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

VĀSAVADATTĀ OF SUBANDHU

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45 [2] Victorious is divine Sarasvatī, Who aideth bards of keen and nimble wit To see the world, as 'twere a jujube-fruit, Lying within the hollow of their hands. Victorious, too, is Hari, resting now, The while he smileth on the shepherd lads Whose upraised arms bend ¹ 'neath the awful weight Of their vast burden; yet cry unto him: ‘Ah, weary art thou, let the mountain be; We will sustain it, Kṛṣṇa, lord of all’! [3] May he ² whose waist is girded keep you safe, Yea, he whose serried furrows brightly shine; E'en while the zone he hath too tightly drawn Doth work distraction by its beauteousness.³ [4] Victorious is the god ⁴ whose crescent gleams Like to a silvern pearl by Umā set ⁵ Upon his brow, when from his blazing eye She gathereth the black collyrium. How blessèd are those souls beneficent Who work the weal of others, for to them The moon that openeth the lotus-buds Doth give a twofold meed of radiance ⁶! [5] The wise say sooth: ‘More loathsome than a snake Is he whose soul is filled with wickedness’: The serpent ⟨hateth the ichneumon tribe⟩, But leaves his brethren safe; while knavish folk With venomed tongues ⟨destroy their nearest kin⟩.⁷ ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘arms bent in vain.’ ² Kṛṣṇa. ³ Tel. ed. interchanges this stanza with the one following. ⁴ Śiva. ⁵ Srirangam text, against the metre, adds ‘upon his head. ⁶ Translated in Böhtlingk, Indische Sprüche, 2 ed., No. 4552, St. Petersburg, 1870–1873. ⁷ Böhtlingk, op. cit. No. 6214. The stanza is still popular in Mithila (see Grierson,

46 VĀSAVADATTĀ [6] In evil only are the wicked wise; Like as the owl is blind, save in the dark.¹ There is but one eclipse—foul calumny; Only the clouds that hide the moon are black.² [7] And when with sooty and polluting touch The man of evil fain would smirch the good, He doth increase the radiance of the just; E'en as the ashes in the grinder's hand Do but enhance the lustrous mirror's sheen.³ Yet ‹drought doth rule› o'er all, the «cranes sport not», Nor doth the ⋘heron seek the azure vault⋙, For lo, the lake hath left this mortal world; All ‹joy is fled›, and «strange kings now bear rule», Wasting the earth with ⋘fratricidal⋙ strife, For Vikramāditya hath passed away.⁴ [8] The words of goodly bards rejoice thine ears, E'en when thou knowest not their wondrous skill; For in a jasmine wreath thine eyes delight, Though to thy senses come no perfumes sweet.⁵ The noble gain true knowledge of themselves By observation of their fellow men; As on the mirror's polished surface falls The vision of the soul's own magnitude.⁶

Curiosities of Indian Literature, pp. 8–9, Bankipore, 1895, who says : ‘ Here naku- ladvēṣī is a threefold pun. It means either “hating the ichneumon,” or “not hating his own race,” or “not hating the members of the family of the man he has bitten”).’ My attention was kindly called to this reference by Professor Zachariae (card of May 2, 1907), and Dr. Grierson very courteously loaned me his personal copy of the little book. It should be noted that the modern proverb reads mṛṣā na instead of na mṛṣā. ¹ Böhtlingk, Indische Sprüche, 2 ed., No. 142, St. Petersburg, 1870–1873. ² Böhtlingk, op. cit. No. 6126; Tel. ed. and Srirangam text interchange this stanza with the one following. ³ Böhtlingk, op. cit. No. 7376. ⁴ For the valuelessness of this stanza as a source to determine the date of the Vāsavadattā see Introduction, pp. 8–11. ⁵ Böhtlingk, op. cit. No. 680. ⁶ Böhtlingk, op. cit. No. 2148.

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 47 [9] Through great Sarasvatī this book was writ By Sujana's one brother, whom mankind Doth call Subandhu, skilled full dextrously To interweave in every word a pun.¹ [10] There was a king named Cintāmaṇi, whose like had never existed,² whose nail-jewelled feet were unscarred, though rubbed by the edge of a touchstone which was the series of the beautiful crest-gems of the circle of all the princes of the earth. [11] He caused astonishment by ‹gifts of gold, food, raiment, and estates› as Nṛsiṁha caused astonishment by ‹rending the body of Hiraṇyakaśipu› ³; he gave joy to the ‹divinities by his goods› as Kṛṣṇa gave joy to ‹Vasudēva› ; [12] he ‹conquered with ease› the circle of the earth as Nārāyaṇa ‹upheld› the circle of the world by his ‹boar's form›; he produced ‹glorious and blissful› prosperity as Kaṁsa's foe produced prosperity for ‹Yaśōdā and Nanda›; he made ‹poetry honoured› as Ānaka- dundubhi made ‹Kāvyā afraid› ⁴; [13] he had his lotus ⁵ feet embellished by the rays ⁶ of the crest-jewels of ‹many serpents› as Sāgaraśāyi had his lotus ⁵ feet embellished by the rays ⁶ of the crest-jewel of the ‹cosmic serpent›; he protected ‹unceasingly› as Varuṇa protected the ‹western regions›; he adorned ‹petitions with gifts› as Agastya adorned the ‹southern districts›; he was the lord of a hundred ‹armies› and «habitually levied just taxes» as the ocean is the lord of a hundred ‹rivers› and is the «habitat of fish»; [14] he was followed by a ‹great army› and repulsed «obstacles» as Hara is followed by ‹Mahāsēna› and repulses «Māra»; he was the home of the ‹wise› and the dwelling-place of the «acts of all men» as Mēru is the home of the ‹gods› and the dwelling-place of «Viśvakarman»; he ‹rejoiced in generosity at festal times› and removed sorrow by his «beauty» as the sun ‹loves not the night› and removes the sorrow of «Chāyā»; he ¹ Omitted by Tel. ed. and Srirangam text. Cf. Introduction, p. 13. ² Tel. ed., 'of no mean nature.' For a somewhat similar description of a king see Kādambarī, pp. 7–14, Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 3–5, London, 1896). ³ Cf. Viṣṇupurāṇa, 1. 17–20. ⁴ Cf. Harivaṁśa, 59. ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'lotus.' ⁶ Tel. ed., 'series.'

