Kumārasambhava

''Kumārasambhavam'' ''( ) (transl. - "The Birth of Kumāra")'' is an epic poem by Kālidāsa. It is widely regarded as the finest work of Kalidasa as well as the greatest kāvya poem in Classical Sanskrit. The style of description of spring set the standard for nature metaphors pervading many centuries of Indian literary tradition. ''Kumārasaṃbhavam'' basically talks about the birth of Kumāra ( Kārtikeya), the son of Shiva (Śiva) and Pārvatī (Umā). The period of composition is uncertain, although Kalidasa is thought to have lived in the 5th century.

A fierce debate has raged over the question as to whether the whole of the seventeen cantos came was penned by Kalidasa. Vitthala Śastrin, who in 1866, published Cantos VIII to XVII in ''The Paņdit'', took them as genuine work of Kalidasa while scholars like Hermann Jacobi took Cantos IX to XVII as a later interpolation. Stylistic inferiority of these cantos, rarity of manuscripts, silence on the part of early commentators and lack of citation in ''Alaṃkārasutra'' are often presented as reasons for rejecting this latter cantos of the poem.

Furthermore, there is a traditional orthodox view that rejects Canto VIII, arguing that it is blasphemous for a renowned Śaiva poet to depict the romantic pleasures shared by Shiva and Parvati, the divine parents of the universe. Legend say that Kalidasa could not complete his epic ''Kumārasambhavam'' because he was cursed by the goddess Parvati, for obscene descriptions of her conjugal life with Shiva in the eighth canto. But later it has inspired the famed sculpture of Khajuraho temples. The English renderings of these Sanskrit plays tend to avoid erotic and explicit aspects due to moral tastes of modern audience. The play depicts Kalidasa as a court poet of Chandragupta who faces a trial on the insistence of a priest and some other moralists of his time.

Despite these criticisms, many regard Canto VIII as the pinnacle of Kalidasa's poetic mastery, and it is cited more frequently in major critical works like the ''Alaṃkārasutra'' and the '' Sarasvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa'', than any other canto.

Contents

''Kumārasambhavam'' literally means "The Birth of Kumāra". This epic entails Sringara ''rasa'', the rasa of love, romance, and eroticism, more than Vira rasa (the rasa of heroism). Tārakāsura, an asura (demon) was blessed that he could be killed by none other than Shiva's son. However, Shiva had won over Kama, the god of love. Parvati performed great tapas (spiritual penance) to win the love of Shiva. Consequently, Shiva and Parvati's son Kartikeya was born to restore the glory of Indra, king of the devas.

Canto I (Uma's Nativity)

The poet begins by describing the Himalaya, rightfully known as the King of all mountain ranges. From his wife Mena, he has a son named Mainaka and a daughter named Parvati, who was Sati in her previous life, the daughter of Daksha and wife of Shiva. The poem then details Parvati's childhood and her emerging youth. Once she reaches marriageable age, the sage Narada visits the Himalaya and predicts that she will win Shiva as her husband. Trusting this prophecy, Himalaya does not take much action regarding her marriage. Meanwhile, after losing his wife Sati, Shiva has retreated to a peak in the Himalaya to practice penance. Upon learning this, Himalaya decides that his daughter and her two companions should approach Shiva to pay their respects.

Canto II (The Address to Brahma)

Around this time, the gods in Heaven were troubled by the demon Taraka, prompting them to approach Brahma collectively to express their grievances. Taraka, having gained mastery over the three worlds through a boon from Brahma, had forced all the gods into his service, rendering even the powerful Indra powerless. The only one capable of defeating this demon was the son of Shiva. Since Shiva had no son, the gods needed to arrange for his son’s birth. Brahma suggests that Parvati, the daughter of the mountain Himalaya, would be the ideal partner for Shiva; if they could facilitate their marriage, the gods could achieve their goal.

Canto III (The Burning of Kama)

To inspire passion in the ascetic Shiva and persuade him to marry Parvati, Indra sends Kama, the god of Love. Accompanied by his friend Vasanta (the Vernal Season), Kama arrives where Shiva is meditating and Parvati is serving him. Upon his arrival, the trees and plants suddenly bloom, the earth dons a premature springtime beauty, and both animals and birds exhibit signs of love, even affecting the ascetics' ability to maintain their self-control. This sudden onset of spring and Parvati’s presence momentarily distract Shiva, but he quickly regains his focus. Realizing that Kama is behind this disturbance, he becomes furious and unleashes fire from his third eye, incinerating Kama into a pile of ashes. Alarmed by this unforeseen disaster, Himalaya takes his daughter to a safer location, while Shiva disappears, thwarting Indra's plan for the time being.

Canto IV (Rati's Lament)

Rati, Kama's widow, witnessed her husband's tragic demise during his mission and now mourns deeply. She calls upon Vasanta to prepare a funeral pyre for her to immolate herself. As preparations begin, a voice from the celestial realm reassures her that her separation from Kama is temporary; when Shiva marries Parvati, he will grant Kama his physical form, allowing Rati to reunite with her husband.

Canto V (Uma's Reward)

Parvati, who secretly loved Shiva and desired to marry him, felt deeply disappointed and decided to pursue austere penance to achieve her goal. After obtaining her parents' permission, she ascended a Himalayan peak, later named Gaurishikhara after her, where she rigorously practiced self-mortification, undeterred by the harshest forms of asceticism. Her efforts won Shiva’s affection, prompting him to visit her hermitage disguised as a young ascetic to test her commitment. He argued skillfully against her choice, highlighting Shiva's perceived flaws, such as his love for unpleasant things, his unattractive appearance, and his poverty, suggesting he was unsuitable for a refined woman like Parvati. However, she dismissed these criticisms, finding his flaws endearing. Through her maid, she communicated her lack of interest in the ascetic's arguments. At this, he revealed his true form and declared himself her servant. Overjoyed to see Shiva before her, Parvati felt immense happiness.

