Madana or Manmatha or Kamadeva is the Hindu god of human love or desire, often portrayed along with his female counterpart Rati. Madana was the son of Lord Maha Vishnu and Goddess Maha Lakshmi.
In the narrative, Indra and the gods are suffering at the hands of the demon Tarakasura who cannot be defeated except by Shiva's son. Brahma advises that Parvati should seduce Shiva since their offspring would be able to defeat Taraka. Indra assigns Madana to break Shiva's meditation. To create a love-filled atmosphere, Madana creates an untimely spring (akΔla-Vasantha). He evades Shiva's guard, Nandi, by taking the form of the fragrant southern breeze, and enters Shiva's abode.
After he awakens Shiva with a flower arrow, Shiva, furious, opens his third eye, which incinerates Madana instantaneously and he is turned into ash. However, Shiva observes Parvati and asks her how he can help her. She joins him to resuscitate Madana, and Shiva agrees to let Madana live but in a disembodied form; hence Madana is also called Ananga (an-= without; anga =body, "bodiless"), or Atanu (a- = without; tanu =body). The spirit of love embodied by Madana is now disseminated across the cosmos: afflicting humanity with the creation of lust. Due to the effect of Kama's arrow Lord Shiva agrees with Parvati's proposal and their union is consummated. Their son Kartikeya goes on to defeat Taraka.
Kamdev was later born in the household of Yadav's as Krishna and Rukmini son Pardyuman. Pradyumna was born in Dvaraka. When he was a baby, he was abducted by the demon Sambara. He was then cast into the sea and swallowed by a fish, but that fish was caught and carried to the house of Sambara. The fish was opened and the child was found inside. He was given to a woman in Sambara's house to raise. Narada informed her about the true identity of the child. When Pradyumna grew up, he battled the demon Sambara and killed him using the Vaishnavastra. Soon after Pradyumna became a constant companion of his father Krishna and was well liked by the people of Dvaraka. Pradyumna was a mighty Maharathi warrior. He possessed the extremely rare Vaishnavastra which is the most powerful weapon in the universe. Also, he was one of the very few people to know the secret of the Chakra Vyuha. According to Mahabharata, Pradyumna trained Abhimanyu and Upapandavas in warfare. But Pradyumna did not participate in the Kurukshetra War as he went on a pilgrimage with his uncle Balarama and other Yadavs.
It's interesting to note that, Son of Vishnu the god of love was needed to die so that God of war Kartikeya, Son of Shiva would be born. Sanathana Dharam has so many interpretations the deeper you dwell into it more meaning it gives. Here it says that Love can't be present if War is to be born. I just love the philosophy of it.
P.S: I had made this post earlier but I figured it should be brought back with some editation.
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