God of Desire

Catherine Benton

Description

God of Desire presents Sanskrit tales of the Indian deity Kamadeva as he battles the ascetic god Siva, assists the powerful goddess Devi, and incarnates as the charming son of Krsna. Exploring the imagery and symbolism of the god of desire in art and ritual, Catherine Benton reflects on the connection of Kamadeva to parrots, makaras (gharials), and apsarases (celestial nymphs), and to playful devotional rituals designed to win his favor. In addition to examining the Hindu literature, Benton also highlights two Buddhist forms of Kamadeva, the demonic Mara, who tries to persuade the Buddha to trade enlightenment for the delights of a woman, and the ever-youthful Manjusri, who cuts through ignorance with the bodhisattva sword of wisdom. Tales of Kamadeva from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions present desire as a powerful force continually redefining the boundaries of chaos and order and gently pulling beyond the ephemeral lure of passionate longings.

Acknowledgments

Introduction
Stories externalize internal complexities
Kamadeva teaches: Sexual desire (kama) as paradigm for generic desire (kama)
Stories mold worldview
Tale of Yayati: Telling stories about desire
A flow of stories with no reliable dates
Visual representations of Kamadeva
Structure of this study of Kama and kama

1. Stories of Beginnings: Kamadeva and his wives
The birth of Kamadeva
Kamadeva’s wife: Rati
Kamadeva’s companions: Vasanta and the Maras
Kamadeva’s other wife: Priti / Karnotpala
Who is Kamadeva?
Translation: The tale of Karnotpala

2. Kamadeva, Skilled Marksman
Siva wins: Kama turned to ash
Kama wins: Kama’s power within Siva
Devi wins: Kama as devotee of the goddess

3. Kamadeva as Pradyumna, son of Krsna
The story of Pradyumna
Variant Pradyumnas and Sambaras
Kama marries Mayavati: Desire embedded in and wedded to Illusion
The story of Pradyumna as allegory

4. Kamadeva and Khandasila: rituals and metaphors
The story of Khandasila
The parallel tale of Indra and Ahalya
Why women become stones
Reflecting on Khandasila: Siva in the Pine Forest
Devotion to Kamadeva
What Kama and Khandasila say about desire
Translation: The tale of Khandasila

5. Worshipping Kamadeva
Kamadeva’s festivals and pujas: The Damanakotsava
Kamadeva as fertility god, and vratas for prostitutes
Rituals for beauty and husbands: Tirthas for couples
Why rituals of Devotion to Kamadeva
Translation: The Damanaka Festival (damanakotsava)

6. Recognizing Kama: Perspectives of early texts—anger, pursartha, invincible power, tentric energy
Kama in the Rg Veda and Atharva Veda
Kama in the Brahmanas
Kama in the Upanisads
Kama as a human goal, a purusartha (Mahabharata)
Kama and Krodha: Desire and anger (Mahabharata)
Kama: Upholder of the earth and cosmic will (Mahabharata)
Song of Kama (Kamagita): The power of desire (Mahabharata)
Kama in service to a Tantric goddess: Chinnamasta
Historical progression of Kama and his Greek cousin, Eros

7. Kamadeva’s assistants: Celestial beings, birds, and crocodiles
Apsarases
Gandharvas
Parrot: Kamadeva’s vehicle
Makara: Emblem of the god of desire

8. Kama as the Buddhist Mara and Manjusri
Attitudes toward kama in early Buddhist literature
Kama and Mara: Desire and Death
Upagupta and Mara: Mara as the Buddha
Vimalakirti and Mara: Enlightened Maras
Manjusri and Kamadeva: Desire as a path to wisdom

9. Conclusions: Kamadeva and the Meaning of Desire
What does Kamadeva teach about desire?
Attitudes toward desire in Sanskrit story literature

Bibliographies: Sanskrit Texts

Sanskrit Translations
General Sources

Sujets

• East Asian religions
• Buddhism
• Hinduism

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780791482612
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

'/$฀OF฀$%3)2% 4ALES฀OF฀+AMADEVA฀ IN฀3ANSKRIT฀3TORY฀,ITERATURE

#!4(%2).%฀"%.4/.

( 0% P G % & 4 * 3 &

46/: TFSJFT JO )JOEV 4UVEJFT

8FOEZ %POJHFS FEJUPS

$"5 ) & 3 * / & # & / 50 /

( 0% P G % & 4 * 3 &

5BMFTPG,~BNBEFWBJO

4BOTLSJU 4UPSZ -JUFSBUVSF

45"5& 6/*7&34*5: 0' /&8 :03, 13&44

1VCMJTIFE CZ 45"5& 6/*7&34*5: 0' /&8 :03, 13&44 "-#"/:

ª  4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ PG /FX :PSL

"MM SJHIUT SFTFSWFE

1SJOUFE JO UIF 6OJUFE 4UBUFT PG "NFSJDB

/P QBSU PG UIJT CPPL NBZ CF VTFE PS SFQSPEVDFE JO BOZ NBOOFS XIBUTPFWFS XJUIPVU XSJUUFO QFSNJTTJPO /P QBSU PG UIJT CPPL NBZ CF TUPSFE JO B SFUSJFWBM TZTUFN PS USBOTNJUUFE JO BOZ GPSN PS CZ BOZ NFBOT JODMVEJOH FMFDUSPOJD FMFDUSPTUBUJD NBHOFUJD UBQF NFDIBOJDBM QIPUPDPQZJOH SFDPSEJOH PS PUIFSXJTF XJUIPVU UIF QSJPS QFSNJTTJPO JO XSJUJOH PG UIF QVCMJTIFS

'PS JOGPSNBUJPO BEESFTT 4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ PG /FX :PSL 1SFTT  8BTIJOHUPO "WFOVF 4VJUF  "MCBOZ /: 

1SPEVDUJPO -BVSJF 4FBSM .BSLFUJOH .JDIBFM $BNQPDIJBSP

-JCSBSZ PG $POHSFTT $BUBMPHJOHJO1VCMJDBUJPO %BUB

#FOUPO $BUIFSJOF  (PE PG EFTJSF  UBMFT PG ,ƣNBEFWB JO 4BOTLSJU TUPSZ MJUFSBUVSF  $BUIFSJOF #FOUPO  Q DN  46/: TFSJFT JO )JOEV TUVEJFT  *ODMVEFT USBOTMBUJPOT GSPN 4BOTLSJU  *ODMVEFT CJCMJPHSBQIJDBM SFGFSFODFT BOE JOEFY  *4#/  IBSEDPWFS  BML QBQFS   ,ƣNB )JOEV EFJUZ JO MJUFSBUVSF  %FTJSF3FMJHJPVT BTQFDUT)JOEVJTN  4BOTLSJU MJUFSBUVSF)JTUPSZ BOE DSJUJDJTN * 5JUMF ** 4FSJFT #-,#  êED 

         

'PS NZ QBSFOUT

3PTFNBSJF BOE &EXJO + #FOUPO

This page intentionally left blank.

*ĝĝĦĤĥģĒĥĚĠğĤ

"ĔĜğĠĨĝĖĕĘĞĖğĥĤ

*ğĥģĠĕĦĔĥĚĠğ

$POUFOUT

4UPSJFT FYUFSOBMJ[F UIF JOUFSOBM DPNQMFYJUJFT PG EFTJSF 4FYVBM EFTJSF LƣNB BT QBSBEJHN GPS HFOFSJD EFTJSF LƣNB 4UPSJFT NPME XPSMEWJFX 5BMF PG :BZŔUJ5FMMJOH TUPSJFT BCPVU EFTJSF " nPX PG TUPSJFT XJUI OP SFMJBCMF EBUFT 7JTVBM SFQSFTFOUBUJPOT PG ,ƣNBEFWB 4USVDUVSF PG UIJT TUVEZ

$ęĒġĥĖģ 0ğĖ 4ĥĠģĚĖĤ Ġė #ĖĘĚğğĚğĘĤ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒ Ēğĕ )ĚĤ 8ĚħĖĤ ɩF CJSUI PG ,ƣNBEFWB ,ƣNBEFWBT XJGF 3BUJ ,ƣNBEFWBT DPNQBOJPOT 7BTBOUB BOE UIF .ƣSBT ,ƣNBEFWBT PUIFS XJGF 1SƯUJ  ,BSO•PUQBMƣ 4LBOEB 1VSŔOB 8IPJT,ƣNBEFWB ɩF 5BMF PG ,BSO•PUQBMƣ BOE UIF ,BSO•PUQBMƣ 5ƯSUIBUSBOTMBUJPO

$ęĒġĥĖģ 5ĨĠ

,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒ 4ĜĚĝĝĖĕ .ĒģĜĤĞĒğ

ƖJWB XJOT ,ƣNB UVSOFE UP BTI .BUTZB 1BENB BOE ŇJWB 1VSŔO•BT ,ƣNB XJOT ,ƣNBT QPXFS XJUIJO ƖJWB 7ŔNBOB 1VSŔO•B %FWƯ XJOT ,ƣNB BT EFWPUFF PG UIF HPEEFTT #SBINŔO•E•B 1VSŔO•B

W J J

YJ

YW

       

      

   

W J J J

( 0% 0 ' % & 4 * 3 &

$ęĒġĥĖģ 5ęģĖĖ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒ 3ĖēĠģğ ĒĤ 1ģĒĕĪĦĞğĒ 4Ġğ Ġė ,ģ•Ĥ•ğ•Ē

ɩF TUPSZ PG 1SBEZVNOB 7BSJBOU 1SBEZVNOBT BOE ƖBNCBSBT ,ƣNB NBSSJFT .ƣZƣWBUƯ %FTJSF FNCFEEFE JO *MMVTJPO ɩF 1SBEZVNOB TUPSZ BT BMMFHPSZ