48 VĀSAVADATTĀ gave ‹unimpeded› prosperity and afforded delight in «intercourse» as the God of the Flowery Banner¹ gave prosperity to ‹Ani- ruddha› and afforded delight to «Rati». [15] Though a ‹demigod›, he was a «god», for he was a «benevolent» ‹receptacle of wisdom› ; though a ‹Dhṛtarāṣṭra›, he was a «friend of Bhīma», for he was a ‹ruler of a kingdom› «who loved virtue» ; though ‹come to earth›, he took refuge ² in the «courts of the gods», for he was ‹filled with patience› and took refuge ² in «good government» ; [16] though a ‹great reed› by nature, he was «smooth» within, for his was the nature of ‹Arjuna›, «upright» within ; [17] though born of a ‹buffalo›, he was «begotten by a bull», for he was born of a ‹queen› and was a «producer of government» ; though no ‹central gem of a neck- lace›, he was the «midmost jewel of a throat-band», for he was a ‹fearless›, «mighty leader». While he ruled the earth, ‹quibblings ³ and fallacies› were practised only in arguments ⁴ (for there was no need of ‹habitually checking deceit› ⁵) ; [18] there was ‹infidelity› only among materialists (for there was no ‹poverty›) ; there was employment of a ‹spur› only in executing commands ⁶ (for there was no employment of ‹petty enemies›) ; there was ‹picking› [19] only on lutes (for there was no ‹back-biting›) ; there was association with ‹threshing-floors› only in the case of rice (for there was no association with ‹evil men›) ; there was capture of ‹snakes› only among serpent-charmers (for there was no need to capture ‹liars›) ; ‹imposts› were cut only in the receipt of taxes (for there was no amputation of ‹hands› ⁷) ; ‹roots› were plucked out only in the case of «wormwood-trees» (for «ascetics» did not pluck out their ‹eyes›) ; [20] only lotuses opposed the ‹moon› (for there was no opposition to ‹Brāhmans› ⁸) ; ‹‘ ruler of the world ’› was applied only to the elephant of the north ⁹ (but not to any man ¹ Kāma. ² Srirangam text, ‘ he was the refuge of.’ ³ Srirangam text adds ‘ futile answers.’ ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘ only in Nyāya textbooks.’ ⁵ Srirangam text adds ‘ and castes.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ only in yōga-exercises.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ there was hand-cutting only in blossoms.’ ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ the king.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ only to the world-elephants.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 49 save the ‹king›) ; there were ‹fire-tests and balance-tests› only in the case of different sorts of gold (for there were no ‹ordeals by fire or balance›¹) ; only jewels were ‹pierced by needles› (for there was no ‹disturbance by suggestive movements›) ; only in child-bearing ² was there rending with ‹griping pains› (for there was no rending by ‹impalement›) ; [21] ‹Duḥśāsana was known› only in the Bhārata ³ (for there was no ‹glimpse of evil instruc- tion›) ; the ‹sun's rays opened leaves› ⁴ only in the case of lotuses (for there was no ‹sawing asunder› ⁵). Though the Great Boar was intent on upholding the ‹earth›, yet he (Cintāmaṇi) clove ‹mountains›. Rāghava entered the forest with ‹Sītā› leaving his native land (but Cintāmaṇi entered the forest having his ‹native land›). Bharata had affection for Rāma, yet made ‹Rāma depart› from his kingdom (but Cintā- maṇi made ‹peace› in his kingdom). [22] When Nala was united to Damayantī it was a ‹marriage of one already wedded› (but Cintāmaṇi ‹regained his territory›). Pṛthu ‹levelled the earth by banishing the mountains› ⁶ (but Cintāmaṇi ‹covered the earth by sending forth his offspring› ⁷). There was, therefore, no reason to mention former kings.⁸ He, moreover, was another sort of monarch and had humbled all the princes on earth. Thus he was a mountain with a visible exaltation of ‹peak›, which never ceased to delight the «Gan- ¹ In the ordeal by balance the accused was twice weighed. If he was lighter at the second weighing than at the first, he was acquitted ; but if heavier, he was condemned. In the fire-ordeal the defendant was required to carry a heated metal pot a certain distance, and was adjudged innocent if his hands, which might be bound with leaves as a partial protection, remained unburned (see Jolly, Recht und Sitte, p. 145, Strassburg, 1896). ² Tel. ed., ‘in new (i.e. ‘first’) child-bearings of young women’; Srirangam text, ‘in child-bearings.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘in the Mahābhārata.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the opening of leaves of lotuses by the rays of the sun was the very utmost decree.’ ⁵ Cf. the Iranian legend of the sawing asunder of Yima by Spityura (Yašt, 19. 46). ⁶ Cf. Mahābhārata, 7. 69. ⁷ This rendering seems justified by the context and by the paronomasiac meanings of the words employed, although the commentary does not allude to the applicability of the passage to Cintāmaṇi. ⁸ Tel. ed. adds ‘but rather (there was occasion) of blame (of them).’ E

