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

96 VĀSAVADATTĀ antelopes slowly ruminating; when the thick woods ¹ had nests filled with multitudes of sleepy crows ²; [170] when the trees of the hermitages ³ had ⁴ families of monkeys without their monkey tricks ⁵; when the flocks of owls that dwelt in huts within the hollows of aged trees were eager to set out; when the lamplight flashed forth ⁶ as if the tips ⁷ of the rays of the sun had burst into a flame, going forth to affright the darkness; when He ⁸ whose banner is a fish, who steals the mind of all the world,⁹ and who hath a resonant bow, was unceasingly ¹⁰ raining a shower of arrows; [171] when the courtesans, lovely in their attire of passion's task ¹¹ and devoted to bawdy talk, were arranging their adornment; when women had their hips resonant with girdle- zones ¹² bound on by their attendants; [172] when the courtyards had people hurrying to go to the houses of many folk ¹³ who were continuing their narration of interrupted tales ¹⁴; when the pleasure gardens ¹⁵ were inhabited by the cocks; when the peacocks had ascended their perches; when the householders had performed the duties of eventide; when the swarms of bees were reposing ¹⁶ ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘clumps of village trees.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ravens awakening from sleep.’ ³ Srirangam text, ‘trees in the gardens.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘were filled with.’ [noisy cries.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. adds ‘when the trees in the gardens had flocks of cranes devoid of their ⁶ Tel. ed. omits ‘forth.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘branches.’ ⁸ Kāma. ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘all things living.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘unceasingly.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed., ‘charming and lovely in passion’s attire.’ ¹² Tel. ed., ‘girdle-adornments.’ ¹³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘houses of tellers of tales.’ ¹⁴ On the popularity of telling stories at night in India see Steel and Temple, Wide- Awake Stories, pp. vii, 2–3, Bombay, 1884; Swynnerton, Rājā Rasālu, p. 152, Calcutta, 1884; Day, Folk-Tales of Bengal, p. 176, London, 1883. According to some Oriental traditions (Rohde, Griechischer Roman, 2 ed., p. 593, Leipzig, 1900), telling stories at night was imported from Greece to India by Alexander the Great. But the custom prevails widely, being found, for instance, among the natives of Guiana (Im Thurn, Among the Indians of Guiana, p. 216, London, 1883), the North American Indians (Waitz, Anthropologie der Naturvölker, 3. 234–235, Leipzig, 1862), the Micronesians (ib. 5. 2. 81, Leipzig, 1870), the Africans (Nassau, Fetichism in West Africa, p. 330, London, 1904; Struyf, ‘Aus dem Märchenschatz der Bakongo (Niederkongo),’ in Anthropos, 3. 742), and in Europe generally (MacCulloch, Childhood of Fiction, p. 2, London, 1905). It should also be noted that the entire story of the parrot in the Kādambarī (pp. 101, 614–615, Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 46, 203, London, 1896)) is told at night. ¹⁵ Tel. ed. adds ‘of the Kirātas’; Srirangam text, ‘of Kirāta houses.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘in crooked beds.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 97

in huts within the hollows of lotus-buds, narrow because the tips of their filaments were bent up and down ¹ in their contraction ² ; —then, with the thought : ‘ By this path the lordly shining (sun) must go ’! the lordly twilight was seen, as if with raiment of all manner of cloth ³; as if a continuous tessellated pavement of jewels made by Ocean ⁴; [173] as if containing the blood of the buffalo of day, cloven by blackness ⁵; as if a coral-creeper of the great ocean of the sky ⁶; as if the red lotus of the pool of the heavens ; as if the golden bridge ⁷ of the progress ⁸ of Kāma ; as if the madder-hued, ruddy banner of the palace of the sky; with a yellow ⟨sky⟩ as at her self-choice Lakṣmī chose Him ⁹ of the yellow ⟨robes⟩; devoted to the ⟨stars⟩ and with a red ≪atmosphere≫ as a female (Buddhist) ascetic is devoted to ⟨Tārā⟩ and wears red ≪garments≫.¹⁰ And straightway ¹¹—while the courtesans seemed to be pupils ¹² of the twilight skilled in ⟨arrangements of pleasure-giving (musical) modes⟩, for they were skilled in ⟨amorous tricks of night⟩¹³; [174] while the sky seemed to be a street of shops devoid of ⟨them that hold the balance⟩, for it was devoid of ⟨the sustainers ¹⁴ of Libra⟩; while the lotuses had the folds of their buds tightly ¹⁵ closed ; while bees ¹⁶ wandered here and there over ¹ Tel. ed., ‘ bent high up.’ ² Srirangam text, ‘ instantaneous contraction.’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘ with raiment of cloth on every side ’ ; similarly the Srirangam text. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ made by Ocean for the sun.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ cloven by the sword of blackness.’ Is there here a covert allusion to the victory of Kālī (Durgā) over the demon Mahiṣa ? ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ creeper of the western ocean.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ golden banner.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ chariot.’ ⁹ Viṣṇu. ¹⁰ Tel. ed. adds ‘ ⟨reddened with buds⟩ as a courtesan is ⟨addicted to paramours⟩ ; with ⟨liver-red clouds⟩ as a beautiful woman has ⟨her breasts copper-coloured with saffron⟩ ; with reddish ⟨stars⟩ as an ichneumon has reddish ⟨eyes⟩ ’ ; so also the Srirangam text, except ‘ fair-faced dame ’ for ‘ courtesan.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ then straightway.’ ¹² Srirangam text omits ‘ pupils.’ ¹³ Tel. ed., ‘ when the courtesans were skilled, as it were, in nightly amours ; when the flashing lamplights seemed to be pupils of the twilight ’ ; with no attempt at paronomasia. ¹⁴ The moon, etc., according to Śivarāma. ¹⁵ Tel. ed. omits ‘ tightly.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ swarms of bees.’ H

