Kumarasambhavam Mahakavyam

A brief introduction to 5th canto Kumarasambhavam Mahakavyam

kumārasambhava Mahākāvyam

part-03

• pārvatī tapaḥphalōdaya (= fulfilling the Parvati's penance, fifth canto)-86 verses. 

As the poet has named this canto in kumārasambhavam of kālidāsa, it is clear to us the main meaning of all around the 86 verses. Parvati was not willing to lose her aspiration, therefore, entered into the forest for the purses of penance. She expected two achievements of the penance. Those are the love of Shiva, and his possession. It has been said by Kalidasa in such words.

iyēṣa sā kartumavandhyarūpatāṁ - samādhimanvāya tapōbhirātmanaḥ,

avāpyatē vā kathamanyathā dvayaṁ - tathā vidhaṁ prēmapatiśca tādṛśāṁ.

(Verse 5)

When Menaka who was Parvati's mother known that Parvati was preparing to penance, she instructed her to abstain from that. But Parvati who did not listen to her words was lazy her steadfast determination to divert. The comparison that the poet has been used here to perform the gravity of Parvati's determination, is attractive. "no one can be changed the torrent that is falling down" as Menaka was unable to change Parvati's ambition. Later, She sought permission of her father for the penance with the help of friends. The father, Himalaya rock, pleased to her, then she gladly peeled her elegant clothes and wore tatters and entered into the scrub. Here, the poet focuses on a vision of the body of a beautiful woman who changed her clothes.

viṛṣṭarāgādharānnivartitā - stanāṁgarāgāruṇitācca kandukān,

kuśāṁkurādāna parikṣatāṁguliḥ - kṛtōkṣasūtrapraṇayī tayā karaḥ

(Parvati who has lips without lac, has breasts without lotion, has wounded fingers by touching  grass, she who used the akṣa sūtra)

(Verses-05, 11)

Moreover, the poet who brings out to readers the aspect of Parvati that is observing penance without considering her beautifulness, by this verse.

śucau caturṇāṁ jvalatāṁ havirbhujāṁ - śucismatā madhyagatā sumadhyamā,

vijitya nētrapratighātinīṁ prabhā - mananyadṛṣṭiḥ savitāramaikaṣyata.

(She who has a smile in the summer,  has an attractive midst of the body, the brightness of the sun, the glare of the sun, overlooked in the sun intervening the fire that lighted in four directions and exceeding the sunshine.)

Shiva's eyes are detected by Parvati who is engaging in penance. To test her, he had made an ascetic mask and went straight ahead. After that, Shiva realized that she was in love with him, and she fell in love with her. This canto has been ended with the win of Parvati, by the poet Kalidasa who expressed the good effect of protecting chastity via the Parvati's characteristic. The antitype that has given by the poet is a higher paradigm. Kalidasa has attempted to the same meaning word from Shiva's mouth. ("I am a slave who was bought by your penance from today.)