Kamadeva
Vedas

In the Atharvaveda, Kāma begins to take on a more defined, divine character. In hymn 9.2, Kāma is invoked to grant desires and eliminate rivals. The deity is described with titles such as “first seed of mind” (manoja, mind-born one), echoing his Rigvedic origins. The supplicant praises Kāma ’s superiority over gods, ancestors, and mortals, reinforcing his status as a primordial force. According to Professor Catherine Benton of the Lake Forest College (Department of Religion), this form of Kāma is simultaneously a divine agent of desire and a god with cosmic significance. Hymn 19.52 of the Atharvaveda continues this theme, offering homage to Kāma as a bestower of prosperity and success, likely in connection with sacrificial rites. Again, Kāma is described as “the first seed of mind,” indicating continuity with the Rigvedic view of desire as a force foundational to creation. Benton observes that in these contexts, Kāma functions not as a romantic deity but as a divine principle invoked to fulfill a variety of human wishes, from wealth to progeny.
punctuation:no_comma