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Published by The Principal, Sanskrit College 1, Banldm Chatterjee Street, Calcutta 700 073

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Printed by Pj Mitra, Bodhi Printers 5B, Sankar Ghosh Lane, Calcutta 700 006

F O R E W O R D . The Department of Post-Graduate Training & Research, Sanskrit College, Calcutta has the privilege of presenting before the world of Indologists and lovers of Sanskrit literature the English translation of Vasavadatta, the famous Sanskrit romance, of the renowned poet Subandhu, who is ranked with Banabhatta and Dandin as one of the greatest writers of Sanskrit literary prose. It is bristling with double entendre in every syllable, and embellished with figures of speech of all conceivable varieties, and artificiality and obliqueness of diction which have become the proverbial features of artistic prose in classical Sanskrit. The well-known verse quoted below records the estimate of Subandhu as a writei: of Sanskrit prose,

Any translation in any language of such a difficult text is bound to fall short of the original and no modern language can hope to bring out faithfully the grace, the subtlety, the abstruse references and the suggestiveness of a composition of such artistic finess as Subandhu's unique prose romance every sentence of which conveys more than one, two, three or more meanings simultaneously, a feat which is conceivable only in Sanskrit, that most perfect and incomparable linguistic medium, the veritable divine speech. Professor Louis H. Gray published in the Indo-Iranian Series of the Columbia University Press, New York in 1913, an English translation ot the difficult work ot Subandhu along with the original Sanskrit test in Roman characters, adding short explanatory comments, where he thought it necessary. This is the first ever English translation of the Vasavadatta. Of course the printed Sanskrit texts of the Bib. Indica series of F. Hall with the commentary of SivaramaTripathi, Calcutta 1859 and the two edit,ons of J. Vidyasagar dated 1894 and 1907 respectively both from Calcutta, provided the reader with well-edited Sanskrit texts. But with the discovery of the late professor H a r i n a t h D e ' s English translation of Subandhu's work the lovers of Sanskrit literature would now be ab]e to relish the beauty of Subsndbu's poetic skill, his mastery

of the difficult art of prose-writng; the wide range of his working and scholastic attainments all blended together into a perfect wholes all of which have been presented in totally foreign linguistic medium and at the same time retaining some of their original flavour-, due to the late scholar's incomparable command over both English and Sanskrit in which he was as much at home as in Greek, Latin, French, German, Arabic, Persians, Pali and several other languages, ancient and modern. The translation, was unearthed by Shri Sunil Bandyopadhyay, author of a biography of late Harinath De. The English translation of Vasavadatta was sent to the Fifteenth Session of the Congress of the Orientalists held in Copenhangen on August 14-20,1903, but unfortunately it could not be published by the organisers of the Congress for lack of funds and was returned to the author with a note of regret. It was in the custody of the late Professor Sailendra Nath Mitra of the University of Calcutta and was later on handed over to the late professor Kshitish Chandra Chattopadhyaya, the renowned Sanskrit scholar and thereafter to Professor Sushil Kumar De, the then Professor of Sanskrit, Dacca University, for their opinion and possible suggestions for its publication, all of which was infructuous. W h e n Prof. Bisnupada Bhattacharyaya joined the Sanskrit College as Principal in 1969, he first tried to revise the original English translation and to edit it with critical notes and occasional elaborations for rendering the sense of the original text more easily intelligible with the help of the late Professor Dr. R. C. Hazra, the then Professor of Smrti and Puranas in the Dept. of P. G. Training and Research, Sanskrit College. After making some progress in that direction it was felt by both of them that any sort of addition or elaboration or editing of the translation as it was left by the scholar, would be unjustified and would only mar the beauty of the diction of the great master of English and would only deprive the prospective readers of the opportunity of appreciating the raciness of the unique translation and as such it was decided to publish the translation only incorporating the corrections noted by late H. N. De himself in. his own hand on the mss. The Sanskrit text has been included in the volume in order to facilitate the understanding of the translation with reference to the text whenever needed and corresponding pagemarks of the translation have been noted against each para of the original Sanskrit Text for making the comparison easy. Late Professor Kali Kumar Datta Shastri, the then Professor of Sanskrit Language and literature, Dept. of P. G Training and Research, Sanskrit College took the

trouble of going through the proofs both of the San kcit Text and of the English translation, for which he deserves our heartfelt thanks. The publication of late Prof. Harinath De's English translation of Subandhu's Vasavadatta which antedates Gray's English Translation of the romance by several years was taken up by late Principal Bisnupada Bhattacharyya, my esteemed teacher about 16 years back, Although the printing of the major portion of the text was complete the book could not be brought out under circumstances beyond control. With the sad demise of the three stalwarts Principal B. P. Bhattacharyya, Dr. R. C. Haz'-a and Dr. K-K. DuttaSastri the Sanskrit College was left with a vaccum in the field of research. Thanks to the foresight and the scholastic zeal of the present Editorial Board that the the whole work could be retrieved and be put to its present shape. Our best thanks are due to Pandit Nanigopal Tarkatirtha of the Department of Publications for copying the original Sanskrit text and looking through the long and arduous process of printing and of publication spread over more than a decade. In prsenting this book before the scholarly woild we can hope that the age old encomium in praise of Subandhu

will be resucitated again with the publication of this work.

1. 4. 94 Sanskrit College Calcutta

Dlkep

umar KaiEJIIal Principal

INTRODUCTORY STANZAS Supreme is the goddess Sarasvati through whose grace through whose limpidOf poets of keen intellect ness waterfowls of little intelligence look upon the whole earth as a jujube fruit on the palm of the hand. or the entire expanse of water as a tiny drop of water.

II Supreme is Hari who let go his arm when the cowherds said **You are tired. Let go the mountain. Let us bear it," and laughed at them when their hands became useless being bent down by the weight, III May Damodara protect you he the marks of the wrinkwhose defeat of Bali is les on whose belly are well known giving unmiprominent producing a stakeable evidence of Of suspicion of their being his being a god by covering the gift in a rather the marks of a too tightstubborn fashion. ly bound rope. IV Victorious is He (on) whose (forehead) shines the lunar digit like an oyster-shell made of silver placed (there) by , eager Uma out of a desire to collect the soot from the lamp of his eye.

SUBANDHU'S

VASAVADATTA

V Enhanced is the happiness of good man by his publication of another's good qualities. Candraprakasa attains The" light of the moon double lustre by deveattains two-fold brillianor loping the talent of ce by opening out the learned men. night lotuses. VI i The learned tell no untruth When they say that a wicked man is more terrible than a serpent, in as much as the latter is hostile to mongooses but not to his own family while that villain is the enemy of his own family. VII ^ , ^ The intellect of wicked men is highly efficient in very dirty work, for it is in darkness that the eye of owls perceives form. VIII The darkness of the wicked becomes great when they destroy the good qualities of others ; the darkness of rainclouds becomes greater even though they screen the moon's effulgence. IX Wherever a wicked man, evil from his very birth sullies like a hand tainted with ashes the character of a good man, he renders him unsullied like a mirror of untarnished transparency,

X Vikramaditya having departed leaving nought save his fame on earth, such valour as Ms is gone, paltry moderns strut about and what man does not oppress his fellow ? Just as when a pond has only mud left in it Sarasa birds or

TRANSLATION

lotuses vanish from it, nor do cranes appear and the heron ceases to stalk about in it. _X.i A good poet's word, even if its real merit be unknown instils honey into the ears (of the hearers); for a garland of malati flowers, though its fragrance has not been inhaled, captivates the gaze.

I t is only from others that men of ex<3ellence can get an idea of their own selves ; since it is only on the surface of a mirror that the eye can behold its greatness.,
-A.J.J.JL

Subandhu, the sole friend of the good has through the grace and boon given by Sarasvati had composed a w o r k he who is the respository of the art required in composing a work in which every letter contains double-entendre. There was king named Cintamani the like of whom had never existed before. The nails of his toes . were cleansed by being rubbed against the corners of the rows of beautiful jewels on the crests of the entire circle of monarchs as gems are polished on whetstones. His arousing astonishment by gifts of gold, food, clothes and land suggeted Nrsimha's mangling of the body ^ of Hiranyakasipu. His gratifying the Gods with rich offerings recalled Krsna's pleasing Vasudeva. His conquering the whole world with ease reminded one of Narayana's lifting up the terrestrial globe in his boar-incarnation. His enhancing joy in those who bestow fame souoded like Karnsa's enemy's (i.e. Krsna's) augmenting the joy of Yasoda. His appreciation of poets suggested Anakadundubhi's (i.e. Krsna's) smiting terror into Kavya (i.e. Piitana). His lotus-like feet being tinged with the rays emanating from the crest Jewels of countless princes

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

put one in mind ofOcean-bedded God's (ie.Nar ay ana's) lotuslike feet being tinged with the rays of the gem on Ananta's (i.e. Sesa's) head. His suppression of the disorderly suggested Varuna's protecting the extreme verge of the (Western) quarter. His fulfilling the hope of sacrificial fees in priests recalled Agastya's decorating the southern quarter. His being the leader of a hundred armies and establishing equality of taxation reminded one of the ocean's attracting hundreds of streams and having hundreds of crocodiles moving about. His being followed by a large army and overcoming obstacles put one in mind of Hara's being accompanied with Mahasena (i.e. Kartikeya) and vanquishing Mara (i.eo the God of love). His sheltering the learned and patronisiag ail sorts of handicraftsmen suggested Mojint Meru's being the abode of the Gods and the shelter of Visvakarman. His being fond of bestowing festivities and removing sufferings by his own lustre suggested the Sun's being hostile to night and dispelling the sorrows of (his wife) Chaya. His attainment of unimpeded prosperity and bestowal of the amorous pleasures suggested the flowerarmed God's (i.e. Kama's) bequeathing prosperity to (his son) Aniruddha and bestowing pleasures on (his wife) Rati. To him were applicable the (contradictory) appellations of Vidyddharas 'a demigod', and Sumandh, a ^full god', in the sense that he was 'a repository of learning' (Vidyddhara) and ^possessed a benevolent mind' {Sumandh)-^ those of Dhrtardstra^ the *Kaurava monarch' and Gumpriya^ *lover of Bhima' in the sense that he was the Vielder of an empire' {^'dJirtardstra''} and a 'lover of excellence' {'^gunapriya") ; those of ksamdnugata 'one attached to earth' and of sudharmdsraya 'a denizen of Sudharma', (the council of the gods) in the sense that 'he was given to forgiveness' (ksamdnugata) and was 'endowed with noble virtues' (sudharrndsraya) ; those of being hrhan-nald 'covered by large reeds' and antahsarala 'having in the interior only sarala trees' in as much as he had the prowess of Brhannala {brJiannaldnubhdva) and was

TRANSLATION

<gijup]e hearted' (antahsarald); those of Mahistsamhhavah, being 'the child of a she-buffalo' and of Vrsotpddz, 'the progenitor of a bull' in the sense that he was 'born of a Queen-consort' (^mahisisamhhavah') and practised virtue ('vrsotpddi^); those of atarala 'being not the central gem of a necklace' and yet oiMahdnai/aka^the large central gem of a necklace', in the sense that he was *not fickle-minded' (atarala) and was *a great leader' {Mahdndyaka). And while he ruled over the earth, there was no using of ^Ohala\ or deception and ^Nigraha^ or imprisonment expect in the sense of 'outwitting' and 'overpowering' and that in discussions ; there was no ^Ndstikatd' or penury except in the sense of 'atheism' and that among the followers of Carvaka ; there was no employment of Kantaha^ 'punishment by pricking the finger tips with iron nails' except in the sense of 'spies' and that in political missions ; there was no Panvada, or calumniation except in the sens of 'airs' and that in lutes ; there was no ^coming in contact with the E ' M a or the wicked except in the sense of 'threshing floors' and that in the case of rice ; there was no gathering together of the Dvijihva or the double-faced except in the case of 'serpents' and that by snake charmers; there was no cutting down of Kara or hand except in the sense of taxes and t h a t in the collection of the fixed royal revenues; there w&s no Utpdtana or plucking out of the Netra or the eye of Munis or sages except in the sense of 'pulling out of the roots of Muni-trees' ; there was^ no Dvijardja-viruddhatd or opposition to the ^twice born and the king* except in the sense of aversion for the moon and that on the part of lotuses. The appellation of Sdrvabhauma or universal monarch was not shared with him by any except the quarter elephant who bears the name of Sarvabhauma ; there was no ordeal by Agni or fire and tula or balance except in the sense of'testing in the fire and by the balance' and that in the case of things made of gold ; there was no silctbheda or 'prohibition of gesticulation during dances' except

"^^

SUBANDHU*S VASAVADATTA

in the sense of ^boring by iron-needles' and that in the- case of gems ; there was no sulabhanga or torture by impalement except in the sense of 'pains of parturition' and that in the case of young women ; there was no seeing of Duhsdsana or misrule (or'^^unruly men") except in the Mahabharata ; there was no Karapatraddrana or mangling of limbs by the saw except in the sense of ^the opening out of leaves by the sun's rays' in the case of lotuses. Though he was engaged in raising gotra or earth the great Boar's crushing down gotra or the mountains sounds like his depressing gotra or the earth. Though he left Janaka-hhu, his father's realm, Rama's going to the forest with Jdnaka-bhu or Janaka's daughter sounds like his being accompanied thither by JanakabM or his father's realm. Though he manifested royalty to Rama, Bharata's Virama or 'indifference' to sovereignty sounds like his doing away with Rama (Virdma) in the kingdom. Though he was reunited with Damayanti, Nala's punar bhu-parigraha or 'reassumption of his kingdom' sounds like his marrying a child widow who had not known her husband (punarbhu-parigraha). Even Prthu's extension of the level surface of the globe by uprooting gotra or mountains sounds like his sway over the entire globe by the extinction of his gotra or race. Thus the kings of former times have no room for eulogy. The king on the other hand was indeed a monarch of a different stamp. He cast into the shade the lives of all other sovereigns. For instance, as an observer of festivities and manifester of his own eminence and prosperity, he by incessantly bestowing happiness on the horses which ranged about his camp, suggested a mountain that displays the loftiness of its peak and gives incessant delight to the Gandharvas who wander about its belt. As a receptacle of prosperity and as one not puffed up by pride and averse to the practice of guile, he suggested the Himalayas which with its upper parts unapproached by snow was capable of producing Uma As a self-respecting monarch noted for

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his virtues and true to his word, he suggested the bull embleni^d Siva stationed on Mt. Himalaya. As one resorted to by the good, as a repairer of bad roads^ as the foremost of the pure, as one free from all hankering after pleasures, and as a patron of the learned, he suggested the wind which shakes forests is the precursor of fire, the eager expectant of clouds, and the robber of flowers. As the source of all that is excellent or precious, as one who was incapable of bowing to others, as one who is full of gravity, as an observer of limitatioQS (enjoined by the sacred books), as one free from all defects, as one devoid of pride, as a bestower of gifts, as one whose heart was cool like the moon, as one whose speech was Hke nectar, as one possessed of competent officer, as one whose anger was not unappeasable, as a great man raised above miserliness, as the possessor of the seal which is one of the insignia of royalty, he suggested the ocean which is the mineof gems, which is not without whales, which is unfathomable, which has its limiting shores, which is not un-occupied by boats which arouses wonder, which is always the abode of snakes and monsters, which is full of water, which is bounded by two shores which has below it mountains and alligators and which is the lord of mighty rivers. As a delighter of those who bestowed festivities, as the sole friend and protector of men of talent, as the ancestral home of all the fine arts and as a queller of the forces of his enemies he suggested the moon which is the delighter of the night, the sole friend of night lotuses, the abode of the sixteen digits whose might the stars cannot surpass. As the cause of the prosperity of his friends, as the possessor of uncommon lustre, as one blest with an amont of wealth which (piled up) would transcend mountains, he suggested Mount Sumeru which is the source of the sun-rise, which wears the beauty of a golden hue and is invested with a great and enduring splendour. His enemies' being always dispossessed of their resources and being rendered unequal to the mighty task (of

