Expressions for Rainfall in Sanskrit

[संस्कृत संवादः]

Expressions for Rainfall in Sanskrit :

Standard Expression:
- देवो वर्षति: The Deva [of rain] makes it rain.

Variations of Rainfall Descriptions:

1. गात्रस्नायं (or पुरुषस्नायं) वर्षति देवः: It rains enough to bathe one's body.

2. 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 )

3. गोष्पदपूरं वृष्टो देवः: It rained enough to fill the impression of a cow's hoof.

4. मूषिकाबिलपूरं वर्षति देवः: It rains enough to fill the rat burrows.

5. सीतापूरं वर्षति देवः: It rains enough to fill the furrows (सीता) in the fields.

6. 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.

7. 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 )

Written by Suhas Mahesh,
Refined by linktr.ee/samvadah