It is told that long, long ago, when Lord Shiva lost his first wife, Sati, he was filled with sorrow, and deep in grief, he withdrew completely from the world. Seated on the summit of Mount Kailash, he remained in profound meditation, and the affairs of the world no more touched him than a grain of dust falling on the back of an elephant.

At that time, a powerful demon named Tarakasura was raging through the three worlds and causing great destruction, and no one was able to defeat him. He had been granted a boon by Lord Brahma that he could only be defeated by the son of Lord Shiva – but until now, Shiva had no children, and his yogic detachment made offspring seem unlikely. The spirit of Sati had been reborn as Parvati, but Shiva was unaware of this. Therefore it was necessary to awaken him from his meditations, so that he could unite with Parvati and beget the downfall of the demon.

Among themselves the gods decided that it must the task of Kamadeva, the god of love and desire, to awaken Shiva. Kamadeva was very apprehensive before such an assignment, but he understood the need. Therefore, together with his wife Rati, he went to the peak of Mount Kailash, and with his bow of sugarcane strung with a line of honeybees, aimed his arrow tipped with a sweet flower, and shot.

In awakening love and erotic longing, Kamadeva was a master archer: his arrow found its mark. In an instant Shiva’s consciousness dropped from the spheres of nothingness to the intoxicating realm of form and desire. Startled, Shiva’s eyes flew open – not just his left and his right eye, but also his cosmic Third Eye, from which poured forth a stream of spiritual power so great that Kamadeva was instantly burned to ashes.

Then Rati lamented, and begged Shiva to restore her husband to life, for without his power to awaken longing, the whole world would wither and die. Lord Shiva declared that it was not possible to give Kamadeva his body again, but said the god of desire would continue to live and work unseen, and so it has been ever since.

And because Lord Shiva was now awake to this world, he and Parvati could meet. Love grew between them until at last they were married, and their first son, Kartikeya, grew indeed be the downfall of the demon Tarakasura.