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

64 VĀSAVADATTĀ
is <horrible> and a «foe of them that praise him» ; though a <fire>,
he is a «wind», for he is a <devourer of his own place of refuge>
and a «dog in his mother» ¹; [71] though very <pungent>, he is of
«fine flavour», for he is very <cruel> and «utterly insipid»; he
does not abandon his <bitterness>, though «flattered by clasped
hands and prostration at his feet»,² even as mustard-oil abandons
not its <sharpness>, though «caressed with both hands and held
to the head»; he is <delightful on account of his freedom from faults> (at first), but afterwards is unpleasant and «cruel» even as
the fruit of the palmyra-palm tastes <pleasant at first>, but is dis-
agreeable and «sharp» at the last ; he, when <deserted>, wrinkles
his brow even as the dust of the feet, when <shaken off>, discolours
the head.
‘ He <confirms his folly> in proportion as he is «humoured»
even as the fruit of the poison-tree <strengthens madness> in pro-
portion as it is «honoured»; [72] he has no lack of <enemies>
with his «bad conduct» even as there is no dearth of <water> in
«low ground»³; he brings distress to the <good> with his «great
jealousy» even as a summer day brings distress to the <flowers>
with its «swarms of gnats»; he is cunning in binding <sins>
together and eager to «destroy the works of all men» even as the
darkness is cunning in binding <night> together and eager for
«sunset».
[73] ‘ Though <Śiva>, he is «Viṣṇu», for he is a <prince> of
«unseemly conduct»⁴; he is <deaf> and «praises not his subjects»
even as Indra’s horse <cried aloud> and «exulted in his birth from
the ocean» ; he agitates the heart of a good man, even though he
is <disturbed> and shows «affection», like as the churning-stick
agitates the heart of the cream, even though it is <separated> and
¹ A false etymological pun on Mātariśvan, an obscure Vedic deity (on whom see
Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, pp. 71-72, Strassburg, 1897; Hillebrandt, Vedische
Mythologie, 2. 149-153, Breslau, 1899; and the authorities there cited). The name
probably means ‘having water as his mother’ (Fay, JAOS. 16. clxxii-clxxiii), or, less
plausibly, ‘materiae puer’ (Fay, KZ. 45. 134-135).
² Literally, ‘sustained by the head (of his suppliant).’ ³ Tel. ed., ‘he has no
lack of <enemies> even as a dearth of <water> is not produced by a river in low ground.’
⁴ Tel. ed. and Srirangam text, ‘he has <unseemly conduct> even as Rudra has
<abnormal eyes>; he is <deceitful> even as Viṣṇu <holds a disc>.’