98 VĀSAVADATTĀ the lotus-pool as representatives of the darkness¹; [175] while the lotuses, love-lorn through separation from the sun, seemed to wail under the semblance of the cries² of distressed female ospreys³; while the early evening seemed an astrologer ⟨pointing out the houses⟩, for it ⟨revealed the constellations⟩—there spread darkness like the blackness of the column⁴ of Śiva's throat; [176] with most goodly ⟨stars⟩ as the army of the demons had the most goodly ⟨Tāraka⟩⁵; increasing the outcry of the ⟨owls⟩ as the combat of the Bhāratas increased the outcry of ⟨Ulūka⟩⁶; dulling the glory of the ⟨crows⟩ as the prowess of Dhṛṣṭadyumna dulled the glory of ⟨Droṇa⟩; with ⟨owls⟩ moving about as Indra's pleasure garden had ⟨Indra⟩ moving about; ⟨hiding all the quarters of the sky⟩ as fire⁷ ⟨consumes all its fuel⟩; [177] resting its belly, as it were, on the mountain slopes with their very close fragments of stone⁸; with its eye, so to say, on peaks that were red with lustre⁹ from the light of the eyes of sleeping lions¹⁰; seeming to have life through the fire-flies; apparently increased by the columns of smoke from oblations; made dense, as it were, by masses of aloes-wood smoke¹¹ in adorning the heavy tresses of amorous girls; [178] seeming to be illumined by spray from the stream of ichor from¹² elephants' temples blackened by swarms of bees clustering right closely together¹³; heaped, if one might say so, in the shadows of clumps¹⁴ of dense tamāla-trees; apparently ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘repelled by the darkness.’ ² Srirangam text, ‘notes.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘while the lotuses, standing in water coloured by the reflected hue of twilight, seemed filled with fire through the pain of their hearts at the destruction of their spouses.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘column.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘revealing the ⟨stars⟩ as the army of the demons revealed ⟨Tāraka⟩.’ ⁶ Srirangam text, ‘of Ulūka and Śakuni’; cf. Mahābhārata, 5. 161. ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the flame of fire.’ ⁸ Tel. ed., ‘rough with their very close stones.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘splendour of the lustre.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘lions awakened from sleep.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed. omits ‘aloes-wood’ and ‘heavy’; Srirangam text omits ‘aloes-wood.’ ¹² Srirangam text, ‘dripping ichor fallen from.’ ¹³ Tel. ed., ‘seeming to be illumined by very thick swarms of black bees; blackened, as it were, by the spray of dripping ichor fallen from elephants’ temples.’ ¹⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘forest clusters.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 99 lurking in the hoods of serpents, swart as lampblack ; the mantle, as it were, of a woman who keeps an assignation by night ; the remedy, if it might so be termed, for the gray hair of an aged courtesan ¹ ; the offspring of life, one might say ; the friend, as it were, of the iron age ; [179] the comrade, in all seeming, of a rogue’s heart ² ; ⟨concealing⟩ manifest objects as Buddhist doctrines ⟨deny⟩ manifest objects. It was darkness which seemed to delight in the enchanting round lobes of absolutely must elephants ³ ; which apparently yielded fruit in forests of clusters of wide-spreading tamāla-trees with exceedingly close and numerous leaves ⁴ ; which trembled, as it were, in the masses of very ⁵ heavy tresses of dearest sweethearts ; which apparently was mingled with rays of sapphire gems ⁶ ; [180] which was like the exceeding dense blackness in pits, on river-banks, and in forests ⁷ ; which was proud, it would seem, of swarms of bees, manifestly cunning, huge, and evidently strong, drunkenly dancing on the boughs of the conessi-bark trees ⁸ ; gleaming with the hoods of serpents, destructive ⁹ with very thick venom ; broken ¹⁰ with menacing flashes from the teeth of tuskers, mad with their burden of ichor.¹¹ [181] And at the time of the rising of the moon with its black- ness of night, bowing low, as it were, with folded hands under the ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘courtesans.’ ² Tel. ed., ‘rogues’ hearts.’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘in the lobes of must elephants’ ; Srirangam text, ‘in the enchanting lobes of herds of must elephants.’ ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘in swarms of bees, manifestly cunning, huge, and evidently strong, hidden in the calyxes of great expanded flowers on the boughs of many trees in the forests of clusters of wide-spreading tamāla-trees with exceedingly close and numerous leaves.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. omits ‘very’ and ‘dearest’ ; Srirangam text omits ‘very.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘gems.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘forests.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. omits this description ; Srirangam text, ‘swarms of bees, manifestly cunning, huge, and strong, with their feet hidden in the calyxes of great expanded flowers on the boughs of many trees.’ ⁹ Srirangam text, ‘destructive to elephants.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed., ‘utterly broken.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed., ‘burden of ichor ; with the ⟨zone of earth⟩ folded up as the commence- ment of sunrise has ⟨blue lotuses⟩ folded up ; concealing ⟨every fissure⟩ as the high estate of the wicked conceals ⟨all character⟩ ; bowing, as it were, with folded hands under the guise of closing blue lotuses to the night which had come’ ; similarly the Srirangam text. H 2

100 VĀSAVADATTĀ guise of closing blue lotuses, immediately ¹ the stars shone forth, scattered like drops of the stream of water of Jahnu’s daughter wandering in the winding hollows of ² the mass of matted locks of Śiva, shaken by the fury of his twilight dance ; showers ³ of drops, one might say, shed from the trunks ⁴ of the herd of terrible must ⁵ world-elephants bowed with the burden of bear- ing ⁶ the earth, hard to sustain ⁷ ; [182] masses of foam, as it were, poured out by the steeds ⁸ of day, weary of wandering in the far distant sky ; giving rise to the suspicion that they might be a grove of white lotuses ⁹ in the great ocean of the heavens ; like ciphers ¹⁰ because of the nullity of metempsychosis, scattered ¹¹ in the sky as if on the ink-black skin rug of the Creator who reckoneth the sum total with a bit of the moon for chalk ; parched grain, it would seem, sown by the hand of Rati, (the wife) of Him whose banner is a dolphin,¹² and who setteth forth to conquer ¹³ the threefold world ; [183] like globules ¹⁴ on the pearly arrows of Him of the flowery bow ¹² ; masses ¹⁵ of foam, as it were, in the ocean of the sky ; handfuls of cosmetic, so to say, prepared by Rati in the courts ¹⁶ of heaven ; multitudes ¹⁷ of pearls, one might fancy, in the neck- lace of the Lakṣmī of the heavens ; fragments of the bones of Kāma, in all seeming, scattered by the wind’s impulse ¹⁸ from the circle of the pyre of the moon ¹⁹ ; [184] like the semblance of ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘then immediately.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘wandering in her devious roamings in.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘wide-spread showers.’ ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘cheeks.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘must.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘bowed with bearing.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘hard to bear.’ [the mouths of the steeds.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘broad masses of foam on the edges of the cavities of ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘mass of white lotuses.’ ¹⁰ Literally ‘points’ (cf. the form of the null sign in the Bakhṣālī Manuscript). On the importance of this passage for the history of the Arabic (properly, Hindu) numerals see Bühler, Indische Paläographie, p. 78, Strassburg, 1896 ; cf. also Smith and Karpinski, Hindu-Arabic Numerals, pp. 51–54, New York, 1911. ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘painted.’ ¹² Kāma. ¹³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘in desire of conquest over.’ ¹⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘scattered globules.’ ¹⁵ Tel. ed., ‘wide-spread masses.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed., ‘in the delimitation of.’ ¹⁷ Tel. ed., ‘torn-off multitudes of pearls’ ; Srirangam text, ‘old multitudes of pearls.’ ¹⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘entrance.’ ¹⁹ Tel. ed., ‘from the circle of the pyre of Kāma, burnt by the Destroyer’s (Śiva’s) fire’ ; similarly the Srirangam text.

