Draft:Vasanta

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Vasanta/Vasant (Sanskrit: वसन्त) or Kasumakara, is a minor deity in Hindu mythology who represents flowers and spring (hence the season's name being Vasanta). His name means "end (anta) of residence (vasati)" or "someone who has been away from their home returns in spring."

Birth

According to the Kalika Purana, Vasanta was born from Brahma's sigh, adorned with flowers and creepers, as Brahma was contemplating creating a woman for Shiva to break his celibacy. When the god of spring was born, trees blossomed and hundreds of cuckoos started singing sweetly in pañcama tune.

Appearance

Vasanta is described as having two fully blossomed lotuses for eyes, a face that looked like the full moon in the evening, and the complexion of a red lotus. His nose was well-shaped, and his curling hair was black. The pair of earrings on his ears resembled the setting sun. He had the physical qualities of an ideal man, with a wide chest, hidden collarbones (jatru), well-developed round and long arms, hard hands, nicely round thighs, buttocks, and bottom, and a neck with three lines like a conch. When Vasanta emerged, he resembled a blossoming tree dressed in mango shoots, covered by black bees, kiṁśuka (

Butea frondosa
) flowers, and lotuses.

Relationship with Kama and Rati

After Vasanta emerged, Brahma was delighted with his beauty and joyous nature, and told Kama that the former would be his lifelong companion, always making people merry. Hence, from thereon, he’s almost always mentioned together with Kama and Rati.

Role in Enchanting Shiva

Vasanta, along with Kama, Rati, and an army of followers headed by him, set off to break Shiva's celibacy and enchant him. Vasanta caused trees and creepers such as champaka, keśara, āmra (mango), saruṇa, pātāla, nāgakeśara, punnāga, kiṁśuka, ketaka, dhava, mādhavī, mallikā, purṇadhāra, and kuruvaka to blossom wherever Shiva resided. He also made the hermitage of Shiva highly fragrant by causing the malaya breeze to blow over the lakes full of blossoming lotuses.

After Shiva proceeded to go to the Himalayas with Sati, Vasanta accompanied Kama and Rati to the same location. Vasanta exhibited his wealth in the trees, on water, and on the earth around Shiva. All the trees and all the creepers started blossoming with beautiful flowers, and all waters were covered with beautiful lotuses and lilies, which were then covered by black bees. The breeze from the Malaya mountain began blowing, which made ladies swoon from the sweet smell of the flowers.

References

The Kalika Puran Translated In English By B N Shastri, Edited By Surendra Pratap Nag Publishers, Delhi: https://archive.org/details/QCML_the-kalika-puran-translated-in-english-by-b-n-shastri-edited-by-surendra-pratap-nag-publishers-/mode/2up

Sri Kalika Purana in Hindi: https://archive.org/details/HindiBookKalikaPuran/mode/2up

Kalika Purana Sanskrit 1948 - Khemraj Edition (4 PDF Files): https://archive.org/details/KalikaPuranaSanskrit/Kalika%20Purana%20Sanskrit%201948%2001/mode/2up

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