Kamadeva
Incineration by Shiva

While the Matsya Purana provides a foundational version of the story, other texts like the Shiva Purana and the Vamana Purana offer different emphases and additional layers to the myth. In the Shiva Purana, Kamadeva is depicted as more arrogant and powerful, yet his encounter with Shiva further underscores the latter's dominance over desire. Kamadeva's arrows fail to fully penetrate Shiva's concentration, demonstrating the supreme yogi's ability to resist even the most potent forces of passion. However, as in the Matsya Purana, Kamadeva's destruction leads not to the end of desire but to its transformation. Shiva absorbs Kamadeva into himself, making him one of his ganas (attendants). This act symbolizes Shiva's control over desire, yet acknowledges its persistence in a subtler, controlled form; the Shiva Purana thus reinforces the idea that desire is an inherent part of the universe, but under the control of disciplined spiritual practice. The Vamana Purana presents a version in which Shiva is more vulnerable to Kamadeva's arrows. Here, Shiva is grieving for his first wife, Sati, and is emotionally vulnerable when Kamadeva strikes. Overwhelmed by desire and grief, Shiva flees into the forest, seeking to escape Kamadeva's influence. However, the very act of fleeing causes the wives of the forest sages to become infatuated with him, illustrating the uncontrollable nature of desire, even for the gods.
detectable_format:number_highlighted_sections[6], combination:repeat_prompt