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

72 VĀSAVADATTĀ the sight of the uddaṇḍapālas who moved within the circles of its rippling ¹ waves ; [100] whose shores ² were dug up by hundreds ³ of barbarians whose greed for getting treasure had been aroused by the sight of the mating of pairs of wagtails. [101] As if angry, it displayed a ‹distortion of its face›, for it displayed an ‹outlet and waves› ; drunk, so to say, it had a ‹tottering gait›, for it had a ‹winding current› ; it was the beauty of the dawn, as it were, that gives ‹time› increase, for it gave its ‹shores› increase ; it was like unto the place of combat of the Bhāratas with ‹quivering corpses›, for it had ‹dancing waters› ; it was, one might fancy, the rainy season with ‹peacocks appearing but serpents hidden›, for its ‹pools were hid by expanded lotuses› ; [102] it seemed to be one who courts a ‹king› out of desire for gain,⁴ for it courted the ‹mountain›. And also— Even to-day it seems to call on him ⁵ Who from a jar was born, while on its heights Loud scream the elephants, with temples rent By tawny lions' fearsome claws and keen. Then said Makaranda : [103] ‘Behold this lion with his sinewy frame, Now rising high behind and now before ⁶ ; His curving tail along his archèd back, His cavernous mouth, and white-tipped fangs agleam ; Yea, and his ears erect,⁷ the while he springs Upon the lordly king of elephants.⁸ ‘And furthermore— ‘His ears erect,⁹ in sudden onslaught skilled, His mane astart, and jaws all hideous,¹⁰ ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit. ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘uneven shores.’ ³ Tel. ed. omits ‘hundreds.’ ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘it seemed an amorous woman ‹courting a king›.’ ⁵ Agastya ; cf. Rāmāyaṇa, 7. 57. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text interchange the order of the epithets. ⁷ Tel. ed., ‘neck erect.’ ⁸ The literal translation of this stanza is given above, Introduction, p. 26. ⁹ Srirangam text, ‘neck erect.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘cavernous.’