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

64 VĀSAVADATTĀ is <horrible> and a «foe of them that praise him» ; though a <fire>, he is a «wind», for he is a <devourer of his own place of refuge> and a «dog in his mother» ¹; [71] though very <pungent>, he is of «fine flavour», for he is very <cruel> and «utterly insipid»; he does not abandon his <bitterness>, though «flattered by clasped hands and prostration at his feet»,² even as mustard-oil abandons not its <sharpness>, though «caressed with both hands and held to the head»; he is <delightful on account of his freedom from faults> (at first), but afterwards is unpleasant and «cruel» even as the fruit of the palmyra-palm tastes <pleasant at first>, but is dis- agreeable and «sharp» at the last ; he, when <deserted>, wrinkles his brow even as the dust of the feet, when <shaken off>, discolours the head. ‘ He <confirms his folly> in proportion as he is «humoured» even as the fruit of the poison-tree <strengthens madness> in pro- portion as it is «honoured»; [72] he has no lack of <enemies> with his «bad conduct» even as there is no dearth of <water> in «low ground»³; he brings distress to the <good> with his «great jealousy» even as a summer day brings distress to the <flowers> with its «swarms of gnats»; he is cunning in binding <sins> together and eager to «destroy the works of all men» even as the darkness is cunning in binding <night> together and eager for «sunset». [73] ‘ Though <Śiva>, he is «Viṣṇu», for he is a <prince> of «unseemly conduct»⁴; he is <deaf> and «praises not his subjects» even as Indra’s horse <cried aloud> and «exulted in his birth from the ocean» ; he agitates the heart of a good man, even though he is <disturbed> and shows «affection», like as the churning-stick agitates the heart of the cream, even though it is <separated> and ¹ A false etymological pun on Mātariśvan, an obscure Vedic deity (on whom see Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, pp. 71-72, Strassburg, 1897; Hillebrandt, Vedische Mythologie, 2. 149-153, Breslau, 1899; and the authorities there cited). The name probably means ‘having water as his mother’ (Fay, JAOS. 16. clxxii-clxxiii), or, less plausibly, ‘materiae puer’ (Fay, KZ. 45. 134-135). ² Literally, ‘sustained by the head (of his suppliant).’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘he has no lack of <enemies> even as a dearth of <water> is not produced by a river in low ground.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘he has <unseemly conduct> even as Rudra has <abnormal eyes>; he is <deceitful> even as Viṣṇu <holds a disc>.’