Editing Rati (section)

=== Birth and marriage ===
[[File:Rati on composite horse.jpg|thumb|left|Rati on a composite horse]]
The ''[[Kalika Purana]]'' narrates the following tale about Rati's birth. After the creation of the 10 ''[[Prajapati|Prajapatis]]'', [[Brahma]] – the creator-god – creates Kama (Kamadeva), the god of love, from his mind. Kama is ordered to spread love in the world by shooting his flower-arrows. ''Prajapati'' [[Daksha]] is requested to present a wife to Kama. Kama first uses his arrows against Brahma and the ''Prajapatis'', who are all incestuously attracted to Brahma's daughter Sandhya ("Twilight-dawn/dusk"). The god [[Shiva]], gets enraged by the heinous act of Brahma and shows his condemnation. Embarrassed, Brahma and the ''Prajapatis'' tremble and perspire. From the sweat of Daksha rises a beautiful woman named Rati, who Daksha presents to Kama as his wife. At the same time, the agitated Brahma curses Kama to be burnt to ashes by Shiva in the future. However, on Kama's pleading, Brahma assures him that he would be reborn.<ref name = "Mani">''Rati'': Mani pp. 644–5</ref> The ''[[Brahma Vaivarta Purana]]'' narrates that Sandhya committed suicide, after Brahma lusts for her. The god [[Vishnu]] resurrects her and names her Rati, and marries her to Kama. The ''[[Shiva Purana]]'' mentions that after her suicide, Sandhya is reborn from the sweat of Daksha as Rati.<ref name = "K253ff">Kramrisch pp. 253–4</ref> In some texts, Shiva is described as the father of Rati.<ref name="suresh"/>

The ''[[Harivamsa]]'', an appendix to the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'', mentions that Kama and Rati have two children, Harsha ("Joy") and Yashas ("Grace"). However, the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' mentions that Rati, as ''Nandi'', only has one son – Harsha.<ref name = "H165">Hopkins p. 165</ref> The epics ''Mahabharata'' as well as the ''[[Ramayana]]'', also attest to Rati being the consort of Kama.<ref>Hopkins p. 199</ref>

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