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 101 parched grain ¹ roasted in the pan ² of the vast surface ³ of the sky, that was excessively heated by the evening breeze and smoky with the smoke ⁴ of rising dusk. With them the sky shone as if turned to a leper.⁵ Exceed- ingly distressed ⁶ was the pair of cakravākas, filled with a series of ⟨deep ⁷ sighs⟩ and skilled in the joining of «bills in delightful contact» as the diction of a good poet ⁸ is filled with a series of ⟨long ⁹ chapters⟩ and skilled in the joining of «delightful paronomasias and vaktra metres».¹⁰ [185] Separated was the pair of Brahminy ducks, whose feet were variegated by swarms of bees delighted and intoxicated by the honey-drops that adhered from their course through the clusters ¹¹ of lotuses, and who were parted by the incarnate curse ¹² of darkness as if by the noose ¹³ of Death. [186] The pair of Brahminy ducks was parted like the heart of a lotus, distressed by separation from the sun. A swarm of bees was seen moving beside a lotus as if they were the mes- sengers of the husband moon about to come. Under the guise of stars ¹⁴ the quarters of the sky made lamentation with great drops of tears,¹⁵ as if in grief for the departed Lord of Day.¹⁶ Under the guise of its series of new filaments the lotus burned within the heart of its bud like a fire of chaff ¹⁷ at separation from its shining love. ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘parched grain bursted.’ ² Tel. ed., ‘kitchen.’ ³ Srirangam text omits ‘vast surface.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. omits ‘with the smoke.’ ⁵ According to a reading recorded by Śivarāma, ‘with them the sky shone as if spotted.’ ⁶ Srirangam text, ‘then exceedingly distressed.’ ⁷ Tel. ed., ‘very deep.’ ⁸ Tel. ed., ‘good poetry.’ ⁹ Tel. ed., ‘very long.’ ¹⁰ See Weber, Ueber die Metrik der Inder, p. 199, Berlin, 1863; Tel. ed., ‘parono- masias, vaktra metres, and cakras’ (the latter being a carmen figuratum in the form of a disc; cf. Kāvyaprakāśa, tr. Jhā, p. 197, Benares, 1898; Vidagdhamukhamandana, 3. 12–15, ed. Haeberlin in his Kāvyasangraha, pp. 290–291, Calcutta, 1847). ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘clusters.’ ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘being parted as if by the curse.’ ¹³ Yama, the god of death, is believed to draw the souls of the dying from their bodies by means of a noose or cord. ¹⁴ Tel. ed., ‘under the guise of drops of water from the eyes of the stars’; similarly the Srirangam text. ¹⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘with great drops of tears.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the departed beloved of the Lord of Day.’ ¹⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the chaff fire of the flame of grief burned in the heart of the lotus.’

102 VĀSAVADATTĀ [187] Forthwith¹ black darkness spread like a mass of colly- rium from the forest of the sky, reduced to ashes by the rays² of the sun ; blotting out <the heavens and the sky> as the words of revelation blot out <the doctrines of the Digambara Jains>³ ; a molten rājapaṭṭa gem,⁴ as it were ; and as the surge of the ocean.⁵ And⁶ straightway the Lord of Night ascended with the ruddy disc of his arising ; the ball⁷ of the princess Night ; the ⁸ golden mirror of Kāma ; like to a cluster of young red coral-flowers on the eastern mount ; round as drops of saffron on the foreheads of eastern damsels⁹ ; [188] like a golden earring of the beautiful sky ; a mass of henna, as it were, dropped from the hands of tiring- maids of celestial brides ; a golden jar, it would seem, in the stucco of the heavens ; a golden¹⁰ dish in motion, it might be termed, for the progress of the God of the Dolphin Banner, set- ting forth for the conquest¹¹ of the threefold world ; stealing the beauty of the top of Kāma’s golden quiver ; possessed of the colour of the China roses that grow on the topmost peak of the eastern mount ; a dish, as it were, filled with a ball of pellucid saffron belonging to a wanton of the night ; [189] even as a single¹² jar-like breast, tawny with saffron, of a fair dame of the east¹³ ; <occupied by a gazelle> as the milk ocean¹⁴ is <ruled by Viṣṇu> ; ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘then.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘by the forest conflagration of the rays.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘though <Kṛṣṇa>, it concealed the distinctive characteristics of «Viṣṇu», for it was <black> and concealed the distinctive characteristics of «all forms».’ ⁴ An inferior sort of diamond. ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘as running streams of cloth of molten silver.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘then.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘like a patchwork garment.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘like the.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘round as sectarial marks of bandhūka-flowers fastened to the forehead as adornments of eastern damsels.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘auspicious.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed., ‘seeking to conquer.’ Tel. ed. omits the two adjectives following ; the Srirangam text omits the second only, having for the first ‘like the mouth of Kāma’s golden quiver.’ ¹² Tel. ed. omits ‘single.’ ¹³ Srirangam text adds ‘a cage, so to say, for the pleasure birds of the female Vidyādharas that wander in the sky ; the lute-gourd, wrapped in red cloth, one might fancy, of a pair of kinnaras resting on the summit of the eastern mount.’ ¹⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘Garuḍa.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 103 ‹with distinctive marks› as Rāma was ‹attended by Lakṣmaṇa›¹ ; the lord of the ‹stars› as Sugrīva was the lord of ‹Tārā›² ; with a ‹red disc› as a good monarch has a ‹devoted circle (of atten- dants)›.³ Then⁴ the glow brought close to night went to destruction as if entered into the heart of a loving woman ; as if drunk by the cups of the eyes⁵ of female chickores⁶ ; [190] as if licked up by masses of red lotuses. Straightway the Lord of Planets⁷ ascended like a cake of butter⁸ exhibited by the neatress Night ; a mirror, it would seem, bearing the beautiful face of Him whose banner is of flowers⁹ ; the white umbrella, as it were, of Him whose banner is a dolphin ; the round ivory hilt, it might be termed, of the great sword of night ; the white chowry, one would fancy, of the mighty King of Passion ; [191] like to the sandy shore¹⁰ of a Yamunā of the night ; the crystal linga, so to speak, of the Great Ascetic of the heavens ; the egg of a black serpent, in all seeming ; a shell, as it were, of the great celestial sea¹¹ ; a monument, one might call it, to Him whose banner is a dolphin and who was consumed by the Foe of Love¹² ; like to the circle of the pyre, marked with charcoal in dark spots, of Him who was born of fancy ; apparently a white lotus of the Ganges coursing in the heavens ; a mass of ¹ See Mahābhārata, 3. 276. ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘with ‹reddened stars› as the Lord of the Monkeys had ‹Tārā’s love›; dear to ‹Rōhiṇī (the fourth lunar mansion)› as a bull is dear to the ‹cow›.’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘with a ‹red disc› and accompanied by «soft rays» as a good monarch has a ‹devoted circle (of attendants)› and is accompanied by «light taxes»’ ; similarly the Srirangam text. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘then.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘pairs of eyes.’ According to the conventions of Sanskrit literature, the eyes of the chickore (Caccabis chukor, Gray) become red at the sight of poison. It is also supposed to live only on moonbeams (see below, p. 108). ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘female cakravākas.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the blessed Lord of Stars, with his radiance destroyed.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘fresh butter.’ ⁹ Tel. ed., ‘bearing the reflexion of a gazelle.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘new shore.’ ¹¹ Srirangam text adds ‘the crystalline water-pot, so to say, of the Ascetic of the sky.’ ¹² Tel. ed., ‘a monument, one might call it, marked with charcoal in dark spots, to Him who was born of fancy and was burnt by the fire from Śiva’s eye.’

