Kama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kma (Sanskrit, Pali; Devanagari: ) means desire, wish,

longing in Indian literature.[3] Kma often connotes sexual
desire and longing in contemporary literature, but the concept
more broadly refers to any desire, wish, passion, longing,
pleasure of the senses, the aesthetic enjoyment of life,
affection, or love, with or without sexual connotations.[4][5]
Kma is one of the four goals of human life in Hindu
traditions.[2] It is considered an essential and healthy goal of
human life when pursued without sacrificing the other three
goals: Dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life), Artha (material
prosperity, income security, means of life) and Moksha
(liberation, release, self-actualization).[6][7] Together, these
four aims of life are called Pururtha.[8]

Kama

Sexual desire

Deity Kama whose arrows

trigger desire

Love

Aesthetic pleasure from

arts, nature[1]

Kma, in Hinduism, is one of the four goals of

human life.[2] Above illustrate examples of kma.

1 Definition and meaning

2 Kma in Hinduism
2.1 Relative precedence between Kama,
Artha, and Dharma
2.2 Kama is necessary for existence
2.3 Kama is holistic
2.4 Kama and stage of life
2.5 Kama as deity
3 Kama in Buddhism
4 Theosophy: kama, kamarupa and kamaloka
5 See also
6 References
6.1 Sources
7 External links

Kma means desire, wish or longing.[3] In contemporary literature, kma refers usually to sexual desire.[2]
However, the term also refers to any sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction and aesthetic pleasure such as
from arts, dance, music, painting, sculpture and nature.[1][9]
The concept kma is found in some of the earliest known verses in Vedas. For example, Book 10 of Rig Veda
describes the creation of the universe from nothing by the great heat. There in hymn 129, it states:

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|

||[10]
Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire the primal seed and germ of Spirit,
Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.
Rig Veda, ~ 15th Century BC[11]
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, one of the oldest Upanishads of Hinduism, uses the term kma, also in a broader
sense, as any desire:
Man consists of desire (kma),
As his desire is, so is his determination,
As his determination is, so is his deed,
Whatever his deed is, that he attains.
Bhadrayaka Upaniad, 7th Century BC[12]
Ancient Indian literature such as the Epics, that followed the Upanishads, develop and explain the concept of
kma together with Artha and Dharma. The Mahabharata, for example, provides one of the expansive
definitions of kma. The Epic claims kma to be any agreeable and desirable experience (pleasure) generated by
the interaction of one of five senses with anything congenial to that sense and while the mind is concurrently in
harmony with the other goals of human life (dharma, artha and moksha).[13]
Kma often implies the short form of the word kman (desire, appetition). Kma, however, is more than
kman. Kma is an experience that includes the discovery of object, learning about the object, emotional
connection, process of enjoyment and the resulting feeling of well being before, during and after the
experience.[9]
Vatsyayana, the author of Kamasutra, describes kma as happiness that is a manasa vyapara (phenomenon of
the mind). Just like the Mahabharata, Vatsyayana's Kamasutra defines kma as pleasure an individual
experiences from the world, with one or more senses - hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling and feeling - in
harmony with ones mind and soul.[6] Experiencing harmonious music is kama, as is being inspired by natural
beauty, the aesthetic appreciation of a work of art and admiring with joy something created by another human
being. Kama sutra, in its discourse on kma, describes many arts, dance and music forms, along with sex as
means to pleasure and enjoyment.[13]
John Lochtefeld explains[2] kma as desires, noting that it often refers to sexual desire in contemporary
literature, but in ancient Indian literature kma includes any kind of attraction and pleasure such as those from
the arts.
Karl Potter describes[14] kama as an attitude and capacity. A little girl who hugs her teddy bear with a smile is
experiencing kama, as are two lovers in embrace. During these experiences, the person connects and identifies
the loved as part of oneself, feels more complete, fulfilled and whole by experiencing that connection and
nearness. This, in the Indian perspective, is kma.[14]
Hindery notes the inconsistent and diverse exposition of kma in various ancient texts of India. Some texts,
such as the Epic Ramayana, paint kma through the desire of Rama for Sita, one that transcends the physical

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and marital into a love that is spiritual, and something that gives Rama his meaning of life, his reason to live.[15]
Both Sita and Rama, frequently express their unwillingness and inability to live without the other.[16] This
romantic and spiritual view of kma in the Ramayana by Valmiki is quite different, claim Hindery[15] and
others,[17] than the normative and dry description of kma in the law codes of smriti by Manu for example.
Gavin Flood explains[18] kma as love without violating dharma (moral responsibility), artha (material
prosperity) and ones journey towards moksha (spiritual liberation).

