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

A SANSKRIT ROMANCE 97

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