Part 8.9 - Characteristics of Varṣā-kāla (rainy season)

Most of the kavi (poet) indicate that the Varṣā-kāla or rainy season is the season of love. It is also generally known for the meeting time of birds Balākās.

Thus in the Meghadūta Mahākavi Kālidāsa says:

“mandaṃ mandaṃ nudati pavanaścānuूkalo yathā tvāṃ
  vāmaścāyaṃ nadati madhuraṃ cātakaste sagandhaḥ |
garbhādhānakṣa ṇaparicayānnūnamābaddhamālāḥ
  seviṣyante nayanasubhaṃga khe bhavantaṃ balākāḥ || ”

- Meghadūta of Kālidāsa: Pūrvamegha/ 10

Yāyāvarīya Rājaśekhara also says that, the clouds in the Varṣā-kāla (rainy season) induce conception in the Balākās, growth of new shoots in bamboo plants, settle the dust in the atmosphere and postpone the king’s intention to travel.

C.f.

“garbhānbalākāsu niveśayanto vaṃśāṅku rānsvairninadauḥ sṛjantaḥ |
rajo'mbudāḥ prāvṛṣi mudrayanto yātrodyamaṃ bhūmibhṛtāṃ haranti || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 100

In this season most of the days are rainy and it is very much pleasant time. The whole atmosphere is full of sweets smell and the Śāla tree, the plantain tree and Jasmine bring new leave and coconut tree produces new flowers.

The first rain drops on the dry and parched earth makes sweet aroma.

C.f.

“sa sallakīsālaśilīndhrayūthīprasūnadaḥ puṣpitalāṅgalīkaḥ |
dagdhorvarāsundaragandhabandhurarghatyayaṃ vārimucāmanehā || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 100

This time the forests appear in blue colour for the coloured leaves of indigo plant.

The rain have been washed the mountains with water shone and the mountains are looking very attractive and beautiful.

C.f.

“vanāni nīlīdalamecakāni dhārāmbudhautā girayaḥ sphu ralti |
purāmbhasā bhinnataṭāstaṭinyaḥ sāndrendragopāni ca śādvalāni || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 100

In this picture also captured by the Kālidāsas in his Ṛtusaṃhāra.

C.f.

“nipātayantyaḥ paritastaṭadrumānpravṛddhavegaiḥ salilairanirmalaiḥ |
striyaḥ suduṣṭā iva jātavibhrāmāḥ prayānti nadyastvaritaṃ payonidhim || ”

- Ṛtusaṃhāra of Kālidāsa: II/7

Therefore in the Ṛtusaṃhāra and Vikramorvaśīya, Kālidāsas described in this season the greenness of wood due to the new foliage.

C.f.

“prabhinnavaidūryanibhaistṛṇāṅku raiḥ samācitā prautthitakandalīdalaiḥ |
vibhāti śukletararatnabhūṣitā varāṅganeva kṣitirindragopakaiḥ || ”

. -Ṛtusaṃhāra of Kālidāsa: II/5

And,

“hṛtoṣṭharāgairnayanodabindubhir nimagnanābhernipatadbhirāṅkitam |
cyutaṃ ruṣāṃ bhinnagaterasaṃśayaṃ śukodaraśyāmamidaṃ stanāśukam || ”

- Vikramorvaśīya of Kālidāsa: IV/ 7

For the causes of continuous rain the rivers are overflowing and cut through the banks due to their swift current. The Cakora (partridge) brings happiness and stops the preaching of widows and ascetics. They are happy to drink the moon beams. This time separated young wives wait anxiously for the return of their husbands.

The full of day the sky is always resonant with the sounds of clouds and groups of wayfarers are in a hurry to reach their destinations.

C.f.

“cakoraharṣī yaticāracauro viyoginīvīkṣitanāthavartma |
gṛhānprati prasthitapānthasārthaḥ kālo'yamādhmātanabhāḥ payodaiḥ || ”

- Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara: Ch-XVIII, Pp- 100

It is the best time for young couples for amorous sports. Thus they are arranging their beds at the top floor of mansions. They also use the mixture of sandal, agallochum, saffron and catuḥ saṃ (a technical term of Rg. Veda or musk) for fragrance. The Cātaka birds are busy for drinking the first drops of rain, the deer’s are engaged in amorous sports with their mates, peacock begins to dance on seeing the clouds and the amorousness of the young couples separated from each other is aggravated by rain. In this time removes the fatigue of the summer by the fragrance of the flowers of Kuṇṭaja, Nīpa, Arjuna, Kadamba, Ketakī and Nicuḷa etc.

In this way Rājaśekhara gives the general characteristics of Varṣā-ṛtu in his Kāvyamīmāṃsā and advices to the poets to highlight this season in their works. In the works of Kālidāsas we also saw the description of beauty.

There he describes the clouds heavily laden with water through the expression clouds hanging low with the load water.

C.f.

“bhavanti namrāstaravaḥ phalāgaimarnavāmburbhirduravilambino ghanāḥ |
anuddhatāḥ satpuruṣāḥ samṛddhibhiḥ svabhāva evaiṣa paropakāriṇām || ”

- Abijñanaśakuntalā of Ṛtusaṃhāra of Kālidāsa: V/ 12