Date uploaded in London – – 2 March 2024
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Bee in Hinduism –Part 3 (Post No.13,057)
Kalidas was the greatest Indian poet; he lived during the reign of Vikramaditya in the first century BCE. He was like a Vedic Rishi who dealt with Hindu Gods and Hindu values.
99.9 % of Sangam Tamil poets were also Hindus. They approached Nature in the same way like their counterparts in the north.
Let me give some comparisons:
Kalidas in his most popular drama Shakuntalam used bee to introduce King Dushyanata. He came to forest and saw the beautiful Shakuntala from behind the trees. Shakuntala was watering a Mallika plant and a bee got agitated and started buzzing around Shakuntala; she got annoyed and was looking for help. At that time Dushyanta came to help her. So, a bee brings the hero and heroine to the stage.
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In Kumarasambhava
महीभृतः पुत्रवतो ऽपि दृष्टिस्तस्मिन्नपत्ये न जगाम तृप्तिम्।
अनन्तपुष्पस्य मधोर्हि चूते द्विरेफमाला सविशेषसङ्गा॥ १-२७
mahībhṛtaḥ putravato ‘pi dṛṣṭistasminnapatye na jagāma tṛptim |
anantapuṣpasya madhorhi cūte dvirephamālā saviśeṣasaṅgā || 1-27
Though Himavan has many sons and daughters his outlook towards this baby-girl remained insatiable; that said, though the vernal season is laden with innumerable flowers stings of honeybees have a yen for mango blossoms alone. [1-27]
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In Vikramorvaseeyam
Neither the bees which murmur between the petals of the lotus, nor the royal elephant, that reclines with his spouse beneath the Kadamba tree, has seen the lost one.
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In Meghaduta
At least three interesting references are found in Kalidasa’s Meghaduta:-
There, their girdles jingling to their footsteps, and their hands tired from the
pretty waving of fly-whisks whose handles are brilliant with the sparkle of
jewels, having received from you raindrops at the onset of the rainy season
that soothe the scratches made by fingernails, the courtesans cast you
lingering sidelong glances that resemble rows of honey-bees.
1. Their belts clattering with their dance steps,
Their arms worn out from the graceful shaking of decorated fly-whisks,
Their scratch marks soothed by the first drops of your rain,
Will let loose glances towards you like a line of bees.
2.Having crossed that river, move along,
Making your image a vessel for the curiosity of the eyes of the young women of Daśapura.
Their eyes steal the beauty of bees that follow cast aside Kunda flowers,
Gleaming black and white, moving higher and higher,
Lifting up their lashes,
Flirting with furrowed brows.
3.Knowing that Śiva lives nearby,
The god of love, afraid, does not bear his normal bow,
But rather one whose string is made merely of bees.
His efforts are carried out by women who flirt expertly with those they desire—
With arched brows and their eyes directed
They hit their mark, the target of love.
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in Ragu vamsa
अनसूयातिसृष्टेन पुण्यगन्धेन काननम्।
सा चकाराङ्गरागेण पुष्पोच्चलितषट्पदम्॥ १२-२७
anasūyātisṛṣṭena puṇyagandhena kānanam|
sā cakārāṅgarāgeṇa puṣpoccalitaṣaṭpadam || 12-27
With the richly fragrant unguent bestowed upon her by lady Anasuya Seetha made the forest fragrant, such that the bees gave up the flowers and swarmed around her. [12-27]
अथ मदगुरुपक्षैलोकपालद्विपाना
मनुगतमलिवृन्दैर्गण्डभित्तीर्विहाय।
उपनतमणिबन्धे मूर्ध्नि पौलस्त्यशत्रोः
सुरभि सुरविमुक्तम् पुष्पवर्षम् पपात॥ १२-१०२
atha madagurupakṣailokapāladvipānā
manugatamalivṛndairgaṇḍabhittīrvihāya|
upanatamaṇibandhe mūrdhni paulastyaśatroḥ
surabhi suravimuktam puṣpavarṣam papāta || 12-102
atha
,
Then gods poured down a shower of fragrant flowers which incidentally was accompanied by swarms of honeybees that have left swarming around the broad temples of the elephants of the guardian-deities of the quarters, and wings laden with ichor secreted from the temples of the elephants of the regents of the quarters, on the head of the enemy of Paulastya, namely Ravana, whereon the crown was soon to be placed. [12-102]
Then fell on Rama’s head, which soon should wear / The Kingly crown, a rain of fragrant flowers,/Poured by the joyful Gods, while on them swarmed/(Their wings with honey laden) bees that late/Forsook the perfumed streams which from the brows/Distilled of Elephants that guard the Worlds.
