What was the body of Kama made of?

Question

Kāmadeva is perhaps the only deva who was resurrected from the dead. Generally, resurrection of the dead occurs in the same body. But in the case of Kāmadeva, his original body was burnt down by Bhagavāna Śiva. The fact that he had to wait in order to resurrect indicates that he was unable to create a body of his own. So how was his new body created?

Answer 1

It is discussed in detail in the Tāntrika text Mahākālasaṁhitā.

While the Lalitopakhyāna of Brahmaṇḍapurāṇa states that Bhaṇḍāsura was created out of the ashes of Kāmadeva, the 12th chapter of Guhyakālīkhaṇḍa of Mahākālasaṁhitā states that the ashes of Kāmadeva were converted into camphor. In Hindu tradition, camphor is renowned as a mouth-freshner & aphrodisiac. Before the introduction of tobacco (main ingredient of paan masala) by the Portuguese from the Americas, camphor was the main ingredient in tāmbula. The same text states that the usage of camphor as a material of ārātrika was first done in the marriage of Gaurī & Śaṅkara.

On request of devī Gaurī, Bhagavāna Śiva resurrected Kāmadeva by the application of the Mṛtasañjīvanī/Mṛtyuñjaya mantra (of which he is the presiding deity) into a body composed of herbs, leaves & flowers. The chief ingredient was the damanaka shrub (Artemisia indica, Artemisia nilagirica, Artemisia dubia & Artemisia pallens) created out of the tears of Kāmadeva's wife Rati which fell over her husband's ashes. The 14th chapter of Guhyakālīkhaṇḍa of Mahākālasaṁhitā then states

• the face was created out of lotus flowers
• the nose was created out of the campaka flowers (Magnolia champaca)
• the eyes were created out of blue water-lilies (Nymphaea nouchali)
• the forehead was created out of mallikā flowers (Jasminum sambac)
• the temples were created out of yūthika flowers (Jasminum auriculatum)
• the ears were created out of karavīra flowers (Nerium oleander)
• the jaws were created out of pāṭalā flowers (Bignonia suaveolens)
• the collar-bone was created out of mādhavī creeper (Hiptage beghalensis)
• the cheeks were created out of śirīṣa flowers (Albizia lebbeck)
• the nostrils were created out of vakula flowers (Mimusops elengi)
• the neck was created out of the karṇikāra flowers (Pterospermum acerifolium)
• the arms were created out of mango saplings
• the hair was created out of kuruṇṭaka flowers (Barleria longifloria)
• the shoulders were created out of kāñcanāra flowers (Bauhinia variegata var candida)
• the abdominal muscles were created out of kunda flowers (Jasminum multiflorum)
• the chest was created out of aśoka flowers (Saraca asoca)
• the abdomen was created out of ketakī flowers (Pandanus odorifer)
• the sides were created out of Jatī flowers (Jasminum grandiflorum)
• the groin was created out of kiṁśuka flowers (Butea monosperma)
• the thighs were created out of the śatapatra leaves (Anethum graveolens)
• the shanks were created out of Javā flowers (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
• All the other limbs were created out of flowers like pārijāta (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis), maruvaka (Meyna laxiflora/Clerodendrum phlomidis), kadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba) & bandhujīva (Pentapetes phoenicea)

Keeping his wives Rati & Prīti on his both sides, his friend Vasanta (the personification of spring) in front of him in an environment filled with the sound of cuckoos & the breeze bearing the fragrance of sandalwood, Kāmadeva was resurrected on Caitra suklā trayodaśī.

इयं तिथिरनङ्गाख्या तव नाम्ना भविष्यति । त्वामस्यां येऽर्चयिष्यन्ति गन्धपुष्पादिविस्तरैः ।। नैवेद्यधूपदीपाद्यैर्गीतवाद्यदिनर्तनैः । अश्लीलवचनाक्षेपैर्मादकद्रव्यभोजनैः ।। योनिलिङ्गादिशब्दानां प्रलापैर्हास्यकारकैः । तत्तदाकारवचनैर्महोत्सवसमन्वितैः ।। त्वं वरानीप्सितान् दद्यास्तेषां मद्वचनात् स्मर ।

Translation: O Anañga ! This tithi will be named after you. O Smara ! By my order, you will grant the desired wishes of those who shall worship you on this day with articles like fragrances, flowers, naivedya, incense, pradīpas etc & observe a great (night-long) festival accompanied by application of slang words, consumption of intoxicants (which means only cannabis because alcohol-consumption is prohibited), lame talk evoking laughter through application of words related to female & male genitalia. [Mahākālasaṁhitā:Guhyakālīkhaṇḍa:14:34-37.01]

The person who refrains from worshipping Kāmadeva on that day is said to lose all puṇya acquired in the month of Caitra.