Sambodhi 2006 Vol 30

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 97

Vol. XXX, 2006
PUŃSKOKILAKŪJITA IN KĀLIDĀSA
अरुणरागनिषेधिभिरंशुकैः श्रवणलब्धपदैश्च यवाङ्करैः ।
परभृताविरुतैश्च विलासिनः स्मरबलैरबलैकरसाः कृताः ॥२९ No bigger eulogy on female cuckoos can be showered than this : that listening to their sweet notes, the libidinous males are attracted to women. This is the biggest victory of the God of Love that by appointing the female cuckoo as the love-messenger, He succeeds in arousing love among the males and the females.
There is such a remarkable sweetness in the musical notes of the cuckoo that Kālidāsa compares it with an aerophone called 'Tūrya.' There is a reference to dance by Kalpataru in Vikramorvašīya. In that dance-performance, the accompaniment of vocal music is being provided by the black-bees, whereas the instrumental accompaniment is being extended by Türyas in the form of sweet music presented by cuckoos :
गन्धोन्मादितमधुकररवगीतैर्वाद्यमानैः परभृतरवतूर्यैः । प्रसृतपवनोद्वेल्लनशीलपल्लवनिकरः सुललितविविधप्रकारेण नृत्यति कल्पतरुः ॥
Kalpataru, the heavenly tree, dances in a number of charming ways to the accompaniment of the songs of the bees exhilarated with fragrance, and the playing of musical instruments in the form of the notes of the cuckoos, with the clusters of its foliage waving in the blowing gale.
Here the threefold music-vocal, instrumental and dance-is beautifully described. The female cuckoo, famous for her sweet voice, is the standard of comparison for the sweet voice of a damsel. When Śūrpanakhā appears before Laksmana in the guise of a pretty dame, her voice is sweet like that of a female cuckoo :
लक्ष्मणः प्रथमं श्रुत्वा कोकिलामञ्जुभाषिणीम् ॥३९ Although the voice of the female cuckoo is exceedingly sweet, yet Pārvati's sweet voice excelled her too in Sweetness of voice.
While Pārvati, who had a musical sound, spoke in a voice that distilled nectar as it were, even the female cuckoo was to the ears of the listeners full of jarring notes, like a tantrī (harp), out of tune, when played upon :