50 VĀSAVADATTĀ dharvas who roamed along its slopes»; for he never ceased, with his visible exaltation of ⟨majesty⟩, to delight the «steeds that bore his army». [23] He was a ⟨Himālaya⟩, though not shaken by «snow» nor suited to the birth of «Umā», for he was ⟨indeed a lotus⟩ unshaken by «pride» and unsuited for the birth of «deceit». He was a «snowy» ⟨bullock⟩-banner set upon a «hill», for he was «indeed exalted in speech» and set as a banner of ⟨justice⟩. He was a ⟨wind⟩, ⟨bending all the forest down⟩, ⟨a friend of the fire⟩, ⟨eager for the clouds⟩, and ⟨bearing along the flowers⟩; for he was ⟨ever patient⟩, ⟨straightening every crooked way⟩,¹ ⟨foremost of ascetics⟩, ⟨not avid of sensual pleasures⟩,² and the ⟨joy of the wise⟩. [24] He was a mine of gems ⟨with no serpents⟩,³ exceeding⁴ deep its ⟨boundaries⟩, ⟨no otter a terror to it⟩, ever a very refuge for ⟨fishes⟩, ⟨filled with water⟩, ⟨bearing ships⟩,⁵ whereto (belonged) the ⟨mountain⁶ and the crocodile⟩, ⟨the mighty lord of rivers⟩, the ⟨ocean⟩; [25] for he was ⟨no knave⟩,⁷ exceeding⁴ deep his ⟨decorum⟩, ⟨no light of his dismaying any⟩, ever a refuge like the ⟨moon⟩,⁸ ⟨delightsome⟩, ⟨rich in children⟩,⁹ ⟨his serenity unshaken⟩, ⟨great, proud⟩, and ⟨with a signet ring⟩. [26] As the moon causes joy in the ⟨night season⟩, is the friend¹⁰ of ⟨white lotuses⟩, has his mansion filled with all the ⟨digits⟩, and is ⟨unsurpassed by the constellations⟩; he caused joy in the ⟨festivals⟩, was the friend¹⁰ of ⟨pleasure groves on earth⟩, had his mansion filled with all the ⟨arts⟩, and ⟨subdued the excessive might of his foes⟩. As Sumēru caused the ⟨sun to rise⟩, gave a ⟨golden glory⟩, and had ⟨wealth sur- passing the (other) mountains⟩; he caused the ⟨prosperity of his friends⟩, possessed ⟨every beauty⟩, and had ⟨good fortune im- pregnable and abundant⟩. ¹ Or, ‘banishing all famine.’ ² Or, ‘eager for the gods.’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘with no timayas’ (glossed as ‘a sort of fish,’ i. e. ‘a whale’); Srirangam text, ‘with no fear of serpents.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit. ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘with a good bed.’ ⁶ Māināka. ⁷ Tel. ed., ‘unbending’; Srirangam text, ‘fearing not his subjects.’ ⁸ Tel. ed., ‘ever with a moon-like mind.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘receptacle of virtue.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed., ‘the one friend.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 51 [27] Even had Arjuna been ever with them, the ranks of his foes would not have been equal to the ⟨combats in the Mahābhā- rata⟩, for they were not equal to ⟨bearing great burdens⟩. Though ⟨Bhīṣma⟩, he was ≪unkind to Śāntanu≫, for he was ⟨terrible⟩ and had a ≪ceaseless desire for glory≫; though ⟨wandering on the mountains⟩, ≪he dwelt not on the hills≫, for he was ⟨accompanied by his attendants⟩ and ≪needed not the admiration of his family≫. [28] And, furthermore, he ⟨wavered ¹ not from the path of a warrior⟩, as Triśaṅku ² ⟨wavered ¹ in the path of the constella- tions⟩; though he was ⟨Śiva⟩, ≪he drank no poison≫, for he was a ⟨giver of weal⟩ and ≪not depressed≫; though he was a ⟨fire⟩, he was not a ≪flame≫, for he was a ⟨purifier⟩ and free from ≪evil habits≫; though he was a ⟨burner⟩, he was not a ≪consumer≫, for he had a ⟨longing for hermitages⟩ and was no ≪destroyer≫; [29] he was no Yama ⟨snatching life away suddenly⟩, for he did not ⟨deprive of life without reason⟩; he was no Rāhu increasing his ⟨radiance by swallowing the sun's disc⟩,³ for he did not increase his ⟨greed by seizing the kingdom of a friend⟩; he was no Nala crushed ⁴ by ⟨Kali⟩, for he was not crushed ⁴ by ⟨strife⟩; he was no Cakri exhilarated by the death of ⟨Śṛgāla⟩,⁵ for he was not exhilarated by the death of a ⟨craven⟩; he was attended by ⟨glory and generosity⟩ as the cowherd Nanda was attended by ⟨Yaśōdā⟩; he ⟨planned peace and war⟩ as Jarāsanda's ⟨body was disrupted union⟩⁶; he possessed ⟨generosity and luxury⟩ as Bhārgava ⟨ever wandered in the clouds⟩; [30] he was attended by ⟨good friends⟩ and commanded ≪good counsel≫ as Daśaratha was attended by ⟨Sumitrā⟩ and commanded ≪Sumantra≫; he was ⟨devoted to worthy objects of generosity⟩ and protected the ≪earth≫ as Dilīpa was ⟨beloved by Sudakṣiṇā⟩ and protected ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘fell.’ ² Srirangam text, ‘though Triśaṅku . . . . for he had triple powers.’ ³ Cf. Mahābhārata, 1. 19. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘having his body conquered’; cf. Mahābhārata, 3. 58–61. ⁵ Cf. Harivaṁśa, 100. ⁶ Cf. Mahābhārata, 2. 17. E 2

