God of Desire by Catherine Benton

God of Desire by Catherine Benton

God of Desire presents Sanskrit tales of the Indian deity Kamadeva as he battles the ascetic god Siva, assists the powerful goddess Devi, and incarnates as the charming son of Krsna. Exploring the imagery and symbolism of the god of desire in art and ritual, Catherine Benton reflects on the connection of Kamadeva to parrots, makaras (gharials), and apsarases (celestial nymphs), and to playful devotional rituals designed to win his favor. In addition to examining the Hindu literature, Benton also highlights two Buddhist forms of Kamadeva, the demonic Mara, who tries to persuade the Buddha to trade enlightenment for the delights of a woman, and the ever-youthful Manjusri, who cuts through ignorance with the bodhisattva sword of wisdom. Tales of Kamadeva from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions present desire as a powerful force continually redefining the boundaries of chaos and order and gently pulling beyond the ephemeral lure of passionate longings.

Catherine Benton is Lecturer in the Religion Department at Lake Forest College.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780791465660
ISBN 10	0791465667
Title	God of Desire
Author	Catherine Benton
Series	Suny Series In Hindu Studies
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	State University of New York Press
Year published	2006-06-01
Number of pages	252
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.