10 Intense Love Stories From Indian Mythology

The trial and tribulation in their romance come in the form of an assignment Kama receives: to make Lord Shiva fall in love with Parvati as their child is destined to kill the dreaded demon Tarkasura. Indra assigns Kamadev to break Shiva’s meditation and in his attempt to do so, a furious Shiva, opens his ‘third eye’ to incinerate Kama. But he stops a distraught Rati, ready to kill herself in grief, and promises her that Kama shall return to her as Pradyuman, the son of Krishna

the love of Radha and Krishna is considered one of the highest kind, both divine and yet rebellious. Radha broke every conventional rule when she fell in love with Krishna – she was older, a married woman and yet her convictions of her endless love turned from the ordinary to the extraordinary, transcending societal mores to a heavenly acceptance so much so that Radha Krishna are together known as the feminine and the masculine aspects of God.

the powerful sage who was a threat to Indra, the king of Gods. She descended from heaven on Indra’s orders to disturb and break the sage’s penance. But devious seduction turns to love and Menaka, falls in love with the man she is sent to destroy. Till one day, when she confesses and tells him all, to be cursed never to meet him again, forcing her to leave him forever but not without weaving a beautiful tale of sacrifice, violation, trust and trials of immortal love!

Kaildas’ beautiful poem is about their true love at first sight, their fateful separation and their tearful reunion, while in the original text, it’s a feistier Shakuntala who returns to King Dushyant only when her twelve-year-old son demands to know who his father is. Less idealised and more real, their tale is a lesson in love, trust, duty and marriage nevertheless.

love story of Shiva and Parvati is unique, its roots in another romance, albeit doomed – that of Shiv and Sati/Uma, the grand-daughter of Brahma. Sati chooses Shiva as her husband, against her father Daksha’s wishes and leaves the palace for Kailash.

At a broader, higher level, their relationship is eternal, personifying the Man and the Woman, the male and the female, the Shiv and Shakti.

The princess of Madra, Savitri, chooses Satyavan, the exiled prince of the blind Salwa king as her husband even though she is warned that Satyavan is ill-fated to die within a year. As predicted, on the destined day, Satyavan falls down dead while chopping wood.

Another love story with a lesson to learn is that of the righteous Nala and Damayanti whose sole weakness was gambling and how it disrupts and almost devastates their loving married life. Their love story is recounted in the Mahabharata as a case in point when Yudishthir is about to gamble Draupadi in a game of dice.

Ramayana tells us the story of Ram and Sita, their quiet, patient, loyal love for each other which remains revered and exemplary to this day, representing a role model.

the daughter of Sheshnag, the king of the serpents. She wants to marry Meghnad, the mightiest warrior against her father’s wishes who wants her to wed Indra instead. Meghnad defeats Indra in the ensuing battle and by doing so, receives the title of Indrajit. Her love and courage are tested when Indrajit