“Birds in Sanskrit Literature” by K N Dave is a totally captivating tour de force!
This book examines in detail the common/uncommon birds of India, not as a regular birding book, but from the vantage of their presence in Samskritam Literature
The book is ambitious in scope covering many species in this wide-ranging feat of scholastic brilliance
The broad list of birds shows a keen sensitivity to nature that courses through भारतीय literature & the cultural role played by our feathered friends in making us भारतीयाः।
Let us take a few examples
१ Corvus (काकः) – the bird having the largest number of संस्कृत synonms!
The author’s deep research & passion for the subject shines through the minute descriptions & cross-references
Re: the ubiquity of crows in our country, he says नरानां नापितः धूर्तः पक्षिणां चैव वायसः !
The various descriptors for काकः are quite revealing
२ Cuculus – the famed कोकिल (which includes the mythical चातक)
कोकिलानां रुतैः पुण्यैः सर्वत्र मधुरायते as all of us know!
कण्ठेषु स्खलितं गतेऽपि शिशिरे पुंस्कोकिलानां रुतं शङ्के संहरति स्मरोऽपि चकितस्तूणार्धकृष्टं शरम्।
Again the minor details & references are stunning !
As referenced above, according to Kalidasa, Spring ensues in a sequence that inevitably has the sweet song of the Kokila!
कुसुमजन्म ततो नवपल्लवास्तदनु षट्पदकोकिलकूजितम् ।
इति यथाक्रममाविरभून्मधुर्द्रुमवतीमवतीर्य वनस्थलीम् ॥ Raghuvamsa
There are plates with pictures which clearly shows the author’s birding interest, while the detailed references & snippets shows his passion for संस्कृतम् & भारतीय literature
The introduction provides an interesting synopsis of the 3000+ year historical literary attestation of birds in the भारतीय canon
The list of references sources shows the deep research & the “labour of love” aspect behind this wonderful book
The Samskrita-Pali-Prakrita index provides an useful mapping of भारतीय bird names with the modern terminology
Overall, the book is amazing & shows how we can take up new & exciting modern topics while leveraging the foundation of भारतीय culture & literature
Ornithologically there may be better ‘reference’ works, of course, but from a cultural perspective, none like this one!
पठतु भोः!
प्वालसंस्कृतभाण्डारम्। PvaalSamskritam 