“Birth of Kumara” Kalidasy in brief summary


The poem, left, as it is believed, was unfinished and enlarged later

The powerful demon of Tarak, who for his ascetic deeds of Brahma at one time bestowed unquenchable power, frightens and humiliates the heavenly gods, so that even their king Indra is forced to pay tribute to him. The gods pray to Brahma for help, but he can not help them in any way and only predicts that soon Shiva will have a son who is the only one capable of crushing Taraka. However, Shiva still does not have a wife, and the gods designate him as the wife of the daughter of the king of the Himalaya Parvati mountains, at the birth of which the earth was showered with a floral rain, foreshadowing the blessing of the whole world, illuminating with its face all sides of the world, combining everything that is beautiful on earth and in the sky.

To win the love of Shiva, Parvati goes to his abode on Mount Kailash, where Shiva gives in to severe asceticism. While striving for his disposition, Parvati faithfully

takes care of him, but, absorbed in deep introspection, Shiva does not even notice her efforts, is dispassionate and indifferent to her beauty and helpfulness. Then to help her comes the god of love Kama, armed with a bow with flower arrows. With his arrival in the snow-capped mountains, spring blossoms, and only Shiva’s abode is alien to the jubilation of nature, and the god himself remains still, silent, deaf to the spring charm, and to the words of love addressed to him. Kama tries to pierce his heart with Shiva’s heart and melt his cold. But Shiva instantly burns it with the flame of his third eye. Kama Rati’s beloved sobs bitterly over a handful of ashes left by her husband.

After burning Kama depressed by the failure of his efforts, Parvati returns to his father’s house. Satisfying the impotence of her beauty, she hopes that only the killing of the flesh will help her to achieve the goal. Dressed in a rough dress made of bast, eating only the rays of the moon and rain water, she surrenders, like Shiva, cruel austerities. After some time, a young hermit comes to her and tries to

dissuade her from desperate asceticism, which is not worthy, in his words, cruel, repulsive with his indifference and ugliness Shiva. Parvati in indignation meets the passionate praise of Shiva, the only one who owns her heart and thoughts. The stranger disappears, and instead of him appears Shiva himself, the great god who took the form of a young hermit to experience the depth of Parvati’s feelings. Convinced of her devotion,

He sends to the father of Parvati Himalaya, the matchmakers of the seven divine sages – the rishis. He appoints the wedding on the fourth day after their arrival, and the bride and groom are happily preparing for her. In the wedding ceremony, Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, the god of the sun Surya, participate in the wedding ceremony, the celestial singers – Gandharvas, adorate the celestial maidens – apsaras – with wonderful singing. Shiva and Parvati go back to the golden throne, the goddess of happiness and beauty Lakshmi overshadows them with the heavenly lotus, the goddess of wisdom and eloquence Saraswati utters a skillfully composed blessing.

Honeymoon Parvati and Shiva spend in the palace of King Himalaya, then go to Mount Kailas and finally retire in the wonderful forest of Gandhamadan. Patiently and gently she teaches Shiva a shy Parvati to the art of loving caresses, and in love affair for them as one single night pass one hundred fifty times of the year, or twenty-five years. The fruit of their great love should be the birth of Kumara, the god of war, also known under the names of Skanda and Karttikeya.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

“Birth of Kumara” Kalidasy in brief summary