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Kalidaser granthAbalI, v.2

Kalidasa and Rajendranath Vidyabhushan (ed.)

Kalidasa; Rajendranath Vidyabhushan (ed.);

Kalidaser granthAbalI, v.2 (kumArsambhava, meghadUta, nalodaya)

basumatI sAhitya mandir 1336 / 1929

topics: |  sanskrit | poetry

Kumarasambhava p.1-238

	      online: Sanskrit fulltext
 	              verse translation by Arthur Ryder

Shiva is an austere yogi, always in intense meditation.  Meanwhile the Gods
are suffering terribly due to the demon Tarakasur, who also has a boon that
he cannot be defeated except by Shiva's son.  Eventually Parvati is
dispatched to Shiva.  The god of love, Madana, goes before her and creates
an akaal vasanta - untimely spring.  This flowering of spring is
described in uplifting terms, invoking the flora and fauna of spring in the
Indian subcontinent, and is considered one of Kalidasa's masterpieces.  The
main text of Kalidasa's poem is thought to end with the eighth sarga,
(chapter); though subsequent sargas exist, they are considered the work of
others.

Eventually, on awakening from his meditation, the gaze of a furious shiva
incinerates Madana instantaneously and he is turned into ash; the spirit of
love which he embodied is now disseminated across the cosmos.  However, the
meditation is disturbed, and their son Kartikeya eventually defeats Taraka.

This edition, printed in Bangla script is part of the low-cost publications
of classics pioneered by basumati sAhitya mandir.

Amal Tas

Here is verse 3.28, describing the flowers of the amaltAs,
Golden Shower Tree which has flowered in the akaal vasanta - in the
untimely spring (brought about by pArvati)

वर्णप्रकर्षे सति कर्णिकारं दुनोति निर्गन्धतया स्म चेतः ।
प्रायेण सामग्र्यविधौ गुणानां पराङ्मुखी विश्वसृजः प्रवृत्तिः॥३.२८

   वर्णप्रकर्षे varNaprakarShe = brilliance of colour सति = despite
   कर्णिकारं   = karNikAr, amal taas, cassia fistula, golden shower tree [bangla snodAl]
   दुनोति (giving pain) स्म (past tense) चेतः (chitta, mind) =
   निर्गन्धतया = lack of fragrance

	despite its brilliance of its colour, the amal taas flower oppresses
	the mind, since it has no fragrance.

   विश्वसृज vishwasri.ja (srija:creator) प्रवृत्तिः (nature) = the character of the creator
   प्रायेण prAyeNa (often) पराङ्मुखी parAngmukhI = often unwilling
   सामग्र्यविधौ sAmagravidhou गुणानां guNAnAM = all virtues, in its completeness

	the nature of the creator is not to give all virtues in their
	completeness

Contents

Kumarasambhava p.1-238
meghaduta      239-301
nalodaya       302-351


amitabha mukerjee (mukerjee [at-symbol] gmail) 2011 Oct 19