Mmwiiiiiiwiwiiili'iiM Miiiwiij iiniiiiMiiinii

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

1,

I I

warfare) suggested their always being Partha's (i.e. Arjuna's) without the capacity for the Mahabharata war. He was a Bhisma and yet ioclined towards others than Santanu (Sdntanavehita) in the sense that he was terrible (bhisma) and formed the subject of praise of (even) the disorderly (santanavehita). He was a sanucara, *a ranger of the mountain belt^ and yet not a gotrabhusita, *an inhabitant of mountainous regions' in the sense that he 'was accompanied with servants' and owed not his glory to the race, to which he belonged. He was a Trisanku and yet not driven out of the starry region (naksatrapathaskhalita) in the sense that he was 'the possessor of three-fold might' and *did not swerve from the duties of the Ksatriya caste'. He was a Sankara, *a Siva' and yet not a Visadi, *a poisoneater,' in the sense that he ^did good' (Sankara) and was not ^sorrowful (visadt). He ws^s pdvaka 'fire' and yet not Krma vartmd ^one of the darkening path' in the sense that he was 'a man of holy character' (pdvaka) and avoided the 'path of darkness' {Krmavartma^. He was dsraydsa 'fire' and yet not dahana 'burning' in the sense that he did not consume dependants (dsraydsa) or burn (the hearts of) others (dahana). His not cutting off without notice any one's liveihood suggested a dissimilarity to Yama who suddenly snatches away life. His not being Inflamed with a desire to seize the territories of his allies suggested a dissimilarity to Rahu who grows in brightness by seiziog the orb of the sun. His not having to settle disputes by war (as he had no enemies left) suggested a dissimilarity to Nala whose body was overpowered by Kali. His not being elated with the reputation of killing petty malefactors suggested a dissimilarity to Quoit-bearing god who gained fame by killing (the demon) Srgala. The king's being endowed with glory and kindness suggested the cow-herd Nanda's being accompanied by his wife Yasoda. His making peace and war suggested the disseverance of the joinings of Jarasandha's body. His

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attachment to Charity and enjoyment suggested Sukra's always moving about in the sky. His being attended with good friends and good counsellors suggested Dasaratha's being accompanied by his wife Sumitra and his charioteer Sumantra. His fondness for the large minded (or ^'favouring those deserving of charity") and protecting the earth suggested Dilipa's love for (his wife) Sudaksina and protection of Vasistha's cow. His attainment of transcendental beauty through his promising years (i.e. youth) suggested Rama's conferring improvement on the beauty of Kusa and Lava, This king had a son named Kandarpaketu whose delighting his dependants suggested the Parijata tree growing in the Nandana garden : whose production of good suggested Himalaya's producing the wife of Siva ; whose being characterised by the enjoyments peculiar to men of pleasure suggested Mount Mandara's being marked hj hoods of snakes ; whose boundless wealth being partaken of by great kings suggested Mount Kailasa's summits being enjoyed by Mahadeva ; whose delighting various women suggested the spring season's bringing joy to various gardens ; whose name being celebreted on the lips of all the world suggested Mount Mandara's producing a splashing sound in the waves of the Milky Ocan while engaged in churning i t ; whose rousing affection suggested Kama's giving delight to his wife R a t i ; whose being unassailable to guile through his possession of a good judgment suggested l^iva's mass of ash-paint dazzling in the evening ; whose pure heart and devotion to Visnu's feet suggested an autumnal cloud of spotless interior moving in the ethereal regions ; whose equability of sentiments and constant smile suggested Arjuna's fitness for prowess in battle ; whose being adorned with a crown of lotuses (or "with the belt of the earth") suggested Kamsa's having in his possession the two elephants Kuvalaya and Apida ; whose delight in the meek and the learned suggested Garuda's delighting his mother Vinata and having Sumukha for

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

his son ; whose assumption of a beautiful form suggested Visnu's transforming himself into a Boar ; whose having his time and duty (or "duty fitted to time") a t his disposal suggested Bhisma's having death at his beck and call; whose being surrounded by great blessings suggested the phalanx of the Kurus beiog led by Susarma. He combined the incompatible appellations of Subahu (name of a Raksasa) and of Ramanandi 'delighter of Rama' in the sense that he was of mighty arm and a delighter of women: those of being Even-eyed and Siva in the sense that he was level headed (or "impartial") and a mighty sovereign ; those of Muktamaya, 'possesser of a pearl necklace' and Ataralamadhya, 'lacking the central jewel' in the sense that he was free from disease (Muktamaya) and was not light-hearted (ataralamadhya). His filling with terror swan-like kings through the edge of his spotlessly bright soul suggested the cloud which frightens swans by its transparent showers of rain. You might call him a Vamsa-pradipa(bamboo-lamp') and yet possessed of an exhaustless Dasa, wick in the sense that he was the luminary of his race and that his condition

suffered no decay. Under the eye of that king who was the master of universal accomplishment, the observer of the rites of Siva (or *'was charming through his observance of the Saiva rites"), the destroyer of his enemies, the friend to the enjoyments of the world, the fulfiiler to the best of his abilities of the prayers of suitors, the height of prosperity was attained by the learned who came of illustrious lineage, who earned excessively high livelihoods, whose temperaments were cheerful just as great rise is attained by the ocean whose submarine mountains rejoice, whose waters stretch far and wide, and whose animals are delighted when it is gazed upon by the moon which is the container of the sixteen digits, the remover of nocturnal discomforts, the slayer of lotuses, the friend of lilies and the beautifier of quarters. Elated were the hearts of women at the sight of him who^

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ll

as the producer of uninterrupted joy, the lover of amorous sport, the eclipser of (the vanity of) the god of flowery arrows, suggested that very god who bears on his banner the emblem of a sea monster, brings joy to Aniroddha, is dear to Rati and is the lord of the flowery bow. Young damsels long for for him as the creepers long for the spring season, for he being always resorted to by the humble and the great being endowed with a voice as melodious and ear-delighting as that of the cuckoo, developing amorous sentiments, conferring the joys of love on his wife, beloved of the learned and of the gods, putting good fortune within easy reach of all, distributing the wealth of gold and surpassing all heroessuggested the spring season whose constant attendance is the southern breeze, which resounds with the eardelighting gentle note of the cuckoo, which unfolds the sprouts (or *'leaf") which makes the forests wave the season delightful with its sweet scented flowers when lotuses are easily available to ail when the wealth of Campaka flowers unfolds, when the time of the Damanaka flower is over The young damsels too ruffled by a thousand longings associated with lovers (or "who having their foreheads covered with ringlets") attractive with corals (or *'with beautiful hair") and bloomiog in their budding youth suggested the forest creeper teeming with a thousand blossoms covered with black bees, beautified tender sprouts and forming the pleasing haunts of birds. His hand held the bow in the field of battle, the bow held the arrows, the arrows smote the enemies' heads, the enemies' heads filled the globe of the earth, the globe of the earth obtained a leader of unprecedented excellence, the leader attained glory, the glory spread over the seven oceans, the seven oceans recalled the memory of the lives of the kings of the golden and other ages, the memory of these kings attained immortality, and the immortahty produced wonder every moment. The pearl necklaces afraid as it were of being struck by their palms, left the exapanse of the bosoms

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

of the beautiful wives of his enemies who were burnt by the fire of his prowess. His sword reddened, as it were, with the hue of the lacdye on the goddess of Victory's feet-which are washed with the blood of wounded foot-soldiers, elephants and horses, flashed on the field of battle the expanse of which rendered uneven by a host of pearls issuing from the heads of infuriated elephants riddled through and through by sharp javelins, recalled the expanse of the ocean which is ruffled by heaps of pearls issuing from the heads of water elephants riddled by fiercecomrades. The arrows fell there recalling flights of birds skimming over the ocean. I t was covered with hundreds of armies carrying white umbrellas and consistingof unfleshed (men and animals) of various hues wallowing in a stream of blood, recalling the ocean's being filled with a hundred streams on the ruddy waves of which grow white lotuses and those of other colours. Headless trunks danced there suggesting the surging of the ocean waves. The boastful ejaculations of handsome warriors eager for union with celestial damsels filled the field of battle with terror suggesting the ocean with the terror produced there by the frequent roars of male whales anxious for union with the female ones. Now once upon a time when the night was drawing to a close the Prince beheld in a dream a damsel who was about eighteen years of age. The lord of the Lilies, emulating the gleam of a conchshell, and in whiteness resembling curd was then plunging into the waves of the western ocean. He looked like a lump of food for the mouth of the naked hermit Time or the mass of foam of the Yamuna (i.e* River) of Night or the piece of stone which the celestial nymph Menaka uses for rubbing her nails. His inner disc bore a likeness to the shadow of a bee hive. He appeared like the silver ear-ornament of the bride Night comfortably pillowing her head upon the western mountain or like her wine-cup with just a remnant of wine left in it. Entangled were the feet of the black bees in lily pollens which the night-

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13

A ws had moistened into mud. The female parrots with t inarticulate chatter startled and roused the damsels T o \ a d gone out to meet their lovers. The inmates of the Teminaries had awoke, and were engaged in their studies. The streets were begining to resound with songs and stories Yor'^stories in verse") sung by cloth beggars chanting the ibhasa tune. The lamps which were witnesses to various Tostures of amorous play being unable as it were, owing to their excessive faintness to retain all the nocturnal darkness they had drunk up and vomitting it out, so to speak, in the shape of coliyrium, had become slender through raising their necks a hundred times as if to see the sexual sports of passionate couples. They protected the lower darkness as though it were a refugee. Their growing faint owing to the burning up of their oil suggested wicked persons in whom all affection has dried up. Their reaching up to the end of their wicks recalled old men coming to (life's)' last stage. Their having only the earthen receptacle left (after the burning up of the wick and the oil) reminded of good men overcome with calamities whose body is the only possession left to them. The lights by their remaining within the houses suggested demons prowling about a t the close of night. The moths falling upon them put one in mind of the sun setting upon the western mountains. In habitations bunches of flowers were beginning to fade while all around them hummed swarms of bees in their never ceasing desire for drops of honey. The drops of perspiration (on their bodies) being drunk up by the bees greedy to suck the fragrance of the garlands of half blown Mdlati flowers that had dropped from their hair dishevelled by their amorous sports at the close of night, their armlets resounding on their tremulous creeper like arms, their pleasure houses whitened with the gleam of their beautiful milk white teeth displayed with a scream elicited by the pain caused by their disengaging their hair entangled with their feet on which fresh nails

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had grown, the lady-loves were incessantly watched by their female companions dejectedly enquring when a second meeting would take place with their lovers and the Kunda flowers dropping from their ringlets looked like drops of tears due to the grief caused by their separation from their lovers while the tinkling of the anklets round their sproutlike feet seemed to forbid, as it were, their lovers to leave them. Lovers while embracing their lady-loves in whom a feeling of shame was produced by the amusement which they derived from the coaxing chatter of house parrots recalling hundreds of amorous expressions which had been made use of at night time, and while the breasts of these ladies with the marks of nail upon them recalled the beauty of an autumn day when rain clouds do not adorn the sky, their going out to the house of their lovers ("Lords of their lives") suggested those whose death is imrainent and who are hurrying to the abode of Yama. The excessive anxiety which filled these damsels reminded one of forests in the spring time abounding in blossoms. The wind swinging the filaments of flowers, stealing the flower dust from the lock of women whose jewels were musically tinkling keeping company with the ponds, the home of lily and source of joy, aspreading a straw-fire, as it were, over the hearts of those whom the parting from their lovers had reft of happiness by showering from all sides the fire of cupid's arrows, and wafting far and wide the cries of the female Cakravaka. The hips of the damsel seen in the dream were encircl ed with a waist-girdle which was the external gate to that city of Cupid, her thighs. You may call that waist-girdle the golden ramparts of the treasury of the capital town of Cupid, circular channel round that creeper, her hair, the halo of that lunar disc, her thighs, the row of those golden leaves, her hair, which looked like the memorial-pillar of the conquest of the three worlds, the circular moat round the castle wherein are confined like captives the hearts of

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all men, the string, as it were, round the swinging bar whereon dance those rows of birds, the eyes of all the world, gbe was adorned with a waist which was, as it were, filled with sorrow at not being able to catch a glimpse of that moon like face screened from it by her rising breasts. Exhausted by the pain of sustaining a pair of breasts resembling pitchers and the weight of round hips, filled with envy at the heavy hips it had to support, the waist had dwindled into excessive slendernessat the thought of thepossiblity of its having (some day) to sustain the fall of a pair of pitcher-like breasts which were made to grow over head of it by the painstaking manipulation of a pain-ioflicting creator. She was adorned with a pair of breasts having a pair of nipples resembling a pair of seals, golden rucakas (balls), as it were, formed out of the gem of love and infixed, as it were, by pikes hard as rocks in the guise of nipples lest the breasts might fall down owing to their excessive expanse. The breasts appeared like two residual lumps of the lustre which had been transferred .through all her limbs, like a pair of lotuses growing in the pond of her heart, like the beautiful dimples on the cheeks of the god of love, like a pair of fruits growing on^ that creeper, her hair, like two small boxes filled with magic powder to subdue human heartsa means to increase the pride of Cupid, The breasts had won glory by laying low (or, "lying upon") the hearts of numberless persons, and might be called two fruits growing on the mighty tree of existence, two flowers blooming on the great tree of youth, two cahravakas tempted by her necklace resembling a lotus stalk, two fruits of the sacred tree of Prayaga appearing to be formed by the confluence of her necklace and her creeper-like hair, two rest houses for Cupid exhausted with the labour of conquering the three worlds. She was adorned with sprout-like lips which acted as a lid to preserve the vermilion that ministered to the gleam of her gem-like teeth, like the ruddy tinge of evening close to the moon of her countenance. Tinged as the lips

16

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

were with outpouring affetion of her heart as though with a paint, they looked like new sprung foliage on the coral tree growing in the ocean of love. She was adorned with a pair of eyes long like a new Ketaka leaf, restless, langorous with (long) eye lashes liable to be mistaken for the window of that votary of pleasure, Cupid, dwelling in that residential house of his, the human heart. Though frought with passion, the eyes may be said to lead to Nirvana or salvation in the sense that they were brimming with affection and drew away men's attention from other places. Their corners were red, through their becoming angry, as it were, with the ears that obstructed the range of their movement. They cast a whitening gleam over the entire universe, filling the horizon, as it were, with blossoming lotus-garlands pouring forth (lit. vomiting) from within themselves thousands of milk oceans, and laughing, as it were, to scorn the beauty of the garlands of kunda flowers and of blue lotuses. Her beauty was enhanced by a straight (lit. bamboo-like) nose that looked like the rod of the balance of her gem-like teeth or like a bridge built over the sea of her eyes or like a limitary pillar raised between the two infuriated elephants, youth and love. She was endow^ed with a pair of creeper-like eye-brows which may be called a row of bees settling upon the blue lotus of her eyes or the gate-ways of that temple of Cupidj her face, or the shore of the ocean of love, or the two female dancers accompanying the male dancer. Youth. The damsel's having rising and shapely breasts suggested the rainy sieason in its charm of lofty (or raised) clouds. Her possessing gleaming anklets recalled the forms of war-distressed people raised to the summit of exultation at the proclamation of victory. Her eyes extending as far as the ears reminded one of Suyodhand's gaze of equanimity reposing on Kama. Her displaying the creases of wrinkles on her belly put one in mind of Vdmana's feet whereby the power of Bali was crushed. Her surpassing the measure of womanhood sounded like the sun's going beyond the cons-