104 VĀSAVADATTĀ foam, as it were, of the mighty ocean of the sky; a quicksilver ball, one might imagine, of the dark metallurgist¹; a silver jar, so to say, spangled with shoots of millet-grass²; [192] lovely as the wheel of Kāma’s chariot³; the dove, it might be termed, of the palace of the heavens; even as the beauteous crest-jewel of the eastern mount⁴; like unto Āirāvata’s frontal lobe when deprived of its minium⁵; resembling a fragment of the head of an old and broken-horned cow belonging to the field of heaven with its white wheat of stars; a silver vessel,⁶ as it were, yellowish with balls of sandalwood, fallen from the hands of a divine maiden. [193] And it was the white lotus of the bees of the eyes⁷; like to⁸ the sand bank bed of the geese⁹ of the mind; the crystalline fan of the fires of separation; the round white whetstone of Kāma’s arrows. [194–195] Meanwhile there were equivocal and jealous¹⁰ con- versations, full of innuendoes and broken with emotion,¹¹ (delivered by the lips) of female messengers sent to sweethearts by hosts of women anxious for a rendezvous. [196] As for example¹²: ‘Be- ware of evil women’s wiles, beloved! Thou dost not truly know thyself! [Beware, destroyer of bliss! Truly thou knowest not that thou art made a wretched woman!]’; [197–198] ‘Thou art a lover,¹³ (even though) not one among them that draw and kiss (women and) make (them) run! [Thou utter rascal! Thou art ¹ Tel. ed., ‘the celestial metallurgist.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘for the anointing of the Mind-Born God (Kāma).’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the white wheel, as it were, of Kāma’s chariot.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, interchanging this adjective with the one preceding, ‘even as the crest-jewel of the serpent-king of the eastern mount.’ ⁵ Tel. ed., ‘laved in the river of heaven’; similarly the Srirangam text. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘fan.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the eyes of the world.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘like to.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘flamingoes.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘jealous.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed., ‘displacements (of words).’ ¹² The passage following is certainly the most difficult in the entire Vāsavadattā, and only the most probable of the many interpretations suggested by Śivarāma and Krishna- machariar have been adopted. The renderings here given do not attempt, therefore, to exhaust all the possibilities. The reproachful translation is placed in brackets. ¹³ Ironical.

hard as a rock! Thou art magnetite, (even though) not one among loadstones, touchstones, (and) magnets !]’; [199] ‘Thou art like a rower, devoted to other than the functions of his duty, drawing his sword in vain ! [Thou that hast the reward of duty ¹ ! Thou art devoted to another (woman) and gifted with excessive speech to no purpose !]’; ‘Distressedly, as it were, thou thinkest in thy mind of one ² hard to win! [Good friend,¹ thou thinkest of one ² hard to win ³ as if she were thine own wife !]’; [200] ‘He goeth in the ways of truth who standeth ⁴ filled with delight at the swords of his foes! [He is insipid in his ways who standeth without initiative before his co-wives !]’; [201] ‘He is a hero indeed who brings from the conflict the elephants of the foe ! [He is filled with delight who brings the wife of a rival to old age through (amorous) struggle !]’; [202] ‘Holding a massy, broad sword, and suddenly assailing the foe, he obtains great glory through the conflict! [Holding the thighs, hands, and hair (of his beloved), he obtains an excellent position with his body, unit- ing at the supreme moment !]’; [203] ‘Set free from passion, thou art beautiful indeed, and friendly to mankind! [Thou passionate man, bereft of lordship! Thou art assuredly not lovely, and art deserted !]’; [204] ‘Thou adornment of the earth! Bold ⁵ (is she), white like the autumn clouds, with a clear sense of her own greatness, able to ward off the jealousy of revellers,⁶ with firmness and timidity in her mind, and world-wide truth in her speech! [Thou wise one,¹ thou utter destruction of the earth, not white like the autumn clouds, untransparent, selfish, jealous as a reveller ! “ Patient (am I), loving to think of the adornment of the world, (but) in his mind is cowardice, and world-wide falsehood in his speech ” ⁷ !]’; [205–207] ‘She, the receptacle of bliss, surpassing

¹ Ironical. ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ a woman.’ ³ The wife of another. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ he whose thoughts are on the ways of truth (or, on insipid ways) standeth.’ ⁵ Tel. ed., ‘ with her boldness vanished.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ able to defend the magnitude of her own evident thoughts of greatness.’ ⁷ The supposed address of the woman in love.