52 VĀSAVADATTĀ

the «cow»¹; his glory was exalted by his ⟨virtuous life⟩ as Rāma’s glory was exalted by the ⟨birth of Kuśa and Lava⟩. He had a son named Kandarpakētu. He was the ⟨joy of the hermits⟩ as the coral-tree ⟨stands in Indra’s garden⟩²; [31] he ⟨produced weal⟩ as Himālaya was the ⟨birthplace of Śiva⟩; he was ⟨marked by his luxurious pleasures⟩ as Mandara is ⟨scarred by the body of the serpent⟩; his ⟨crores were enjoyed by great kings⟩ as Kāilāsa’s ⟨summit is enjoyed by the Great Lord⟩³; he gave pleasure to many ⟨women⟩ as the spring gives pleasure in many ⟨gardens⟩; [32] he made the ⟨earth⟩ resound as Mandara, lifted on high in the churning of the ocean of milk, made the ⟨water⟩ resound; he ⟨took delight in love⟩ as the God of Passion’s Bond⁴ ⟨rejoices Rati⟩; he was shaken by ⟨meditation⟩ as the collected ashes of Śiva are shaken at ⟨twilight⟩⁵; [33] he had a ⟨pure heart⟩ and «clung to Viṣṇu’s feet» as an autumn cloud has a ⟨lurid centre⟩ and «depends from the sky»⁶; he was accustomed to ⟨all passion and merriment⟩ as Arjuna was accus- tomed to be ⟨courageous in battle⟩; [34] he was adorned with a ⟨garland of the circle of the earth⟩ as Kaṁsa was adorned with a ⟨blue lotus garland⟩; he gave joy to the ⟨humble⟩⁷ and «delighted the wise» as Tārkṣya gave joy to ⟨Vinatā⟩⁷ and had «Sumukha for a son»; he ⟨clasped⟩ a beautiful form to his «breast» as Viṣṇu ⟨changed⟩ his beautiful form into a «boar»; he had ⟨time and justice⟩ put into his own power as Śāntanava had ⟨Death⟩ put into his own power; [35] he governed ⟨full happily⟩ as the host of Kāuravas was led by ⟨Suśarman⟩. Though ⟨Subāhu⟩,⁸ he was a joy to «Rāma», for he had ⟨beautiful arms⟩ and gave joy to «women»; though he had ⟨two

¹ Cf. Raghuvamśa, 1-2. ² The heaven of Indra, the home of warriors fallen in battle, and the future hope of popular classic Hinduism, is particularly renowned for its wonderful coral-tree, which, according to Viṣṇupurāṇa, 5. 30, was produced at the churning of the ocean of milk, and which has golden bark, copper-coloured leaves, and flowers of surpassing fragrance. ³ Śiva. ⁴ Kāma. ⁵ An allusion to Śiva's revel dances at nightfall. ⁶ Srirangam text, ‘he had a ⟨pure heart⟩ as an autumn cloud has a ⟨lurid centre⟩; he ⟨clung to Viṣṇu's feet⟩ as the moon ⟨depends from the sky⟩.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit. ⁸ Cf. Rāmāyaṇa, 1. 30.

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 53 eyes>, he was «Śiva», for he was a «great monarch» who <gazed on all alike> ; though <made of pearls>, his «waist had no central jewel», for he was <free from disease> and «virile» ; as a cloud [36] <terrifies flamingoes with showers of exceeding purity>, he <slew kings terrified by the edge of his flashing sword> ; though a light upon a <pole>, his «wick was not consumed», for he was the light of his <race> and his «estate was unimpaired». The noble, resembling oceans with beauteous <mountains>, with <waters> increased exceedingly, and with <contented crea- tures>, attained their highest growth through him who was, as it were, the moon when its «house has all its digits, removes the distress of night, opens the white lotuses», [37] is a friend to «white lotus groves»,¹ and «adorns a quarter of the sky» ; for the noble, with <radiant limbs>, with <life> increased exceedingly, and with <amiable qualities>, [38] attained their highest growth through him who was the «home of the aggregation of all virtues, delighted in Śiva's way, destroyed his enemies», was a friend of «pleasure groves on earth»,¹ and had his «hopes fulfilled». And the hearts of women rejoiced at the sight of him who was like the God of the Dolphin Banner, causing <Aniruddha> delight, <dear to Rati>, and <armed with an arrow of flowers> ; for he caused <unimpeded> delight, was a <friend of wantonness>, and <surpassed the Flower-God>. For him who was as the spring with the <attendant southern breeze>, with <sweet koel-notes>² pleasing the ear,³ expanding the <buds>, making the <forests bend>, [39] <delightsome with fragrant flowers>, with <lotuses> easy for all to gather, possessing an abundance of <white thorn- apple trees> spread abroad, but passing over the <wormwood>, damsels felt attachment, being like creepers of the forest with a thousand «buds», crowded with «bees», charming with «sprigs», and with «sportive birds» ; since he had a <continual ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit. ² The notes of the koel, or Indian cuckoo (Eudynamis orientalis, Linn.), though in themselves scarcely pleasant, are hailed with delight as a harbinger of spring, and the bird is, therefore, regarded as a friend of love. ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the eye and ear.’

54 VĀSAVADATTĀ income for the attendant nobles>,¹ possessed a <sweet koel-voice> pleasing the ear,² expanded <love>, gave a <charming colour to women>, <delighted in learned sages>, possessed <good fortune> easy for all to gather, spread abroad an abundance of <gold>, and surpassed his <foes>, while the damsels [40] were filled with a thousand «anxieties», were sought by «lovers»,³ were charming because of their «coral necklaces»,⁴ and were at the «wanton age». And by his staff-like arm on the field of battle [41] the bow was gained, by the bow the arrows, by the arrows his foeman's head, by this⁵ the world,⁶ by this⁷ a leader such as had never been before, by the leader fame, by fame the seven seas, by the seas the renown of the kings of the Kṛta and other ages, and by that⁸ constancy, and by this⁹ something marvellous every instant. And the periphery of the bosoms of the lovely wives of his foes, who had been consumed by the fire of his majesty, was deserted by their pearl necklaces, as if terrified by the blows of their hands. [42] And his sword, as if coloured with lac from the feet of the Goddess of Victory which had been moistened with the blood of slain infantry, elephants, and horses, shone over a sea of conflict whose shores were covered with quantities of pearls¹⁰ fallen from must elephants'¹¹ frontal lobes which were shattered by sharp arrows, with flying <birds>, with hundreds of <rivers and white and blue lotuses> whose manifold charms were spread through the <beautiful> waters,¹² with¹³ <dancing waters>, and terrible because of the fierce pride of the <cārubhaṭa>-fish which ¹ Or, 'was a competency for his retainers, sages, and honourable men.' ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'the eye and ear.' ³ Or, 'had curls on their foreheads.' ⁴ Or, 'because of their long hair.' ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'by the foeman's head.' ⁶ Tel. ed., 'by the world unprecedented renown as a leader, and by renown fame.' ⁷ Srirangam text, 'by the world.' ⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'by renown.' ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'by constancy.' ¹⁰ Srirangam text, 'round pearls.' ¹¹ The frontal lobe of an elephant is believed to contain a pearl, called kuñjaramaṇi or gajamaṇi, which is possessed of magic properties (Crooke, Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, 2 ed., 2. 240, Westminster, 1896). ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, not alluding to pun, 'with tortoises (clinging) on the feet of elephants coming up from the beautiful water, with lovely white and blue lotuses, with hundreds of rivers.' ¹³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'undulating with.'

were eager to consort with the [43] ⟨surasundarīs⟩; since it shone on a sea of conflict ¹ whose shores were covered with quantities of pearls fallen from must elephants’ frontal lobes which were shattered by sharp arrows, with flying ⟨darts⟩, with hundreds of ⟨fleshless, white-umbrellaed armies⟩ whose manifold charms were spread through the ⟨red⟩ waters, with ² ⟨convulsing corpses⟩, and terrible because of the fierce pride of ⟨warriors⟩ eager to consort with the ⟨Apsarasas⟩. [44] Then, once upon a time, when the night was finished ; when the Lotus-Lord of shell-like beauty was sinking with his spouse, the Night, into the western ³ sea ; while he was white, as it were, with the curds which constitute a morsel of food for (Buddhist) ascetics at their mealtime, and was like a mass of Yamunā’s foam by night, and resembled a fragment of stone ⁴ for the polishing of Mēnakā’s nails, and had the shade of the soma-plant in the centre of his body, and resembled the silvern earring ⁵ of a head laid softly down on the pillow of the western mount, and seemed to be the goblet of Lady Night containing a remnant of wine ; [45] when the bees had their feet caught in the pollen of the white lotuses which had been converted into cold ⁶ paste by the dew ; when by their soft chatter the mainas revealed women at their rendezvous ; when the huts of the ascetics awoke intent on study ; when the streets resounded with poetic tales chanted by mendicants in the vibhāsa mode ⁷ ; [46] when the lamps seemed unable, because of their exceeding thin- ness,⁸ to bear the blackness of night ⁹ which they had entirely

¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘in the forefront of battle, as on a sea terrible with the roaring noise of soldiers marching in eagerness to consort with the Apsarasas’— apparently with no attempt to pun. ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘undulating with.’ ³ The distinctly conventional character of Subandhu's romance is well illustrated by his making the moon set in the west because the sun does. ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘crystalline stone’; Srirangam text, ‘fragment of white stone for the polishing.’ ⁵ Tel. ed., ‘the circle of the silvern earring of night, with her head softly resting,’ etc.; similarly the Srirangam text. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘cold, icy water.’ ⁷ Tel. ed., ‘hāsa mode.’ ⁸ Or, ‘emptiness.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘mass of nocturnal blackness.’

