Saturday, December 17, 2011

love for nature

One of the four slokas in the fourth Act of Abhijnaanashaakuntalam--
all the four  slokas constitute the quartet of the most sublime creation in Sanskrit Kavyaas...

kaavyeshu naatakam ramyam tatra shankuntalam matham shaakuntale chaturthongaH tatra sloka chatushtayam... 

which touched the vitals of my softest feeling is this

पातुं न प्रथमं व्यवस्यति जलं युष्मास्वपीतेषु या
नादत्ते प्रियमण्डनापि भवताव् स्नेहेन या पल्लवं।
आद्ये वः कुसुमप्रसूतिसमये यस्याः भवत्युत्सवः
सेयं याति शकुन्तळा पतिगृहं सर्वैरनुज्ञायतां॥
कालिदासमहाकविकृते अभिज्ञान्शाकुन्तळे चतुर्त्थे अङ्के
paatuM na prathamaM vyavasyati jalaM yuSmaaswapiiteSu yaa
naadatte priyamaNDanaapi bhavataav snehena yaa pallavaM.
aadye vaH kusumaprasuutisamaye yasyaaH bhavatyutsavaH
seyaM yaati shakuntaLaa patigR^ihaM sarvairanuj~naayataaM..
kaalidaasamahaakavikR^ite abhij~naanshaakuntaLe chaturtthe a~Nke

Shakuntala is scheduled to leave for the abode of Dushyanta, her husband. Her foster father Kanva is utterly desolate.. even the hermit as he is, he is not able to endure the pangs of separation.. he wanders around the plants and trees which Shakuntala had tendered with affection for all her life.. He addressed them and say,
"You the plants and trees of this hermitage, give permission and blessings to Shakuntala who is leaving for her husband's house.. You know, she never ventured to drink water before your roots were all watered and your thirst was quenched. For a young girl growing up in the hermitage the natural adornments could be only your tender leaves. But out of very deep love for you, she never could bring herself to pluck even a tender leaves of yours although her natural desire to adorn herself attractively was immense. When any one of you sprouted a new and fresh flower, she was so happy that it was like a joyous festival for her. That Shakuntala is leaving you for ever today."

A lover of plants and trees and mother nature can utterly realize the affectionate bond between that beautiful young child Shakuntala, who herself looked like a bright wild creeper and the plants of the hermitage which were to her like her own siblings, or children.
I feel a greater lover of nature than Kalidasa was never born.. There are so many examples, but to me this is the best.


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