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

132 VĀSAVADATTĀ
the mass of the water of the ocean,¹ shaken by the right mobile
wind; like ² a strip of slough cast by the serpent of the ocean ³;
the mirror, as it were, of earth; the crystal pavement, so to say,
of Varuṇa.⁴
Then, having bathed and the like,⁵ he began to descend to the
water ⁶ to abandon his body. Thereupon, while the sharks were
kindly, the fish free from envy, the bees ⁷ not mean, [280] the
tortoises affectionate,⁸ the crocodiles not cruel, the dolphins not
terrible, (and) the Gangetic porpoises not murderous, there came
a heavenly voice ⁹: 'Noble Kandarpakētu, again, at no long
time, shall there be union of thee with thy beloved. Cease,
therefore, from thy resolve to die'! Hearing this, he desisted
from death,¹⁰ and eager to get food to sustain his body because of
his desire of reunion with his beloved, he went along the shore of
the mighty ocean.¹¹ Then Kandarpakētu ¹² passed considerable
time wandering here and there, living on fruit and the like in the
forest.
Finally, after the lapse of several months,¹³ came the rainy sea-
son, with ⟨conjoined deep rivers⟩ as he who sings to the kākalī
has a ⟨continuous low note⟩; [281] with dancing ⟨peacocks⟩ as the
eventide has ⟨Śiva⟩ dancing; producing ⟨much pen-reed grass⟩ as
¹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘in the breakup of the water.’
² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text omit ‘like.’
³ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘a serpent going in the water of the ocean.’
⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text add ‘with ⟨rubies⟩ as a lotus-grove has a ⟨red colour⟩;
with ⟨branches of coral⟩ as a forest district has ⟨birds and branches of trees⟩; with
⟨mussels⟩ as a coward has ⟨fear⟩; attended by many ⟨pearls⟩ as Viṣṇu is attended by
many ⟨emancipated ascetics⟩.’
⁵ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘having performed all the duties of bathing and the like.’
⁶ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘water of the ocean.’
⁷ Tel. ed., ‘shoals of fish’; the Srirangam text omits the phrase.
⁸ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘devoid of longing.’
⁹ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘there came a voice from heaven.’ For other instances
of intended suicide thus divinely prevented see Kādambarī, pp. 332–333, 569–570,
Bombay ed., 1890 (tr. Ridding, pp. 133, 195, London, 1896).
¹⁰ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘he desisted indeed from undertaking death.’
¹¹ Tel. ed. omits this clause; Srirangam text, ‘then he went to the forest along the
shore, eager to get food to sustain his body because of his hope of reunion with his
beloved.’
¹² Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘he.’
¹³ Tel. ed., ‘but finally, after the lapse of several days.’