Is it a Cuckoo, a Sparrow or Something Else?

The Sanghata tells us that the Buddha had a voice that was sweet to hear, like the sound of a type of bird known as a kalavinka. Thanks to the precision of that simile, we can now hear the sound that reminded our narrator of the Buddha's own voice. The dictionary translates 'kalavinka' as either an Indian cuckoo or sparrow, but this bird is identified more precisely by Indian ornithologists as a type of spotted weaver. According to Jack Roberts, the kalavinka is what is known in England as a 'red strawberry finch.' Ed Murphy has located for us a webpage that has clips of the lovely song of the kalavinka, including the very sad sound of a femake kalavinka's call after her male partner had died.

Visit page with links to the call of the kalavinka. (Scroll down and you will see two links to wav files.  

The photo below was taken by Dr. Satesh Pande, who has published extensively on birds of the Western Ghats of India. Unfortunately, he had not collected the sounds of its singing. But he had certainly heard and had plenty to say about the call of the kalavinka sparrow... (Text continues below photo.)



The charm of the kalavinka's voice is greatly enhanced, according to Dr. Pande, by the context in which one encounters this bird. Kalavinka sparrows nest in the very beginning of the monsoon. As such, one hears their call just at the moment when the world seems to be coming to life after a long, hard battle with dry and dusty heat. In India, the first monsoon rains bring an end to what has often been an oppressively hot summer. Particularly in the areas of northern and central India where Buddha Shakyamuni mainly lived and taught, when the monsoon appears, brown landscapes burst into green, vibrant life. In practical terms, the monsoon season is an important growing period for many staple crops. Across agricultural India, the monsoon rains can quite literally offer life and stave off death, as a year without monsoon or meager monsoon rains has regularly meant a year of famine, starvation and despair. 

The sound of the kalavinka's joyous call thus signals an end to the harsh sufferings of excessive heat and hunger, and announces that the world can now awaken to a season of joy, of plenty and of hope. Even without actually hearing the bird's voice, it is not hard for us to imagine why the Sanghata would turn to the call of the kalavinka to evoke the experience of hearing the voice of the Blessed One. Because of all that comes along with it, the sound of the kalalvinka is much more than a sound. It is the beginning of transformation and of growth, as indeed is the speech of our teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni.

For a longer description of the coming of the monsoon in India, click here.










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