56 VĀSAVADATTĀ swallowed up, and which they vomited, as it were,¹ under the guise of lampblack, and were exhausted by having stretched their necks a hundred times as if to see the tremulous delights of amorous union,² [47] and had been witnesses of manifold ways of wanton sport,³ seeming to protect the darkness ⁴ lurking beneath them as if it were a refugee ; when they had become <dull> because their «oil» had been consumed as knaves ⁵ become <slack> because their «affections» have been consumed ; when they had reached the end of their <wicks> as the exceed- ingly aged reach the end of their <lives> ; when they had only their <bowls> left as noble lords reduced in their estate have only their <bodies> left ; [48] when they were <put in the middle of the house> as demons <wander abroad at the end and middle of night> ; when they had <moths> flying about them as the <sun> descends on the summit of the western mount ; when the gifts of flowers in the boudoirs, that had been noisy with the humming ⁶ of swarms of bees delighting ⁷ in the abundance of unceasing drops ⁸ of honey had withered ; [49] when the downy Nepal jasmines had fallen from the tresses ; when fair women seemed to be pouring forth teardrops for grief at separation from their lovers ⁹ and, with bud-like feet ¹⁰ tinkling with anklets, delayed, as it were, the departure of their best beloved ; when the mist of perspiration ¹¹ had been dried by the wind of the wings of a swarm of bees enamoured of the perfume of the wreaths of half-opened Malabar jasmine ¹² in thick tresses dishevelled by weariness of ¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit 'as it were.' ² Tel. ed., 'the quivering of amorous women.' ³ Tel. ed., 'varied love-joys with delights manifold'; Srirangam text, 'wanton sport with perturbations manifold.' ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'mass of darkness.' ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'the voices of knaves.' ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'sound of the humming.' ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'stupefied with the intoxication of tasting.' ⁸ Tel. ed., 'drops fallen unceasingly'; Srirangam text, 'drops falling unceasingly.' ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'best beloved.' ¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add 'when they (the fair women) shone with bud-like feet.' ¹¹ Tel. ed., 'particles of the mist of perspiration'; Srirangam text, 'particles of perspiration.' ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'mādhavī.'

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 57 intense passion in the waning night; [50] when damsels were tuneful¹ with the jingle of the bracelets on their tremulous, slender arms while they illumined their apartments by the light of the rays² of their milk-white teeth, revealed through their sobbing at the pain caused by the loosening of the hair which adhered to the fresh³ nail-marks⁴; [51] while their attendants, wearied with importunities for another glimpse, saw lovers con- stantly; while (the damsels themselves) felt bashful just for an instant at the endearing words of the house-parrots who had remembered⁵ a hundred shameless speeches uttered in the night⁶; [52] when they (the damsels) had the beauty, as it were, of an autumnal day with ⟨clouds not adorned by sky⟩,⁷ for their ⟨bosoms were adorned by the marks of nails⟩; when they seemed nigh unto death and had their faces set toward the ⟨city of the Lord of Life⟩,⁸ for their faces were set toward their ⟨lovers' persons⟩; when they resembled a row of trees in a forest in the spring-tide abounding in ⟨sap⟩, for they abounded in ⟨anxiety⟩; when they were embraced by their lovers; when there blew a wind that rocked the filaments of the flowers and removed their pollen from the hair [53] of damsels wearing delightsomely tinkling jewels, whilst it had an abundance of expanded white lotuses, and caused pleasure, and rejoiced in union, and rained down a fire of chaff,⁹ as it were, on lonely¹⁰ girls lightly deserted by their lovers, and surrendered them wholly to the burning arrows of love, and carried far [54] the plaint of the Brahminy duck¹¹;

¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘charming.’ ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘rays.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘fresh.’ ⁴ See Schmidt, Beiträge zur indischen Erotik, pp. 478–496, Leipzig, 1902. ⁵ Tel. ed., ‘who made up speeches of love’s shamelessness’; Srirangam text, ‘who remembered speeches of love’s shamelessness.’ ⁶ The same embarrassing habit of the parrot is mentioned by Amaru (see Böhtlingk, Indische Sprüche, 2 ed., No. 2710, St. Petersburg, 1870–1873). ⁷ Their beauty was like the dark massed clouds. ⁸ A euphemism for Yama, the God of Death. ⁹ A fire of chaff being proverbially sudden and intense; Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘powder of a fire of chaff,’ also omitting ‘rained down.’ ¹⁰ Tel. ed., ‘lonely, deserted.’ ¹¹ According to the conventions of Sanskrit literature, two indiscreet lovers were transformed into Brahminy ducks (Cascara rutila, Pallas) and condemned to pass

