स्रोतः - सुहासः
Expressions for Rainfall in Sanskrit -
Standard Expression -
- देवो वर्षति - The Deva [of rain] makes it rain.
Variations of Rainfall Descriptions -
-
गात्रस्नायं (or पुरुषस्नायं) वर्षति देवः - It rains enough to bathe one’s body.
-
चेलक्नोपं वर्षति देवः (or वस्त्रक्नोपं वर्षति देवः or वसनक्नोपं वर्षति देवः) - It rains enough to wet a cloth.
- क्नोपम् - From the rare verb क्नूय् meaning “to be wet” (See, ashtadhyayi.com/sutraani/3/4/33 )
-
गोष्पदपूरं वृष्टो देवः - It rained enough to fill the impression of a cow’s hoof.
-
मूषिकाबिलपूरं वर्षति देवः - It rains enough to fill the rat burrows.
-
सीतापूरं वर्षति देवः - It rains enough to fill the furrows (सीता) in the fields.
-
द्रोणमेघः - A cloud pouring forth water as from a trough (द्रोण); द्रोणवृष्टिः - The rain from such a cloud.
कोऽयमेवंविधे काले कालपाशस्थिते मयि। अनावृष्टिहते सस्ये द्रोणमेघ इवोदितः॥१।२६॥
"Who is it that, in such a manner, at a time when there is a drought, appears like a Drona cloud that brings rain to a parched field?"
(As mentioned in the 10th Act of Mṛcchakaṭika).
- द्रोणमेघो नाम प्रचुरधारासंपातविशिष्टो मेघो योऽतिशयेन वर्षति। इति टिप्पणी॥ A cloud that pours down heavily and continuously, characterized by excessive rainfall.
- देवमातृको देशः - A land having the Deva (Indra) as a foster-mother (i.e., the land is nourished by rain, akin to how a mother nurtures her child).
Note on Usage -
- The term पूरं (meaning “filled”) in the above examples can also be replaced by प्रम् - For example, गोष्पदप्रम्, सीताप्रम्, मूषिकाबिलप्रम्, etc. (See ashtadhyayi.com/sutraani/3/4/32 )
Expressions for Rainfall Coverage -
-
परिप॒रि॒ त्रिगर्त्तेभ्यो वृष्टो देवः It rained around Trigarta (a region east of the Shatadru, including areas like Loodiana and Pattiala) while excluding it.
-
Similarly -
- परिप॒रि॒ सौवीरेभ्यः (a district near the Indus),
- परिप॒रि॒ सर्वसेनेभ्यः (a country),
- परिप॒रि॒ वङ्गेभ्यो (Bengal).
In a compound, this is simply expressed as परित्रिगर्त्तं वृष्टो देवः ( ashtadhyayi.com/sutraani/8/1/5 )