How Krishna Taught Kamadeva That True Love Outshines Desire

Once upon a time, Kamadeva, the celestial deity of love and desire, roamed throughout creation, performing his thankless task of shooting arrows of lust into the hearts of all living beings. His arrows ensnared everyone—from the highest demigods to the smallest creatures—binding them in the web of material desires.

As Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita (3.37): “It is lust only, Arjuna, which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.”

Indeed, it is these very desires that keep souls entangled in the cycle of birth and death, distracting them from the path of devotion and spiritual awakening.

Having fulfilled his duty of inflicting every being with material desires, Kamadeva grew bored. His task was complete, and he wondered what to do next. Then, by divine fortune, he arrived at Vrindavan Dhama, the most sacred abode of Lord Krishna.

Intrigued, he inquired from the sages about Krishna and was astonished to learn that every resident of Vrindavan not only knew Krishna but had also surrendered their hearts to Him in pure, selfless love.

Kamadeva’s Attempt and His Defeat

One evening, as Krishna was sporting on the banks of the Yamuna River with the gopis (cowherd maidens), Kamadeva saw an opportunity.

He thought to himself, “If Krishna is surrounded by these beautiful maidens, He must be susceptible to my arrows.”

However, Kamadeva failed to understand that Krishna’s relationships with His devotees are entirely pure and transcendental, free from even a trace of material lust.

Stealthily, Kamadeva crept through the trees, bow in hand, and took aim at Krishna. As he prepared to shoot his arrows, his gaze fell upon the Lord’s divine form. His eyes moved from Krishna’s lotus feet to His slender waist, then to His broad chest, and finally to His radiant face.

The more Kamadeva gazed upon Krishna, the deeper he fell under His spell—without even realizing it, he had begun to meditate on the Lord’s divine beauty.

Krishna stood in His Tribhanga-Sundara posture, His body gracefully bent in three places as He played His enchanting flute. His dark, curly locks cascaded down to His shoulders, and His lotus-like eyes—extending almost to His ears—shone with divine brilliance.

Adorned with a Vaijayanti Garland (made of five kinds of flowers), His form exuded an intoxicating fragrance—a blend of Aguru oil, musk, saffron, and camphor—attracting transcendental butterflies and that hovered around Him, mistaking His divine scent for nectar.

As Kamadeva continued to gaze upon Krishna, he became completely overwhelmed. His bow and arrows slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. The conqueror of all hearts now found himself conquered.

Realizing the futility of his efforts, Kamadeva rushed forward, fell at Krishna’s lotus feet, and pleaded:

“O Lord, I surrender to You! Please let me become Your eternal servant!”

In that moment, Kamadeva understood the truth: Krishna is Madana-Mohan, the enchanter of even Kamadeva himself.

The Triumph of Divine Love

This story beautifully illustrates the supremacy of divine love over material desire. Even Kamadeva, the personification of lust, was powerless before the transcendental beauty of Krishna.

The Lord, as Madana-Mohan, is not merely the destroyer of lust but the supreme attractor of all hearts. Those who take refuge in Him are liberated from the shackles of material desires and drawn into the ocean of pure, selfless devotion—the highest perfection of life.