In Hinduism, kma is regarded as one of the four proper and necessary

goals of human life (purusharthas), the others being Dharma (virtuous,
proper, moral life), Artha (material prosperity, income security, means of
life) and Moksha (liberation, release, self-actualization).[7][20]

Relative precedence between Kama, Artha, and Dharma

Ancient Indian literature emphasizes that dharma precedes and is
essential. If dharma is ignored, artha and kama lead to social chaos.[21]
Vatsyayana in Kama Sutra recognizes relative value of three goals as
follows: artha precedes kama, while dharma precedes both kama and
artha.[6] Vatsyayana, in Chapter 2 of Kama sutra, presents a series of
philosophical objections argued against kama and then offers his
answers to refute those objections. For example, one objection to kma
(pleasure, enjoyment), acknowledges Vatsyayana, is this concern that
kma is an obstacle to moral and ethical life, to religious pursuits, to
hard work, and to productive pursuit of prosperity and wealth. The
pursuit of pleasure, claim objectors, encourages individuals to commit
unrighteous deeds, bring distress, carelessness, levity and suffering later
in life.[22] These objections were then answered by Vatsyayana, with the
declaration that kma is as necessary to human beings as food, and kma
is holistic with dharma and artha.

Kma is celebrated in many Hindu

temples, such as Khajuraho and the
Konark Temple (above).[19]

Kama is necessary for existence

Just like good food is necessary for the well being of the body, good pleasure is necessary for healthy existence
of a human being, suggests Vatsyayana.[23] A life without pleasure and enjoyment - sexual, artistic, of nature is hollow and empty. Just like no one should stop farming crops even though everyone knows herds of deer
exist and will try to eat the crop as it grows up, in the same way claims Vatsyayana, one should not stop one's
pursuit of kma because dangers exist. Kama should be followed with thought, care, caution and enthusiasm,
just like farming or any other life pursuit.[23]
Vatsyayana's book the Kama Sutra, in parts of the world, is presumed or depicted as a synonym for creative
sexual positions; in reality, only 20% of Kama Sutra is about sexual positions. The majority of the book, notes
Jacob Levy,[24] is about the philosophy and theory of love, what triggers desire, what sustains it, how and when
it is good or bad. Kama Sutra presents kama as an essential and joyful aspect of human existence.[25]

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Kama is holistic
Vatsyayana claims kama is never in conflict with dharma or artha, rather all three coexist and kama results from
the other two.[6]
A man practicing Dharma, Artha and Kama enjoys happiness now and in future. Any action which
conduces to the practice of Dharma, Artha and Kama together, or of any two, or even one of them
should be performed. But an action which conduces to the practice of one of them at the expense of
the remaining two should not be performed.
Vatsyayana, The Kama sutra, Chapter 2[26]
Pleasure in general, sexual pleasure in particular, is neither shameful nor dirty, in Hindu philosophy. It is
necessary for human life, essential for well being of every individual, and wholesome when pursued with due
consideration of dharma and artha. Unlike the precepts of some religions, kma is celebrated in Hinduism, as a
value in its own right.[27] Together with artha and dharma, it is an aspect of a holistic life.[9][28] All three
purusharthas - Dharma, Artha and Kama - are equally and simultaneously important.[29]

Kama and stage of life

Some[6][30] ancient Indian literature observe that the relative precedence of artha, kama and dharma are
naturally different for different people and different age groups. In a baby or child, education and kma (artistic
desires) take precedence; in youth kma and artha take precedence; while in old age dharma takes precedence.

