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

132 VĀSAVADATTĀ the mass of the water of the ocean,¹ shaken by the right mobile wind; like ² a strip of slough cast by the serpent of the ocean ³; the mirror, as it were, of earth; the crystal pavement, so to say, of Varuṇa.⁴ Then, having bathed and the like,⁵ he began to descend to the water ⁶ to abandon his body. Thereupon, while the sharks were kindly, the fish free from envy, the bees ⁷ not mean, [280] the tortoises affectionate,⁸ the crocodiles not cruel, the dolphins not terrible, (and) the Gangetic porpoises not murderous, there came a heavenly voice ⁹: 'Noble Kandarpakētu, again, at no long time, shall there be union of thee with thy beloved. Cease, therefore, from thy resolve to die'! Hearing this, he desisted from death,¹⁰ and eager to get food to sustain his body because of his desire of reunion with his beloved, he went along the shore of the mighty ocean.¹¹ Then Kandarpakētu ¹² passed considerable time wandering here and there, living on fruit and the like in the forest. Finally, after the lapse of several months,¹³ came the rainy sea- son, with ⟨conjoined deep rivers⟩ as he who sings to the kākalī has a ⟨continuous low note⟩; [281] with dancing ⟨peacocks⟩ as the eventide has ⟨Śiva⟩ dancing; producing ⟨much pen-reed grass⟩ as ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘in the breakup of the water.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘like.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘a serpent going in the water of the ocean.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘with ⟨rubies⟩ as a lotus-grove has a ⟨red colour⟩; with ⟨branches of coral⟩ as a forest district has ⟨birds and branches of trees⟩; with ⟨mussels⟩ as a coward has ⟨fear⟩; attended by many ⟨pearls⟩ as Viṣṇu is attended by many ⟨emancipated ascetics⟩.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘having performed all the duties of bathing and the like.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘water of the ocean.’ ⁷ Tel. ed., ‘shoals of fish’; the Srirangam text omits the phrase. ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘devoid of longing.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘there came a voice from heaven.’ For other instances of intended suicide thus divinely prevented see Kādambarī, pp. 332–333, 569–570, Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 133, 195, London, 1896). ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘he desisted indeed from undertaking death.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed. omits this clause; Srirangam text, ‘then he went to the forest along the shore, eager to get food to sustain his body because of his hope of reunion with his beloved.’ ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘he.’ ¹³ Tel. ed., ‘but finally, after the lapse of several days.’