The Kādambarī of Bāṇa

157

Or, had stars tawny at the junction of night and day.

158

Lit., (a) Holding all his passions in firm restraint; (b) having the axle of its wheels firm.

159

Lit., (a) He had a body wasted by secret performance of penance; (b) he brought to nought the enemies’ plans of battle by secret counsel and by his army.

160

Or, having caves with whirlpools and the circles of shells oblique.

161

Or, quays.

162

(a) Perhaps Pushkara, the place of pilgrimage in Ajmere; (b) lotus-grove.

163

(a) Having entrance into great halls; (b) being absorbed in Brahma.

164

Or, salvation.

165

Or, inflicted punishment; or, though intent on the Sāma veda, he was yet a daṇḍi; i. e., an ascetic who despises ritual.

166

Having beautiful matted locks.

167

(a) Having no left eye; (b) having no crooked glances.

168

R. V., x. 190.

169

Another kind of bread-tree.

170

The Commentary explains it as ‘Veda.’

171

The tridaṇḍaka or three staves of the mendicant Brahman who has resigned the world.

172

Or, impassioned glances.

173

(a) Moulting; (b) partisanship.

174

Bāla = (a) hair; (b) children.

175

Rāmā, woman.

176

Çakuni = (a) a bird; (b) Duryodhana’s uncle.

177

Vāyu = (a) wind; (b) breath.

178

(a) Teeth; (b) Brahmans.

179

Or, dullness.

180

Or, seeking prosperity.

181

Or, seek enjoyment.

182

Or good fortune.

183

The Gārhapatya, Dakshiṇa, and Āhavanīya fires.

184

Proverbial phrase for clearness.

185

Vishṇu Purāṇa, vi., ch. 3, ‘The seven solar rays dilate to seven suns, and set the three worlds on fire.’

186

Lit., ‘is leader of.’

187

Or, caprice.

188

Vishṇu Purāṇa, i., 123.

189

Semi-divine beings dwelling between the earth and the sun.

190

Tārā = (a) stars; (b) wife of Bṛihaspati, carried away by the moon.

191

(a) “Wife of the sage Vaçishṭha; (b) the morning star.

192

(a) Constellation; (b) staff borne during a vow.

193

(a) Constellation; (b) roots for the hermits’ food.

194

Or, constellation.

195

Çiva.

196

Caste.

197

Friends.

198

I.e., king, minister, and energy.

199

Or, misfortune.

200

An ordeal.

201

An ordeal.

202

(a) Clearing of the waters after the rainy season; (b) ordeal of poison.

203

(a) Magic; (b) practice of Yoga.

204

(a) Lit., ‘tearing out of eyes;’ (b) slaughter of the demon Tāraka by Kārtikeya.

205

A star in the Scorpion’s tail.

206

Seizing of tribute.

207

Or, having his body united. V. Dowson, ‘Classical Dictionary.’

208

Having fortresses subdued.

209

These are teachers of the gods and heroes.

210

Vishṇu.

211

Lit., ‘firm.’

212

(a) The gods; (b) love.

213

Four was the number of the oceans and of the arms of Nārāyaṇa.

214

The divine mothers, or personified energies of the chief deities.

215

Wife of Çukanāsa.

216

Summary of pp. 141–155.

217

Or, Ananga, name of Kāma.

218

Since he can only give it the name, not the substance or meaning. Kumāra = (a) name of Kārtikeya; (b) prince.

219

Kāma.

220

Summary of pp. 176–189.

221

Lit., ‘sew him to himself.’

222

Summary of pp. 190, 191.

223

Summary of p. 193.

224

Çarabha, a fabulous animal supposed to have eight legs, and to dwell in the snowy mountains.

225

(a) Many sins; (b) twilight.

226

Lit., (a) climbs trees; (b) protects parasites.

227

(a) Showing the elevation of many men; (b) rising in stature to the height of many men.

228

Or, arrogance.

229

Or, stupidity.

230

Or, wealth.

231

Or, ill-fortune.

232

Balam = (a) strength; (b) army. Laghumā = (a) lightness; (b) triviality.

233

Vigrahavatī = (a) having a body; (b) full of strife.

234

Purushottama, i. e., Vishṇu.

235

The rainy season sends away the haṃsas.

236

Lit., their limbs fail them.

237

Which have a strong scent.

238

Men having throbbing eyes.

239

(a) A noble man; (b) fire.

240

Or, drink.

241

Or, taxes.

242

Like Vishṇu.

243

Like Çiva.

244

Lit., ‘inlaid.’

245

Or, kesara flowers.

246

Recaka, so commentary.

247

Both trees of paradise.

248

The quarter of Çatakratu or Indra.

249

All auspicious signs. Cakra is (a) a quoit; (b) a cakravāka.

250

(a) A demon; (b) the heron.

251

For the love of snakes for the breeze, V. Raghuvaṃça, XIII., 12, and Buddhacarita, I., 44. Snakes are sometimes called vāyubaksha.