Kama as deity
Kma is personified as deity Kamadeva and his consort Rati. Deity Kama is comparable to the Greek deity Eros
- they both trigger human sexual attraction and sensual desire.[2][8] Kama rides a parrot, and the deity is armed
with bow and arrows to pierce hearts. The bow is made of sugarcane stalk, the bowstring is a line of bees, and
the arrows are tipped with five flowers representing five emotions-driven love states.[31] The five flowers on
Kama arrows are lotus flower (infatuation), ashoka flower (intoxication with thoughts about the other person),
mango flower (exhaustion and emptiness in absence of the other), jasmine flower (pining for the other) and blue
lotus flower (paralysis with confusion and feelings). Kama is also known as Ananga (literally "one without
body") because desire strikes formlessly, through feelings in unseen ways.[2] The other names for deity Kama
include Madan (he who intoxicates with love), Manmatha (he who agitates the mind), Pradyumna (he who
conquers all) and Kushumesu (he whose arrows are flowers).[32]

In Buddhism's Pali Canon, the Gautama Buddha renounced (Pali: nekkhamma) sensuality (kma) in route to his
Awakening.[33] Some Buddhist lay practitioners recite daily the Five Precepts, a commitment to abstain from
"sexual misconduct" (kmesu micchcra).[34] Typical of Pali Canon discourses, the Dhammika Sutta (Sn 2.14)
includes a more explicit correlate to this precept when the Buddha enjoins a follower to "observe celibacy or at
least do not have sex with another's wife."[35]

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In the Theosophy of Blavatsky, Kama is the fourth principle of the septenary, associated with emotions and
desires, attachment to existence, volition, and lust.[36]
Kamaloka is a semi-material plane, subjective and invisible to humans, where disembodied "personalities", the
astral forms, called Kama-rupa remain until they fade out from it by the complete exhaustion of the effects of
the mental impulses that created these eidolons of human and animal passions and desires. It is associated with
Hades of ancient Greeks and the Amenti of the Egyptians, the land of Silent Shadows; a division of the first
group of the Trailkya.

Dharma
Artha
Moksha
Purushartha
Kaam, a word with a similar meaning
Cupid
Kama sutra
Alcmaeon (mythology)
Buddhist_cosmology_of_the_Theravada_school

1. See:
Kate Morris (2011), The Illustrated Dictionary of History, ISBN 978-8189093372, pp 124;
Robert E. Van Voorst, RELG: World, Wadsworth, ISBN 978-1-111-72620-1, pp 78
2. James Lochtefeld (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 1, Rosen Publishing, New York, ISBN
0-8239-2287-1, pp 340
3. Monier Williams, , kma (http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/mw/0300/mw__0304.html) Monier-Williams
Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column
4. Macy, Joanna (1975). "The Dialectics of Desire". Numen (BRILL) 22 (2): 14560. JSTOR 3269765.
5. Lorin Roche. "Love-Kama". Retrieved 15 July 2011.
6. The Hindu Kama Shastra Society (1925), The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (https://archive.org/stream
/kamasutraofvatsy00vatsuoft#page/8/mode/2up), University of Toronto Archives, pp. 8
7. see:
A. Sharma (1982), The Pururthas: a study in Hindu axiology, Michigan State University, ISBN
9789993624318, pp 9-12; See review by Frank Whaling in Numen, Vol. 31, 1 (Jul., 1984), pp. 140-142;
A. Sharma (1999), The Pururthas: An Axiological Exploration of Hinduism (http://www.jstor.org/stable
/40018229), The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Summer, 1999), pp. 223-256;
Chris Bartley (2001), Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy, Editor: Oliver Learman, ISBN 0-415-17281-0,
Routledge, Article on Purushartha, pp 443
8. Kama (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/310390/Kama) in Encyclopdia Britannica, Chicago, 2009
9. R. Prasad (2008), History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, Volume 12, Part 1, ISBN
978-8180695445, pp 249-270
10. Rig Veda Book 10 Hymn 129 (http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rvsan/rv10129.htm) Verse 4
11. Ralph Griffith (Translator, 1895), The Hymns of the Rig veda (https://archive.org/stream
/hymnsrigveda00unkngoog#page/n580/mode/2up), Book X, Hymn CXXIX, Verse 4, pp 575
12. Klaus Klostermaier, A Survey of Hinduism, 3rd Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN
978-0-7914-7082-4, pp. 173-174