Canto VI (Uma's Espousals)

Parvati requests Shiva to seek her father's formal approval for their marriage. Shiva sends the Seven Sages, accompanied by Vasishtha's wife Arundhati to the capital city of Oshadhiprastha, which they greatly admire. Upon their arrival, Himalaya greets them respectfully and inquires about their purpose. The sages share their mission, and Himalaya happily agrees, giving his consent. They set the wedding date for four days later and return to inform Shiva before heading back to their celestial abode.

Canto VII (Uma's Bridal)

The city of Himalaya is festively decorated for the upcoming wedding. On the wedding day, the ladies of Himalaya’s palace bathe Parvati, dress her in traditional wedding attire, and adorn her with auspicious decorations. Meanwhile, Shiva is also prepared for the ceremony by the Holy Mothers on Kailasa. He then rides his famous bull, Nandi, to Oshadhiprastha, accompanied by the Mothers, his Ganas, and other gods, and is welcomed at the city gates by Himalaya and the bride's party. His beauty captivates the spectators, especially the city’s ladies. Inside the palace, the wedding rituals, including the final blessing from Sarasvati, are performed. After the ceremony, guests depart, and Shiva stays at his father-in-law's house.

Canto VIII (The Description of Uma’s Pleasure)

The newlywed couple's romantic activities are described in detail. Shiva spends a month in Oshadhiprastha before leaving with his wife. They travel through various regions, including the mountains Meru, Kailasa, Mandara, and Malaya, as well as the celestial Ganges, and Nandana Garden. Eventually, they arrive at Gandhamadana in the evening, where Shiva describes the beauty of the sunset as it transitions into a moonlit night. They enjoy wine provided by the mountain's guardian deity and spend the night in intimacy. Shiva then decides to make this place his home, living there for twenty-five years in uninterrupted happiness with his beloved.

Dispute and criticisms

Authenticity of Canto IX-XVII

The ''Kumārasaṃbhavam'' appears to have reached us either incomplete or as a fragment of a larger work. While some manuscripts contain seventeen cantos, only the first eight can be confirmed as Kalidasa's authentic writing based on available evidence. It seems that a later, less skilled author (or possibly two) continued the story in nine additional cantos, which describe the birth of Kumāra and his triumph over Tāraka as the gods' army leader. Importantly, for these nine cantos, there exists no commentary by Mallinātha (1350-1450), Kalidasa’s most renowned commentator, and, notably, are never referenced in ''Alaṃkāraśāstra'', the Sanskrit treatises on literary theory where verses from the first eight cantos are commonly cited. Modern scholars also highlight a decline in the quality of writing, with more filler material, as further evidence that Kalidasa likely did not author these later sections.

Censorship of Canto VIII

Moralistic critics in medieval and later periods of India have harshly criticized Kalidasa for portraying the lovemaking of gods. Some editions of the ''Kumārasaṃbhavam'' have been published without the eighth canto (''Umāsuratavarṇanaḥ''), especially when intended for educational purposes. However, by modern standards, the sexual content of this canto—though vivid and beautifully depicted—is handled with discretion, and much of it focuses on Shiva’s passionate and sensual descriptions of nature. The evidence supporting its authenticity is compelling, and the quality of the writing matches that of the rest of the poem.

This canto has been referenced even by an old literary critic like Vāmana (fl. late 8th—mid-9th century), who seemingly regarded it as an authentic part of the poem. The Kashmiri scholar Kșemendra also cites verse VIII.87, attributing it to Kalidasa, though he criticizes it as an example of thematic impropriety (''prabandhārthānaucitya''), since it portrays the romantic union of Shiva and Parvati in the same way as that of an ordinary couple:

Ānandavardhana, who seems to consider the depiction of Shiva and Parvati’s amorous union (''devīsambhogavarņana'') in the ''Kumārasaṃbhavam'' as genuine, argues that the portrayal of such divine love does not seem improper (''anaucitya'') due to the poet’s brilliance, even though it involves high divinities:

Aruņagirinātha addresses the objections regarding the indecency of depicting Shiva and Parvati’s lovemaking by condemning those who refused to comment on the eighth canto, calling their hesitation foolish:

Both Aruņagirinātha and Nārāyaņapaņdita mention earlier commentators by name who avoided commenting the eighth canto. Furthermore, based on the introductory notes in Mallinātha’s commentary, it seems that his remarks on this section of the poem were treated as a separate work, possibly intended only for older students.

Adaptations

The late Sanskrit play ''Pārvatīpariṇaya'' (पार्वतीपरिणय, "The Wedding of Parvati") shares the same subject as that of ''Kumārasaṃbhavam''. The play closely follows the poem, not just in its sequence of events but also in much of its wording, making the ''Pārvatīparinaya'' appear as an effort to adapt an epic poem into a play. However, the play modifies certain elements of Kalidasa's plot, often adding details that evoke familiar features of well-known Sanskrit dramas.

'' Kumara Sambhavam'' is a 1969 Indian film adaptation of the poem by P. Subramaniam.

References

Bibliography

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External links

full text of the Kumārasambhava in Devanāgarī script
(first eight sargas)


at GRETIL

The Birth of the War-God
selected translation by Arthur W. Ryder

single folio of a Kumārasambhava manuscript
in the Cambridge University Library


Attempted English translation of text by RTH Griffith

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumarasambhava
Works by Kalidasa
Epic poems in Sanskrit
Poems adapted into films
Ancient Indian poems
Hindu poetry
Sanskrit literature