–o)0(o–
· खर्जूरीस्कन्धनद्धानां मदोद्गारसुगन्धिषु|
कटेषु करिणां पेतुः पुंनागेभ्यः शिलीमुखाः॥ ४-५७
· kharjūrīskandhanaddhānāṁ madodgārasugandhiṣu|
kaṭeṣu kariṇāṁ petuḥ puṁnāgebhyaḥ śilīmukhāḥ || 4-57
·
· भल्लापवर्जितैस्तेषां शिरोभिः श्मश्रुलैर्महीम्|
तस्तार सरघाव्याप्तैः स क्षौद्रपटलैरिव॥ ४-६३
· bhallāpavarjitaisteṣāṁ śirobhiḥ śmaśrulairmahīm|
tastāra saraghāvyāptaiḥ sa kṣaudrapaṭalairiva || 4-63
·
· raghu covered the ground with the bearded heads of westerners that are cut off with spear-like arrows, as if they are the sheaves of honeycombs swarming with bees. [4-63]
·
When the swayamvara began in an ambient air, nobly attired Princess Indumati crisscrossed each row in the lofty hall to make her maiden’s Choice. Lord of beauty for herself, as she walked fast each row, through the veil of cloth which covered her face, she carefully noticed the arts of love expressed by the audience who sought her company in life. On their part, beaming noble chiefs from several states, swarming the hall like cluster of bees in garden, trifled with their gestures to reach the heart of the maid when she passed through them.
The assembled Princesses and Kings as gesture of pomp displayed their wealth in different ways. While a Prince twirled a Lotus, another carelessly pulled out the diamond necklace hanging from his neck and moved its sides on shoulder, another tossed the gold lined robe hither thither.
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Chanakaya on bees
Chanakya says,
The pious people should always give food and money in charity, never should they accumulate them. The glory of the illustrious Karna, Bali and Vikramditya persists unabated even now. Look, the honey bees rub their hands and feet because of the despondency of losing honey that they had gathered for long.
–Chanakya Niti 11-18
deyam bhojyadhanam sadaa sukruthirbinaa sanchitavyam sadaa
sriikarnasya nhaleerasca vikramateradhyaapi kiirtihi sthithaa
asmaakammadhu daanabogarahitam nashtam chiraat sanchitam
wirvaanaaditi paanipaathayugale garshantyaho makshikaahaa
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A Tamil poet in Naladiyar says
Naladiyaar is a Tamil didactic book composed by Jain saints in Tamil. The poet Padumanaar, who compiled 400 verses, says,
“Those who vexing their own bodies by stinting in food and clothing, perform not acts of charity that ever remain undestroyed, but avariciously hoard up a great wealth, will lose it all. O Lord of the mountains, which touch the sky, the bees that are driven away from the honey they have collected bear testimony to this.
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In Bhasa’s Svapnavasavadatta
45. King -no, no, do not do that one should never frighten the bees. Kale, M.R., Svapna-vāsavadattā, P.28
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In Sangam Tamil Literature
The noise of the mountain stream or the humming of bees serves as a lullaby to the sleeping elephant– Akam 332
Tamil poet Tankal Porkollan Venkannanar hears the pleasant sweet music of humming bees in the blossomed branches and sais it is like the sweet tune of lyre/ yaz—Akam355
Tayankannanar describes the activities of a bee in Akam 132
The bee opens a bud in the mountain pool. An then goes to the venkai tree flowers , sucks honey from them , flies to the honeyd kantal flowers and sleeps there dreaming oh the flow of rut in the face of the elephant .
Naakkirar also in his work tirumurugatru padai sings that the bees visit and hum in them and afterwards in the morning approach the like blossoms in the mountain pools and warble melodious tunes there –Akam 290.
Nochi Niyamam Kilar describes that the gem like bees are humming among the kantal flowers- Kuruntokai 17
Anti Ilam Kiranar describes the evening scene in the rural area where he says the bees are like ungrateful people. Like the ungrateful people deserting the poor and seeking the rich , the bees fly from the blossoms in the mountain pools to those in the branches of trees- Akam 71.
Kavan Mullaip Putanar paints an original picture in his Kuruntokai poen 21,
The bees in the scorching heat of the dry land seek honey in a bunch of maraam flowers but fly away with utter disappointment.
Tumpi Cer Kiranar refers to Tumpi in two poems which means any beetle. In both the poems the heroine addresses the Tumpi and expresses her feelings of suffering in the absence of her lover, Kuruntokai 392, Narrinai 277
Kalittokai 66 also has also has a picturesque description of beetle with lines on its body.
Though many more poets have sung the bees in Sanskrit and Tamil, their approach is almost same.
The sound of the west wind passing through the holes made by the beetles in bamboos is compared to the sweet tune of the shepherd’s flute- Akam 225
The flow of rut in elephants attracts bees and their humming sound is musical enough to attract the mythical animal called Acunam which listens which listens to it and mistakes it for the tune of Yaaz/ lyre – Akam 88
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Honey Bee in Sanskrit
| madhukara | m. “honey-maker”, a bee | ||
| madhukara | m. a lover, libertine | ||
| madhukara | m. Eclipta Prostrata or Asparagus Racemosus | ||
| madhukara | m. Achyranthes Aspera | ||
| madhukara | m. the round sweet lime | ||
| madhukaragaṇa | m. a swarm of bees | ||
| madhukaramaya | mfn. consisting of bees | ||
| madhukararājan | m. the king of bees id est the queen bees | ||
| madhukaraśreṇi | f. a line of bees | ||
| madhukarāya | Nom. A1. yate–, to represent a bee | ||
| madhukarī | f. a female bee | ||
| madhukarī | f. Name of a girl | ||
| madhukarikā | f. Name of woman | ||
| madhukarin | m. a bee | ||
—-subham—
Tags- Bees, Kalidasa, Chanakya, Tamil poets, part 3
Tamil and Vedas 