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13. R. Prasad (2008), History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, Volume 12, Part 1, ISBN
978-8180695445, Chapter 10, particularly pp 252-255
14. Karl H. Potter (2002), Presuppositions of India's Philosophies, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120807792, pp. 1-29
15. Roderick Hindery, Hindu Ethics in the Ramayana, The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall, 1976), pp. 299
16. See verses at 2.30, 4.1, 6.1, 6.83 for example; Abridged Verse 4.1: Sita invades my entire being and my love is
entirely centered on her; Without that lady of lovely eyelashes, beautiful looks, and gentle speech, I cannot survive, O
Saumitri.; for peer reviewed source, see Hindery, The Journal of Religious Ethics, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall, 1976), pp
299-300
17. Benjamin Khan (1965), The concept of Dharma in Valmiki Ramayana, Delhi, ISBN 978-8121501347
18. Gavin Flood (1996), The meaning and context of the Purusarthas, in Julius Lipner (Editor) - The Fruits of Our
Desiring, ISBN 978-1896209302, pp 11-13
19. Thomas Donaldson (2005), Konark, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195675917
20. Brodd, Jefferey (2003). World Religions. Winona, MN: Saint Mary's Press. ISBN 978-0-88489-725-5.
21. Gavin Flood (1996), The meaning and context of the Purusarthas, in Julius Lipner (Editor) - The Fruits of Our
Desiring, ISBN 978-1896209302, pp 16-21
22. The Hindu Kama Shastra Society (1925), The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (https://archive.org/stream
/kamasutraofvatsy00vatsuoft#page/10/mode/2up), University of Toronto Archives, pp. 9-10
23. The Hindu Kama Shastra Society (1925), The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (https://archive.org/stream
/kamasutraofvatsy00vatsuoft#page/8/mode/2up), University of Toronto Archives, Chapter 2, pp 8-11; pp 172
24. Jacob Levy (2010), Kama sense marketing, iUniverse, ISBN 978-1440195563, see Introduction
25. Alain Danilou, The Complete Kama Sutra: The First Unabridged Modern Translation of the Classic Indian Text,
ISBN 978-0892815258
26. The Hindu Kama Shastra Society (1925), Answer 4, The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana (https://archive.org/stream
/kamasutraofvatsy00vatsuoft#page/10/mode/2up), University of Toronto Archives, pp. 11
27. Bullough and Bullough (1994), Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia, Routledge, ISBN 978-0824079727, pp 516
28. Gary Kraftsow, Yoga for Transformation - ancient teachings and practices for healing body, mind and heart, Penguin,
ISBN 978-0-14-019629-0, pp 11-15
29. C. Ramanathan, Ethics in the Ramayana, in History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization (Editor:
R. Prasad), Volume 12, Part 1, ISBN 978-8180695445, pp 84-85
30. P.V. Kane (1941), History of Dharmashastra, Volume 2, Part 1, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, pp. 8-9
31. Coulter and Turner, Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities, Francis & Taylor, ISBN 978-1135963903, pp 258-259
32. William Joseph Wilkins (193), Hindu mythology, Vedic and Puranic (https://archive.org/stream
/hindumythologyve00inwilk#page/268/mode/2up), Thacker & Spink, Indiana University Archives, pp 268
33. See, for instance, Dvedhavitakka Sutta (MN 19) (Thanissaro, 1997a). (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka
/mn/mn.019.than.html)
34. See, for instance, Khantipalo (1995). (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel206.html#precepts)
35. [1] (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.2.14.irel.html)
36. Farthing 1978 p.210.

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from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.2.14.irel.html.
Khantipalo, Bhikkhu (1982, 1995). Lay Buddhist Practice: The Shrine Room, Uposatha Day, Rains
Residence (The Wheel No. 206/207). Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved 5 Jul 2007 from
"Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/khantipalo/wheel206.html.
Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tipitaka Series (n.d.) (SLTP). Pacagikavaggo (AN 5.1.3.8, in Pali).
Retrieved 3 Jul 2007 from "MettaNet-Lanka" at http://metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya
/Anguttara3/5-pancakanipata/003-pancangikavaggo-p.html.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997a). Dvedhavitakka Sutta: Two Sorts of Thinking (MN 19). Retrieved 3

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Jul 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997b). Samadhanga Sutta: The Factors of Concentration (AN 5.28).
Retrieved 3 Jul 2007 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05
/an05.028.than.html.
H. P. Blavatsky, 1892. The Theosophical Glossary. London: The Theosophical Publishing Society

About.com page (http://experts.about.com/e/k/ka/kamadeva.htm/)

Kamadeva's holy sacrifice (http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/holilegends/sacrifice-of-kamadeva.html/)

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