Overview
Rati (Sanskrit: रति) is the Hindu goddess associated with love, physical desire, passion, and sexual pleasure. She is most commonly described in tradition as the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, and as the female counterpart, chief consort, and assistant of Kama (Kamadeva), the god of love. Hindu scriptures emphasise her beauty and sensuality, portraying her as a maiden capable of enchanting the God of Love himself.
Rati appears as a constant companion of Kama and is frequently depicted alongside him in legend and in temple sculpture. She also receives worship together with Kama in various traditions. Their pairing represents the union of desire with the delight that desire seeks, and the two are commonly invoked together in literary and devotional contexts.
A central narrative associated with Rati concerns the burning of Kama to ashes by the deity Shiva. According to the tradition, it is Rati's beseeching, or her penance, that leads to the promise of Kama's resurrection. In several accounts, this resurrection takes place when Kama is reborn as Pradyumna, the son of Krishna and Rukmini.
In the Pradyumna cycle, Rati assumes the name Mayavati and plays a critical role in his upbringing. Pradyumna is separated from his parents at birth, and Mayavati acts as his nanny as well as, in due course, his lover. She reveals to him the path to return to his parents, which involves slaying the demon-king who is destined to die at his hands. After this, Kama-Pradyumna accepts Rati-Mayavati as his wife, restoring the divine couple in their reborn forms.
References
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Rati.