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

are rocked ⟨by Kāma⟩ as a bee is rocked ⟨among the flowers⟩; who are skilled in drawing ⟨paramours⟩ as a leech is skilled in drawing ⟨blood⟩; who are bent on ⟨coition⟩ as a sacrificial priest ¹ is bent on ⟨divinity⟩; who have ⟨gay paramours⟩ as the arm of the Great Dancer ² has the ⟨quivering serpent⟩; who ⟨inflame the hearts of their gallants⟩ as Garuḍa ⟨causes anguish to the hearts of serpents⟩; [116] who are ⟨superior to (other) courtesans⟩ as the demon ³ Andha was ⟨impaled on the trident⟩. ‘There, too, dwells the revered Kātyāyanī herself, called Vētālā,⁴ whose lotus feet are caressed by the garlands on the crests of gods and demons; [117] who is the forest fire of the great woods ⁵ of Śumbha and Niśumbha ⁶; who is the adamantine cliff of the mountain of the great demon ⁷ Mahiṣa; whose lotus feet are bathed by the river ⁸ of Jahnu’s daughter falling from the matted locks ⁹ of Him ¹⁰ who holds the Ganges subdued by love.¹¹ ‘And in its environs flows the blessed Ganges, with a stream of fragrance from the lines of pollen of the flowers of the diadems of gods and demons ¹²; [118] with a current of the tide of virtue ¹³ from the ascetic’s water-jar of the Great Father ¹⁴; a pure rope ¹⁵ for Sagara’s hundreds ¹⁶ of sons, come ¹⁷ to earth, to ascend to the city of the gods ¹⁸; with its waters perfumed by the dripping of the yellow sandal-wood trees¹⁹ on the bank, (trees) shaken by being

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¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘as one who continually performs sacrifices.’ ² Śiva. Tel. ed., ‘who are ⟨tight in the embrace of their lovers⟩ as the forest of the arms of the Great Dancer has ⟨the marks of the serpent he holds⟩.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘demon.’ For the allusion cf. Harivaṁśa, 143-144. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘Caṇḍā.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘of the might of the great demons’; cf. Mārkaṇ- ḍēyapurāṇa, 72-73. ⁶ Cf. Mārkaṇḍēyapurāṇa, 85-90. ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘of the excellent mountain of the demon.’ ⁸ Ganges. ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘from the pinnacle of the matted locks.’ ¹⁰ Śiva. ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘subdued by the strife of love.’ ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘pollen of diadem-flowers fallen in the bathing of gods and demons.’ ¹³ Srirangam text, ‘proceeding from.’ ¹⁴ Brahmā. ¹⁵ Srirangam text, ‘a pure rope-ladder.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed. omits ‘hundreds.’ ¹⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘fallen.’ ¹⁸ Cf. Mahābhārata, 3. 106-109. ¹⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘perfumed by the sap dripping from.’