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Vol. xxx, 2006
PUŇSKOKILAKŪJITA IN KĀLIDĀSA
87
Commentator Mallinātha also says :
कलपुंस्कोकिलशब्देन पुरुषकोकिलनादेन सूचितोऽनुमापितश्चूत
चर्वणकार्यत्वात्कलशब्दस्येति भावः ।१५ The sweet notes of cuckoos are the great helpers of the spring season. It utilizes them in arousing libido in damsels. Listening to the sweet tones produced by cuckoos, the minds of maidens are filled with a sweet piercing pain. Kāmadeva possesses five flower-arrows. His bosom friend spring also possesses arrows in the form of sweet notes of cuckoos and intoxicated black-bees, blossomed mangotrees and charming Karnikara flowers with whose help he pains, so as to arouse love in the minds of proud dames :
समदमधुकराणां कोकिलानाञ्च नादै
कुसुमितसहकारैः कर्णिकारैश्च रम्यः । इषुभिरिव सुतीक्ष्णैर्मानसं मानिनीनां
तुदति कुसुममासो मन्मथोद्दीपनाय ॥६ Here, the poet has aptly used the word nāda, a technical term of musicology. Like the musical nāda, the effect of kokilanāda is also wonderful.
Intoxicated with joy, when the male cuckoo begins its music of sweet notes, the minds of youths are at once attracted to young damsels. Similarly, the hearts of house-ladies also get perturbed listening to the sweet notes of male cuckoos :
किं किंशुकैः शुकमुखच्छविभिर्न भिन्नं
किं कर्णिकारकुसुमैर्न कृतं न दग्धम् । यत्कोकिलः पुनरयं मधुरैर्वचोभि
___ यूंनां मनः सुवदनानिहितं निहन्ति ॥ पुंस्कोकिलैः कलवचोभिरुपात्तहर्षेः
कूजद्भिरुन्मदकलानि वचांसि भृङ्गः । लज्जान्वितं सविनयं हृदयं क्षणेन
पर्याकुलं कुलगृहेऽपि कृतं वधूनाम् ॥१७ With golden girdle-strings dangling on their waists and necklaces adorning their breasts, their slender bodies languishing due to Cupid's intensity, damsels with the help of the sweet notes of cuckoos and blackbees, forcibly distract the
