The monsoon winds bring hope and joy (along with its own thrill and drama) to India. It has been going on for centuries—no, not centuries, millennia. These days, thanks to the meteorological department, despite all its inadequacies, there is much more certainty about the date and time of arrival of the monsoon rains, and yet, they keep surprising the people of this country. Everyone, whether it’s people, little worms, birds, animals, or even blades of grass comes out of its abode to welcome the rains.
Kalidasa, the great Sanskrit poet in ancient India, chronicled the magic of the rainy season in his masterpiece Ritusamhara. In the previous post, we learnt how he described the summer, now let’s turn our attention to his reflections on rains.
As per Kalidasa, the season of rains approaches like a king. The dark clouds with their glowing flashes of lightning seem like war elephants carrying the victory flag. And the roaring sound of thunder feels like that of beating war drums, welcomed by the crowd with their loud cheers.
It’s overwhelming to the senses, especially the beginning. I remember as a child hiding under the bed after seeing the lightning flash in the sky. In my defence, lightning did strike frequently in our area, so the fear wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Anyway, as I said, that’s just the entry. Soon, the abrupt roars turn into more consistent (and musical) pitter-patter. That’s when you feel the joy of it. The sound of rains falling on the tin roofs, the hazy landscapes all around, the earthy scent of first showers on dry soil (petrichor, as it is called)—all of that makes it magical.
Suddenly, you feel like going out and get drenched in rain. It’s not a bad idea. There an old saying here in India that if you get wet in the monsoon, you won’t feel much cold in the winters. So, that’s what we do. We let our bodies get soaked in water and… dance, of course.
This is the season of visual delight. Kalidasa perfectly describes the natural world with following lines:
Like jade fragments, the green grass rises
spreading its blades to catch raindrops,
red Indragopaka insects perch on fresh
leaf-buds bursting from the Kandali plants
the earth smiles like an elegant lady
draped in nature’s colourful jewels.
You look at the beauty out there and your mind starts to wander in the more romantic directions. Kalidasa was no different in that regard. He keeps coming back to this idea.
Swollen rivers surging with currents of muddy waters
rush to meet the sea, uprooting the trees on their banks,
so do the lascivious women splatter their men with dirt
and rush to meet their lovers to quench their wild desires.
It gets more intimate…
Women with long hair touching their hips
Fragrant flowers behind their ears, pearl strings
Caressing their breasts, their lips drunk on
Wine, whet the desire of their lovers.
Slowly, the rains begin to recede and you see the clouds coming down and eventually fading away. They leave you with wanting for more. Kalidasa sees the desire this seasons brings in the hearts and minds of lovers and hopes those desires are fulfilled. I hope his hopes come true!
Reference books:
Kalampedia 