252

The following reference to Thomas Bell’s ‘History of British Quadrupeds’ was given by Mr. S. B. Charlesworth. ‘Writing about the deer of our parks (p. 404) he (Bell) quotes Playford’s “Introduction to Music” as follows: “Travelling some years since, I met on the road near Royston a herd of about twenty deer following a bagpipe and violin, which while the music played went forward. When it ceased they all stood still, and in this manner they were brought out of Yorkshire to Hampton Court.”’ V. supra, pp. 40, 79.

253

Meghadūta, 38.

254

The dvīpas are continents separated from each other by oceans. The Çvetadvīpa, or White Continent, is, according to Weber, suggested by Alexandria. V. ‘Indische Studien,’ I., 400; II., 397, 398.

255

Dvandva, a pair of opposites, as, e. g., pleasure and pain.

256

(a) Brilliant; (b) Durgā.

257

Summary of p. 277.

258

The Commentary says: ‘A house is whitened to welcome anyone. The face (or mouth) is the dwelling of Sarasvatī.’

259

Mandāra, one of the trees of Paradise.

260

The month June–July.

261

Staff.

262

(a) A tilaka, or mark of ashes; (b) abundance of tilaka trees white with blossoms.

263

Read Kauçalasya.

264

Cf. ‘Dulce rudimentum meditantis lilia quondam naturæ, cum sese opera ad majora pararet.’ – Rapin, on the convolvulus. V. Hallam, ‘Hist. of Lit.,’ Pt. iv., ch. v.

265

Vishṇu Purāṇa, Wilson, 1865, vol. ii., p. 297.

266

Son of Kuvera.

267

The coral tree.

268

Or, virtue.

269

‘In the āryā metre,’ in the Sanskrit.

270

Mānasijanmā = (a) born in the Mānasa lake; (b) born in the mind, i. e., love. Muktālatā = (a) a white creeper; (b) a pearl necklace.

271

Scilicet, in the day.

272

Turbid with (a) dust; (b) passion.

273

The Vishṇu Purāṇa, Bk. vi., ch. iii., mentions seven suns.

274

The asterism Rohiṇī.

275

Utkalikā = (a) wave; (b) longing.

276

Or, hand.

277

Hands.

278

Feet.

279

Hands.

280

Candracaṇḍāla (lit., ‘base-born moon’) is intended as an assonance.

281

Pūrṇapātra, a basket of gifts to be scrambled for at a wedding.

282

I.e., the row of pearls given by Mahāçvetā.

283

Omit, priyajanaviçvāsavacanāni.

284

Read, parityaktā.

285

Read, antare.

286

Goçīrsha, a kind of fragrant sandal.

287

V. Vishṇu Purāṇa, Bk. i., ch. iii. (For the description of Brahmā’s night.)

288

Tataḥ Saindhavako rājā kshudras, tāta, Jayadrathaḥ,Varadānena Rudrasya sarvān naḥ samavārayat.

(‘Then the vile Sindh kinglet, Jayadratha, through the boon conferred by Rudra, O my son, kept us all back.’) – Mahābhārata, vii., 2574.

289

Harivaṃça, 4906.

290

The cakora, or Greek partridge, was said to have its eyes turned red in the presence of poison.

291

Madirā, intoxicating, bewitching; so called because her eyes were madirāḥ.

292

Daksha cursed the moon with consumption at the appeal of his forty-nine daughters, the moon’s wives, who complained of his special favour to the fiftieth sister.

293

Lit., ‘without cause.’

294

Lit., ‘going by machinery.’

295

Trees of paradise.

296

A pun on pīḍā, grief.

297

A pun on pīḍā, a chaplet.

298

Read īrshyāṃ, vyathāṃ, and roshaṃ, as the Calcutta edition.

299

‘All the rasas,’ the ten emotions of love, fear, etc., enumerated by writers on rhetoric.

300

Because water was poured out to ratify a gift.

301

Bhāshitā, literally, ‘addressed by’; or read, bhāvitā, ‘entering into the spirit of.’

302

Read nirdākshiṇyayā.

303

A bundle of peacock feathers waved by the conjuror to bewilder the audience.

304

The dark blue of the bees was like the blue veil worn by women going to meet their lovers.

305

This passage is condensed.

306

Read musho.

307

I.e., ‘relic,’ or ‘remaining.’

308

Read Mahāçvetāṃ.

309

Cf. ‘Harsha Carita’ (Bombay edition, p. 272), ‘Parameçvarottamāngapātadurlalitāngām’.

310

Read Kumudamayyā.

311

A tree of paradise.

312

Tālī, a kind of palm; Kandala, a plantain.

313

Or, reading avirala, thick coming.

314

The Vishṇu Purāṇa, Bk. ii., ch. ii., calls Mandara the Mountain of the East; Gandhamādana, of the South; Vipula, of the West; and Supārçva, of the North.

315

Father of Kuvera.

316

Brahmā.

317

A phrase denoting readiness to obey. V. supra, p. 15.

318

Pouring water into the hand was the confirmation of a gift. V. supra, p. 150.

319

Transpose iti.

320

Hybiscus mutabilis changes colour thrice a day.