58 VĀSAVADATTĀ then (Kandarpakētu) saw in a dream ¹ a damsel ² about eighteen years of age with her hips girt ³ round with the bond of a girdle⁴ which was the gate ⁵ of the city of delight of her thighs ; which was the golden rampart of the great treasure-house of the city of joy ⁶ ; which was a trench for the line of the tendril of down ⁷ ; each night separated by a river, from whose opposite banks they continually call to each other. ¹ Cf. Hall, Introd., pp. 30–31, note ; and, for parallels in Sanskrit romances and dramas, as well as in The Thousand Nights and One Night, see Gray, ‘Literary Studies on the Sanskrit Novel,’ in WZKM. 18. 40–41, 50. For a more modern parallel, reference may be made to the Panjābī legends of Princess Adhik Anūp Daī, daughter of Rāja Sirkaṭ (a hero of the Rāja Rasālū cycle), and of Jalālī, the black- smith’s daughter (Temple, Legends of the Panjāb, 1. 233 ; 2. 168–169, Bombay, 1884– 1900). The same motif is found in early European romances, as in the Artus de la Bretagne and Palmerin de Oliva (Dunlop, History of Prose Fiction, 1. 258–259, 380, London, 1896). See also, for other instances of dreams toward morning, Harṣacarita, pp. 136–138, 166, 207, Bombay ed., 1892 (tr. Cowell and Thomas, pp. 105–106, 132–133, 177, London, 1897); Kādambarī, pp. 135–136, Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, p. 57, London, 1896) ; Bṛhatkathāślokasaṃgraha, 2. 43 (ed. and tr. Lacôte, Paris, 1908) ; Natesa Sastri, Dravidian Nights, p. 49, Madras, 1886 ; Frere, Old Deccan Days, 2 ed., pp. 68–69, London, 1870. In India, as elsewhere in the East, dreams play an important rôle in divination, and the wide sphere of Sanskrit oneiro- mancy has been admirably discussed by Julius von Negelein (Der Traumschlüssel des Jagaddēva, Giessen, 1912), on the basis of a critical edition and translation of Jagad- dēva’s Svapnacintāmaṇi. It seems generally agreed that dreams toward morning come true (cf. the texts cited by Hall, loc. cit.). According to the Kathāsaritsāgara, 46. 150, ‘the slow or speedy fruitage of it [a dream] depends on the difference of time [when it is beheld] ; but this dream, being seen at the end of the night, will give a speedy fulfilment’ ; and it may be added that the Asura princess Uṣā, to whom Subandhu himself alludes (below, p. 61), first saw her future husband, Aniruddha, in a dream (Kathāsaritsāgara, 31. 11–32, tr. Tawney, 1. 276–277, Calcutta, 1880). ² This detailed description of the heroine, to which many parallels might be cited in Sanskrit literature, becomes of special interest when compared with the well-known representations of the female form in Indian art, in which the breasts and hips are of exaggerated development, while the waist is correspondingly slender. Vāsavadattā is to be classed, from Subandhu’s description, as a padminī, having, among other cha- racteristics, a moon-like face, eyes with reddish corners, dark, heavy hair, a line of down on the abdomen, and a slow gait ; a taruṇī, as being between sixteen and thirty, and a dēvasattvā, as being noble in conduct and wealthy (Schmidt, Beiträge zur indischen Erotik, pp. 220–224, 243–253, Leipzig, 1902). For similar, but far briefer, descriptions of Oriental beauties, see, for example, Swynnerton, Romantic Tales from the Panjāb, pp. 391–392, London, 1903 ; The Thousand Nights and One Night, tr. Payne, 3. 111–112 ; 4. 295 ; 7. 147, 210 ; 8. 103–104, London, 1882–1884. ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘marked out.’ ⁴ Tel. ed., ‘new girdle.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘garland of.’ ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the golden rampart of the abode of the treasure of her thighs, Love’s great depository.’ ⁷ Tel. ed., ‘zone of the trench for the multiform tendril of down’ ; Srirangam text also adds ‘zone.’

which was a halo for the disc of the moon of her hips ; which had a golden inscription consisting of a line of down that pro- claimed victory over the triple world ¹; which was the line of the moat of the prison of the hearts of all men ; [55] and was as the bar of the chamber of a flock of birds which were the glances of the world.² (She was) adorned with a waist which seemed full of sorrow through failure to see her moon-like face that was hidden by the burden of her swelling breasts ; which appeared to be filled with weariness from the oppression ³ of the urns of her bosom and the circlets of her heavy ⁴ hips ; which had apparently conceived a deep resentment for her massy buttocks ⁵ ; [56] which seemed filled with exhaustion from the restraining hand ⁶ of the Creator who had compressed it exceedingly ; and which had become extremely slender, as if on account of its anxious thought : ‘ Sup- pose mine own breasts should fall on me like projections from a height ’ ? (She was) beautified by breasts with golden jewels filled with gems of passion ⁷ ; with nipples for seals ; apparently nailed with iron under the guise of nipples through fear of falling because of their vast circumference ; [57] accumulations of loveliness, as it were, remaining after the consecration of all her members ; the lotuses, so to say, of the pool of the heart ; possessed of the beauty of a pillow for the cheek ⁸ of Love ; the fruit of the tendril of the line of down ; caskets full of the dust of the lure that

¹ Tel. ed., ‘ which had Love’s golden inscription with a row of letters that proclaimed his victory over the wide triple world ’; similarly the Srirangam text. ² She attracted and kept captive, like so many birds, the glances of every one. Tel. ed., ‘ as the golden bar of the chamber of the abode of her thighs for birds which were the glances of the whole world ’; Srirangam text, ‘ as the golden bar of the chamber of the abode of birds which were the glances of the whole world.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ the confined oppression on both sides from.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ very heavy.’ ⁵ Because her waist shrank away from them. ⁶ Srirangam text, ‘ as if with pain produced by the seizure of the hand.’ ⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘ golden caskets filled with gems of passion.’ ⁸ Tel. ed., ‘ a box of the unguent of Love ’; Srirangam text, ‘ a pillow for the disport of Love.’

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.’

