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Vasanta In Prakrit Literature
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Ploom only in Vasanta. The lovers in separation are severely afraid of this Paläsa like of demons (Palāśa), for it suggests the deplorable advent of the spring (like demons), and hurts the heart. The flowers of this Paläsa, also called Kimśuka, are excessively red in complexion and as such are hortative of love (rāga). Haribhadra writes that these Palāśa - flowers, deleterious to the love-lorn heroines, appearas if the burning flames of pyre, (as they are red) prepared by the travellers' wives, who, on account of severe pangs of love are ready to put an end to their life instead of sinking in depravity. A Sanskrit poet says that when the Palāśa flower appears in the nature even the most cultivated mind of Suka, the young sage who deserved the encomium - "Advitiya-jitendriya" is brought to a precarious condition.?
The most splendiferous tree which is never forgotten in the descriptive items of the spring is the Mango. When the blossoms (cūtamañjari) and sprouts spring up from it, the landing of Vasanta is as if acknowledged. It is as if the reinforced head-quarter of the spring. The sentimented cuckoo regales very much to itself with mango and Vasanta. Kālidāsa when describing Pārvati, who enamoured of love, awaiting Śiva had sent her message to Lord Śiva through her friend, says that, Pārvati was like the mango who awaiting Vasanta sends its love-message to Vasanta through the sweet notes of cuckoo, to come soon. The spring itself is an enervating climate to a Virahiņi and to her the sprouts of the mango appear to be exasperating and inauspicious. Hāla says it is like an envenomed arrow of Manmatha, and as such one of his heroines tries to eliminate that; but she cannot extricate herself from that deleterious sight, for it is at the facing door of her house itself. At the same time on finding with her anguished look the bees hovering over the mango grove she decidedly surmises that Vasanta the almighty, must have descended on the earth. For, there cannot be smoke without fire. 10
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