chakravaka | चक्रवाक

chakravaka (Devanagari: चक्रवाक ISO15919: cakravāka) is a bird whose unique nightly behavior serves as a classic and beautiful poetic signal for the arrival of dawn.

It is the ruddy sheldrake or Brahminy duck: a large orange-brown duck also called chakai, chakava or chakvai. In poetry, the pair is characterized by their actions at the change of day:

• At Night: The male and female birds turn away from each other, symbolizing separation.
• At Dawn: They immediately face each other, signaling the return of the sun.

This characteristic is often used in poetry to signal that dawn is here.

LEARN MORE

• papiha
• khanjan
• chakor

REFERENCE

Prema Rasa Madira - The Intoxicating Bliss of Divine Love, Vol. 1, Ch. 7