megh

Megh is a term meaning cloud in Sanskrit and in several Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Nepali. The etymology traces to the Sanskrit megha- (cloud); in everyday usage, megh appears as a shortened or inflected form used in compounds and poetic contexts. The word conveys associations with weather, rain, and the imagery of the sky.

In literature, Meghaduta, or The Cloud Messenger, is the best-known use of the term in classical Sanskrit. Written by Kalidasa around the 5th century CE, Meghaduta depicts a mourning yaksha sending a message to his wife via a cloud, describing distant places and landscapes as the cloud travels. The poem is regarded as a landmark of Sanskrit lyric poetry and has influenced subsequent poets across the Indian cultural sphere.

Modern usage of Megh and related forms appears in personal names and artistic works, where the term evokes cloud imagery, monsoon season, and poetic vision. It can function as a given name or as part of longer names in various Indian communities, reflecting the cultural resonance of the cloud as a symbol of beauty, change, and travel.

See also Megha.