1) The poet describes the Himalayan mountain range ruled over by King Himalaya and his family, including his daughter Parvati. 2) Sage Narada predicts that Parvati will marry Shiva. Shiva is practicing asceticism on the Himalayas when Parvati is sent to serve him. 3) The poem provides vivid descriptions of the natural beauty and wildlife of the Himalayan mountains over 14 verses.

1. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas

2. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
The poet begins with a description of the mountain Himalaya, deservedly
called as the King of all mountain ranges, for his resourcefulness. From his
wife Lady Mèna Devi Mt. Himavan had a son named Mainaka and a
daughter called Parvati, who in her former birth was Lady Sati Devi, the
daughter of daksha-prajapati and the wife of Shiva. Parvati's childhood
and budding youth are then described. When she has attained the
marriageable age, the Sage Narada, who is on a visit to Himalaya, foretells
that she would win Shiva for her husband. Relying on this prophesy,
Himalaya does not particularly bestir himself to search for bridegrooms for
his daughter Parvati. In the meanwhile, the god Shiva, after he had lost his
wife Lady Sati, had betaken himself to a peak on the Himalaya and was
practising ascesis there. When Himalaya comes to know of this, he assigns
his daughter Parvati, accompanied by two of her handmaids, to wait upon
Shiva in the daily chores of Shiva's ascesis. - M. R. Kale

3. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
अस्त्युत्तरस्तययां दिशि िेवतय्मय दिमयलयो नयम नगयधिरयजः।
पूवयापरौ तोयननिी ववगयह्य स्स्तितः पृधिव्यय इव मयनिण्डः॥ १-१
On the northern frontier of this country that forms the heartland of gods, intercalating
himself into eastern and western oceans like a measuring stick of earth, there stands the
sovereign of snowy mountains known as Mt. Himalaya. 1-1

4. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
यां सवािैलयः पररकल्प्य व्सां मेरौ स्स्तिते िोग्िरर िोििक्षे।
भयस्तवस्तत र्नयनन मिौषिीश्च पृिूपदिष्यां िुिुिुिाररत्रीम्॥ १-२
Once all mountains making Mt. Himalaya as a calf, Mother-Earth as cow, while the expert milker
Mt. Meru stood as a milker, made the calf called Mt. Himalaya to suckle glittering gemstones
and medicinal herbs from the cow called Mother Earth, in the trend earlier set by Emperor
Prithu, who was an expert milker of many benefits from such an earth-cow at his times, such
a Himavan is there in the North. [1-2]

5. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
अनततर्नप्रभवस्तय यस्तय दिमां न सौभयग्यववलोवप जयतम्।
एको दि िोषो गुणसस्तनपयते ननमज्जतीतिोः ककरणेस्षववयङ्कः॥ १-३
Whose snow has not become a despoiler of his exquisiteness for he is the fountainhead of
innumerous products of high value; why because, a single blemish cannot be fingered when
umpteen virtues are present; just like a speckle in the moon that does not despoil his
exquisiteness, but wanes in the exquisite moonlight; such an unblemished Himavan is there
in the North. [1-3]

6. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
• यश्चय्सरोववभ्रममण्डनयनयां सम्पयिनयत्रीां शिखरैर्बाभनता।
बलयिकच्छेिववभक्तरयगयमकयलसत्ययशमव ियतुमत्तयम्॥ १-४
• Further, he who bears peaks full with ores of ochry colour of sunset that spreads over the
slivers of clouds floating atop it, which in turn makes a confused state among celestial
damsels, for they hurriedly decorate their ornaments inappropriately; i.e., necklaces as
waist-strings, and headgears as necklaces, hurrying to enjoy the eventides withier lovers,
such a lofty mountain with many deposits of colourful ores and minerals is there in the
North. [1-4]

7. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
आमेखलां सञ्चरतयां घनयनयां च्छयययमिःसयनुगतयां ननषेव्य।
उद्वेस्जतय वृस्ष्शभरयश्रयतते िृङ्गयणण यस्तययतपवस्तत शसद्ियः॥ १-५
• At whose waistline clouds will meander enabling the demigods to enjoy in their shades, but
they the demigods have to take recourse to that mountain’s sunny peaks when they are
distraught by cloudbursts of the very same clouds, such a mountain loftier than the clouds is
there in the North. [1-5]

8. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
पिां तुषयरस्रुनतिौतरक्तां यस्स्तमतनदृष्वयवप ितद्ववपयनयम्।
वविस्तत मयगं नखरतरमुक्तैमुाक्तयफलैः के सररणयां ककरयतयः॥ १-६
• On which mountain the tribal hunters will know the path of lions that have swatted on the
heads of elephants, and just killed them for their brain matter; even though the footprints of
lions are unseen, for the blood of elephants together with snow stream has washed them
away from their forefeet, yet the hunters spot the path of lions by the droppings of pearly
white brain matter of elephants falling from the recesses of their paws, such mountain, an
abode of mutual killers, is there in the North. [1-6]

9. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
• तयस्ततयक्षरय ियतुरसेन यत्र भूजा्वचः कु ञ्जरर्बतिुिोणयः।
व्रजस्तत ववद्ययिरसुतिरीणयमनङ्गलेखकिययोपयोगम्॥ १-७
• Whereon the barks of birch trees will be in crimson red, like that of the skin-rash developed
on the skins of ruttish elephants in age, and which barks will be useful for celestial beauties
to write love letters using the colours of minerals as ink, such a mountain which is a lovers
paradise is there in the North. [1-7]

10. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
• यः पूरयतकीचकरतरभयगयतिरीमुखो्िेन समीरणेन।
उद्गयस्तयतयशमच्छनत ककतनरयणयां तयनप्रियनय्वशमवोपगततुम्॥ १-८
• He who is filling the airspaces between the holes of bamboos with the winds emerged from
the mouths of his caves, appears to be a willing flutist at the ready, to attune the high octave
singing of celestial singers that are ready to sing gAndhAra grAna, a high octave musical
note; such a king of mountains with such fluty bamboo grooves is there in the North. [1-8]

11. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
कपोलकण्डूः कररशभववानेतुां ववघ्द्तयनयां सरलद्रुमयणयम्।
यत्र स्रुतक्षीरतयय प्रसूतः सयनूनन गतिः सुरभीकरोनत॥ १-९
Where the elephants used to thoroughly scrape the cedar trees to disencumber themselves
from the itching of their temples make the latex of those trees to discharge; but the fragrance
emanated from the discharged latex is making the prominences of that mountain fragrant, and
such a fragrant mountain, a homeland for elephants and trees together with their fragrance, is
there in the North. [1-9]

12. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
वनेचरयणयां वननतयसखयनयां िरीगृिो्सङ्गननषक्तभयसः।
भवस्तत यत्रौषियो रजतययमतैलपूरयः सुरतप्रिीपयः॥ १-१०
Where interiors of homelike caves are catching the luminescence form self-luminescent herbs
when the tribal lovers are in intimacy with their ladyloves in nights, those herbs themselves are
becoming oil-less lamps, and such a nightly self-luminous mountain is there in the North. [1-10]

13. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
उद्वेजय्यङ्गुशलपयस्षणाभयगयतमयगे शिलीभूतदिमे ऽवप यत्र।
न िुवािश्रोणणपयोिरयतया शभतिस्तत मतियां गनतमश्वमुख्यः॥ १-११
Where the celestial damsels are unable to desist from their usual leisurely walking even if their toes and
heels are disquieting to tread on the pathways condensed with snow, appurtenance to the slowed down
pace owing to the weight of their broad hips and beamy bosoms, that sort of leisure-mountain is there in
the North. [1-11]

14. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
दिवयकरयद्रक्षनत यो गुियसु लीनां दिवय भीतशमवयतिकयरम्।
क्षुद्रे ऽवप नूनां िरणां प्रपतने मम्वमुच्चैःशिरसयां सतीव॥ १-१२
• He who safeguards the lowly darkness that burrowed itself in his caves, as though that
darkens is frightened from the day making sun, is objectionable insofar as his propriety as
a shelterer is concerned; but that objection is voidable, as noblemen ought to protect
anyone or anything seeking shelter as his own person. [1-12]

15. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
लयङ्गूलववक्षेपववसवपािोभैररतस्तततश्चतद्रमरीधचगौरैः।
यस्तययिायुक्तां धगरररयजिब्िां कु वास्तत वयलव्यजनैश्चमयाः॥ १-१३
• On whom the thick furred animals, chAmara, wave their tails spreading breeze in the
quality of moonbeams; in doing so they appear to be fanning a royal with furred fanning
instruments, and thus they render the title of 'king of the mountains' more meaningful to
that mountain that is there in the North. [1-13]
•

16. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
• यत्रयांिुकयक्षेपववलस्ज्जतयनयां यदृच्छयय ककम्पुरुषयङ्गनयनयम्।
िरीगृिद्वयरववलस्म्बर्बम्बयस्स्ततरस्तकररण्यो जलिय भवस्तत॥ १-१४
• Where the clouds dangling on the doorways of homelike caves are luckily becoming door
curtains for the much-abashed celestial womenfolk when their upper cloths are suddenly
snatched away by their males, such a romantic mountain is there in the North. [1-14]

17. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
भयगीरिीननर्ारसीकरयणयां वोढय मुिुः कस्म्पतिेवियरुः।
यद्वययुरस्तवष्मृगैः ककरयतैरयसेव्यते शभतनशिखस्ण्डबिाः॥ १-१५
• On which the breeze wafts the spays of River Ganga's watercourses wobbling the deodar
trees time and again, whereby peacocks apprehensive of rainfall outspread their plumage,
and commingling all the other perfumes that breeze becomes enjoyable to the tribal
people that are fatigued in their hunting, such a breezy mountain is there in the North. [1-
15]
•

18. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
• स्तवषािस्ततयवधचतयविेषयण्यिो वववस्तवयतपररवतामयनः।
पद्मयनन यस्तययग्रसरोरुियणण प्रबोिय्यू्वामुखैमायूखैः॥ १-१६
Whose plenteousness to provide sacred material like special firewood, Soma creepers etc to
Vedic rituals, and whose capacity and perseverance to bear the earth is clearly examined
by Brahma, whereby Brahma personally ordered for oblational share of oblations in Vedic
rituals to him along with the lordship on other mountains, such a munificent mountain
Bhimavan is there in the North. [1-16]

19. Kalidas- The Advent of Kumara
Kumarsambhavam
Himalayas
• यज्ञयङ्गयोनन्वमवेक्ष्य यस्तय सयरां िररत्रीिरणक्षमां च।
प्रजयपनतः कस्ल्पपतयज्ञभयगां िैलयधिप्यां स्तवयमतवनतषठत्॥ १-१७
• He who is the provisioner to Vedic rituals with sacred material like special firewood, Soma
creepers etc, and whose capacity and perseverance to bear the earth is clearly examined
by Brahma, whereby Brahma personally ordered for oblational share of Vedic rituals to
Himavan along with the lordship on other mountains, such a beneficent mountain is there
in the North. [1-17]