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

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 97

in huts within the hollows of lotus-buds, narrow because the tips of their filaments were bent up and down ¹ in their contraction ² ; —then, with the thought : ‘ By this path the lordly shining (sun) must go ’! the lordly twilight was seen, as if with raiment of all manner of cloth ³; as if a continuous tessellated pavement of jewels made by Ocean ⁴; [173] as if containing the blood of the buffalo of day, cloven by blackness ⁵; as if a coral-creeper of the great ocean of the sky ⁶; as if the red lotus of the pool of the heavens ; as if the golden bridge ⁷ of the progress ⁸ of Kāma ; as if the madder-hued, ruddy banner of the palace of the sky; with a yellow ⟨sky⟩ as at her self-choice Lakṣmī chose Him ⁹ of the yellow ⟨robes⟩; devoted to the ⟨stars⟩ and with a red ≪atmosphere≫ as a female (Buddhist) ascetic is devoted to ⟨Tārā⟩ and wears red ≪garments≫.¹⁰ And straightway ¹¹—while the courtesans seemed to be pupils ¹² of the twilight skilled in ⟨arrangements of pleasure-giving (musical) modes⟩, for they were skilled in ⟨amorous tricks of night⟩¹³; [174] while the sky seemed to be a street of shops devoid of ⟨them that hold the balance⟩, for it was devoid of ⟨the sustainers ¹⁴ of Libra⟩; while the lotuses had the folds of their buds tightly ¹⁵ closed ; while bees ¹⁶ wandered here and there over ¹ Tel. ed., ‘ bent high up.’ ² Srirangam text, ‘ instantaneous contraction.’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘ with raiment of cloth on every side ’ ; similarly the Srirangam text. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ made by Ocean for the sun.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ cloven by the sword of blackness.’ Is there here a covert allusion to the victory of Kālī (Durgā) over the demon Mahiṣa ? ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ creeper of the western ocean.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ golden banner.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ chariot.’ ⁹ Viṣṇu. ¹⁰ Tel. ed. adds ‘ ⟨reddened with buds⟩ as a courtesan is ⟨addicted to paramours⟩ ; with ⟨liver-red clouds⟩ as a beautiful woman has ⟨her breasts copper-coloured with saffron⟩ ; with reddish ⟨stars⟩ as an ichneumon has reddish ⟨eyes⟩ ’ ; so also the Srirangam text, except ‘ fair-faced dame ’ for ‘ courtesan.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ then straightway.’ ¹² Srirangam text omits ‘ pupils.’ ¹³ Tel. ed., ‘ when the courtesans were skilled, as it were, in nightly amours ; when the flashing lamplights seemed to be pupils of the twilight ’ ; with no attempt at paronomasia. ¹⁴ The moon, etc., according to Śivarāma. ¹⁵ Tel. ed. omits ‘ tightly.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ swarms of bees.’ H