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

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 47 [9] Through great Sarasvatī this book was writ By Sujana's one brother, whom mankind Doth call Subandhu, skilled full dextrously To interweave in every word a pun.¹ [10] There was a king named Cintāmaṇi, whose like had never existed,² whose nail-jewelled feet were unscarred, though rubbed by the edge of a touchstone which was the series of the beautiful crest-gems of the circle of all the princes of the earth. [11] He caused astonishment by ‹gifts of gold, food, raiment, and estates› as Nṛsiṁha caused astonishment by ‹rending the body of Hiraṇyakaśipu› ³; he gave joy to the ‹divinities by his goods› as Kṛṣṇa gave joy to ‹Vasudēva› ; [12] he ‹conquered with ease› the circle of the earth as Nārāyaṇa ‹upheld› the circle of the world by his ‹boar's form›; he produced ‹glorious and blissful› prosperity as Kaṁsa's foe produced prosperity for ‹Yaśōdā and Nanda›; he made ‹poetry honoured› as Ānaka- dundubhi made ‹Kāvyā afraid› ⁴; [13] he had his lotus ⁵ feet embellished by the rays ⁶ of the crest-jewels of ‹many serpents› as Sāgaraśāyi had his lotus ⁵ feet embellished by the rays ⁶ of the crest-jewel of the ‹cosmic serpent›; he protected ‹unceasingly› as Varuṇa protected the ‹western regions›; he adorned ‹petitions with gifts› as Agastya adorned the ‹southern districts›; he was the lord of a hundred ‹armies› and «habitually levied just taxes» as the ocean is the lord of a hundred ‹rivers› and is the «habitat of fish»; [14] he was followed by a ‹great army› and repulsed «obstacles» as Hara is followed by ‹Mahāsēna› and repulses «Māra»; he was the home of the ‹wise› and the dwelling-place of the «acts of all men» as Mēru is the home of the ‹gods› and the dwelling-place of «Viśvakarman»; he ‹rejoiced in generosity at festal times› and removed sorrow by his «beauty» as the sun ‹loves not the night› and removes the sorrow of «Chāyā»; he ¹ Omitted by Tel. ed. and Srirangam text. Cf. Introduction, p. 13. ² Tel. ed., 'of no mean nature.' For a somewhat similar description of a king see Kādambarī, pp. 7–14, Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 3–5, London, 1896). ³ Cf. Viṣṇupurāṇa, 1. 17–20. ⁴ Cf. Harivaṁśa, 59. ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'lotus.' ⁶ Tel. ed., 'series.'