Saturday, October 17, 2015
Waiting for Rain
T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land (TWL), lines 396-399
Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves
Ganga is India’s River Ganges, said to sustain a tenth of the world’s
population. In Indian legend, Ganga, a river goddess, flowed in the
mountains of Paradise until King Bhagiratha prayed a thousand years
to bring her down to earth. See Valmiki, Ramayana 1 (Bala Kanda,
Book of Youth): 42-43 (ca. 400 BC).
Waited for rain, while the black clouds
Gathered far distant, over Himavant.
Himavant is a holy mountain in the Himalayas, literally the snowy
mountain. Himavant is also the mountain personified, the Hindu God
of Snow, father of the river goddess Ganga. See Valmiki, Ramayana
1.42.23).
The jungle crouched, humped in silence.
Then spoke the thunder...
from T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, with annotations (and other explanations)
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