kamas

Kamas is a term with multiple meanings in different linguistic and cultural contexts. In Japanese, a kama refers to a traditional farming sickle used for cutting grasses and threshing. The kama also appears in martial arts as a handheld weapon; practitioners often train with wooden versions and sometimes use paired kama in forms. Some styles employ kusarigama, a chain-and-sickle weapon, which is related to the kama but adds a chain and weight for extended reach and entanglement.

In Sanskrit and Hindu contexts, kāma means desire or pleasure, one of the four aims of human life known as the Purusharthas. The plural kāmas can refer to desires in general in philosophical or religious texts.

Outside of these linguistic uses, Kamas can function as a proper noun, including as a surname and as a place name in various regions. In English-language sources, the plural form kamas is used when referring to multiple kama tools or concepts. See also Kama for related terms and disambiguation.