कुमारसम्भवम् (महाकवि कालिदास - संस्कृत मूल एवं हिन्दी अनुवाद)

( 12 ) the spring season and all its objects, animate or inanimate, are filled with the passion of love. Shiva too for a while seems to be yielding to it, but very shortly consciousness is awakened in him. He holds Kâma responsible for the disturbance, and being angry with him, reduces him to ashes by means of the fire coming forth from his third eye. Suspecting danger, Himâlaya takes away his daughter and the plan of the gods seems to have been frustrated for the time being. Canto 4.—Kâma's sad end causes great grief to his wife Ratî who had accompanied him in his adventure. She weeps bitterly and piteously and decides to breathe her last by burning herself with the body of her beloved. But an incorporeal speech pacifies her by giving an assurance that her separation from Kâma was only temporary and that she would again be united with him. Canto 5.—Pârvatî, who had fallen in love with Shiva and whom she wanted to marry, seeing her object undone by the demise of Kâma, decides to win over her beloved by means of severe penance. Her mother dissuades her but she turning a deaf ear to her and taking permission of her father goes to a peak of the Himâlaya to practise austerities. She repairs to the place with her friends and commences her penance with all seriousness. Taking the vow of asceticism, she puts on the dress of ascetics, and. not minding the severity of elements, continues to mortify her body. She becomes renowned as an ideal ascetic and sages from far and near come to visit her. One day she is called on by a young ascetic, who was none but Shiva in disguise. First he pays a befitting tribute to the pious life of Pârvatî and then asks her the reason of her penance and knowing it to be to win over Shiva as her husband, he begins to point out the various defects of Shiva,