106 VĀSAVADATTĀ

Lakṣmī with her gentle smile,¹ (though herself) unsurpassed ; yielding unto thee ; with her heart spotless as a mirror ; trans- cending the tendrils with her lotus hand ; with coquetry in her sportful fingers ²; peering perturbedly³ through the interstices of the bars of her windows ;—she suffereth distress at eventide,⁴ being lonely without thee, her ram : for, O lord of life ! who here depend not for life upon some happy man ⁵ ? [Thou lord of vio- lence ! She, the receptacle of bliss, surpassing Lakṣmī with her gentle smile,¹ (though herself) unsurpassed ; yielding unto thee ; with her heart spotless as a mirror ; transcending the tendrils with her lotus hand ; with coquetry in her sportful fingers ²; peering perturbedly³ through the interstices of the bars of her windows ;—she laugheth not, (but) suffereth distress at eventide,⁴ being lonely without thee, her ram : for, O destroyer of life ! who here depend not for life upon some happy man ⁵ ?]’ ; [208] ‘Let other women be ! I suffer slavery before thee ! Therefore be there love because of love ! [Thou that art cast off by other (women) ! Thou speechless one ! Thou slave (even) in the pre- sence of the base ! I ⁶ go to her ! Therefore let hatred arise from love !]’ ; [209] ‘Straightway thou art mightily beloved ; why dost thou not perform the lovely rites of love, especially since death standeth immediately near ⁷ ? [Thou art straightway utterly devoid of love, why dost thou not perform the lovely rites of love, especially since death standeth immediately near ⁷ ?]’ ; [210] ‘Thou purifier of them that have the minds of false lovers ! Thou glorious one ! By love is she ⁸ to be won, great and noble,⁹ with large eyes, with sidelong glances ; then her attendants will show

¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘she by whom the lotus-dwelling Lakṣmī is surpassed with smiling laughter.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘her fingers sportful, as it were, with coquetry.’ ³ Tel. ed. omits ‘perturbedly.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘she suffereth distress (even) without (an ascetic’s) curse, having her destruction prevented by her folk.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘on what happy man doth she not depend ’? ⁶ The messenger. ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘since stern death is immediately near.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘this unparalleled maid.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘accompanied by Lakṣmī.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 107

their slavery! [Thou false lover! Thou effacer of thoughts! Thou inglorious one! Alas, sir! By love is she¹ to be won, great and noble,² with large eyes, with sidelong glances; then her attendants will show their slavery!]'; 'By thee, who art like to a lotus, the fabulous riches of thy foes and the faces of their women are blackened! [By thee the faces of women like unto Lakṣmī are blackened, not the lotus faces of thy foes!]'; [211] 'Having inspired confidence of all, attended by Lakṣmī, depart- ing from the rules (of decorum), having obtained one to be obtained,³ wavering an instant,⁴ slow for modesty, with love vio- lently born through pain among the flowers of Him whose shafts are flowers,⁵ she fainteth limblessly, Limbless God⁶ (saying): "Bliss thou bringest me, thou that art devoted to songs of many measures"! [Having inspired confidence of all, attended by Lakṣmī, (but) with her youth departed, obtained in a way she should not be obtained,³ wavering an instant,⁴ slow for modesty, with love violently born through pain among the flowers of Him whose shafts are flowers,⁵ she fainteth limblessly, Limbless God⁶ (saying): "Woe thou bringest me, thou that art devoted to songs of many measures"!]; [212-213] 'What woman was (ever) aban- doned by thee that bearest love's burden, with thy beautiful lips, with thy sectarial mark characterised by a streak of dust,⁷ with thy moon-like face, (when once she had) clung to thy heart⁸ with her soft-formed hand, with her breast, holding the water of drops of sweat, moving on thy broad bosom, being overcome by thy unblemished lustre? [What woman was (ever) released by thee, ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'this unparalleled maid.' ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'accompanied by Lakṣmī.' ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'having obtained to-day a covenant of all the world for some time, she, attended by Lakṣmī [having inspired an agreement of all, a woman who should not be obtained hath been obtained for some time].' ⁴ Tel. ed., 'just for an instant.' ⁵ Kāma. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'limblessly, Limbless God.' The 'Limbless God' is Kāma. ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'characterised by Kāma [characterised by lovelessness].' ⁸ Srirangam text, 'what woman with beautiful lips that bear love's burden, with a sectarial mark characterised by Kāma, (and) with a lotus face hath clung to thy heart [what woman with hideous lips that bear love's burden, characterised by lovelessness, devoid of auspicious signs, and with a moon-like face (!) hath clung to thy heart].'