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 61 balance for the jewels of her teeth ¹; [61] the bridge betwixt the oceans of her eyes ²; a wall, as it were, between two elephants mad with youthful passion. (She was) adorned with delicate brows which were clusters of bees about her blue-lotus eyes ³; portals ⁴ of her face that formed the abode of Love; the shores ⁵ of Passion's sea; wantoning in youthful dancing. She possessed, as it were, the loveliness of the sky in the rainy season [62] with ‹clouds› swelling with beauty, for her ‹breasts› swelled with beauty.⁶ Like one ⁷ who has gained the cry of Victory she stood on the tip of a trembling ‹balance›,⁸ for she had trembling ‹anklets›; she was like Suyōdhana's valour while his eyes rested on ‹Karṇa›, for her eyes extended to her ‹ears›; she seemed to have the sportiveness of the Dwarf ⁹ in exhibiting his ‹destruction of Bali›,¹⁰ for she revealed her ‹furrowed folds›; she was like the station of the sun in Scorpio ‹after traversing Virgo and Libra›, for she ‹transcended comparison with other damsels›; [63] she rejoiced in ‹unblemished beauty› as Uṣā rejoiced at the sight of ‹Anirud- dha› ¹¹; she had the ‹beauty of lovely eyes› as Śacī ‹delighted in gazing on Indra's pleasure groves›; she had, as it were, the sportful dancing of Śiva with his ‹quivering serpent›, for she had beautiful ‹eyes and ears›; she had lofty dark ‹nipples› as a forest ¹² has lofty dark ‹bread-fruit trees›; [64] she was adorned with a ¹ Compare the Euphuistic passage in Ben Jonson's Cynthia's Revels, 5. 2 : 'You that tell your mistress, her beauty is all composed of theft; her hair stole from Apollo's goldy-locks; her white and red, lilies and roses stolen out of paradise; her eyes two stars, plucked from the sky; her nose the gnomon of Love's dial, that tells you how the clock of your heart goes; and for her other parts, as you cannot reckon them, they are so many; so you cannot recount them, they are so manifest.' ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'the bridge, as it were, betwixt the ambrosial oceans of her eyes.' ³ The bees being extremely fond of the lotus. ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'garlands of the portals.' ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'currents.' ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, '‹clouds swelling with rain›' and '‹breasts shining with pearl necklaces›.' ⁷ Tel. ed., 'like a king.' ⁸ This seems to be introduced merely for the sake of the pun on tulākoṭi. ⁹ Viṣṇu. ¹⁰ Cf. Rāmāyaṇa, 1. 29; Bhāgavatapurāṇa, 8. 21–23. ¹¹ Cf. Harivaṁśa, 173–186; Kathāsaritsāgara, 6. 31. ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, 'the Vindhya forest.'

62 VĀSAVADATTĀ ⟨beautiful throat and with armlets⟩ as the army of monkeys was adorned by ⟨Sugrīva and Aṅgada⟩. She seemed to be made of planets ¹: of the ⟨Sun⟩, for she had a ⟨shining⟩ ornament ; of the ⟨Moon⟩, for she had a ⟨beautiful⟩ round face ² ; of ⟨Mars⟩, for she had a ⟨rosy⟩ bud-like ³ lower lip ; of ⟨Mercury⟩, for she had a ⟨lovely⟩ appearance ; of ⟨Jupiter⟩, for she had ⟨heavy⟩ round hips ; of ⟨Venus⟩, for she had ⟨wide-open⟩ lotus eyès ⁴ ; of ⟨Saturn⟩, for she had ⟨slow-moving⟩ steps ; of ⟨Rāhu⟩, for she had ⟨dark⟩ heavy hair.⁵ She was a picture, as it were, on the wall of life ⁶ ; [65] the place of assembly, so to say, of the loveliness of the triple world ; apparently the perfect elixir for the Great Ascetic ⁷ in his youth ⁸ ; seemingly the place of Passion's fancy ; the repository, so it would seem, of delight ; [66] the flag of conquest over the threefold earth,⁹ as it were, of the God of the Dolphin Banner ¹⁰ ; evidently the manifestation of intellect ¹¹ ; the conqueror, it would seem, of Passion ¹² ; a powder, so to say, to numb the senses ¹³ ; a power, one would think, to bewilder Love ; apparently the joyous abode of beauty ; the sole sanctuary, as it were, of good fortune ¹⁴ ; seem- ingly the place where loveliness had its origin ¹⁵ ; [67] wellnigh a perfect seduction of the mind ¹⁶ ; almost a blind ¹⁷ of the juggler ¹ A similar thought is expressed by Bhartṛhari (Böhtlingk, Indische Sprüche, 2 ed., No. 2169, St. Petersburg, 1870–1873). In like fashion a girl is described as made of flowers in Harṣacarita, p. 38, Bombay ed., 1892 (tr. Cowell and Thomas, p. 263, London, 1897). ² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘for she had a smile of ⟨white beauty⟩.’ ³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘bud-like.’ ⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text insert, transferring this further down, ‘of ⟨Venus⟩, for she had a ⟨white⟩ pearl necklace.’ ⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit. ⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘like a picture on the life-wall of the theatre of the triple world.’ ⁷ Śiva. ⁸ Tel. ed., ‘the perfect elixir of youth.’ ⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘over the threefold earth.’ ¹⁰ Kāma. ¹¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit. ¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘the battle-ground, as it were, of Love.’ ¹³ Tel. ed., ‘the confusion, so to say, of all the senses.’ ¹⁴ Tel. ed., ‘good fortune’s birth-hall, as it were, of friends’ disport.’ ¹⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘rendezvous.’ ¹⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘wellnigh a perfect spell for the winning of love’ (Srirangam text, ‘mind’). ¹⁷ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘almost a mighty drug to bind the eyes.’