Kama – enjoying the pleasures of life; one of the four aims of human life

(Pronounced kah-mah)

To remember the meaning of the Hindu term Kama, use the following mnemonic:

She felt much calmer (kama) as she took a week off to enjoy the pleasures of life.

Note: Be careful not to confuse this with karma.

Probably the best-known use of the word kama is in the title of the book, the Kama Sutra, which is a classic Indian textbook on erotic love and human pleasure. 

This is a useful aid to remembering what lies at the heart of kama – love, desire and enjoyment of life.

Kama is one of the four aims of Hindus – the others being dharma, artha and moksha.

Kama is about much more than the fulfilment of sexual desire, although that is an important aspect. Hindus aim to achieve pleasure in many ways, and this includes sports and cultural interests. Kama is vitally important in the personal lives of Hindus.

The sexual aspect of kama is considered a natural part of human instinct and important from the point of view of new life coming into the world.

While kama has come to mean simply the pursuit of love and pleasure, the name comes from the mythological Kama, the god of erotic love and pleasure who represented cosmic desire, or the creative impulse.