$ęĒġĥĖģ 'ĠĦģ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒ Ēğĕ ,ęĒğ•ĕ•ĒɈĚĝȮ 3ĚĥĦĒĝĤ Ēğĕ .ĖĥĒġęĠģĤ ɩF TUPSZ PG ,IBO•E•BƽJMƣ ɩF QBSBMMFM UBMF PG *OESB BOE "IBMZƣ 8IZ XPNFO CFDPNF TUPOFT 3FnFDUJOH PO ,IBO•E•BƽJMƣ ƖJWB JO UIF 1JOF 'PSFTU %FWPUJPO UP ,ƣNBEFWB 8IBU ,ƣNB BOE ,IBO•E•BƽJMƣ TBZ BCPVU EFTJSF ɩF 5BMF PG ,IBO•E•BƽJMƣ BOE UIF 8FMM PG (PPE 'PSUVOFUSBOTMBUJPO

$ęĒġĥĖģ 'ĚħĖ 8ĠģĤęĚġġĚğĘ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒ ,ƣNBEFWBT GFTUJWBMT BOE QǃKƣT ɩF %BNBOBLPUTBWB ,ƣNBEFWB BT GFSUJMJUZ HPE BOE WSBUBT GPS QSPTUJUVUFT 3JUVBMT GPS CFBVUZ BOE IVTCBOET 5ƯSUIBT GPS DPVQMFT 8IZ SJUVBMT UP ,ƣNBEFWB ɩF %BNBOBLB 'FTUJWBM %BNBOBLPUTBWB USBOTMBUJPO

$ęĒġĥĖģ 4Ěĩ 3ĖĔĠĘğĚīĚğĘ ,ȮĞĒ 1ĖģĤġĖĔĥĚħĖĤ Ġė &ĒģĝĪ 5ĖĩĥĤ‰"ğĘĖģ 1ĦģĦĤ•ȮģĥęĒ *ğħĚğĔĚēĝĖ 1ĠĨĖģ 5ĒğĥģĚĔ &ğĖģĘĪ

,ƣNB JO UIF3•H 7FEBBOE"UIBSWB 7FEB ,ƣNB JO UIF #SƣINBO•BT ,ƣNB JO UIF 6QBOJT•BET ,ƣNB BT B IVNBO HPBM B QVSVT•ƣSUIB .BIŔCIŔSBUB ,ƣNB BOE ,SPEIB %FTJSF BOE "OHFS .BIŔCIŔSBUB ,ƣNB 6QIPMEFS PG UIF FBSUI BOE DPTNJD XJMM .BIŔCIŔSBUB 4POH PG ,ƣNB ,ƣNBHƯUƣ  ɩF QPXFS PG EFTJSF .BIŔCIŔSBUB ,ƣNB JO TFSWJDF UP B 5BOUSJD HPEEFTT $IJOOBNBTUƣ )JTUPSJDBM QSPHSFTTJPO PG ,ƣNB BOE IJT (SFFL DPVTJO &SPT

    

      



     

         

$ 0 / 5 & / 5 4

$ęĒġĥĖģ 4ĖħĖğ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒĤ "ĤĤĚĤĥĒğĥĤ $ĖĝĖĤĥĚĒĝ #ĖĚğĘĤ #ĚģĕĤ Ēğĕ $ģĠĔĠĕĚĝĖĤ "QTBSBTFT (BOEIBSWBT 1BSSPU ,ƣNBEFWBT WFIJDMF .BLBSB &NCMFN PG UIF HPE PG EFTJSF

$ęĒġĥĖģ &ĚĘęĥ #ĦĕĕęĚĤĥ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒĤ .ȮģĒ Ēğĕ .ĒūěĦɈģȺ

"UUJUVEFT UPXBSE LƣNB JO FBSMZ #VEEIJTU MJUFSBUVSF ,ƣNB BOE .ƣSB %FTJSF BOE %FBUI 6QBHVQUB BOE .ƣSB .ƣSB BT UIF #VEEIB 7JNBMBLƯSUJ BOE .ƣSB &OMJHIUFOFE .ƣSBT .B×KVƽSƯ BOE ,ƣNBEFWB %FTJSF BT B QBUI UP XJTEPN

$ęĒġĥĖģ /ĚğĖ $ĠğĔĝĦĤĚĠğĤ ,ȮĞĒĕĖħĒ Ēğĕ ĥęĖ .ĖĒğĚğĘ Ġė %ĖĤĚģĖ

8IBUEPFT,ƣNBEFWBUFBDIBCPVUEFTJSF "UUJUVEFT UPXBSE EFTJSF JO 4BOTLSJU TUPSZ MJUFSBUVSF

/ĠĥĖĤ

#ĚēĝĚĠĘģĒġęĪ 4ĒğĤĜģĚĥ 5ĖĩĥĤ

#ĚēĝĚĠĘģĒġęĪ 4ĒğĤĜģĚĥ 5ģĒğĤĝĒĥĚĠğĤ

#ĚēĝĚĠĘģĒġęĪ (ĖğĖģĒĝ 4ĠĦģĔĖĤ

*ğĕĖĩ

J Y