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tellations Virgo and Libra and remaining in the Scorpio, The interminable pleasure produced hj the sight of her made one think of 27^^'^ being pleased with the sight of jlniruddha. The delight produced hj the beauty of her eyes recalled Saci's desire to gaze upon her son (or the Nandana garden). Her possession of good eyes and ears suggested the sportive dance of Siva in which serpents (on his locks) raise their heads.. Her having dark rising breasts recalled a forest with lofty black lahuca trees Her being adorned with a fine neck and armlets put one in mind of the army of monkeys of which Sugnva and Angada were the ornaments. Her being endowed with attractiveness suggested a possession of satellites. She had bright ornaments suggesting the Sun ; a delighting halo of countenance suggesting the Moon ; a pleasing gaze suggesting Mercury i red, sprout-like lips suggesting Mars ; large round' buttocks suggesting Jupiter ; eyes like blooming lotuses suggesting Venus ; slowly-moving feet suggesting Saturn ; black looks of hair suggesting Node The damsel indeed was, as it were, -a painting on the foundation-stone of the world, the resort of all that is beautiful in the three worlds^ the alchemical success of the mighty ascetic youth, the longedfor pedestal of love, the respository of curiosity, the flag of Cupid betokening the conquest 'of the three worlds, the rousing of the feelings of the heart, the on-set of love^ the benumbing powers (?) of the senses, the stupifying power of Cupid, the pleasure garden of beauty, the sole dwelling place of good fotune, the birth-place of lustre^ the effective attraction of hearts, the optical illusion produced by the magician, Cupid J the three-world-captivating creation of Prajapatio Now as he was drinking into her^ as it were, with his eyes distended with love, Dame Sleep whom he had served for a long time left him like a woman whose Jealousy had been excited. On awaking he. was unable to uphold his mind which had sunk, as it were^ in a pond of poison or had been overwlielmed by the words of a wicked maE So 2

18

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

embracing the air for a moment with outstretched arms he addressed his beloved (Phantom) with the words. ''Dearest come to me. Whither art thou going ?" As if the damsel's form were painted on the horizon or spread over his eyes or engraved on his heart. He then passed that day on the very same bed shutting his eyes, keeping out all his attendants closing the doors, and refusing all necessaries of life such as food, betel etc. In this condition he passed the night also eager to meet again the .damsel in dream. Now, a dear companion of his named Makaranda who had managed with some difficulty to obtain access to him thus addressed the Prince Kaiidarpaketu who was smarting under the shafts of cupid s-"Friend^ why have you adopted such an improper conduct as this which is unworthy of the wise. Seeing this behaviour of yourSj the good find themselves swinging in the cradle of uncertainty, while the wicked are persuading themselves that some calamity has befallen you which indeed ought not have befallen. The hearts of the wicked are pre-eminetly characterized by a fondness for making mischief. Who indeed is able to sound their depths (lit. "ascertain their nature") ? The wicked man combines the incompatible appellations of being BJiima and yet no foe to the demon Baica in the sense that he is terrible and hostile to those worthy of praise ; of being dsraydsa^ fire, yet Matarisvd in the sense of being a destroyer of shelters and adopting a canine behaviour towards his own mother ; of being katu (bitter) and yet Mahdrasa possessed of great flavour in the sense of being bitter and devoid of sweetness. He resembles mustard oil that does not give up its pungency though taken on both hands and applied to the head, inasmuch as . he does not. give up his wickedness though jon pat him with both your hands, and (lovingly) raise him on your head. He is like the juice of the palm fruit which is sweet at the outset but distasteful and bitter in the long run in as much as he is very pleasant at first sight, but eventu-

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ally turns disagreeable and nasty. He resembles the dust on the feet which being shaken befouls the head in as much as he being rated worries the head of him who rates him. He resembles the fruit of a poison tree that deadens (the part of the body) to which it is applied, in as much as he establishes bewilderment wherever he makes himself felt. His never being in lack of enemies suggests a low regionwhich does not suffer from want of water.. His being filled with jealousy and bringing affliction on the learned recall a summer day which teems with flies and bestows heat on flowerso His being expert in finding fault with others^ and readiness to undo all that has been dene puts one in mind of darkness which is skilled in adhering to night and is ready to eclipse the sun. As he is one who does unseemly deeds and is inflated with arrogance to him may be applied the incompatible titles of Virupaksa (Siva) Cakradhara (Visnu). His turning a deaf ear (to other's interests) and not being an admirer of his own countrymen suggest the horse of Indra Uccaisravas^ the admirer of things that grow in the sea. His tormenting the heart of the good man sbows affection for him and is attached to him suggests the churning stick which agitates the inner mass of the cream though the cream exhibits the gloss and is attached to it. His resounding with praise of himself and talking about his travels over the earth suggest the sacrificial offering of a Yaksaj noisy with the cawing of crows and exhibiting dogs prowling about. The excessively uncontrollable nature of his mouth and the reduction of his gifts to a minimum recall an infuriated elephant whose mouth is restlessly placed upon his female while ichor trickles from him in unchecked flow. His not being filled with any fear for the gods suggests a full fainting after his pursuit of the cow Surabhi. His swerving from (the traditions of) his family and being addicted to the wrong path recall the passionate man who cannot help confounding the names of his mistresses and frequents the roads in which women walk. His

20

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

. introduction of nonsense in polite and sensible conversation suggests the disease of indigestion^ which brings faintness on the body and on speech. His being given to promisebreaking, like a cheat possessing hostile inclinations towards his master suggests a jackal's attachment to corpses and fondness for night. His giving pain 'to his kith and kin reminds one of death who brings (on men) loss of friends. His destruction of the good recalls an axe cutting down the sandal tree. His crushing his kinsfolk and destroying the forbearing recall pickaxes digging the earth and cutting down animals that dwell therein. His attachment to evil acts and bringing disgrace on the good recall a dog addicted to the filthy act of copulation and rousing the shame of the good. His ugly couatenance, his dislike of even a ' capable underling and of the music of the flutes recall a wicked elephant who is desirous of visiting forests and does not like the grass spread at hand close to him. Without a seedy without a trunk, as it were^ the shoots of wickedness spring up and are hard to uproot^ for whenever a grain of evil enters the heart of the wicked^ it assumes a terrible form. Not even a grain of evil ever enters the heart of the good, and if by any chance it finds an entrance there, like quicksilver it does not remain there even for a moment. The good are charmed when they listen to the discourse of one who is acquainted with entertaining topics even as the deer are infatuated when they hear one who is expert in deer-music. Men like your honoured self confer bliss and captivate a friend's heart recalling the autumn season which has beautiful Khanjana birds and charms the heart of sun (i.e. appears beautiful and brilliant). Nor does the animate creation offer irrelevant suggestion. Even in the case of inanimate things friendship is founded on considerations of suitability. For example, water (when combined with milk) allows itself to evaporate in the process of decoction out of a conviction^ as it were, that Bine it owes its increase to its association with milk^

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it is right that its own evaporation should be prior to that of milk which is its friend^ for water is nothing else but milk on account of its sweetness coolness, purity and power of alleviating pain. Therefore, *^your having this behaviour is improper, 0 friend, Follow the path t h a t becomes the , wise. Even the wise go greatly astray by mistaking proper directions^'' As Maharanda was making this speech, KandarpaJcetu who was still smarting under the shafts of Cupid that had hit him, with some difficulty uttered the following few words :^'Friend^ the activity of my mind is benumbed with a hundred afflictions^ like Diti (the mother of Demons) distracted by Satamanyu (Indra), This is not the season for advice, I feelj as it were, that my limbs are numbed ; that my senses are in a ferment ; that my inmost core is shattered ; that my vital airs are leaving (my body) ; that my judgment is uprooted, that my memory is gone. Therefore, now if you have been the sharer of my joys and sorrows from the very time that we played in the dust (or '''indulged in private sports'^) follow me." With these words he left the City in his friend's company unobserved by the members,of his household. Thereupon when they had proceeded a few hundred nalvas {nalva 4:Q0 spans), they caught sight of the great Vindhya mountain whose thousand peaks, as they were, rising skywards contracted themselves at sag Agastya's commandwhose girdle is crowded with hundreds of ^^a6am5 eager to kill hundreds of yah deer which are delighted with hearing the music made : by couples of Vidyddharas that sleep happily within the arbours situated in the recesses of cavernsthe surface of whose rocks is cooled by the breeze that wafts the perfume of the yellow sandal trees which trickle with exudation as they are broken being pulled by trunks of elephants that range about the mountain's belt which has monkeys greedily licking their palms moistened with the juice of the palm fruits broken through falling from

m
22 SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

a great heightwhose circumference is perfumed with the fragrance of the juice of various fruits licked over and over again by pairs of caJcora birds perched near the falling torrents-which with its peak dappled with pearls dropping from infuriated elephant's heads that had been cloven by the sharp edges of the nails of thousand fierce- lions appears to bear clusters of stars clinging to its headthe shaded foot of the mountain inhabited as it is by bears, nilgai {gavaya), sarahhas, lions and quarter-elephants suggests a comparison with Sugriva whose lustrous feet were attended by monkeys bearing the names of Rhsa^ Gavaya, Sarahha, Kesarin and Kumuda. The mountain's affluence as it is by the breath of elephanhs suggests a comparison with Pasupati whose' ashes are wafted around by the hisses of serpents. Its containing marvellous rows of forests suggested a comparison with Jandrdana with his wonderful garland' of woodland flowers. Its possession of Saptaparm and Syandana trees suggests a comparison with the Sun-God seated upon a chariot drown by seven horses. Its having caverns . near to one another as well as amalahi trees (or "she-jackals") suggests a comparison with Siva who has Kartikeya near him and is accompanied by ParvatL I t s zone containing forests^ saline earth, and madana trees suggests a comparison with an amorous man who humours the sweet anger of his lady-love and is filled with concupiscence. As a thriving mountain having Mallihd and Arjuna - trees growing in its vicinity, it suggests a comparison with Mount Sri having Mallikarjuna (i.e. Siva) dwelling close by. The mountain's possession of the creepers Priyangu and Sydmd suggested Naravahanadatta accompanied with his wife Priyangusyama. Its having dmalakt trees growing on it. suggests a child taken by its nurse in her arms. Its forests reddened with the ruddy gleam of Gairika stone suggests the dawn of day which casts over forests the radiance of Aruiia. The mountain's being densely covered with numerous creepers suggests the fortnight of the waning moon

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thick with darkness. I t s experience of the cleaving power of thunder recalls Karna who realised what it was to give a,^ay hundreds of crores (of money). Its being covered with semicircular feather marks left by peacocks suggests 3hisma who was covered over by ardhacandra (half-moon) arrows discharged by Sikhandin, The mountain being filled ^ith cloud-elephants and being steeped with fragrance issuing from the forests thereon suggested the science of Erotics composed by the sage Mallanaga which describes amusements derivable from love of women. As the receptacle of deer fish or water the mountain suggested Hiranyakasipu who was the support of the demon race. The mountain by the show of its red mineral colour appeared to be adored by Aruna for the purpose,, as it were^ of obtaining leave to exploit the the path by which the sun's chariot is to go. With a pair of eyes stretching far in the shape of the Sun and Moon that rest upon its peaks it seemed as if to descry the approach of the sage Agastya. The bodies of the aged boa constrictors lying upon it made the mountain look as if its bowels had been turned inside out. The caves on its belt being filled with crowds of monkeys suggest & comparison with Knmhhakarna into the intestines of whose teeth the monkey-army of Rama found an entrance. The mountain contained ketaki bowers which served as trysting-places for Indra's courtezans whose ranging about there was inferable from the footprints tinged with the colour of thick-lac-dye. To this mountain were applicable the incompatible appellations of aJcuUna Cnot born of a higy family") and sadvamahhusita ("odorned with a good extraction") in the sense that it was not .attached to the earth (akulina) and was decked with good bamboos (sadvamsabhiisita)those of darsitdbhaya ('^distributing security") and mrtyuphaladdyin (awarding the punishment of death) in, the sense that the mountain exhibited abJiayd trees (darsitabhaya) and was able to give mrtyuphala i.e, the fruit that kills its tree viz.

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

bananathose of saprastha ('^half a ponnd in weight") and aparimam (being measureless) in the sense that it had a belt (saprastha) and was immeasurable (aparimana)those of Sanada ("full of sound") and iiihsahda- (''soundless") in the sense that it had rivers (sanada) and was silent (nihsabda)those of Bhima (the Pandava brother) and Kicakabandhu (a friend of Kicaka) in the sense of being terrible (bhima) and fovourable to the growth of bamboos (kicakabandhu)-those of pihitambara (having clothes on) and ullasadamsuka (with cloth flying away) in the sense that it covered the sky (pihitambara) and was radiant with (the Sun's) rays (ullasadamsuka). The hill exhibited variations of different minerals which were visible on account of the projections of the rocks looking like one in whom various seminal disorders are visible through the enlargement of the spleen. It had planets revolving round its belt and proclaiming its glory like a good man whose greatness is manifested by the fact that his movements are accompanied with acts of mercy. I t screened the sight, of the quarters and of the sky, recalalling thereby the Mimamsa philosophy t h a t cast into the shade the philophy of the Digambaras. I t was a mountain whose skirts were beautified by natural caverns which lovely as they were on account of the lotuses growing in them recalled the Harivamsa which contains the charming account of the rise of Puskarawhich, containing as they didj couples of fishes and crabs suggested the signs of the Zodiac among which figure the Pisces,' Gemini and Cancerwhichj filled as they were with birds, serpents (or elephants), the root bhadraj and young bakula treeSj reminded one of the Karanas in Astronomy classified under the groups of Sakunij Nagabhadra and Balava, The hill exhibits a variegated pioturesqueness with the delightful creepers growing upon its peaks, decked with flowers, dangling from bamboo leaves. tender and beautiful with blossom-covered tips suggesting the beauty of the various soft and melodious metres of prosodysuch as Kusuma-

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vicitra, vamsapatrapatitag puspitagra, Sikharini and Praharsini. The mountain ; was embraced by the River Reva with its stretched out wave-arms, as if by a lady lovethe Reva ^hose waters were perfumed with the drops of honey that fell from full-blown lotuses which were shaken by its strokes of the terrible tails of the fish called Bhakuta, as these were terrified by the cries of cranes and of geese melodiously cackling in their inebriationwhose waters were drunk up by the round navel of the Pulinda kings' beautiful women taking their evening baththe edge of whose bank resounded with the cackling of geese rendered noisy through excitementwhose waters had clusters of foam upon them created by streams of ichor that issued from the round cheeks of the infuriated elephants in the vicinity of the bankthe groves on whose banks felt the fragrance caused by the amorous dalliance of youthful couples of celestial beings happily seated on the sand bank created by masses of pollens falling from the woods of Ketaki trees growing on the beach-whose waters were dived into by water goddesses seated in the bowers made by fragments of jambu trees that had fallen near the woods on the shorewhose expanse excited the praise of couples of celestial 'beings attracted by the curiosity raised by the excited and melodious cooing of the birds called , Datyuha hidden within the cane plants (Vetasa) growing on the bankswhose banks had become terrible owing to the crowing of crowds of cooks in the nests clustered together in the groves of Nala trees growing on the bankwhose soft banks were trodden upon by water nymphswhose moving waves were agitated by the garden windwhere the fish called ardha-safara were watched hj the female storks seated in the clusters of groves of Nala trees (? water-lily groves)where the forests of cane plants were rendered horrid ^ by the cries of Koyastika-partridges hankering after the fries of small fish and spawnsthe water near whose banks were adorned by rows of Edjilas


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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

excessively restless as they were running about at the sight of the fish called Uddandapala that moved about in the moving mass of waveswhose banks were being dug up by hundreds of hunters in their eagerness to obtain the gems attainable through the sight of the copulation of pairs of Khanj ana birds-who exhibited flow and undulation recalling thereby an angry woman exhibiting facial grimace whose course was interrupted suggesting a drunken woman who trips in her walkwhose banks kept on growing thereby suggesting the beauty of the dawn of day t h a t marks the advance of day lightwhose waters were dancing suggesting thereby the battlefield of the Mahabharata in which headless trunks danced aboutwhere pools were covered with lotuses growing on them reminding one of the rainy season when serpents remain hidden from fear of gaping peacockswhich was serving the mountain recalling thereby people who serve a king from a desire to gain wealth. The mountain with palm trees for its arms appears even to this day to be calling the sage Agastya with the roar of elephants exhausted by their foreheads being torn with the sharp nails of lions (for its voice). Thereupon Makaranda said : **Behold how the terrible-shaped lion is making, an onset upon the lord of elephants, Me crooked body rising, up and falling down the hind part of which becomes like the fore part J who has a tail the tip of which is slightly bent as its rests on his motionless full stretched back, the cavity of whose back is terrible on account of the edges of the teeth and who with his ears picked up is bristling up his ii;!; mane". Again "This lion with his ears pricked up prone to sudden anger, whose manes are bristling all over (sphara) horrid on account of its terrible and deadly looking mouth withits tail motionless and raised up, seated on the forehead of elephants' that dwell in mountain bowers and trumpet aloud

