ऋतुसंहारम्

॥ अथ ऋतुसंहारम् ॥

Summary AI : Nidāgha parches the earth. People occupy palace terraces cooled by fountains and candana paste. Women wear thin silks and pearl necklaces. In the wild, thirst forces natural enemies into shared shade; a serpent rests beneath a peacock's plumage, and frogs shelter under a cobra's hood. A davāgni sweeps through silk-cotton trees and dry bamboo groves. Lions, elephants, and boars flee together toward the cooling sands and lotuses of the river.

२

द्वितीयः सर्गः

Clouds and rain transform the forest landscape.

Summary AI : Clouds resembling rutting elephants enter the sky with thunder and lightning. Rainwater fills the rivers rushing toward the sea. Red indragopaka insects dot the new grass. Peacocks dance with spread tails while cātaka birds drink falling streams. Women adorn their hair with kadamba and mālatī garlands. The scent of ketakī pollen fills the air, cooling the Vindhya forests. Lovers seek each other through the dark as the parched earth is soothed.

३

तृतीयः सर्गः

The arrival of autumn brings clear skies and blooming lilies.

Summary AI : Śarad arrives like a bride draped in white kāśa grass. Rivers move slowly, their śapharī fish darting like girdles, while clouds drift like royal chāmara whisks. Ripened rice stalks bend in the fields as saptacchada trees bloom. Women adorn hair with mālatī and wear nīlotpala in their ears. At night, the moon illuminates clear waters and blooming kumuda. Travelers weep, recognizing their wives' features in red bandhūka flowers and the cries of migrating swans.

४

चतुर्थः सर्गः

Early winter leads to indoor intimacy and ripening crops.

Summary AI : Hemanta brings ripening śāli rice and blooming lodhra trees. As tuṣāra falls, women set aside pearl necklaces and gold girdles for heavy perfumes and kālāguru smoke. They anoint limbs with saffron and warm themselves in the sun. Lovers share flower-wine and sleep in close embrace. Tooth marks and nakhakṣata appear on bodies. Outside, the priyaṅgu creeper pales while krauñca birds call across the fields.

५

पञ्चमः सर्गः

The cold season forces people to seek warmth indoors.

Summary AI : During śiśira, rice and sugarcane ripen while curlews cry across fields. People shun moonlit terraces and candana, seeking fires, heavy garments, and rooms with closed windows. Women perfume hair with aguru incense and drink liquor fragrant with lotuses. Lovers remain entwined during long nights to ward off frost. At sunrise, women observe nail marks and bitten lips, moving through the house to change from nighttime silks into daytime attire.

६

षष्ठः सर्गः

Spring arrives as nature blooms and desire increases.

Summary AI : Vasanta arrives as a warrior, wielding cūta blossoms as arrows and lines of dvirepha as a bowstring. Women adorn hair with aśoka and karṇikāra, wearing garments dyed with saffron and kusumbha. They smear bodies with candana and musk. In the forests, parabhṛta birds sing while wind shakes kiṃśuka branches. These sights stir longing in lovers and distress travelers, as the bodiless anaṅga governs the season.

॥ इति ऋतुसंहारम् ॥

Other texts to read

मेघदूतम् कालिदासः

हंसदूतम् रूपगोस्वामी

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