108 VĀSAVADATTĀ with thy hideous lips, vile for love’s burden, marked with streaks of dust, devoid of auspicious signs, with thy moon-like face,¹ (when once she had) clung to thy heart ² with her soft-formed hand, with her breast, holding the water of drops of sweat, moving on thy broad bosom, being won by gold unalloyed ?]’; [214] ‘What gentle-eyed woman who fervently delighteth thee, that art not inflamed with passion, (but art) the essence of love, delightsome, (and) a most excellent lover, desireth another that is no lover, with her breast a ravishing opponent, charming with an eye that steals ³ the light of the gazelle’s eye? [Cruel with passion! Red- eyed with lust! Alas, an unlovely dame with hostile breast, gaining (thee) with an angry eye that steals ⁴ the light of sight, desireth thee, the essence of lovelessness, hot,⁵ pitiless, absolutely no lover, (and) bound for utmost woe!].’ Straightway the world rejoiced as if it had entered ⁶ the ocean of milk, as if it had entered a house of crystal ; as if it enjoyed the blessedness of habitation in the White Islands.⁷ [215] And ⁸ in due course Kandarpakētu, accompanied by Tamālikā and Makaranda, went to the city of Vāsavadattā’s father,⁹ while, like the sighing of the night, most gently blew the evening breeze ¹⁰ with far horizons tuneful with the murmur of swarms of bees in- toxicated and delighted by many drops ¹¹ of nectar in calyxes of forests of white lotuses with unfolded petals of their buds ; with its coming greeted by amorous chickores sluggish from copious draughts of moonbeams ; bewitching because of beads of perspira- tion on the fair brides of the Pulinda king, wearied with the exhaustion ¹² of excessive love. ¹ Ironical. ² See note 8, p. 107. ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘and with an eye that steals.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘and with an angry eye that steals.’ ⁵ Tel. ed., ‘lustful.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘plunged into.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘as if it had settled in the White Islands.’ On the White Islands see Hopkins, The Great Epic of India, p. 116, New York, 1901. ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘and then.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘to the city of Vāsavadattā.’ ¹⁰ Srirangam text adds ‘removing the heat.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘swarms of bees delighted with intoxication from the flavour of the abundant dripping of many drops.’ ¹² Tel. ed. omits ‘exhaustion.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 109 [216] Then¹ he, whose power was that of Śiva’s joy, saw the mansion of Vāsavadattā surrounded ² by an encircling wall; with its cloud-touching crest built in a quarter of the capital; white with stucco ; with bits of gold,³ pearls, emeralds, and rubies inserted one after the other like a host of deities staying to see Vāsavadattā ⁴; [217] adorned with banners that seemed to mock the beauty of the ocean ⁵ of the sky as if with clusters of the flowers of the cloud-tree disporting in the wind ; adorned with very numerous ⁶ streams flowing through courts with slabs of golden stone, (these streams) bearing the savour of water per- fumed with ⁷ camphor, saffron, cardamom, and cloves, and with palace doves sleeping ⁸ comfortably perched on slabs of crystal from shores unknown ⁹; [218] with waters full of the blossoms of the trees near the crumbling banks ¹⁰; with seats ¹¹ bedewed by masses of spray moving at the striking of ¹² the firm buttocks of wanton ¹³ damsels incessantly plunging and emerging; with flamin- goes whose noise would imply that they had settled near the sand bank formed by the stream of camphor ¹⁴; [219] revealing the Brahminy ducks' sudden dread of darkness because of the groves of expanded blue lotuses ¹⁴ ; <containing goodly waters> as young women <have goodly breasts>; bathing the <lips of the ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘then, having entered.’ Cartellieri, ‘Subandhu and Bāṇa’ in WZKM. I. 132, compares with this Candrāpīḍa’s first meeting with Kādambarī (Kādambarī, pp. 182 sqq., Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 143 sqq., London, 1896)). ² Tel. ed. omits down to ‘adorned with banners.’ ³ Srirangam text, ‘seeming to have gold.’ ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘the mansion of Vāsavadattā.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘city.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. omits ‘very numerous’; Srirangam text, ‘numerous.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘bearing the perfume of.’ ⁸ Tel. ed., ‘white doves of the palace born and sleeping’; Srirangam text, ‘curious white doves of the palace sleeping.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘slabs of crystal near the banks.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘trees on the crumbling banks.’ ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘seats on the banks.’ ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘upheaved by striking against.’ ¹³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘wanton.’ ¹⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘that they had perched on the sand bank of the stream of camphor.’ ¹⁵ Tel. ed., ‘revealing the terror of ducks and cakravākas at the darkness because of the expanded blue lotuses.’

110 VĀSAVADATTĀ pitchers in water> as the battle arts ¹ of Sugrīva bathed <Kum- bhakarṇa in blood>; <sprinkled with dust from the feet of fair women> as the shores of the sea are <variegated with the colours of beautiful trees>; [220] <causing contempt for canals> as the dis- position of new monarchs ² <causes dishonour to the honourable> ³; adorned with palaces that seemed to bear aloft, under the guise of the strings of pearls placed on their pinnacles, a host of stars come in curiosity ⁴ to behold the damsels of the city; [221] made brilliant with flocks of peacocks lurking in the vicinity; present- ing the semblance of crystal pitchers; on one side ⁵ showing the rising ⁶ of untimely clouds by masses of the smoke of aloes burn- ing constantly; on the other side having peacocks dancing joy- ously,⁷ called by the exceeding ⁸ deep roll of drums; with the <descent of the eyes of the world> ⁹ as the even-tide has the <set- ting sun>; with <charming women, filled with love-longing>, as Janaka's place of sacrifice ¹⁰ had <Rāma longing for his wife>; [222] <delighting in love's union> as multitudes of mankind ¹¹ <honour divinity> ¹²; the repository, as it were, of delightsomeness; the home, so to say, of love; the palace, it might be termed, of wanton sport ¹³; [223] the place of assembly, it would seem, of loveliness. Kandarpakētu, as well as Makaranda, was astonished at hearing ¹⁴ the chatter of the maidens, tender in their affection ¹ Tel. ed., 'battle deeds'; Srirangam text, 'tendency toward battle'; cf. Rāmāyaṇa, 6. 67. ² Is there here a possible covert allusion to the recent accession of a new king inferior to his predecessor (cf. p. 9 above)? ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, '<with elephants going to the canals> as the rule of monarchs has <honourable men, income, respect, and taxes>.' ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'in curiosity.' ⁵ Tel. ed. omits 'on one side.' ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'warlike preparation.' ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'having intoxicated peacocks.' ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'exceeding.' ⁹ Namely, to see its beauty. ¹⁰ The Daṇḍaka forest, where Sītā was carried off from Rāma. ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'humanity.' ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add 'adorned with many <walls> as a forest is adorned with many <sal-trees>.' ¹³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'of all wanton sports.' ¹⁴ Tel. ed., 'Kandarpakētu, entering that palace with Makaranda, hearing ..., saw

