उद्भिन्नस्तबकावतंससुभगाः प्रेङ्खन्मरुन्नर्तिताः पुष्पोद्गीर्णपरागपांशुललसत्पत्रप्रकाण्डत्विषः। गम्भीरक्रमपञ्चमोन्मदपिकध्वानोच्छलद्गीतयः प्रत्युज्जीवितमन्मथोत्सव इव क्रीडन्त्यमू भूरुहाः॥
udbhinnastabakāvataṃsasubhagāḥ preṅkhanmarunnartitāḥ puṣpodgīrṇaparāgapāṃśulalasatpatraprakāṇḍatviṣaḥ । gambhīrakramapañcamonmadapikadhvānocchaladgītayaḥ pratyujjīvitamanmathotsava iva krīḍantyamū bhūruhaḥ ॥
PM's MessageThe festival of Holi fills the entire atmosphere with new energy. This is the big specialty of this festival. The way colors of happiness are seen scattered all around, it douses everyone with enthusiasm and joy.
Meaning of Udbhinnastabakāvataṃsasubhagāḥ
These trees are playing as if they are celebrating the festival of Love (Manmatha) being brought back to life—charming with their ear-ornaments of broken clusters of blossoms, made to dance by the wafted breezes, having the luster of their branches and leaves brightened by the dust of pollen cast up from the flowers, and with songs breaking out in the form of the warbling of cuckoos intoxicated in the deep fifth note.
Word by word
- उद्भिन्नस्तबकावतंससुभगाःudbhinnastabakāvataṁsasubhagāḥ
lovely with burst clusters as ear-ornaments
उद् + √भिद् + स्तबक + अवतंस
- प्रेङ्खन्मरुन्नर्तिताःpreṅkhanmarunnartitāḥ
set dancing by the swaying breeze
प्र + √ईङ्ख् + मरुत् + √नृत्
- पुष्पोद्गीर्णपरागपांशुललसत्पत्रप्रकाण्डत्विषःpuṣpodgīrṇaparāgapāṁśulalasatpatraprakāṇḍatviṣaḥ
their leaves and boughs glinting with pollen-dust cast out by the flowers
पुष्प + उद् + √गॄ + पराग + पांशु + √लस् + पत्र + प्रकाण्ड + त्विष्
- गम्भीरक्रमपञ्चमोन्मदपिकध्वानोच्छलद्गीतयःgambhīrakramapañcamonmadapikadhvānocchaladgītayaḥ
their songs leaping up with the intoxicated koel's deep fifth note
गम्भीर + क्रम + पञ्चम + उद् + मद + पिक + ध्वान + उद् + √शल् + गीति
- प्रत्युज्जीवितमन्मथोत्सवःpratyujjīvitamanmathotsavaḥ
a festival of Kamadeva brought back to life
प्रति + उद् + √जीव् + मन्मथ + उत्सव
- इवiva
as if
- क्रीडन्तिkrīḍanti
they play
√क्रीड्
The verb is withheld until the last quarter.
- अमू भूरुहाःamū bhūruhāḥ
those trees
भू + √रुह्
Commentary
This verse from Subhashitaratnakosha gives a vivid description of spring. Trees appear adorned with newly opened flower clusters like ear-ornaments, set dancing by the breeze, dusted with pollen, and accompanied by the koel's deep fifth note. They play as though the festival of Manmatha had come back to life. The Sanskrit names spring and the Manmatha festival, not Holi specifically; connecting its pollen and festivity with Holi is an attractive later application. The verse is one sentence built from long compounds whose verb, kridanti, arrives only near the end, allowing the richly described trees to come into motion at the close.
Original Post
More subhashitams on Nature
View topic pageसुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.
शं नो वातः पवतां शं नस्तपतु सूर्यः। शं नः कनिक्रदद् देवः पर्जन्योऽभिवर्षतु॥
śaṃ no vātaḥ pavatāṃ śaṃ nas tapatu sūryaḥ । śaṃ naḥ kanikradad devaḥ parjanyo 'bhivarṣatu ॥
A Shukla Yajurveda mantra asks that the wind, sun and rain-bearing Parjanya bring well-being.
विश्वस्वं मातरमोषधीनां ध्रुवां भूमिं पृथिवीं धर्मणा धृताम्। शिवां स्योनामनु चरेम विश्वहा॥
viśvasvaṃ mātaram oṣadhīnāṃ dhruvāṃ bhūmiṃ pṛthivīṃ dharmaṇā dhṛtām । śivāṃ syonām anu carema viśvahā ॥
A Vedic prayer to dwell always upon the steadfast, auspicious Earth—the mother of plants, upheld by dharma.