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^^this lion cannot be reproduced even in a picture on account of the contraction of all its limbs". Thereupon they took rest under the cool shade of a Janib^ tree characterised by the presence of a female cuckoo and thereby recalling a lover painted with the painting brush of the God of Love^ after they ^had walked a few steps through the Vindhya forestwhich was overgrown with banyan trees recalling thereby a river flowing through a lowland which swells on account of crooked obstructionswhich contained large Naia trees thereby recalling the battlefield "on the occassion of the snatching away of kine from' Uttara, the son of Virata, where Arjuna remained puflPed up (with self-confidence)which contained clusters of camphor trees, recalling thereby the drumamusement in the desert region where lines of caravans march in a dense bodywhere honey was to be found in various trees recalling-thereby a drinking assembly of jolly people in which various sorts of wine are drunk by different revellers^where banana trees were always found recalling thereby the thoughts in the^ mind of Nalakubara (son of Kuvera) ever holding his wife Rambhawhere the paths are indicated by the trees called Ghantarava recalling thereby a movement of an infuriated elephant which indicates its journey by the tinkling of the bellwhich contains many fruits close at hand, recalling, thereby service under a great king where good prospects are not very distant where hundreds of bamboo trees move pleasantly recalling thereby the consort of Virata who took delight in her hundred brothers namely, Kicaka and others. In the meanwhile the adorable ray-garlanded Sun with his disc reddened like the eye of an infuriated buffalo worn out with heat also ascended the summit of the Sun-set mountain. Thereupon, Makaranda having brought fruits and roots, managed with some difficulty to make the prince partake of dainty food and himself ate up what was left over after the prince had eaten. Now imagining that same

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

li

J4f

beloved lady of his, as it were, with a brush on the tablet of MB heart and gazing upon her as if she had been painted with a brush, his senses being all benumbed, Kandarpaketu slept on a bed of leaves prepared by Makaranda. Now, when half a prahara of the night had passed Makaranda, having heard there the noise made by a pair of Sukasarika, which were on the top of the Jambii tree, thus spoke to Kandarpaketu i "Friendj let us hear a conversation of these two birds," Thereupon the Sarika bird said with her words faltering through anger : '^Rascalj you have been going after another Sarika before coming here, or else why should you come at such a late hour of night". The Suka, on hearing those words said to her s ^'Madam, I heard and witnessed a strange thing to-day and that is why I am so late"o Thereupon, requested by the Sarika whose curiosity had been excited^ the Suka began to narrate as follows s-~^^There is a city called Kusumapuraadorned with buildings, white with stucco containing small statues and recalling thereby the beginning of the book of the Great Story (Brhatkatha) in which figures the heroine Sdlabhanjikd ; filled with the various sports of children suggesting prosody which contains the display of Mdnavahdkridita metre ; possessing excellent gates ; putting one- in mind thereby of herds of elephants in which there are infuriated male ones | decked with windows and thereby reminding one of the army of Sugriva which had Gavaksa (as one of its captains); having in its interior the beautiful flowers, thereby making one think of the houses of Bali situated in the nether world. I t was inhabited hj a population which combined the incompatible appellations of Dhanada (Kuvera) and Pracetas (Varuna) in the sense that they were givers of wealth and possessors of noble mindsof Ajapala (either Jabala-or Dasarathi) and Rama (or great breeders and the Rama animal) in the sense that they .were fosterers of love and were pleasingof Priyamvada (a Gandharva) and Puspaketu (Cupid) in the sense that they were possessors of sweet

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speech and flowery bannersof Bharata and iSatrughna in the sense of men possessed of gravity (or astrologers) and killers of enemies-of Tithipara (one engaged in Tithi duties) and AtitJiipara (Atithisatkar%para). (not given to the obser vance of Tithi duties) in the sense that they observed, theirTithis and were hospitableof Asamhhya (innumerable) and Samhhydvat (possible of being counted) in the sense of innumerable and learnedof Viratara (filled with stalk) and Amarmabhedin (not penetrating to the core) in the sense of being heroic and not cutting to the quick--of Apatita (not falling to the ground) and NandsavasaUa (addicted to various drinks) in the sense of being free from excommunioation and attached to various sacrificesof being the Sudarsana (the discus of Visnu) and Acakra (a non-discus) in the sense of being of beautiful appearance and devoid of guilethose of Ajdtamada (having no ichor) and SupraMka (one of the, quarter elephants) in the sense of being free from pride and possessing beautiful limbsthose of Hamm (a swan) and ApaJcsapatin (not flying with the help of wings) In the sense of being pure and impartialtbose of being Kulapmdipa (lamp of the family) and Avidita-sneha-ksaya (not experienced in the consumption of oil) in the sense of beiog the enlighteners of their race and beiog unacquainted with "the reduction of afFeotionthose of Vamsapota (young bamboo) and Agranthi (free from knots) in the sense of being scions of noble family and not possessed of crookedness of heart. They were menwhose inclination towards righteousness was increased suggesting the summer's day the splendour of which is heightened by the transit of Taurus (Vrsa Samkranti)who entered on ascetic rites suggesting the closing days of the month of Magha followed hj the beginning of the month called Tapasya (Phalguna)~~whose knowledge of the spirit of Poetry (contents of poetical literature) suggested an identity with Venus (Kavya - Sukra), Jupiter (Jiva = guru), Mercury (Jna = Budha) though they were not planets themselves. The oity contained (was inhabited.by)

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

courtesans who showed bitings of miCa decorations suggesting a day of the rainy season exhibiting fragments of clouds who were adorned with corals and gems suggesting the shore of the ocean adorned'by corals and gemswho were skilled in amorous arts owing to the knowledge of Indrani (a particular class of copulation) suggesting celestial ladies intimately acquainted with Indra's wifewhose likings for lewd people had been heightened suggesting a forest elephant whose hankering for leaves is increasedwho were nourished by others suggesting the cukoo nourished by . non-cuckoo,who were nurtured by the flower-arrowed god suggesting a bee brought up in the midst of flowers. Who were experts in sucking the blood of people suggesting a leech skilled in sucking bloodwho were looking after copulation like a priest aspiring to divinityin whose presence pleasure-seekers moved about suggesting the arms of the great dancer Siva from which serpents dangledwho produced anguish in the hearts of pleasure-seekers suggesting Garuda who causes pain to the hearts of serpentswho transcended all prostitutes suggesting the Andha demon who was impaled (by Siva), Their a resides herself the adorable goddess Katyayani called Veatiashe, whose lotus feet are worshipped by the crowns of gods and demons, who is the fire-flame to the great forests of Sumbha and Nisumbhawhose lotus feet are washed by the stream of Jahnavi falling from Siva's matted locks t h a t are bent out of affection for the stream which is (as. hard) as thunder mountain or the great demon Mahisa. In its neighbourhood flows the mighty Bhagirathicarrying the fragrance of the dust of flower in the crowns of gods and demonsthe liquid stream, as it were, the perspiration of the hermit pot of Brahmanthe sacred rope lying on earth for the mounting up of the hundred sons of Sagara to the city of the godswhose water is scented with the juice of sandal trees, the sides of which are shaken owing to Airavata's rubbing hie cheeks against themwhose

# TRANSLATION' 31.

^aves are rippled by the playful strokes of the tails of the gsh called Surasundari (or by the buttocks of goddesses) ^hose streams are hallowed by the fragrance of the forestlike matted locks of the seven sages descending into it for their bathwhose eddies are crooked on account, as it were, of the impressions produced by its meanderings within the terrible hollow of the matted locks of the moon-crested god whose ability to enjoy the tonch_of the trunks of the elephants of the quarters suggested the earth's capacity for enjoying the touch of the hands of Emperorswhose having the quarter elephant Kumuda and Pundarika plunged into its waters a fact inferable from the rows of bees wandering about blinded by fragrance suggests a. tank in the rainy season bearing lilies and lotusesa fact inferable from the rows of scent-blinded wandering beeswhose being accompanied hy the river Malini recalls the book called Ghandoviciti (the spread of metres) treating the Malini metre. The river combined the incompatible appellations of hatdndJiatamasd (killer of blinding darkness) and Tamasdnvitd (covered with darkness) in the sense that it dispels mental darkness and is accompanied by the river Tamasa-all of Vicikalitd (favoured with waves) and Avtcidurgamd (inaccessible owing to want of waves) in the sense that it is covered with waves and is hard to approach for Avici-hell. The city was beautified with garden trees which combined the incompatible appellations of Sdrista (full of deadliness) and Girajm (long lived) in the sense that they were long-standing and full of sapwith Kesara trees erect recalling lions with erect manes ready to pierce the forehead of infuriated elephantswith Ahsa trees stretching far and wide suggesting unpolished youths whose gazes stretch very far with trees bearing many cocoanuts reminding one of great heroes practising sports with womenwith trees ever growing in the garden suggesting the life of Bharata ever dependent on Ramawith trees showing the beauty of an untimely evening by many thousands of tender youDg

32

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

i'l| I
i' I '

sprouts produced by the sprinkling of dews of ambrosia flowing from the feet of the moon-deerwith trees, the leaves of which are rendered uneven by the nibbling of the horses of the chariot of the sun which are controlled by stripes of the whips in the hand of Anuruwith trees propping the cloiids and bearing bunches of flowers like clusters of stars in the various directions. The city was filled up with many temples of gods suggesting thereby the belly" of Aditi crammed full of gods. I t was adorned with various flower offerings and was inhabited by pleasure-seekers recalling thereby the nether world adorned by the great demon Bali and inhabited by serpents. It was holy although it contained Suralayas for these Suralayas were not taverns but temples of gods. I t was free from disturbance in spite of Bhogins, for these Bhogins were not serpents but men of enjoyment. There lives the king named Srngarasekharahe whose maoe like arm is marked by the seal-like gem-earring.worn by ladies sleeping through exhaustion after excessive dalliancewhose lotus-like hand was rendered fragrant by the perfume issuing from the flower garlands on the locks of the Good Fortune of Ms terrible antagonistswhose perfqrmance of other duties in numerous ways reminds one of broad fields producing many sorts of paddy. As a destroyer of his enemies' forces he suggests Indra, the destroyer of mountains t, as a performer of pure acts the god Agni; as a king of righteousness the god Yama ; as a king devoid of pride the mother of the Raksasas Nirrfci; as a magnanimous sovereign, the god Varuna ; as the resort of the good the Windgod : as the bestower of wealth the god Kuvera ; as one . who confers happiness the god !iva Thus he was Astamurti (of eight forms), and yet Anastamurti, (not of eight forms), in the sense that his form was unimpaired {anastamurti). His possession of good fortune and of a powerful army suggested Partha (Arjuna) who was acoompaaied hj Subhadra and Bhimaseaas His being endowed

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of genuine lustre and power suggested Krsna who was accompanied by Satyabhama and Balarama . Verse He is of an excessively pious heart though a drinker of intoxicants (or **being a protector of the gods"). He is devoted to the right path though his attachment to improper things is very great (or ^'having in his council Jupiter as the dominant planet"). His hand bears excessive familiarity with thunder (or "is familiar with the bestowal of hundreds of crores worth of gifts"). Ha cuts down everything like straw and conquers the king of the gods (or *'gives away all his wealth and surpasses Indra in munificence'^). *'0n the field of battle he drew the bow-string and the enemy was dead. His arrows hit the mark (or **Suitors obtained a lac worth of gifts from him") and in the army of his enemies he snatched away glory from them. He granted them forgiveness (or *'he freed the earth"), and therefore the hostile armies forthwith bowed to him in homage. Death occurred in the enemies' army and the king had not to engage in a second battle." When this king who was expert in politics and a lord of the earth was reigning over the earth girdled by the four oceans there was no Vrsotsarga (renunciation of righteousness) except in the sense of the bull-giving ceremony when, the obsequies of departed ancestors had to be performed there was no Kanyatuldrokana (^^puoishing of maidens by wrapping them with cotton and setting fire thereto") except in the sense of entering into the signs of the zodiac of Virgo and Libro by the moon^there was no sula-vydghdtacintd (anxiety of being impaled") except in the sense of pondering on sula and vydghdta in astronomical calculationsthere was no ddnaccheda (^'cessation of charity") except in the sence of flow of ichor from the temples of elephantsthere was no dahsimvdma-karanam (*lopping of the right or the left limb") except in the sens of fixing the right or the left
3

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84 SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

in the determination of directionsthere was no sarabheda ("piercing by arrows") except in the sense of separating the cream in curdsthere was no srnkhalabandha ('^tying with fetters") except in the sense of regulating the order when letters had to be put togetherthere were no utpreksd (^'indifference") and dhsepa ('*oalumny"j except in the sense of figures of that name in poetical works and treatises on rhetoricsthere was BO laJcsadanacyuti (''abolition of the gifts of lacs") except in the sense of missing the mark by arrowsthere was no sarvavindsa ("universal destruction of birds") except in the sense of complete disappearance and that in the case of the affix kvip / there was no kosasankoca ('diminution of treasuries") except in the sense of contraction of calices in lotus-beds there was no jdtihmatd (lack, of jdti flower) in flower garlands but in the sense of belongingto low-caste in the case of those of degraded origin there was no srngdrahdni ("absence of love") in men but in the sense of loss of embellishment in the case of old elephantsthere was no durvarmyoga ("discoloration of lustre") in women but in the sense of alloying of silver in girdlesthere was no gdndhdraviccheda ("want of vermilion) in the women-folk of the city but in the sense of cessation of the gdndMra tune in musicthere was no kharmdbhdva (*'want of purity") among members of a family but in the sense of want of clothes among menial servantsthere was no malindmbaratva ("dirtiness of clothes") in men except in the sense of darkness of the sky a t nightthere was no calardgatd ("transiency of affection") in gallants except in the sense of movement of tunes in musicthere was no vrsahdni ("loss of righteousness") in the citizens except in the sense of jactura-seminis in amorous sportsthere was no bhanguratva ("frailty") in minds but in the 'sense of jarrinoin the derangement of tunes-there W8iS no anangatd {*'l\mblessness") in the members of family except in the sense of incorporeality in the god of lovethere was no mdrdgama ("advent of pestilence") among the subjects except in the

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sense of the advent of love in the case of rising y o u t h there was no dvijaghdta ("striking of Brahmins") except in the sense of wounds inflicted by the teeth in amorous sports there was no rasandbandha (^'tongue-tiedness") in permission for charity except in the sense of tying with the girdle in the case of lover's quarrelsthere was no adharardgitd ('^attachment to low things") among members of a family except in the sense of redness of the lips in young women there was no kartana ("spinning of cotton") among the women-folk of the citizens except in the sense of cutting in the case of hairthere was no nistrimsatva ('^cruelty") in men except in the sense of '^coming out of thirty three fingers" in the case of swordsthere was no haravdlandsa ("loss of revenue" or ^'maiming of the hand" "and destruction of children") except in the sense of killing with the sword in the case of warriors only. He had a Queen foremost among all others in the Seraglio named Anangavati whose delighting her female companions suggested the ichor marks on the cheeks of elephants delighting the bees, whose softness recalled Parvati who is possessing a beautiful son in Kartikeya, Of the pair who were close upon the middle of their life, by some chance through the grace of gods, was born a daughter named Vasavadatta whose form was capable of captivating the three worlds and whose delighting thousands of eyes suggested the daughter of Puloman, Saci who delighted Indra, Now she whose delighting her family recalled the arms of Ravana which raised the mountains, though her weight of youth had undergone Tightness, was averse to marriage. Now one upon a time came the spring sea sonbringing the fever of separation of wayfarers through the humming of clusters of excited bees dropped from the buds of unfolded mango treesfilling all the quarters with the melodious sound of the cuckoo whose throat was reddened with the taste of the juice of buds of mango trees shaken by the soft

