In
Hinduism,
Kama is the god of love and a son of
Lakshmi. He is a young,
winged man who uses a
bow and
arrows. He is called Kama Ananga ("Kama the bodiless") as well. Kama's body was destroyed when he fired his weapon at
Shiva in order to disrupt his meditations. Shiva then opened his third eye, the gaze of which was so powerful that Kama's body was reduced to ashes. For the sake of Kama's wife
Rati (passion), Shiva restored him, but only as a mental image.
Alternative: Chama, Cama
Relative: Mara
The
Kama River[?] is a tributary of the
Volga, in
Russia.