वासवदत्ता (महाकवि सुबन्धु - श्लेष-प्रधान शास्त्रीय गद्यकाव्य सान्वय सटीक)

84 VĀSAVADATTĀ of trumpet-flowers cloven by the tips of the claws¹ of koels ; that makes medlar-trees horripilate from sprinkling² with rum in mouthfuls³ by amorous girls merry with wine; that has hundreds of ushoka-trees delighted by the slow⁴ stroke of the tremulous lotus feet, beautiful with anklets, of wanton damsels enslaved by amorous delights⁵; that has countless hundreds⁶ of travellers bewildered⁷ with listening to festal songs⁸ begun by knaves eager to hear songs full of obscenity sung everywhere⁹; [133] that has ⟨red lotuses⟩ as a rascal is ⟨unpleasant to the good⟩; that has no ⟨Malabar jasmine creepers⟩ as one of low birth has no ⟨origin⟩; that is honoured with hundreds of ⟨yel- lowish-red dhak-trees⟩ as Rāvaṇa was honoured by hundreds of ⟨demons that had drunk of blood⟩; that has ⟨sweet breezes⟩ as a great lady-killer has ⟨perfumes⟩; that has ⟨thriving blue lotuses⟩ as a good king makes the ⟨circle of earth prosper⟩; [134] that has ⟨full-grown cucumbers⟩ as a realist¹⁰ ⟨increases hope of weal⟩; that has ⟨overcome winter⟩ as the poetic composition of good poets ⟨possesses tu, hi, and na⟩¹¹; that is ⟨freed from continuous night⟩ as a good man has ⟨no connexion with the bad⟩; that ⟨has blue lotuses, azure lotuses, and sal-trees⟩ as a fisherman ⟨catches rājīva-, utpala-, and śāla-fish⟩¹²; that dislikes¹³ the ⟨cranes of Maru⟩ ¹ Tel. ed., 'hard beaks'; Srirangam text, 'hard nails and beaks.' ² Tel. ed., 'attention.' ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add 'from the lotus mouths.' According to the con- ventions of Sanskrit literature, the medlar (Mimusops Elengi, Willd.) blooms only when sprinkled with mouthfuls of wine from the lips of beautiful girls. In like manner, the ushoka (Jonesia asoca) blossoms only when touched by a fair girl's foot. ⁴ Tel. ed. omits 'slow.' ⁵ Tel. ed., 'ardour.' ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'hundreds.' ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'delighting in.' ⁸ Srirangam text, 'beat of festal songs.' ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'sung daily by buffoons full of obscenity.' The allusion is, of course, to the Holi-festival, held in early spring (see Crooke, Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, 2. 313–322, Westminster, 1896). ¹⁰ Srirangam text, 'as a city man.' ¹¹ Tel. ed., 'that has no ⟨winter⟩ attached as the poetry of good poets has no ⟨tu, hi, and na⟩ attached'; Srirangam text, 'that has ⟨no fall of winter attached⟩ as the poetry of good poets has ⟨no particles tu and hi attached⟩.' ¹² Tel. ed., 'that has ⟨multitudes of blue and azure lotuses⟩ as a fisherman ⟨catches nets of rājīva- and utpala-fish⟩.' ¹³ Tel. ed., 'displeases.'