36

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Malaya breeze,-causing all the tanks to resound with the noise of excited bees lying upon fragments of full blown lotuses-making the hearts of the wives of wayfarers to be wounded with the arrows of the southern breeze imbibing drops of sprays of the streams of honey issuing out of the inter-spaces of the twigs of patali buds pierced by the tips of the nails of the cuckoosdelighting the Bakula with the sprinkling of honey dropping from the mouth of women delighted with the intoxication of wineunfolding hundreds of Asoka trees delighted with the gentle stroke of the restless anklet-armed lotus feet of women swayed by the sentiment of lovewhen many hundreds of wayfarers are fascinated by hearing songs, accompanied with clappings of the hands of the licentious, eager to hear the almost licentious songs sung in every quarter. Endowed, as it was, with lotuseSj the season suggested a wicked man who is disliked by the god. Deprived, as it was^ of jati flowers it recalled the baseborn who are devoid of caste. Adorned, as it was, with hundreds of yellowish and red paldsa trees, it put one in mind of Ravana attended by hundreds of blood-drinking and flesh-eating monsters. Laden, as it was, with fragrance, it recalled an inveterate coxcomb carrying perfumes about. Causing night lotuses to grow, as it didj it suggested a righteous monarch under whom the circuit of the earth attains prosperity. Increasing as it did the growth of cucumis sativus (Sukhasa,), it recalled a real object which increased the desire for happiness it recalled a gardener who cause the cucumis sativus to grow. Shutting out^ as it did, all hoar-frost, it reminded one of a poem by a good poet which is free from the padding of tu, hi and na. Exempted as it was from attachment to night it recalled a good man who has no attachment to vice. Possessed as it was of lotuses of Rajiva and Utpala kinds and of Sala trees, it recalled a fisherman catching fisbes^ called rajiva, utpala and Sola. Castingasit did, into shame the Marubaka tree or fruity

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it recalled a flight of birds in a pond full of water despising sand-snipese Creating as it did a longing for the posture of copulation called indrani^ it reminded one of Indra who is fond of his wife Tndrani. Putting down as it did the tree called Damana it recalled a mighty hero overpowering or laying low a heroic antagonist. Blest as it was with the trees called Amiana, it reminded one of the licentious person whose potent organ is never wearied out. When the spring (or Vine') is far advanced who in the world does not undergo a change, seeing' that the sugar-cane and the Muni tree which suggest an emancipated sagCj are elated. The rows of bees leaning at the foot of the arrow-like shoots of fresh new mango looked like the feathery arrangement round cupid's arrow. The bee humming sweetly on the surface of the buds of Mallika flowers coming out of their stalks resounded like the conch shell of Cupid announcing his starting out on an expedition for the conquest of the three worlds. The Asoka tree appeared to manifest that v6ry affection (or 'redness') in the shape of fresh sprouts, owing to its desire for the strokes of feet of young women that are encircled with anklets and adorned with fresh lao dyes. The Bakula tree gleamed casting that juice upon its own flowers owing, as it were^ to the sprinkling of drops from the lotus faces of women filled with sweet wine. Clusters of Kankeli trees variegated with swarms of bees falling here and there upon them resembling the half extinguished circle of Cupid's funeral pyre, produced a burning in the wayfarers hearts* Bunches of full-blown MalliM flowers variegated with rows of bees shone like the pearl necklace containing sapphire stones of the goddess of spring. The Nagakesara flowers shone like the discus of Cupid to torment the hearts of parted lovers. The patali flower looked like the fish hook of Cupid for .the purpose of catching the fish-like hearts of way farers. The Malaya breeze blew with its fragrance increased by the perfume issuing out as the amorous lata women famed for their love sports were rubbing their braids

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on their foreheads. Wafting the perfumed fragrance of the saffron dust on the pitcher like breasts of the charming harndta beauties expert in all the arts of sexual sports making the sky resound with the unusually melodious humming of rows of bees collected together by the fragrance emitted by the waving of the hair of the lovely huntala women, tasteful in their songs and gestureexpert in its acquaintance with the leaf decorations on the cheeks of kerala women melting with the sentiments of budding youth clever in fanning the round buttocks of captivating Malava women^ expert in the sixty four artscooled by drops of perspiration which carried the fat and heavy breasts of Andhra women worn out with the fatigue of sexual sports. In the meanwhile king Srngarasekhara learning Vasavadatta's desire from- her female companions collected together for the Svayarnvara ceremony of his daughter reigning princes from every part of the earth. Thereupon Vasavadatta mounted the platform which was resounding with the frequent humming of rows of bees charmed with the perfumed fragrance of burnt black agaru wood which diffused with the white splendour of excessively loud laughterwhich was crowded with men of fashion skilled in many a jestful talewhich was filled with bees of city gardens attracted by the fragrance of burnt incense which was causing the intervals of the quarters to resound with sounds of welcome, recaliing thereby the battle of Arjuna which made the intervals of the quarters reverberate with the rumbling of his chariot called Nandighosa, There were princes theresome of whom surpassed the decorations of the city, reminding one of Kaiankura's captivating the courtesans (Nagaramandana) while others were possessed of beautiful eyes and were scented with black sandal paste recalling thereby the Pandavas who were intimately associated with Krsna and Draupadiothers again had their hopes of happiness far greatly advanced, suggesting thereby autumn days in which the tree Sukhasa

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grows up far and wideothers were coveting the beautiful Princess suggesting thereby men who being eager to strike their enemies sought for their own armies. Some were listening to good auguries recalling fowlers listening to the cries of birdssome were eager in the pursuit of beauty reminding one of hunters moving in the wake of reflected imagessome were exploding the sentiments of those who had come there suggesting the followers of Jaimini refuting the doctrines of Buddhasome were looking at the results of calculation of astrologers suggesting thereby Khanjana birds which show wealth once a yearsome were filled with slightly distracted lamentations reminding one of their surroundings of Mount Sumeru which are filled with gold some closed their eyes at the sight of the brightness (of the people assembled there) recalliDg beds of unfolded night lotuses shutting themselves at the sight of the sunsome believed that they were under the influence of magic illusion at the sight of the universal beauty (of the princess) reminding one of the sons of Dhrtarastra who believed that they were under the spell of magic when they saw the universal form of Krsnasome who thought that they were elephants and possessed armies and beautiful horses (or 'arms') suggested a contradiction in the sense that they sounded portablesome were desirous of marriage with the princess and regarded it as somethiog that gives life, suggesting thereby a contradiction that though they were desirous of taking the hand of the princess, yet they thought it difiicult some were laid low and motionless suggesting thereby a contradiction t h a t though they were unlike the earth yet they were unable to movesome were deprived of patience owing to the loss of sense and of their inmost art suggesting thereby the sons of Pandu whose kingdom was lost, on account of their ignorance of what has inside the dicesome were tellers of long tales and rich in excellent qualifications reminding one of Gunadhya the author of Brhatkatha some went to various cross directions wafting perfumes a^

40

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

they moved suggesting thereby breezes that carry sweet odourssome indicated fake hopes suggesting soldiers of the Kauravas manifesting their hopes in Dronacaryasome were unable to endure the brilliancy of' heroes suggesting beds of night lotuses that cannot endure the brilliance of the sun. Having gazed at them one by one the maiden descended from the platform with a disgusted heart. Now on that very night she saw in a dream a youth whose form was capable of enchanting the three worlds. His wearing the ornament of an armlet suggested Balin who was adorned by (the possession of a son called) Angada^ His neck being girt with a necklace suggested a cuckoo that has a bewitching note. His being an expert in (the art of) attracting women suggested the golden deer which was capable of alluring Rama. His delighting with his nectareous speech the ears of old men suggested Jayanta whose nectareous speech is the delight of Indra. His not failing to fill any one with delight suggested Krsna who did not fill Kamsa with joy ? He had long arms suggesting a big cloud flashing with (or ^devoid of') hail storms. He was the primaeval fruit of the Tree of Beautythe Rohana mountain of the gem of lovethe source mountain of the streams of beautiful anecdotesthe spring mouth of the mango tree of gallantrythe mirror for the countenance of politenessthe original seed of the creepers of knowledge- the self-elected husband of glorythe house of jealousy for the goddess of wealth and the goddess of knowledgethe original home of good manners and wealth-the treasure house of supreme beauty. He was the son of King Cintaman! and his name was Kandarpaketu, It was in dream also that she heard the name of that Prince together with other detailSo Thereupon she thought within herself ''verily I think this to be the masterpiece of the creator's skill in shaping beauty. This person must have been formed by Brahman with the atoms of beauty collided out of the three worlds,

'3 |

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through an eagerness to witness perfection of his own skilL Otherwise how could he possess such transcendant beauty, pool was Damayanti to undergo the hardships of a forest life for the sake of Nala (a stalk) f Fool was Indumati to fall in love with Aja suggesting the idea of she buffalo (or % queen) being enamoured of a goat' i Fool was Sakuntala to endure the curse of Durvasas for the sake of Dusyanta (the evil minded). Fool was Madanamanjari to hanker after Naravahanadtta (or *'he who was riding a beast for a man") ! Fool was B-ambha, with .her thighs surpassiDg in symmetry the stalk-of a plantain tree to long for Nalakubara (or ^^the humpbacked reed). Fool was Dhiimorna to fall in love with the God of Death out of the many thousands of gods and gandharvas who had assembled at her svayamvara. Filled with such manifold thoughts, like one who had mounted on the blazing pyre (straw-fire) of separationlike one swallowed up by the flames of a forest conflagrationlike one seized -by the terrible flames of the fire of destruction (darted by Siva's eye)-like one plunged in the depths of the nether world, she kept thinking of Kandarpaketu who was, as it were, painted on her heart wherein all sensation had been benumbed ; nay infixed, deep-rooted, nailed, melted therein ; who was, as it were, like something made of hard cement and had entered within her very ribs and bones, fixed, as it were, into her vital parts, chequered, so to speak, by the essence of her marrows, encircling, as it were, her entire vitality^ occupying her inmost soul, melted into her repository of blood and deposited within the very layers of her flesho As she was thinking of Mm like one mad, deaf, dumb, senseless in a swoon, planet-struck, overwhelmed with wave after wave from the ocean of youth fettered with the chains of passion, transfixed with the flowery arrows of the God of Love, dizzy with the poison of amorous sentiments, pierced with the dart of contemplation of beauty, deprived of life by the malaya breezeshe called out ^'Dear Anafigalekha place your lotus like hand upon my heart ;

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42 SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

intolerable is the pang of separation* Fond Madanamanjari sprinkle me with sandal juice. Simple Vasantasena arrange my hair. Restless Tarangavati scatter the dust of Ketaki flowers. Beautiful Madanamaiini fan me with the leaves of water weeds. Fickle Chitralekha paint me a picture of him who has stolen^ my heart. Sentimental Vilasavati scatter the dust of pearls. Amorous Ragalekha prop my heavy breasts upon the leaves of lotuses. Lovely Kantimati slowly wipe away my tears. Come 0 Goddess sleep and favour me. Fie on the other senses. Why has not the creator eyes ? Mighty god of the flowery arrow ! I supplicate to these with these folded palms. 0 Malaya breeze become an attendant upon such a being who knows my desires. Blow to thy heart's content thou breeze who hast initiated me into the anxieties of love. Gone Is my life". With such varied talks the princess fainted with her female companions. Thereupon, her life breath being restored hj the exertions of her attendants, at one moment staying on the edge of the bank of a river whose waters were cool and white like the juice of camphor, at another on the margin of a stream whose waters were cool as ice and like the juice of sandal, at a third moment resting under the shadow of trees on the bank of a lake contaioing beds of lotuses, at a fourth in a wood of banana trees whose leaves were waving in the breeze, at a fifth reclining on a bed of flowers, at a sixth lying on a couch formed of lotus leaves, all the time bearing, as it were, a lifeless body excessively emaciated consumed, as it was, with the fire of separation, as intense as the rays of the twelve SUDS which are to rise at the time of the dissolution of the worldfixing her thoughts, her every momeot upon the lotus like countenance of the prince whose sproutlike lower lip was brightened with a laughter the gleam of which was as white as the restless gracefulness of the waves of the milky ocean churned by the violently whirling Mandara mountain^on his two eyes extending up to the ears and suggesting thereby the race of Brahmins with their love

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for Vedic studieson that beauty of his bamboo like (long) nose stretching far out of a desire^ as it were, to smell the fragrance issuing from his naturally sweet scented m o u t h on those rows of his teeth as brown as a mass of nectar foams and as soft as the digit of the moon devoid of its spoton that beauty of his the like of which had never been seen before and which surpassed even t h a t of the God of L o v e on those fortunate places and fortunate countries and on those holy and meritorious letters which had been purified by composing the Prince's name. Thus imprinting on the tablet of her mind the image of that Prince which was painted, as it were^ in every direction of the horizon ; engraved so to speak, on the sky and reflected in her eyes, she kept on darting her glances hither and thither as if his image was before her. Now the confidante of that princess whose name was Tamalika consulted with the companions of the princess and started forth to read the sentiments of Kandarpaketu. When she reached his destination she said *'the Princess has been staying with me near about beneath a tree" and ceased. Hearing these words Makaranda got up with joy and intormed Tamalika how matters stood whereupon she saluted Makaranda and handed over to him a letter for Kandarpaketu. Makaranda read that letter himself ; it ran :**A woman becomes restless in heart although she may have realized face to face the sentiments of her lover. A young woman who has experienced in dream how her lover feels towards her can much less strengthen her belief." As soon as Kandarpaketu heard this he became like one immersed in the ocean of nectar and rising to the summit of all delights rose up slowly and stretching up his arms embraced Tamalika. He then enquired of her everything about Vasavadatta what she was doing, what she said, how she faredand after passing that night and the following day set out. In the meantime the mighty ray-garlanded sun descended upon the middle world (earth) as it were to relate

44

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VASAVADATTA

that story. Subsequently that adorable jewel of the day sank into the waves of the western ocean his form resembling clusters of corals agitated by the violence of the restless waves. Round he was in appearance like the crest of that cockj the Day, 'and bore a, faint gleam as if on account of the pain inflicted on him by flights of Cakravaka birds. His beauty resembled that of a bunch of Mandara flowers and he bore the grace of the head of an elephant of Indra besmeared with vermilion. His orb gleamed like an ear ornament formed out of the gem on the hood of that terrible serpent Vasuki warring to and fro from the intricate bands of the matted locks of Siva swinging through the violent motion of his (evening) dance. He shone with the lovely lustre of the coloured forehead mark of that untimely milked cow, the Evening. He possessed the lustre of the ruby ear-ring of that courtesan, the West and the round form of the shoulder of the day bufi^alo severed with the sword, time. He looked like the shell cup of the Kapalika Time filled with wine, like the unfaded bunch of flowers of that Beauty sky, like clustre of flowers on the Asoka trees growing in the court yard of the sky, like the golden mirror of that courtesan, the West. By degrees when the tops of the trees were resounding with the chirping of the sparrows which were worn out through, mutual quarrelling as they were eager to get at their nests, rolling in the dust and then risiog upwhen crows were anxious to return to their nests when houses wer emitting the fragrant smoke of black sandal wood which were constantly being burnt therewhen old men were losing their temper' In trylDg to put a stop to the noise made by children who were eager to- listen to the poetic tales composed by clever men who wer seated on the banks of rivers covered with durva grasswhen young children were feeling sleepy gladdened hj the very gentle clappiogs of the hands by old women who were telling stories and whose tongues were restless with the alolika crywhen prostitutes were

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inaking their amorous decorationswhen the virtuous were seated for evening prayers, thoroughly disgusted with hearing the varied obscene talk uttered by maid servants who were closely pursued by licentious personswhen the forest grounds had their soft portion that had formerly been fields of pasture, covered by families of deer weary with rumination when forests had their nests filled with crowds of drowsy crowswhen the trees of hermitages were covered with crowds of monkeys worn out with their monkeyish tricks- when owls t h a t had their homes in the holes of old trees were eager to come out when flames of light were shooting out like lines of the sun's rays falling into fire (entered for the purpose of confla-gration) and issuing out as for the purpose of reproving darknesswhen the God of Love who robs the worlds of their wisdom was constantly raining arrows from his twanging bowwhen maidservants were putting on ornaments at the instruction of procuresses, adorning themselves with dress suited to amorous occasions-when the hips of housewives were resounding with the waist-girdles w hich they were made to wear by their dressing maids-- when the courtyards showed crowds of men hurriedly returning home as story-telling had ceased when cocks were retiring to their roostswhen peacocks were ascending their perches when householders were making arrangements suited to evening timewhen throngs of bees reposing in their dwellings formed by the cavities in lotus cups barred by tips of filaments erect and stiff as they closed the adorable Evening made her appearance. She appeared like a pavement of gems formed by Varuna with red. silk cloths, as it were, in expectations of the sun god passing by that way, or like the stream of blood issuing from the neck of that buffalo, the Day, severed by Time^ or like a coral spray of that Ocean, the sky, or the red lotus of that tank, the sky, or the golden bridge for the passing of the God 6f Love, or the flag of the pavement of the palace of the sky, reddened with the dye of madder (maiijistha . She appeared to choose

