Being a mother is a an experience for women. Many philosophers have written many things about motherhood. Kalidasa was a classical Sanskrit writer. Widely regarded as greatest amoung the poets and dramatist. Kumārasaṃbhavam is an epic poem by Kālidāsa. The Kumārasaṃbhavam is widely regarded as one of Kālidāsa’s finest works. Kumārasambhava literally means “Birth of Kumāra”. This epic of seventeen cantos entails Sringara rasa, the rasa of love, romance, and eroticism. Kumarasambhava basically talks about the birth of Kumara (Kārtikeya), the son of Shiva and Parvati.
In today’s blog I am explaining the piece where Parvati first time realizes that “Kumara” is her son. Kavi Kalidasa has written exemplary piece where one can realize the bliss and happiness of mother for her child. This episode of Mother – Son meeting is 11th Canto of Kumārasaṃbhavam
Kalidasa says
हित्वोत्सुका तं सुतमाससाद पुत्रोत्सवे माद्यति का न हर्षात्
Parvati ran immediately to meet her son, which woman won’t be exited to meet her son? She is not an exception even if she is mother of universe
प्रमोदबाष्पाकुललोचना सा न तं ददर्श क्षणमग्रतोऽपि । परिस्पृशन्ती करकुङ्मलेन सुखान्तरं प्राप किमप्यपूर्वम् ।।
She was full of tears when she saw her son. She could not see her child due to continuous flow of tears in her eyes. She wiped her eyes and picked her child with her lotus like hands. When she touched her son first time, she had goosebumps and cold creeps.
सुविस्मयानन्दविकस्वरायाः शिशुर्गलद्बाष्पतरङ्गितायाः । विवृद्धवात्सल्यरसोत्तराया देव्या दृशोर्गोचरतां जगाम ।।
She bathed in the sprinkles of joy and contentment flowing in her mind. The whole universe was also joyful and was wet with tears of joyfulness. She looked at her son with pure love.
तमीक्षमाणा क्षणमीक्षणानां सहस्रमाप्तुं विनिमेषमैच्छत् । सा नन्दनालोकनमङ्गलेषु क्षणं क्षणं तृप्यति कस्य चेतः ?
While looking at her son, she felt, why she doesn’t have thousands of eyes which will not blink even for a moment… how much should she see her son only with two eyes? And said “How much ever I am looking at my son, why am I not satisfied?”
निसर्गवात्सल्यरसौघसिक्ता सान्द्रप्रमोदामृतपूरपूर्णा । तमेकपुत्रं जगदेकमाताभ्युत्सङ्गिनं प्रस्त्रविणी बभूव ।।
Parvati as goddess is full of love, and now when she looked at her own son, she started secreting nectar like milk from her breast.
अशेषलोकत्रयमातुरस्याः षाण्मातुरः स्तन्यसुधामधासीत् । सुरस्रवन्त्याः किल कृत्तिकाभिर्मुहुर्मुहुः सस्पृहमीक्ष्यमाणः
Kartikeya/ Kumara her son started sucking her breast and drinking nectar like milk. All mothers around felt to feed their own child and felt to embrace their children.
Kalidasa was a poet who gave human emotions to the gods and goddesses though his poetry. On one hand he balanced the sides of portraying gods and goddesses as divine and to the other hand he narrated them with pure human emotions.
We will keep reading about the aspects of Mother and motherhood in coming days written by Indian philosophers, poets.
Attached: Painting depicting Parvati with her two children Kartikeya and Ganesha
Author; Dr.Sandeep Sadanand Chaugule, you may reach out to him on Twitter @sandipchaugulie
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