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 111 one for the other¹: 'Thou runnest successfully in thy running, Nigalitā²! Capalā standeth unsteadily! What of her? [224] Here is the cluster of flowers fallen from thine own ear'! 'Surēkhā, thou, whose beauty is entreated by the gods, art filled with wine (and) drunken'! 'Kalahā,³ thou dost wellnigh summon love by the soft tinklings of the bond of thy golden girdle'! 'Malayā, by thy very glance thou hast learned the will of Him who overcame Śiva'⁴! [225] 'Kalikā, loosen that noisy girdle, the banner of strife; we hear the faint, sweet sound of the lute'⁵! 'My girdle is not the nuisance; it is thou, with thy irrumation⁶ and noisiness'⁷! 'This silly Avantīsēnā is afraid lest she fall there in offering flowers'⁸! 'Enough of thy tricks, Lavaṅgikā! Thy tremor⁹ betrayeth thy state of mind.' [226] 'Thy languid form seemeth to bear the wounds of Love's arrows, Anaṅgalēkhā! The mighty wave of anxiety is indeed concealed to thy advantage! Speak, doth the moon itself reach comparison in thy face, whose loveliness should be drunk in by the eyes'¹⁰? [227] 'Somebody apparently dwelleth in thy heart, Satīvratā! Thy words are felt in a hundred ways as Vāsavadattā,' omitting 'was astonished'; Srirangam text, 'Kandarpakētu, hearing ..., entered that palace with Makaranda.' ¹ For similar series of exclamations, see Kādambarī, pp. 173–174, 357, Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 68–69, 144–145, London, 1896); Harṣacarita, pp. 177–178, 277–278, Bombay ed., 1892 (tr. Cowell and Thomas, pp. 144–145, 247–248, London, 1897). ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, '(though) not addressed,' the Srirangam text adding 'fair maid'! ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'Surēkhā, with fair streak of wine on thy cheek, thou art a Lakṣmī wooed by the gods! Drunken Kalahā.' ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'perform the will of Him (Kāma) who overcame Śiva; thou hast learned it just with a glance.' ⁵ Tel. ed., 'we hear this faint, sweet sound of the lute, the banner of strife,' omitting 'loosen this noisy girdle.' ⁶ See Schmidt, Beiträge zur indischen Erotik, pp. 546–550, 593, Leipzig, 1902. ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'with thy noisiness and roughness.' ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'there, in offering nāga-flowers, this trembling maid feareth that "I may fall."' ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'tremor filled with sighs.' ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'thy form seemeth to bear the wounds of love's arrows, Anaṅgalēkhā, and thy pearl necklace is arranged at thy behest! Speak, Utkalikā, doth the moon reach comparison in thy face, filled with anxiety, (despite) the beauty of the lotuses in thine eyes'?

112 VĀSAVADATTĀ having the hardness of the hundred edges (of Indra's thunder- bolt)'! 'This braid of hair of thine, Kuntalikā,¹ is like a bit of black cloud with a mass of hail with its garland ² of lovely expanded Arabian jasmines'! 'Near the city gate, Kēralikā, the sounds of song are heard! What, pray, dost thou purpose'? [228] 'Instantaneously, even in the twinkling of an eye, Muralikā, thou dost distress thy host of girl friends, trembling and anxious for a kind word! Because of thy lover thou art abandoned by thy husband, who remembereth the bliss, driving away love's fever, that was gained by him, raging aloud as he thudded thy breast! Why art thou distracted? Thy lover longeth for a greater thing than a feast; (and) thy husband [229] hath remembered thy favour, with its delightsomeness of passion'! 'Doth not the wound of nails, sharp from fresh paring, cause pain by night in an amorous woman, Kurutā'? 'Why is not he moon, the place for the eyes of all happy people to gaze on, drunk in by thy shining eyes? [230] Dear friend Madanamālinī, with thy caprices of union and abandonment cause thou distrac- tion by contact with thy ruddy lip! Shining with his rosy crest, he (the moon) is like the cheek of a Mālava maid flushed with intoxication; what is the difference between thee and a creeping plant'³? [231] 'Kuraṅgikā, prepare a blade of young grass for the antelope fauns'! 'Kiśōrikā, have the young colts looked after'! 'Taralikā, put in motion the mass of smoke from the ¹ Tel. ed., 'beautiful Kēralikā'; Srirangam text, 'Kēralikā.' ² Tel. ed., 'delightful with its garland.' ³ Tel. ed., '"Kuntalikā, (thou art) adorned with thy tresses, and no sounds of song are heard near the city gate! What dost thou purpose? Instantaneously, even in the twinkling of an eye, thou hast thy host of girl friends trembling and anxious for a kind word"! "Suratā, by whom art thou now deserted that raged aloud in amorous sport, remembering the bliss, driving away love's fever, that he won in thudding thy breast? What is said? Thy lover hath been mindful of a greater thing than a feast, (even) thy favour, with its delightsomeness of passion? In the night, with unseemly noise, he hath inflicted on an amorous woman the pain of his nails, sharp from fresh paring. Why is not the moon, the place for the eyes of all successful people to gaze on, drunk in by thy shining eyes?" "Dear friend Madanamālinī, cause not discontent in the bee, with his desire to approach and leave thy ruddy lip! What is the difference between thee and a creeping plant with its abundance of quivering petals, soft as the cheek of a Mālava maid flushed with intoxication"?'; similarly the Srirangam text.

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 113 aloes'! 'Karpūrikā, whiten¹ the burden of thy breasts with camphor-dust'! 'Mātaṅgikā, have the begging² of the young elephants borne in mind'! 'Śaśilēkhā, draw a digit of the moon³ on thy broad forehead'! 'Kētakikā, note the longing of the bower of screw-pine'! [232] 'Śakunikā, give food to the pet birds'! 'Madanamañjarī, festoon the plantain house as a bower for meeting'⁴! 'Śṛṅgāramañjarī, prepare the arrangements⁵ of love'! 'Sañjīvikā,⁶ give a sprig of pepper to the pair of chickores'! 'Pallavikā, make the artificial grove of screw-pine blossom with camphor-powder'! 'Sahakāramañjarī, produce the perfume of the mango by the breeze of thy fan'⁷! 'Mada- nalēkhā, write a love-line of the wind of Malaya'! [233] 'Mṛṇālikā,⁸ give a blade of lotus-fibre to the young flamingoes'! 'Vilāsavatī, make the young peacock sport'! 'Tamālikā, per- fume the palace court⁹ with sandal water'! 'Kāñcanikā, scatter liquid musk in the gold pavilion'! 'Pravālikā, sprinkle the grove of young¹⁰ shoots with saffron'! Entering¹¹ with these thoughts among others: 'Oh, the exceed- ing beauty of the mansions! Oh, the wanton blissfulness of love! This pavilion, for instance, made of elephants' tusks, whose beauty is the beauty of the spotless teeth of Mālava's daughters, with wide interstices for the (amorous) sport of their (proper) seasons¹²! [234] This pet parrot confined in a cage of bars made of golden rods'!, he (Kandarpakētu) saw Vāsavadattā brilliant with a pair ¹ Tel. ed., 'dust.' ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'washing.' ³ A digit of the moon is ⅟₁₆ part of it. The purpose of drawing this emblem, according to the Sanskrit commentator Śivarāma, was to frighten Love away, the moon being described by Subandhu himself (see above, p. 103) as the pyre of Kāma. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'Madanamañjarī, anklet it to the arbour of creepers! Kadalikā, open the plantain house'! ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'arrangement.' ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'Sañjīvanikā.' ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'efface the drops of sweat by the wind of thy fan with its mango perfume'! ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'Makarikā, adorned by Kāma.' ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'have the court of the palace covered.' ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'young.' ¹¹ Tel. ed. omits these meditations of Kandarpakētu; Srirangam text omits the exclamation concerning the pavilion, prefacing the whole with 'and he thought.' ¹² See Schmidt, Beiträge zur indischen Erotik, pp. 403–429, Leipzig, 1902. I