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

ii

the yellow sky for her husband suggesting Laksmi who elected Visnu for her husband. Close attached, as she was, to the stars and spread over to the ruddy firmament she suggested a mendicant women robed in red and devoted to the worship of the goddess Tara. In a moment when courtesans were busied in carefully painting themselves for the night suggesting female pupils of the evening expert in arranging times suited for the night when the sky was without the sign libra suggesting rows of shops devoid of shopkeepers-when lotuses were having their blossoms thickly contractedwhen bees were hovering hither and thither on lotus ponds like stewards of darkness when lotuses distracted by their parting from the sun were, as it were, lamenting in the guise of the cries of distracted ospreyswhen twilight was indicating the stars suggesting thereby an astrologer pointing out (the influence of) astral mansionsdarkness began to swell, resembling in colour the expanse of the throat or Hara (Siva). Conspicuous, as it was, with huge stars which recalled the demon army which had Taraka at its head-with the hooting of the owls that grew louder and louder, it suggested the war of Mahabharata with the uproarious increasing cry of Uluka, I t curtailed the power of the crows suggesting the prowess of Dhrstadyumna which curbed the might of Drona. With the owls flying about, it suggested the Nandana garden where Kausika (Indra) takes his walk. Covering up all the quarters of the sky it suggeated fire that burns down all fuel. I t appeared fragrant owing to the hard rocks and gravel that were on the mountain sidespossessed of eyes on account of the flashes of light issuing from the eyes of sleeping lions which embrowned the zone of the mountains alive owing to the firefliesincreased owing to the lines of smoke issuing from the agnihotra sacrificesgathering in volume on -account of the clouds of smoke (dust) issuing from black sandal applied for the decoration of the tresses of ladies enflamed by the sprays of streams of ichor trickling down

TRANSLATION

on th% cheeks of elephantsdarkened by the thick clinging gwarms of bees clustered in the shadesof clumps of Tarnala trees scattered here and thereresting on the hoods of serpents black as coliyrium-as the upper garment of the dark abhisarika (the night)as the remedy for blackening the grey hairs of aged harlotsthe ofiFspring of nightthe friend of the age of darknesscompanion of the heart of the wickedand as it removed visibility of things it suggested Buddhist philosophy that ignores the testimony of visible things. I t appeared as if the darkness was glad to cling to the beautiful round cheeks of highly infuriated elephantsas if it had clustered in the Tamala forests that were covered with garlands made out of their excessively dense foliage as if it were shooting up to the thick clusters of hairs on the heads of extremely beautiful womenas if it were mingled with the rays of sapphiresresembling, as it were, the dense darkness confined within the abyssesj belts and mountain forestspompous with wildly dancing bees clinging to Kutaja trees manifestiog their excellence with their gigantic expanding and terrible appearance resplendent with the hoods of voracious and terrible serpentsscattered about to reprove the gleam of the tusks of elephants infuriated with ichor. When the darkness of the night was bowing, as it were, with folded palms in the guise of the contraction of lotuses at the time when the moon begins to rise, the stars gleamed scattered about like drops of water from Jahnu's daughter rolling in the intricate hollows on the top of the masses of matted hair on the head of Siva as he swings his body in the movement of his evening dancelike sprays of water emitted by the trunks of the herds of maddend quarter-elephants terrible on account of being bent by supporting the scarce supportable burden of the earthlike masses of foam vomitted by the horses of the Sun wearied by wandering over the long distanceof the sky-producing an illusion as though they were beds of night lotuses of the great tank, the skylike zeroes owing to

48

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VASAVADATTA

the nothingness of the world as it were on the surface of the sky as though on a deer skin blackened with the ink of darknesss by means of fragments of the moon serving as as pieces of chalk in the hands of the Creator reckoning up the universe -like fried corn.sprinkled by the hands of Rati a t the time when Kama marches out on- his expedition to conquer the three worldslike the flowery arrowed God's bullets for his catapultslike the masses of foam of that ocean, the skyscattered like balls of meat (food) prepared by Rati in the courtyard of the sky to be taken after a dose of opiumlike the pearls on the necklace of that beauty, the skylike fragments of Cupid's bones scattered by the force of high winds from that circular funeral pyre of his the moon-looking like corn fried upon the frying pan of. that plate the sky heated by the fire of the evening which had grown dark reddish on account of the advent of darkness. Thee stars lent the sky the appearance of a leprous body. Grieved excessively was the Cakravaka pair^ heaving long sighs in sorrow and expert in bringing together their beaks in close kisses suggesting thereby the words of a good poet replete with the formation of long chapters and clever in forming good puns and writing in the vaktra metre. The Cakravaka pair parted as if drawn asunder by the incarnate curse of Rama resembling the noose of death their bodies dappled by rows of beautiful bees desirous of drops of honey sticking on the birds on account of their having wandered in flight through beds of lotuses. The Cakravaka bird parted assunder like the heart of the lotus distraught from the separation from the sun. The rows of bees that hovered round the sides of the night lotus appeared like the messenger of the lover of that flower, viz. the Moon, who was about to approach. The quarters wept thick drops of tears in the shape of stars as if out of sorrow for the setting sun. A fire in the form of the dust of the pollens of their fresh filaments was burning in^ as it were^ in the heart of the

TRANSLATION

lotus owing to its separation from t h a t luminary who is her lover. Nocturnal darkness swelled up like masses of ink of the sky forest burnt up by the rays of the sun. I t shut out the sight of the,sky and its quarters suggesting the words of ;^ruti that refute the philosophy of the Digambara Jainas and resembled a fresh flow of minerals or an overflow of the sea (Narasimha says "like the flow of the sea resembling the. flow of gairika stone"). : l o a moment the Lord of Night with his orb reddened owing to his rise reached'the Udaya mountain. - He looked like the ball of the little Princess Night, like the golden mirror of Gupid^ like the bunch of flowers -of the young Mandara tree on the. Udaya mountainlike the, circular dot of saffron on the forehead of the Eastlike the golden earring, of that beauty, the skylike the mass of lac dye dropping from the hands of the decorators of celestial brides like the golden pitcher of the palace of the skylike the golden Jar announcing the departure of Cupid on his expedition to conquer the three worlds. I t stole the lustre of the opening of the.golden quiver of Kama, It possessed a hue of the Java flowers growing on the summit of the Eastern mountain. I t was, as it were, a vessel filled with the pure safi'ron 'powder belonging to that fashionable lady, the Night -like a single saffron. dyed pitcherlike the breast of one of the ladies of Indra's quarter. Containing as it did, the mobn-deer it suggested the milky ocean which is inhabited. by Hari. .Marked as it was with the spoty it recalled Rama accompanied by Laksmana. Lord as it is of the stars it reminded one of Sugrivay the husband of Tara. Possessed as it was of a ruddy disc, it put one in mind of a good king whose battalion is attached to him. Thereupon the redness created by night became extinct and it had been drunk up by the eyes of the female Cakora bird or licked up by the cup of the red lotus or passed into the heart of women,' Then aros the Lord of P.lanete a-ppearing lik the leaf
4

50

'/

,SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

pot containing butter exhibited by that cowherd woman, the Nightlike a mirror covered with the reflection of Cupid like the white umbrella of the god of Love^^like the ivory hilt of that great sword, the skylike the white chowries of that great king Capidlike the sand bank of Jumna, the Night-^like the crystal phallic emblem of that great ascetic, the ^kylike the egg of that serpent, Timelike the conch of that great ocean, the skylike the temple of Cupid burnt by his enemylike the round funeral pyr'e speckled with the coals of disgrace of that mind-born godlike the white lotus of the Ganges flowing in the heavens-like the mass of foam of that great ocean, the sky^like the mercury bail of that mineralogist, Timelike a silver jar speckled with grasses and sprouts like the beautiful wheel of the chariot of Cupidlike the pigeon of that palace, the skylike the beautiful crest jewel of the Udaya mountainlike the vermilion-painted forehead of Airavatalike the fragment of the head of an aged cow whose horns are broken belonging to that farm, the sky of which the stars are the white barleylike a silver vessel smeared yellow by a mass of sandal paste, which had dropped from the hands of the celestial damsels. He is the white lotus for those bees, the eyes of the peoplethe sand beaches, as it were, where rest those geese, the mindsthe crystal fan which fans the /flames of separationthe white whetstone for sharpening the arrows of Cupid. \ In the meanwhile there fell various remarks from the lips of jfemale messengers sent by numerous abhisarrkas to there lovers, remarks prompted by jealousy, fraught with ambiguous import capable of amplification and distorted by passion. : B ^ A.

'

| | 1 I I \ ]

Do not think my beloved 1. You really do not know that because she is attached that you have been stript to youj you are in the hands, naked. 0 loved one.

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51

you are not hard-hearted 2. Ybu are hard-hearted ^ like flint. You are one of like a stone. You cannot those who know how to draw, a bow, nor are you one attract, kiss or melt (women). who can penetrate through or rout a hostile army. You are a great infatuator 3. You are a great cheat, a rascal. ' (of women) 0 clever fellow.
/ ( .

. '

- / .

. ;

\ ' ;

To no purpose are you brandishing your sword, you who are, as it were, love's gladiator.

4. You are like a ferryman employed by another for pious purposes, ferrying rather hard across the water to no gain.

0 my friend you are thinking 5. You are thinking painin your mind of a person fully in your mind of a unattainable for others, who person you cannot get at. is, as it were, your own wife. He is a man of sterling cha- 6. That man is of a worthracter who remains unper- less character who feels turbed in front of a host of miserable before the sword enemies. of an enemy. He, is a hero indeed who 7. That man is a rest! hero drags his opponent by the who in a battle leads away hair after slapping him well, the elephants of his enemy.Though holding the thighs, the hands and the mass of hair^ he obtains with his body a lofty position, as he falls on a very adequate 8. Though he swords he meets diaster in battle at a very holds huge with a great by invading inopportune

moment.

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VASAVADATTA

banners fluttering in the breeze like bunches of flowers of a heavenly tree with which the sky was reproving, as it were, the beauty of that city, beautified with many a stream (fountain) issuing from the court-yard paved with golden stones bearing the fragrance of water perfumed with camphor, saffron, sandal, cloves and card emumswith altars Washed by the sprays sent up by the movement of the thick hips of young women incessantly plunging up and down in the waters ; altars which had waters near them having clusters of flowers floating on them which had dropped from the trees hard by and on which were peacefully perched palace pigeons sleeping unnoticed on the crystal slabs on the edge (of the streams)where the presense of female swans was inferable from the noise which was echoing on the edge of the bank formed by the deposit of camphor and where the fear of darkness was suddenly shown to the couples of Gakravaka birds by the beds of full blown blue lotuses streams containing good water and suggesting thereby young women with beautiful breastsstreams moistening the ears of pitchers with their water suggesting thereby the martiartactfps of Sugriva which bathed the demon Kumbhakarna in bloodstreams dappled by the dust from the feet of beautiful women suggesting thereby the shore of the sea tinged by the colour of the Sundari treestre^/ms putting to shame many an artificial stream and suggesting the mental tendencies of a recently ent^hroned monarch who insults the nobles of the kingdom. I t was decorated with buildings which weie adorned with crowds of peacocks looking like pitchers of glass and resting in their corners and which also appeared to uphold in the form of pearl nets on their tops clusters of stars come there, as it were, out of curiosity to look at the young women of the city. Sometimes exhibiting, as it were, the rise of an untimely cloud by the masses of smoke produced by the incessant burning black sandal wood, sometimes having peacocks dancing

TRAJ^SLAtlON

,15

joyfully within its precincts incited thereto by the very deep sound of the Muraja with the eyes of the people directed towards it, suggesting thereby the evening time when the world's eye (siin) seems to rest^containing women excited by the god of Love, suggesting thereby the place where Janaka performed his sacrifice where Rama was apxious to win his wife. Amorous sports were welcome in the palace suggesting mankind which always praises god-head adorned as it was with rampart it suggested a hiir cavern beautified with fela trees. It was so to speak the dweiling place of sport, the abode of love, the ancestral home of luxury and the trysting place of beauty. Kandarpaketu with his friend Makaranda was greatly surprised as he heard the conversation of the women folks, conversations which were instinct with affection and were as follows :^ ^ "Fettered as thou art, why art thou flying from tlie amusement, 0 one that art melting down in o|)nsequence of the remedy that causes to melt. Why is this restless girl flickering like lightning. O Surekha, the bunch of flowers has fallen from thy ears. Inflamed with wine art thou, the drunk one, whose beaiity is coveted even by the Gods". " 0 , Kalaha, thou seemest to be invoking the god of Love by the tinkling of thy waist girdle made of pure gold" " 0 Malaya, thou hast obtained with thy glances thy love desire (or *'thou hast rivalled with thy glances") the deer which is the beloved of the moon". *'0 Kalika, take off that noisy waist-girdle of thee which is the emblem, as it were, of love-quarrel. Let us hear the music of the sw0et guitar." "My waist girdle is not at fault, it is thou who art at fault owing to the noise thou makest flxed as thy love is on an important person." "Avantisena is trembling (full of shyness) here and may first fall on this bed of flowers." " 0 , Lavangika, away with thy tricks, thy trembling betrays,. thy inmost feelings". "Thy languid frame 0 Anangalekhlj bears the marks of the love-god's arrows. The great wave

S6

SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

of desire though concealed is spread on thy face" (or *'does thee good"). "Say. can' even the moon bear a comparison with that beauty of thine fit to be drunk by the eyes 0 , Sativrata, some one has, it seems, obtained a seat in thy heart. Thy words hard as the thunder have been felt by us". *'0, Kuntalika, these locks of thine which bear the garland of full-blown Mailika is comparable to a patch of black cloud emitting hail stones". " 0 Keralika, a sound of music is audible towards the direction of the city gates. What dost thou appear to be planning ?" " 0 Muralika thou art paining the lovers who are greedy of thy endearing talk and have become restless even though their eyes and thine met for moment. Thou hast been forsaken by thy loved one who was murmuring love's murmur and was remembering that he had secured that pleasure which consists in squeezing the breast dispelling the fever of love. Art thou fainting through excess of pleasure. Thy beloved lover used to remember thy skill delightful in sports of love". **0 Purita, did not the wound produced by new sharpened nails give thee pain a t the night which was productive of passion". " 0 Madanamalini, why is not the moon who delights the eyes of all mankind not drunk up by thee, whose eyes are really eyes ? Do thou abstain from the desire to part company from that lip red as the Bimba fruit. With his red disc the moon shines with the gleam of the cheek of a wine flushed Maiava b6auty and what difference is there between thee and a creeper ?" "OKurangika, arrange sprouts of grass for the young of the deer. O Kisorika, look after the young colts. 0 Taralika, spread about the smoke of black sandal. 0 Karpurika, whiten thy heavy breasts with dusts of camphor. O Matangika, grant the desire of the young of the elephant, O Sasileklia, pa;int the crest of the moon on the forehead. 0 Ketakika, try to fathom the longing of the Ketaki bower. 0 Sakunika, give food to the sportive birds. 0 Madanamaiijari, place clusters of banana

