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PUMSKOKILAKŪJTA IN KĀLIDĀSA
SUSHMA KULSHRESHTHA & ABHA KULSHRESHTHA
साकूतमधुरकोकिलविलासिनीकण्ठकूजितप्राये । शिक्षासमयेऽपि मुदे रतलीलाकालिदासोक्ती ॥
Dīpaśikhā Kālidāsa, a peerless poet par excellence, was acquainted with and affluent in various systems of Philosophy, several schools of religious beliefs, Politics, Economics, Dramaturgy, Erotology, Music and Fine Arts and Plantscience too. Just as the works of Kālidāsa abound in numerous references to Philosophy, Musicology, Erotics etc., in the same way multiple references to more than 50 birds and animals adorn his works.
Among the birds, the male cuckoo is the most famous for his sweet voice and singing. In the spring season, quarters are filled with the melodious singing of male and female cuckoos. Sanskrit literature is laden with the sweetness of the music of cuckoos. Each and every intricacy with regard to the music of the cuckoo is found in the works of Kālidāsa. In the present paper, an attempt is made to bring forth the expertise of Kālidāsa in music of birds particularly of the cuckoo.
चूताङ्करास्वादकषायकण्ठः पुंस्कोकिलो यन्मधुरं चुकूज ।
मनस्विनीमानविघातदक्षं तदेव जातं वचनं स्मरस्य ॥ Among the birds, the male and the female cuckoos are the luckiest and the most famous ones for singing. The poetic eulogy showered on the sweet notes of music is that of the male cuckoo, which is a zoologically proved fact and was known to our magnificent poet. For the music of the male cuckoo, he very adeptly uses the term पुंस्कोकिलकूजित. पञ्चम, the fifth note of music is generated from the throat of artist? In spring, the king of seasons, mango trees are full of mango sprouts. The male cuckoo feasts on these and by sipping the fresh juice of these