321

Or, at a wrong time.

322

Remove the stop after asyāḥ and Candrāpīḍaḥ, and place one after gantum.

323

‘It is not allowed by her favour to move.’

324

Read suhṛidāpi gantavyam, ‘his friend must go.’

325

Or, sampanna, ‘full-grown, having fruit and flowers,’ according to the commentary.

326

Read khinne.

327

Read prasādānām.

328

Read °janāt, etc.

329

V. supra, p. 12, where the robes of the chiefs are torn by their ornaments in their hasty movements.

330

Paravaça iva, or, ‘with mind enslaved to other thoughts.’

331

Read garīgasī.

332

The Jamunā is a common comparison for blue or green.

333

Placing a stop after gaditum instead of after niḥçesham.

334

An allusion to the idea that the açoka would bud when touched by the foot of a beautiful woman.

335

Anubandha, one of the four necessary conditions in writing. (a) Subject-matter; (b) purpose; (c) relation between subject treated and its end; (d) competent person to hear it. – V. ‘Vedānta Sāra.,’ p. 2–4; ‘Vācaspatya Dictionary.’

336

‘Manu,’ ix., 90.

337

I.e., the down on the body rises from joy (a common idea in Sanskrit writers), and holds the robe on its points.

338

Read, Saṃdiçantī, and place the stop after svayaṃ instead of after saṃdiçantī.

339

I.e., awake a sleeping lion.

340

Or, ‘wine.’

341

Bhūshaṇabhaṭṭa, after these introductory lines, continues Patralekhā’s account of Kādambarī’s speech, and completes the story.

342

I.e., Patralekhā.

343

Literally, ‘that forest of creepers, sc. maidens.’

344

So commentary.

345

Avantī is the province of which Ujjayinī is the capital. For the Divine Mothers, V. supra, p. 56.

346

V. supra, pp. 19, 20, 47.

347

A king of the solar race.

348

V. supra, p. 6.

349

Read ashṭānām api Vasūnām.

350

The commentary says ‘mother’ is said to a daughter-in-law, just as tāta, ‘father,’ is said to a son.

351

The parrot’s own history is now continued from p. 47.

352

The commentary explains these as Indra, Yama, Varuṇa, Soma and Kuvera. The Calcutta translation apparently translates a reading mahābhūtāni.

353

As the betrothed of Mahāçvetā, who was of the moon-race of Apsarases.

354

For gāndharva marriage, v. Manu., iii. 32.

355

Cf. M. Arnold:

‘Ah, where the spirit its highest life hath led,All spots, match’d with that spot, are less divine.’

356

Apunarukta, ‘without tautology.’

357

Çiva.

358

Fiends attendant on Çiva.

359

Vide p. 98.

360

Or, with fishes.

361

Or, light.

362

Literally (a) whose wealth is crores of rupees; (b) in the case of the moon, ‘whose essence is in its horns.’

363

(a) Partizanship; (b) cutting of pinions. When the rest of the mountains lost their wings, Maināka escaped.

364

Or, padma, 1000 billions.

365

Or, emeralds.

366

Or, rogues.

367

Or, granaries.

368

Or, learned.

369

Or, though full of energy, they fear their enemies.

370

Or, liberal.

371

V. Sāhitya-Darpaṇa, 641.

372

Ibid., 568.

373

Or, offering gifts.

374

Or, containing pine-trees.

375

Or, attentive to women.

376

Brother of Rāma and Bharata.

377

Or, their friends.

378

Or, of the Sarvāstivādin School (a subdivision of the Vaibhāshika Buddhists).

379

Or, matter and spirit.

380

Or, lotus-hued.

381

In the case of Çiva, ‘loud laughter, bright as nectar.’

382

It has treasure vaults.

383

Or, keeping its covenants firm.

384

Or, houses whitened with ivory and cowries.

385

Or, having splendid mountains always at hand.

386

Or, false.

387

Or, gold pieces.

388

(a) Demon; (b) golden dice.

389

Or, rogues.

390

Or, the sporting of King Bāla.

391

Though the free intercourse with women is allowed, it is of irreproachable conduct.

392

Its castes are loved.

393

Vihāra (a) without necklaces; (b) having temples.

394

Having many citizens.

395

Then follows: ‘There – demons,’ p. 47, l. 18.

396

Follows p. 48, l. 17, ‘gay.’

397

Read °kulaiḥ; (a) Kings; (b) mountains.

398

Loss of dependencies; or, loss of wings.

399

Or, by the star Budha.

400

Or, his body was destroyed.

401

Or, Sumitrā, wife of Daçaratha.

402

Or, by the ‘Lord of Battles,’ i. e., Kārtikeya.

403

Or, was honoured for his patience.

404

(a) A great family; (b) a great bamboo from which the river is said to rise.

405

V. supra, p. 162.

406

Read lavaṅga.

407

A monkey chief.

408

The figures refer to the page and line of the Nirṇaya-Sāgara edition of Kādambarī.

409

Passages marked * are condensed, and only occasional phrases are translated.