This book is a literary journey aiming to discover Indian mythology and spirituality. Kama – the Indian god of love, the most powerful and greatest of all gods – features fascinating characteristics: he roams day and night, carrying a bow like his Greek-Roman counterpart, Cupid; he is exceedingly handsome; the tips of his arrows are made of flowers, among which jasmine and the blue water lily stand out. Despite this, his darts are deadly. The divine archer’s deeds are multifaceted and contradictory, for they lead to both pleasant outcomes and irredeemable disasters. The author describes the exploits of the god “with blooming arrows” taken as a symbol of the everlasting ways in which desire, pleasure and love can manifest themselves: sexual brutality, poignant love “from a distance”, courtship, marriage, betrayal, and especially the perpetuation of life. As is typical of the Indian style, these tales are strongly evocative and poetic, reflecting a long-standing tradition which has produced renowned texts, such as the Mahābhārata and the Kama Sutra, on which the author draws heavily to shed light on Indian mythology and spirituality.

Giuliano Boccali formerly taught Indian Studies and Sanskrit Language and Literature at the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice and then at the University of Milan.