Kalidasa; Rajendranath Vidyabhushan (ed.);
Kalidaser granthAbalI, v.2 (kumArsambhava, meghadUta, nalodaya)
basumatI sAhitya mandir 1336 / 1929
topics: | sanskrit | poetry
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.
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
Kumarasambhava p.1-238 meghaduta 239-301 nalodaya 302-351