उत्तररामचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - संस्कृत मूल एवं हिन्दी व्याख्या)

22 NOTES ON [ I _
a child, this goes with जानकी दधती f. nom. sing. of दधत् । २ ।
था It seems from the रामायण that सीता was only six years old
when she was married see अरण्यकाण्ड 47 'उषित्वा द्वादश समा
इक्ष्वाकूणां निवेशने । 4 मम भर्ता महातेजा वयसा पञ्चविंशकः ॥ 10 अष्टादश
हि वर्षाणि मम जन्मनि गण्यते ।' 11 Hence the words शिशु and पतन-
विरलै are very appropriate. When children are about six years
old some of their teeth fall. The teeth of a child being small
and tapering may be well compared to buds (मुकुल) ललित-
नितं extremely lovely. Where intensity is to be expressed an
adjective of quality is repeated 'प्रकारे गुणवचनस्य' पा 8. 1. 12.
ललित अङ्गकै She caused delight to my mothers by her sweet
limbs that were extremely lovely, made as if from moonlight
(i. e. so cooling and delightful) and the gestures of which were
natural (not artificial). अकृत्रिमा विभ्रमा येषाम्. अकृत—Aorist of
कृ अङ्गकै —क is added to express the sense of अल्प. Some editions
read प्रतनुविरलैः, which means small and not dense. This is not
bad. We may also look upon तनुन्दलैः as standing by itself and
not as an adjective of मुकुलैः. In that case the reading प्रतनु
विरलै alone would he appropriate and not पतन०. (मुखस्य) प्रान्तयोः
कपोलयोः उन्मीलन्तः मनोहराः कुन्तलाः तैः दशनमुकुलैः (च) सुभालोकं मुखम्
face that was lovely on account of the fine hair waving over the
cheeks and on account of the bud-like teeth. N reads प्रान्तोत् कुन्तलैः
दशनकुसुमैः, which is a good reading. The teeth that were left
are compared to कुसुमस. Those that were just making their ap-
pearance in place of those that had fallen are compared to
buds. G seems to read मन्दारोचम् of dull aspect or with a dull
light. This is a bad reading. अकृत्रिमविभ्रमे—सीता being a child
at the time had not learnt the coquetries of youth. N reads
अज्ञानां मे, which is not so good as अम्बानां मे. राम remembers the
old days with regret and refers to his parents in the preceding
verse. It would be more in keeping with those memories of the
past that he should refer rather to the delight of his mother
than to his own. The metre of the verse (हरिणी) is very appro-
priate to the sentiments expressed. एषा मन्थरा—मन्थरा was the
hump-backed nurse or servant of कैकेयी, who instigated her
mistress on the eve of राम's installation as युवराज, to beg of
दशरथ by the two boons formerly promised by him the banish-
ment of राम for fourteen years and the installation of भरत as
युवराज. See अयोध्याकाण्ड 7-11. सत्वरं दर्शयन्—Rama quickly
pointed out to another incident as he did not want to say a
word in disparagement of his step-mother कैकेयी.