114 VĀSAVADATTĀ of legs with ⟨reddened feet⟩ as grammar¹ has ⟨rubricated pādas⟩; with ⟨goodly joints⟩ as the Bhārata ² has ⟨a hundred books⟩; charming with ⟨beautiful ankles⟩ as the Rāmāyaṇa is charming with its ⟨Sundarakāṇḍa⟩; [235] with a glorious ⟨slender waist⟩ as the Chandōviciti has the glorious ⟨tanumadhyā metre⟩ ³; with ⟨hands and ears that must be reckoned with⟩ as astronomy has the ⟨hasta and śravaṇa ⁴ that may be counted⟩; ⟨revealing her beauty⟩ as the permanence of the Nyāya system ⁵ has its ⟨form from Uddyōtakara⟩; decked with ⟨ornaments⟩ as an assembly of Buddhists ⁶ is decked with the ⟨Alaṁkāra⟩; [236] showing the ⟨essence of delight⟩ as an Upaniṣad shows him whose ⟨being is bliss⟩ ⁷; with beautiful ⟨feet⟩ as an abode with a family of Brāh- mans has beautiful ⟨conduct⟩; with lovely ⟨buttocks⟩ as the beauty of the Vindhya Mountains has lovely ⟨slopes⟩; beautified with ⟨massy hips⟩ as Tārā ⁸ was beautified in being the ⟨wife of the Teacher⟩; with a slender ⁹ ⟨waist⟩ that might be grasped by the hand as (Indra's) bolt ¹⁰ of a hundred points has a slender ⁹ ⟨middle⟩ that might be grasped by the hand; with a ⟨lovely face⟩ as the friend of Priyaṅguśyāmā was ⟨Priyadarśanā⟩ ¹¹; ⟨glorious as the moon⟩ as Brahmadatta's queen was ⟨Sōmaprabhā⟩ ¹²; [237] ⟨incomparable⟩ as the female elephant of the (southwest) quarter was ⟨Anupamā⟩; adorned with a ⟨sectarial mark⟩ as the seashore

¹ Alluding to the red colophons of the pādas, or quarter-divisions, of each book of Pāṇini's grammar. ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'Mahābhārata.' On the reference see Cartellieri, 'Das Mahābhārata bei Subandhu und Bāṇa,' in WZKM. 13. 71. ³ See Weber, Ueber die Metrik der Inder, pp. 365-366, Berlin, 1863, the scheme being ――∪ | ∪――. ⁴ Two nakṣatras, or lunar mansions, corresponding respectively to δ, γ, ε, α, β Corvi, and α, β, γ Aquilae. ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'the science of the Nyāya.' On the importance of this allusion for dating the Vāsavadattā, see Introduction, p. 8. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'the composition of the poetry of excellent poets.' ⁷ Tel. ed., '⟨joyful⟩ as an Upaniṣad has ⟨Brahmā⟩; ⟨adorning humanity⟩ as the radiance of the sun ⟨lights the world⟩'; similarly the Srirangam text. ⁸ Tel. ed., 'Rōhiṇī.' The 'Teacher' is Bṛhaspati. ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'slender.' ¹⁰ Tel. ed., 'the form of the bolt'; Srirangam text, 'the stem of the bolt.' ¹¹ The details of this legend seem to be lost; cf. Lacôte, Essai sur Guṇāḍhya et la Bṛhatkathā, p. 213, Paris, 1908. ¹² See Kathāsaritsāgara, 17. 114.

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 115

is adorned with ‹tamāla-leaves›¹; ‹languid with intoxication› as Aśvatara's daughter was ‹Madālasā›.² Then sudden ³ faintness seized the consciousness of Kandar- pakētu as he drank her in with an eye dilated with affection.⁴ Beholding him in her turn, Vāsavadattā fainted.⁵ Then, with their consciousness restored by the exertions of Makaranda and the attendant maidens, they ⁶ twain adorned a single settle. [238] Thereupon a vessel ⁷ of all confidence named Kalāvatī, dearer than Vāsavadattā's own life (to her), addressed Kandar- pakētu: 'Scion of noble parentage! This is no occasion for confidential conversation ⁸; therefore thou art told only the least part ⁹! The pain that hath been felt by this maiden for thy sake might be written or told ¹⁰ in some wise or in some way in many thousands of ages if the sky became paper,¹¹ the sea [239] an ink-well, the scribe Brahmā, (and) the narrator the Lord of Serpents.¹² By thee ¹³ a kingdom has been abandoned—what need of more? Thou thyself art brought into peril! When the night shall be near to dawn, against her will ¹⁴ this daughter of

¹ Tel. ed., '‹giving joy› and adorned with a «sectarial mark» as the Rēvā is the ‹Narmadā› and is adorned with «tamāla-leaves»'; similarly the Srirangam text. ² This daughter of Aśvatara is probably identical with the one carried off by Kuvalayāśva (see below, p. 130). The mythology given by Subandhu, however, seems confused, and may be influenced by paronomasiac requirements. No daughter of Aśvatara is thus far known to be mentioned elsewhere, and Madālasā is usually described as the child of the Gandharva Viśvavasu and as abducted by Pātālakētu, a Dāitya prince, from whom she was rescued by Kuvalayāśva, who made her one of his wives. She died of grief when she heard that her husband had fallen in battle. See Mārkaṇḍēyapurāṇa, 21–22. ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'sudden.' ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'with affection.' ⁵ Tel. ed., 'Vāsavadattā fainted after him.' ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'these.' ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'a friend.' ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'of confidential conversations.' ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'only the least part is told.' ¹⁰ Tel. ed., 'might be written or not.' ¹¹ See Köhler, 'Und wenn der Himmel wär Papier,' in his Kleinere Schriften, 3. 293– 318, Berlin, 1900; Zachariae, 'Und wenn der Himmel wär Papier,' in Zeitschrift des Vereins für Volkskunde, 11. 331. ¹² The cosmic serpent Śēṣa. ¹³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'and by thee.' ¹⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'into the peril of her, who has learned that "when the night shall dawn, against her will,"' etc. I 2