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

60 VĀSAVADATTĀ increases the pride of passion¹; heavy with the fall of the hearts of all mankind; the fruits of the mighty tree of existence; the product of the great tree of youth; two Brahminy ducks, charm- ing with necklaces of pearl for lotus-filaments²; [58] fruits of the tree of Prayāga, which seemed to stand at the juncture of the line of down with her necklace of pearl³; the solitary dwelling⁴ of the God of Love when overcome by weariness from the con- quest of the triple world. (She was) beauteous with a bud-like lower lip which had the glow of eventide in close proximity⁵ to her moon-like face; which had what seemed to be a minium seal as a guard for the jewels of her teeth; [59] which was coloured, as it were, by the flushing redness of her heart⁶; which was, so to say, a fresh bud⁷ of the coral-tree from Passion’s sea. (She was) adorned by a pair of eyes which were longer than a very tender screw-pine blossom; with languidly tremulous glances; giving rise to a suspicion that they were the windows of wanton Love abiding in the inner chamber of her heart; causing beatitude by their very passion; [60] with redness in their corners as if for anger at her ears, which hindered their further extension⁸; seeming to whiten all the world; making the sky seem filled with a forest of expanded lotuses; pouring forth, so to say, thousands of oceans of milk; seeming to surpass the loveliness of a garland of downy Nepal jasmine and blue lotus.⁹ (She was) beautified by a nose which was the column¹⁰ of the ¹ Tel. ed., ‘dust of the proud nature of passion’; Srirangam text, ‘dust that increases the pride of passion.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘hidden through their greed of lotus-filaments (which were) pearl necklaces.’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘the shores of Prayāga in the guise of the junction of the Ganges and the Jumna, (which were) her pearl necklace and line of down’; similarly the Sri- rangam text. ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘the solitary rest-house’; Srirangam text, ‘the victory rest-house.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘continual close proximity.’ ⁶ Tel. ed., ‘inward redness.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘a bit.’ ⁸ The eyes of an Indian beauty are conventionally supposed to extend to her ears. ⁹ Tel. ed., ‘surpassing a garland of blue lotuses clinging to downy Nepal jasmine- flowers.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed., ‘trunk.’