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

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 107

their slavery! [Thou false lover! Thou effacer of thoughts! Thou inglorious one! Alas, sir! By love is she¹ to be won, great and noble,² with large eyes, with sidelong glances; then her attendants will show their slavery!]'; 'By thee, who art like to a lotus, the fabulous riches of thy foes and the faces of their women are blackened! [By thee the faces of women like unto Lakṣmī are blackened, not the lotus faces of thy foes!]'; [211] 'Having inspired confidence of all, attended by Lakṣmī, depart- ing from the rules (of decorum), having obtained one to be obtained,³ wavering an instant,⁴ slow for modesty, with love vio- lently born through pain among the flowers of Him whose shafts are flowers,⁵ she fainteth limblessly, Limbless God⁶ (saying): "Bliss thou bringest me, thou that art devoted to songs of many measures"! [Having inspired confidence of all, attended by Lakṣmī, (but) with her youth departed, obtained in a way she should not be obtained,³ wavering an instant,⁴ slow for modesty, with love violently born through pain among the flowers of Him whose shafts are flowers,⁵ she fainteth limblessly, Limbless God⁶ (saying): "Woe thou bringest me, thou that art devoted to songs of many measures"!]; [212-213] 'What woman was (ever) aban- doned by thee that bearest love's burden, with thy beautiful lips, with thy sectarial mark characterised by a streak of dust,⁷ with thy moon-like face, (when once she had) clung to thy heart⁸ with her soft-formed hand, with her breast, holding the water of drops of sweat, moving on thy broad bosom, being overcome by thy unblemished lustre? [What woman was (ever) released by thee, ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'this unparalleled maid.' ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'accompanied by Lakṣmī.' ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'having obtained to-day a covenant of all the world for some time, she, attended by Lakṣmī [having inspired an agreement of all, a woman who should not be obtained hath been obtained for some time].' ⁴ Tel. ed., 'just for an instant.' ⁵ Kāma. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'limblessly, Limbless God.' The 'Limbless God' is Kāma. ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'characterised by Kāma [characterised by lovelessness].' ⁸ Srirangam text, 'what woman with beautiful lips that bear love's burden, with a sectarial mark characterised by Kāma, (and) with a lotus face hath clung to thy heart [what woman with hideous lips that bear love's burden, characterised by lovelessness, devoid of auspicious signs, and with a moon-like face (!) hath clung to thy heart].'