kokilaḥ mama priyaḥ khagaḥ asti। saḥ atīva lokapriyaḥ vihagaḥ asti। tasya anyāni nāmāni api santi। tāni vanapriyaḥ pikaḥ parabhṛtaḥ ca।

kokilasya śarīrasya varṇaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ asti। tasya cañcuḥ pītā asti।

kokilaḥ tasya madhurāya gītāya prakhyātaḥ। saḥ āmravṛkṣe tasya nīḍe atīva madhuraṃ gāyati। yadā varṣā bhaviṣyati meghāgamanaṃ ca bhavati, tadaiva kokilaḥ gāyati, iti manyate। kokilasya gāyanaprasiddheḥ kāraṇāt ekasya kuśalagāyakasya kokilena saha eva upamānaṃ kṛtam।

paraṃ, gāyanam eva kokilasya kalā na। kokilaḥ ekaḥ budhdimān caturaḥ ca vihagaḥ asti। kokilāḥ sadaiva svasya aṇḍāni kākānāṃ nīḍeṣu sthāpayanti। anantaraṃ, te kākāḥ kokilānām apatyānāṃ poṣaṇaṃ pālanaṃ ca kurvanti। ataḥ kokilāḥ sva-apatyānāṃ poṣaṇaṃ na kurvanti।

kokilakākayoḥ madhye yaḥ bhedaḥ asti, tasya varṇanaṃ naikāsu racanāsu kṛtam। tasmin eva viṣaye, ekaṃ prasidhdaṃ subhāṣitaṃ vartate –

The cuckoo is my favourite bird. It is liked by everyone. It has other names, too. They are – Vanapriya, Pika and Parabhrta.

The colour of the cuckoo’s body is black. It’s beak is yellow.

The bird is well-known for its melodious voice. It sings in its nest in the mango tree. It is believed to sing when it is going to rain or when rain-clouds arrive. A good singer is always compared to the cuckoo because of its well-known and melodious voice.

But singing is not the only talent of the cuckoo. It is a very smart and intelligent bird, too. Cuckoo birds always lay their eggs in the nests of crows. Then, the crows raise the offspring of the cuckoo bird. This way, the cuckoo birds do not have to raise their own offspring.

The difference between the crow and the cuckoo bird has been written about multiple times. Based on that difference, following is a well-known Subhashita –