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67

trees in the assembly hall. 0 l^rngaramanjari make the arrangements for exciting love. 0 Sanjivika distribute t i e leaves of pepper for the Cakora couple. O Pallavika, fill the artificial Ketaki garden with dust of camphor. 0 Sahakaramaiijari, produce the fragrance of mangoes by fanning- 0 Madanalekha, write a love-letter for the Malaya breeze. 0 MrnMika, give the roots of the lotus stocks to., the young of the swans. O Vilasavati, amuse the young of* the peacocks. 0 Tamalika, make the home-stead fragrant with the juice of sandal. 0 Kancanika^/scatter the liquid, of musk'in the golden. bower. 0 Pravalika, sprinkle with saffron juice the forest of fresh-grown locks". How- transcendent, is the beauty of the palaces T How glorious is the skill in the arts and sports of love ? For here is this bower constructed with widely parted thin pieces of spotless ivory possessing t h e ; lustre of the teeth of the Malava women and representing the various sports prevalent at the time. Here too is the sportive, parrot shut up within a cage formed of golden bars. Such were his thoughts when he entered (the palace) and saw Vasavadatta. She possessed a pair of thighs which with the feet.tinged with lac dye^ recalled the grammatical system of Paiiini containing padas (one fourth of Adhayas) and'the Sutra *tena raktam'which, with their beautiful joints reminded one of the Mahabharata with its beautiful parvanswhich with its beautiful trunk (symmetry) suggested the Ramayana which contains the Sundara Kanda. Her possession of .a beautiful slender waist suggested the science of prosody which, is resplendant with the metre tanumadhya. Her having very beautiful hands and ears suggested astrology with its calculation respecting palms and ears. Her beaming appearance suggested the system - of Ny ay a as embodied in Uddyotakara. .Her being adorned, with ornaments suggested Buddhistic community glorified, by the work .named Alankara. Her excting pleasure suggested the Upanisads which point out the entity of Brahman, Her beautifut feet suggested <^the Brahmanical

L..t

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SUBANDHU*S VASAVAJDATTA

order with its excellent conduct. Her having beautiful hips recalled the beauty of th6 Vindhya "mountain with its excellent belt. Her possession of heavy hips recalled Tara who gained honour as Brhasp.ati's wife. Her waist being so slender that it could be grasped with a span suggested the thunderbolt whose middle can be seized with (Indra's) span. ' Her attractive appearance suggested priyadarsana, . the companion of priyangusy am a. Her possessing the beauty of the moon suggested Somaprabha the wife of Brahmadatta, the Paiicala king. Her unparallel beauty recalled Anupama^ the wife of the quarter-elephant Kumuda. Her being beautified with the sectarial mark on the forehead suggested the shore of the sea adorned with Tamala leaves (dropped), from the Tamala tree. Languid as she was with wine (or '^prlde of youthful beauty") she suggested Mada lasa^ the daughter of the Gandharva king Asvatara, ' As Kandarpaketu was drinking to her with eyes distended by love a swoon robbed him of his senses. Vasava-' datta too fainted as soon as she saw him. Thereupon when the efforts of Maka-randa and the female companions of the princess had restored them to their senses, the two graced " one and the same seat Thereupon Kalavati, a eompaniori of Vasavadatta who was dearer to her than her own life and in whom she reposed entire confidence addressed Kandarpaketu in these.'words*'Noble, sir this is not the time for confidential talk ; so be brief with your speech. I t would be difficult to 'narrate or to write the pain our princess had felt on your account even if I spent many millenniums. in doing so and the sky itself were to become paper, the se^ the ink-^stand and Brahma himself the writer, Vasuki himself the narrator., You too have left your kingdom and in short have placed yourself in a position of difficultye Now this lady, our- king's daughter^ is to, be given by her father in marriage at "the dawn of day to .Puspaketu, the son of VijayaketUj'king of the Vidyadharas, the hastiness of our king being due to the fact that he is. afraid of

TRANSLATION ^

. gg

the blame of allowing! his daughter to transcend youth unmarried. The princess herself has said today-. *lf Tamalika does not bring that inan here I must forthwith mount the funeral pyre'. I t is through her good luck, noble sir, that you have arrived at this place. What is proper to do now is best known to your Highness"with these words she ceased, Threupon Kandarpaketu like one who though exceedingly terrified had at last plunged into the ocean of delight in full confidence and . who, as it were^ had been crowned' king of the three worlds, consulted with Vasavadatta' and appointing Makaranda to remain in that city to investigate news ' (rumours) left that city with the princess's riding horse named' Swift-as-Thought who ever rushed towards the wind like a snake. ' ,. , . I n ' course of time traversing many hundreds Yojanas, as it were, they passed through a place of cremation' which was crowded with many a fearless kanka bird collected there' with a desire to !seize mouthful of fleshwhich was terrible with the roars of fearful vampires and demons restless with the, thirst for the hedious corpses crackling in the half-burnt funeral pyrewhich was dreadful with corpseswhich was filled with crowds of flies buzzing about and falling on masses of blood issuing from the slit ears and noses of impaled thieveswhich was resounding with the terrible noise produced by the twang of the skulls of human' beings crackling harshly, as they were, burning in the straw fire which with its area blocked up by serpents^' demons, fire jackals, ashes and masses of skulls suggested Siva with his frame encumbered by a garland of skulls, paste of ashes, the Goddess. Gouri, with fire in the eye of his forehead and snakes in his locks a n d ' w i t h demons surrounding Mm ,which with many dogs attending upon it suggested a great man attended upon by a large retinue of followers. Thereupon they entered the Vindhya forest with its clumps of Arka trees suggesting the time of world-dissolution when

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SUBANDHU'S VASAVADATTA

many suns are to rise ; with its endless roots suggesting the kingdom of the snake world with Ananta at its headwith owls dwelling at ease therein suggestiog the council of th Gods where Indra dwells comfortably-enriched with many a wood apple trees suggesting the service of good man fraught with prosperous consequenceswith Arjuna trees growing far and- wide suggesting the field of the Mahabharata battles with Arjuna advancing far forwardwith the Indrani trees having a thousand roots suggesting the race of Puloman having Indrani, the worthy consort of Indra containing many fruit bearing Ganikarika trees suggesting the- inclinations (thoughts) of a brothel, keeper gaining satisfaction from the profitable arrival of prostitutescontaining blossomed Asoka, Sarala, Punnaga trees suggesting the prosperity of a good man in which the simpleminded great men take a delight unmingled with regret- containing many Amalaki trees suggesting sports of children which are sustained by nurses-containing aidehi tree here and there suggesting the thoughts of Rama filled with Sitahaving Amrta trees growing about here and there suggesting the shore of the milky ocean at the time of churning wheii it contained nectarhaving Aparajita'trees growing, up'.freely here and there suggesting the dart (might) of .Narayana, independent and . invinciblewith ' many Iksvaku trees growing about here and there suggesting the voice of Valmiki portraying the race of Iksavakucontain^ ing many Palasa trees suggesting the island of Lanka inhabited by many a cannibalsurrounded with clusters of Arjuna and Sara trees suggesting the Kuru army hemmed in with the flights of a,rrows discharged by Arjunacontain= ing various.shaped animals suggesting, the image of Narayana with its many formscontaining jack-fruits, sandal treesj night lotuses and Nala trees suggesting the army of Sugriva which contained monkeys named Panasa, Candana, Kumuda and Nalaadorned with Sindura and Tilaka trees as well as with sprouts suggesting thereby a woman whose

TRANSLATION

. gl

husband is alive and who is adorned with a vermilion forehead mark and wears coral ornamentscontianing- many white owlSy jackdaws and white swans recalling the army of the Kurus led by Uluka, Brona and Sakuni and associated with the sons of Dhrtarastra. The forest combined , the incompatible appellations of Amlana-jati-bhusita (^^adorned with a noble race) and akulina vamsa ("of low race") in the sense that it contained Amlana and Jati trees ' and had bamboos that were not prostrate on the groundof darsitabhaya (showing no fear) and vibhisana (terrible) in the sense that it showed abhaya' trees and was terrible of Satatahitapathya (observing good regimen) and pravrddha-gulma (with spleen enlarged) in the sense that it always contained pathyatrees and had roots growing up. of Satpadavyakula ('^troubled with six feet") and dvipadanakula ("untroubled with two feet") in the sense that if was frequented with bees and unfrequented by human beings of dvijakulabhusita (ornamented with Brahmana lineage) and akulinavamsa (of low family) in the sense that it was adorned' with birds and possessed bamboos not lying prostrate on the ground. Thereupon night vanished depriving the two of sleep. In course of time the stars were being removed like shoals of living soft safari fish by that fisherman Time who was throwing his net darkness on that great pond, the skywlien that bold red-robed' ascetic,, the full blown bed of lotuses, having in his hand his manuscript^ the lotus, bored with that boring string the luxuriant lotus stalk was reading his prayers represented by the deep, incessant and melodious humming of bees intoxicated with drops of honey when by that sower. Time bees, like seeds of darkness , were being planted upon night lotus beds - the dust which had been turned into mud , by being moistened with drops of honey looking, as it were^ like bees planted upon lotus fields when that female ascetic, the, lotus bed was offering to the mighty jay-garlanded god^ clouds of sacrificial smok in

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SUBANDHU'S V A S A V A D A T T A

the forni of white lotuses erect on their stalks attended by sWarms of bees carrying that straw fire, the flower d u s t when the moon resembling a mortar the interior of which has been destroyed by blows from that pestlex the Morning, raised and lowered by the two hands of that bride the Night, was being absorbed into the stars which looked like particles o rice scattered at the time of threshingwhen, that fruit, the orbed Moon, and those full blown flowers, the stars were falling from those branches, the quarters, shaken by that monkey, the Day, whose face was red as the evening's and who had climbed the tree of the skywhen that cock, Day, whose face was beautified with gleaming new comb fresh and sparkling like the sun's young charioteer Aruna was descending in order to walk about the sky courtyard speckled with stars instead of ricewhen Indra's quarter (the East) was laughing at the thought that the Moon which had waxed through contact with it would wane away (Ex caste) through association with Varuna's quarter (or wine)when that stealer of nocturnal darkness, the Sun, was climbing the Udaya Mt. the sun with his disc reddened, as it were, by the stream of blood flowing from the body of that elephant chief darkness killed by strokes from the rays of that lion, Arunaby streams of minerals washed by the waterfalls from the peaks of Udaya mountainwith rays of brilliant rubies shattered by the sharp hoofs of lofty horses with channels of blood flowing from the heads of infuriated elephants struck by the paws of lions--with the lustre of china roses that grew on the topmost peaks of the Udaya mountainwith the sentiment of affection in the shape of lustre sufficient to do the work of the three worlds rthe sun who had, as it were, his hands outstretched for the purpose of culling those night lotuses, the starsthe sun which was like the saffron bright gem on the hood of the serpent king of the eastern mountain, the gem which belongs to that lady of pleasure (fashionable lady), the Eastlike the golden sprout of that sapphire tree,, the Eastlike the

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63

golden pitcher on the rampart of that city, the skylike a red hot iron pitcher in shapelike the golden water drop on the forehead of the Eastlike the sole flower on that creeper, the Eveninglike the silk fibres reddened with madder^like the circle of the golden dinara of the East engraven with the stamp of evening glow-like the little balls (siddha gutika) of t h a t Vidyadhara, the Daylike the sole of the feet of the quarter elephant reddened with the, gleam of minerals. The nascent sun-light looked like a maddercoloured chowrie on the quarter elephantslike blood belched forth in the fight of the-Mahabharata that took pMce in the Kuru fields-^like the coating of lustre in the rainbow in the interstices of cloud-[like the yellow robe in the Buddhist herinitages]like the yellov hdrmit robe in the Buddhist monasterieslike the golden gleam in the sproutlike cloths of jbanners, like the ripeness in plumslike the brightness of saffron in the yard of t h a t great palace the skylike the moving ruddy screen of that dancer, Time^ as red as fragments of fresh corals. In course oi time the rays'of the sun were increasing, in heat, as it were, through contact with the sun-gem or through entering into the heart transmitted by fire or through the removal of the heat of sorrow from the hearts of the Cakravaka pair restless in their love talk. Thereupon Kandarpaketu senseless through starvation and waking up the whole night and wearied by traversing many hundreds of yojanas, with his sense organs motionless^ seized as he was with sleep, that came a t the time lay with Vasavadatta who was, as i t has been described already within that bower charming with the melodious hummings of beautiful bees 1 wandering about of their greed for the fragrance of flowers that were shaken by the gentle breezes. Thereupon when the orb of tbe sun had ascended the meridia,n extending over the sky suggesting thereby a tradesman opening out his clothflighting all "the quarters, suggesting thereby a great forest fire burning all fuel

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Kandarpaketu with some difficulty gazed upon the bower of creepers deserted.by Ms beloved and standing up and looking hither and thither at one moment amidst branches at ah^^her TamdM"cYeepe on tops of trees at a fourth in dark wells-at a fifth in heaps of dried leaves a t sixth, on the skyat a seventh on the quarters and subquarters and wandered , about and lamented with his \heart burnt incessantly by the fire of separationo Dear Vasavadatta show tEyself to me. Why hast thou hidden thyself in jest. What pains I have gone through for thy sake are known to thee.. Bear Makaranda look at the calamity inflicted upon me by fate. Have I not done deeds of virtue ?/Alas for my tragic destiny ! Alas for the unsurmountable freak of time f Alas for the excessively malevolent aspect. of the planets ! Alas for.this unmerited outcome of .the blessings of my elders ! Alas for the results of evil dreams and evil omens i In truth everything falls .within the range of destiny ? Have I not duly studied the branches of learning ? Have I not paid due honours to my elders (or teachers) ? Have I not worshipped the sacred fires ? H a v e l ever insulted Brahmanas ? Have I not performed^the regular circumambulation round kine ? Have I not granted safety to those who came to me for shelter ? Such were the lamentations uttered by.the prince as he issued out of the forest by its southern side.. He then went a little distance along the shore of the great ocean on which grew fresh. nada,.rialada, niculaj picula, vidula, vakula trees and night lotuses and the proximity of which was obstructed by abundant cirabilvaSy utaja and kutaja trees, There^ the . beautiful fqrest of Sundari trees re-echoes with the sound of the anxious Bhrngaraja birds. There, the Bhrngarola; birds '(black bees) were clinging to the trunks of the fresh grown Varuna trees covered with masses of extensive cane creepers. There, the feet of trees are besprinkled with drops of honey trickling from, overflowing beehives broken by monkeys. There ta.la, hintala^ puga punnaga,, kesara trees grow in

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thick clusters and thick is the excrudescence of ghanasara, maliika, ketaka kovidara, mandara, bijapura jambira and jambu trees. There, grow clusters of Nala trees on banks of rivers fesdunding with the unimpeded cries of datyuha birds (snipes). There the-vrild growing mango sprouts are covered with throngs of cuckoos whose thfoats are never tired. There the hideous branches are dashed by numbers of roosting restless cocks. There rows of Kuravaka trees are horripilating with rows of buds. There the ten quarters are covered with the lustre of the red Aioka sprout and excessive brownness is produced by the pollens of full-blown Kesaras. There people are delighted with the sweet humming of black bees entranced by the golden masses of flower dust. There the elephants afflicted with terribly itching cheeks fearlessly rub themselves against the trunks of Mucukunda trees discoloured by drops of ichor. There the hollows of kutaja trees served as huts for hens which have lately been confined. There, an agreeable noise is raised by youngs of sparrows talkative and restless as they are tended by bigger sparrows. There dwell expert oakora birds noted for their tending of their females. There young hares were sleeping securely on stone slabs as soft as saileya. There the youngs of iguana are rolling fearlessly into the holes of the matted roofs of the ^ephalika trees. There the Ranku deer wander about fearlessly. There Ichneumons play about freely. There the sprouts of mango buds are swallowed by tribes of melodious cuckoos. There herds of Gamari deer ruminate in the mango gardens. There the drum-like ears of elephants grow languid as their thought becomes sleepy owing to the enchanting sounds of waterfalls pouring down at the tops of the mountain belts. There the E-uru deejs are fascinated by the melody of the songs of neighbouring Kinnaries. There the rows of the snouts of young pigs are tinged by drops of shattered green turmeric. There Jalaka birds were humming in crowds upon rows of Gun3a,treesaTherecrowda(the mouths)

