. That doomed Madana, in the pride of his power, was about to loose another arrow. The instant Girisha’s eyes found him, fury rose in him. On his side, Kama released his unfailing weapon at Shankara, a weapon held to be almost impossible to ward off. Yet upon Shiva even the unfailing failed; the moment it reached the enraged lord, it went still. Seeing before him the conqueror of death, Manmatha trembled and began to call upon Indra and the other gods. The instant he called, all the gods arrived, bowed to Shambhu, and began to sing his praise.
The gods were still in the midst of their praise when, from the third eye set in the middle of the forehead of the enraged lord Hara, a vast and terrible fire broke out all at once. The flames climbed upward, roaring as they burned, and their glow looked like the fire of universal dissolution. The fire leapt into the sky, fell upon the earth, then spread, wheeling in every direction. The words “Lord, forgive him, forgive him” had scarcely left the mouths of the gods when that fire burned Kamadeva to ash. The gods were seized with anguish, and crying out, alas, what has happened, they wept and wailed. And what became of Parvati in that hour, hear that too. Her whole body went white; had you cut her, no blood would have come. Taking her companions with her, she returned to her own palace.
Rati’s Lament
When Kamadeva burned, Rati lay senseless on the spot for a moment, as though she too had died. When she came to, her lament burst out. “Alas, what am I to do? Where am I to go? What have the gods done? They have had my bold lord destroyed. O my husband, O Smara, O beloved of my life, what has happened here?” She flung her arms and beat her feet against the ground and tore the hair from her head. Hearing her lament, the forest-dwellers grieved, and even the trees and the other rooted, motionless creatures grew sorrowful.
Then the gods, calling Mahadeva to mind, came to Rati and said, “Gather a little of the ash of Kama’s body and keep it with care, and set aside your grief. Mahadeva, master of us all, will bring Kamadeva back to life, and you will have your beloved again. No one gives happiness to another, and no one gives sorrow. Each soul reaps the fruit of its own deeds. In blaming the gods, you grieve for nothing.”
Then they came before lord Shiva and, pleasing him with their devotion, said, “Lord, Maheshwara, tender to all who take refuge in you, in what Kama did there was no selfish motive of his own. Tormented by the wicked Tarakasura, we gods together set him to this task. Master, Shankara, do not take it otherwise. The chaste and faithful Rati laments all alone in deep sorrow; give her comfort. And Maheshwara, if in this anger you have truly killed Kamadeva, then we can only understand that you mean to destroy all living beings, the gods among them, here and now.”
The Promise of Pradyumna
Hearing this word of the gods, lord Shiva was pleased and said, “Gods and sages, what has come from my anger cannot be undone. Even so, Rati’s mighty husband Kama will remain Ananga, without a body, only until Krishna, lord of Rukmini, takes birth on the earth. When Krishna, living in Dwarka, fathers a son, Kama too will be born from the womb of Rukmini. At that time his name will be Pradyumna, of this there is no doubt. The moment he is born, the demon Shambara will carry the infant off, cast him into the sea, and then, thinking him dead, return to his own city. Rati, until that time, live in peace in the city of Shambara. There you will regain your husband, Pradyumna. There he will find you, and in battle he will slay the demon Shambara, and taking you and the demon’s wealth, he will return to his own city. This word of mine will prove entirely true.”
Hearing this, a measure of gladness rose in the hearts of the gods. Joining both hands, they made their plea. “God of gods, Mahadeva, ocean of compassion, lord, grant Kamadeva his life again, and protect the life of Rati.” Then Shiva, the compassionate lord, was pleased once more and said, “Gods, I am well pleased. I will bring Kama alive in the heart of every being. He will move through the world forever as one of my own host. Now go, all of you, to your own realms; I will end your sorrow completely.” Having said this, Rudra vanished from before the gods even as they watched.
The astonishment of the gods lifted, and every one of them was glad. Trusting the word of Rudra, they repeated his promise to Rati to steady her heart, and went each to his own realm. And Rati, wife of Kama? She set out for the city of Shambara that Shiva had named, and began to wait for the time Rudra had spoken of. Consider it: the very eye whose fire took away the body of Kama, by its own word, settled him in the heart of every being. Bodiless though he was, Kama lived on, and reached further than ever, into every heart.
Source: Shiva Purana (Gita Press, Sankshipta Shivapurana Anka), Rudra Samhita (Parvati Khanda)