I ]j

I |

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of brown Vermin were scratched with the tips of the nails of pigeons and monkeys enraged through biting. There rows of lions shone with beautiful manes tinged with masses of blood issuing from the heads of infuriated elephants, which were shattered with terrible strokes from their paws the nails of which were as sharp as the edge of thunder. Thereupon he caught sight of the ocean. The ocean was expert in imitating Siva whose arms are raised in his evening dance, through the, masses of its exceedingly restless waves. I t looked like a second sky t h a t had attained loveliness through its clusters of foams t h a t appeared like the victorious jflags of the Western quarter or like the beautiful clusters of the sloughs of the tribe of esa or like the rows of remnant atoms of the moon or the streams issuing from the playful hand mark of Laksmi or like the beauty of the sandal marks on the water goddessesa second heaven as it were t h a t had descended on the earth and which under the disguise of ocean was tempting the sky-rangers with particles of rising sprays as if with pearls. Its bosom was filled with numerous winged mountains that had come to it in quest of shelter. Dug up as it had been by the sons of King Sagara, the Parijata flower had been excavated from it. I t was a mind of nobla rubies and gems and the heart of. crowds of elephants and sea monsters. Hosts of alligators were moving about within it eager to swallow "up tribes of !akula fish. Shoals of Timingila fish were not inactive within it. Roots of Lavali, the cloves and matuiunga were restless on the agitated and motionless shore on which grew like ramparts Kandali trees. There this recently grown moss on the watery bank was pressed by couples of mermen and mermaids who were rendered restless owing to Tala, Hintala and Tali trees which had been rendered wild with restlessness by waves and winds spreading about. There the margins of the shores were scratched by the edges of small fishes called Sankhanakha tormented as their

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jnouths were opened out by the tips of sprouts of corals. There the waters were filled up by masses of birdsj mountains and Garuda. The ocean has not up to this day been freed from the impression of its being churned by Mount Mandara (as could be inferred from) its eddying whirlpools. Its foams made it look like one suJBFering from fits of spleen and the fragrance of the Bakula trees growing on its shore imparted "to it the fragrance of vine. I t looked angry on account of its roar, sorrowful on account of its sighs, frowning owiog to its waves. The rainbow made it look as if it had resting pillars. As the source of salt it suggested the womb of the demoness Kumbhinasi which bore the demon Lavanaits possession of a multitude of wife-like outspreading rivers suggested the science of grammar which contains exceptions (bahulam) everywhere as well as declensions of words like stri/and nadi and deals with Krtya affixes. With the huge intervals of shores that it showed it suggested a similarity with a Royal house-hold in which a prime minister is prominent. Its containing multitudes of serpents emitting huge hisses recalled elephant stables containing elephants hissing loudly. Its being adorned with fish and weeds suggested a comparison with the sons of Visvamitra adorned with lotuses and chowries and honoured by the Matsyadesa, As a shelterer of hills it reminded one of a good man who bff<grs shelter to his relatives. I t s charming non-transgression of its shore limits suggested a good man who is beautiful owing to his reliance on Visnu. With sea-monsters and alligators ready at hand it suggested a good king who brings out the excellence of a good man. With its surface watered by Karatoya river it suggested an angry person moistening his face with water from his hand. Watered as it was by the river Candana it suggested a parted lover sprinking over himself sandal water. Attended as it was by the river Narmada, i t suggested a pleasureloving man accompanied by those expert in bestowing enjoyment. ^

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I t combined the incompatible appellations of Uddhrtakalakiita deprived of poison and . Prakatitavisarasi "showing heaps of poison" in the sense that it had given up the poison called Halahala and contained masses of tv^aterof Ativrddha, "very old" and Sundariparivrtakantha '^having his neck encircled with beautiful women" in the sense that it was very extensive and its margin covered with Sundari trees of Surotpattisthana "the birth place of wine" and Asuradhisthita **not occupied with wine" in the sense that it is the birth place of the gods and. contain also demons as well. Such was the ocean and as he looked, upon it he thought within himself "Alas fate, though it has done me injury, has done me this good that this ocean has come within the range of my vision. So, here, I shall part with this body and quench the fire caused by my separation from my beloved. Although death has not been enjoined for those in good health yet it must be allowed to happen to me. No one indeed does all right, or a,ll wrong and in this wretched world what action is there which has not found a doer. Thus the king of the twice born ravished Tara, the wife of his preceptor Brhaspati* Pururavas perished through his greed for a Brahmana's gold. Nahusa lusting after another's wife was a great rake (^become a great snake'). Yayati took upon himself to win a Brahmani woman's hand and fell. Sudyumna actually became a woman ("follower of women"), Somaka's cruelty in murdering his only son Jantu ("living creatures") is notorious. Purukutsa was a man of shameful character. Kuvalayasva carried away even the daughter of Asvatara. Nrga was transformed into a chameleon. Nala was overcome by Kali. Sambarana's weakness for Mitra's daughter suggests a weakness for the daughter of a friend. Dasaratha's dying through overfondness for his beloved Rama suggests his doing so for his beloved women. Kartavirya was slain for persecuting kine and Brahmins. Yudhisthira diverged from truth in the battle front. I^antanu wept in the forest owing to his infatuation. Thus

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I there is no one free from stain. So, I too \\^ill commit I suicide." Such were his thoughts when he reached the vast waters of the ocean's shore. There were the holes for the h fish called Prthuroman which had been dug by the tip of the sharp nails of ospreys. There the water weasles dashed upwards with their scales thick as those of the ^akula fish and . the vicinity of the ocean was surrounded by heaps of horrid looking shells of crabs thrown up by the jackals. There the restless l^aphara fishes were swallowed up, as they were moved by the force of the agitated waters while the expanse of the ocean is rendered white by large numbers of vultures and solitary cranes. There excessive cold is created by gusts of winds produced by sprays of water agitated by the wandering of excessively restless water monkeys and the shore has been rendered uneven by the scratches from the tips of the horns of very young forest buflfaloes butting against it day after day. There is audible the beautiful noise made by flights of birds with black beaks and legs incessantly moving about. There the surface of the earth is covered with water compressed, as it were, by the lying down of mermen brilliant in the rays darted by the sun (or **water beautified by the moving aboutof snakes and marine monsters"). There is the delight arising out of the music of black bees clinging upon hundreds of elephants whose cheeks lire speckled with excessive flow of ichor. The expanse of the water is filled up with heaps of gems thrown up by the dancing waves of the ocean as they are shaken by very strong gales. The waters appear like the msiss of sloughs left by the ocean snake or like the mirror of the earth or like the crystal floor of Varuna. Then, after having taken his bath he began to descend into the waters for the purpose of committing suicide. Thereupon when the aquatic animals were favourably disposed, and the fishes had given up their ferocity and the fierce had lost their fierceness and the tortoises had become

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docile and the alligators had lost their terror and the crocodiles had ceased to be deadly, a voicfe came from heaven:"Noble Kandarpaketu, desist from this attempt at suicide and know that thou shalt meet again thy lady love." At these words he desisted from committing suicide. Eager to meet again his beloved and desirous of partaking of food for the purpose of sustaining his body he went to the vicinity of the shore of the great ocean. Then up and down wandering and living in the forest upon fruits and roots Kandarpaketu passed some time. Now when some months had elapsed came the rainy season. As the time when rivers and streams*attain fullness, it suggested Kakali tune that discourses music in a low scale. As the season for the dancing of the peacocks, it suggested the evening time when Nilakantha dances. As the season when Sara trees crop up in clusters, it suggested the peacock of Kartikeya which bears his arrow-born form. As the time when the spreading of dust is laid, it suggested a great ascetic who subdues the career of his passions. As the season of clouds and hailstones, it suggested a hermit who holds his water giving gourd-pot. As the time when many a boat plies, it suggested the epoch of the dissolution of the world when many suns would gleam. As the season when Cataka birds are excited t)y the clouds it suggested the track of an undisturbed forest haunted by very restless deer. As the season of delight for cultivators it suggested the sport like handsof Revati that hold Balarama, ? The rainbow was shining like a pond for sporting in the blue lotus garden of the dense cloudslike cupid's boat of gem in the skylike the dancing rope of the Candala's daughter dame cloud (cloud beauty)like a garland on the gate of that palace, the sky-rlike nail marks imprinthd for remembrance on the breast of Dame sky for her lover Summer who had gone out on a travellike the gemmed waist-girdle of that beutiful women the skylike the beautiful garland of birds in that Mandara tree the skylike the gem pencil for the cleaning of Rati's nailslike the oyster for holding Kama's

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gem. The cloud appeared as though it were vomiting forth in the shape of cranes the conch shells it had drunk up hastily with the water of the ocean. The rainy season appeared to be playing, as it were, with yellow green frogs jumping up in the dark corners of fields, frogs speckled, as it were, with lac dye as though they had been the regular pieces for gambling. The lightning gleamed like a streak of gold tested, as it were, by that goldsmith, the rainy season, on that touchstone, the cloud which again looked like a mass of collyrium produced by the lamp the Sun. The ketaka flower gleamed like the saw of the flower-armed God i.e. Cupid, intended, as it were, to cleave the hearts of parted lovers. The particles*of water agitated by the rush of the wind appeared like masses of powder while the flickering lightning across the clouds looked like a saw cleaving wood. The hailstones appeared like pearls scattered from the garland of that damsel the Quarter or like the cluster of stars scattered by grinding of that mill-stone, the cloud and cast about by the speed of the violent wind or like the handfuls of fried paddy announcing the expedition of the God whose emblem is the sea-monster, for the conquest of the three worlds. Thereupon Kandarpaketu wandering about at the beginning of the autumn season saw a stone statue. I t was the time when the Khanjarita birds were not lame, the Krauiicas wander about freely, the branches were loudly loquacious with the cries of the Bharadvaja bird, the mornings were excessively bright, the parrots were flying about the paddy fields, swans like guests had entered, the floor of the sky had become in colour like Krsnja's body, the old clouds had become like white cotton, dogs were more delightful (than before), the sweet Madhutrna plaint was growing, the great ponds were noisy with the melodious Sarasa bird, the margins of the ponds were dug up by the snouts of hogs greedy for the root of the beautiful Kaseru grass, the Cataka birds were filled with fear, delight was created by

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the melodious murmurs of the masses of matsya-putrika and patrin wandering about, Kadambas were a t a discount (despised), hostility was shown to the conchs, lotuses grew^ in abundance, clouds became thin, stars shone brighter; the moon looked beautiful, waters in the pond became sweeter, crowds of cranes lay in wait to swallow up the shooting up of iSafari fishes^ frogs were mute, snakes were coiled upj yellow paddy crops appear like bits of gold, ospreys were screaming, the wind blew stealing fragrance from the sweet-scented lotuses, the night lilies were delighted; the moon-light was delightful, peacocks lost their feathers ; Tittibha^. were 'noisy, white swans were visible , crowds of deer were delighted with the songs of the joyous harvest maidens ; the Yuthika flower became a tale^ Malati buds were fading, Bandhuka flowers were favoured (befriended) ; Sujataka trees were produced, the Sautramadhanu was unthreaded (rainbow was lost) ; the ten directions were yellowed with grains of smiling saffron ; lotuses were unfolding. . Urged by curiosity, infatuation and violent grief Kandarpaketu touched the statue with his hand saying within himself *'She resembles my love". As soon as the statue was touched it gave up its stony nature and assumed the form-^of Ya!savadatta seeing which Kandarpaketu plunged, as it were, in the ocean of nectar, held her in a long embrace and enquired "Beloved Vasavadat.ta tell me what all this means". She rose and heaving a deep sigh began to relate as follows : *Nobie lord J it was for the sake of this wretched sinner that you have given up your kingdom and undergone such indescribable trouble all by yourself like a ma,n of the people. Now imagining that Your Highness' self being emaciated through fajsting, lived on merely fruits, roots etc, I walked, a few nalvas looking round the forest trees in search of fruits. Forthwith I noticed a military camp the quarters of which' were being constructed by ironsmith^

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and remained concealed among the stocks of trees. There the general's tent was being prepared, baggages were got down, tent rooms were begun, quarters for prostitutes were being made, neighing of the horses were heard in hundreds, hundreds of musical instruments and drums were sounded indicating a halt, men were seeking for a spring of sweet water a,nd flagstaffs indicated the shops. While I was guessing in my mind whether it was my father's army that had come in search of me or the army of Your Highness, the general of it obtaining the information from his spies chased me. Thereupon a savage Chieftain who had also come there for the purpose of hunting accompanied by an equally large army also pursued me. While I was thinking within myself that if I came to tell Your Highness about what had befallen. Your Highness being singlehanded would surely be killed by them and that if I did not inform Your Highness, I should meet death . at their hands, the two armies fell a fighting like two vultures greedy of quarry." Thereupon on the battlefield where the rays of the sun were obscured by the rain of arrows discharged from every bow, where the warriors thrown up from the tusks of warexperienced elephants produced a momentary illusion as though they were Vidyadharas, where celestial actors wandered about in numerous crowds to witness the battle, where beautiful evolutions were executed by circles of headless corpses whose necks had been seized by Vetalas, where amusement was created by the mortar-shaped ear-ornaments worn by she-goblins, ornaments formed out of the legs of the elephants severed by the swords of beautiful warriors, where benedictions in shape of very loud cries were raised, where the timid took to their heels, where the warriors pulled out alike the lives of their enemies and the strings of their bows regardless of the safety of their bodies as if they were only pieces of flesh coveted by jackals and as if their bodies had been stung by serpentswith their ichor flowing and their ineapaeity for enduring the masses of

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arrows, the elephants suggested liberal men who bestow gifts and bear not the incursions of suitors. Adorned with vermilion and golden girths they also suggested prosperous luxury-loving men adorned with amorous sentiments and possessed of golden palaces. Decked with flags and possessed ^of tusks they also suggested beautiful gardens adorned with' plantain trees and frequented by birds. Ornamented with rows of pearls (or "unadorned with warriors") they suggested night adorned with a garland of stars. With their trunks waving they suggested the day time when lotuses are unfolded. The horses springing from the earth shone suggesting meii of deranged intellects wht) forsake peacefulnesspossessing as they did the ten sorts of hair arrangement known as Avarta ^and were prancing they suggested oceans adorned with whirlpools and possessed of waves. Having white horses among them they suggested gardens possessed of Mallikaksa birds. With their new caparisons they suggested ancestral homes furnished with new utensilspossessing the hair on their necks which is known as Devamani they suggested the ocean which contains the gem divinecarrying upon themselves human beings they suggested the gods who have Indra among them. Long danced the headless trunks as if through joy at their deliverance from a pair of ears that heard enemies abusingfrom a pair of eyes that witnessed the prosperity of the wicked in the adversity of the good and from a head that used to bend over wrong places. Thereupon the dust raised by the battle swelled up shading the eye as if in jest, blocking up people's hearings as if afraid of hearing other peop>le's abuserushing with the speed of the wind suggesting thereby mad people distracted by exuberance of the windembrowning as it were celestial damsels, blinding as it were warriors, plying as it were the darkness of the battle dusk. By leaving the earth it suggested an outcast discarded by his family, by screening the sight of the quarters and the sky^ the Mlmajnsa

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school of philosophy that refuted that of Digambara Jainas by rising up to the sky, a good man attached to the foot of Visnu, by going along the path of the stars, a bad king swerving from the Ksatriya pathby covering faces with smoke, Yudhisthira who was fond of Dhaumya by enshrouding the reality of things, a passionate man discarding .virtue by being well-raised, a humble man who is not insolentby hunting the core, a wicked man whose intention is rotten. One man killed another who was shouting, recalling thereby Rama's killing of Bavana. Another cut down his adversary recalling Krsna's killing the demon Naraka. A third destroyed his adversary's hearing, speech and sight recalling the Buddhist philosophy in which is seen the refutation of the sayings of the Sruti. A fourth was surrounded by corpses suggesting thereby a Jaina hermit within his bark cincture. A fifth man entered water afraid of getting his thighs broken, like Duryodhana. A sixth lay on a bed of arrows and was breathing long like Bhisma. A seventh with his limbs benumbed gave up all his strength recalling Karna who discharged the dart called lakti. Thereupon the army came to destruction with its flags destroyed, its banners fallen, its bows, chowries and crests dropped off, its swords falling to tHe ground. By that time the sage to whom the hermitage belonged returned with fruits and flowers and learning what had happened cursed me saying *'It was on thy account that my hermitage has been devastated, so be thou tufned into stone." Soon after when he saw that my wretched self was suffering much pain, he fixed a limit to his curse making it last only until I should be touched by Your Highnesses hands. Thereupon Kandarpaketu returned to his capital in the company of Makaranda who had arrived and with Vasavadatta and passed his lifetime in enjoying such pleasures as his heart longed for.