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THE SŪRYAŚATAKA OF MAYŪRA
137
For it is not assailable even by the wind [that accompanies] the
destruction of a kalpa-a wind that rends the mountains
with merciless force¹;
And in the daytime it pours out a dense shining splendor, and is
free from the ink of darkness¹⁰;
And it derives its origin <from Patanga (Sürya)>, and, more-
over,
is not subject to being extinguished <by a moth>.¹¹
May that splendor of the Hot-rayed (Sürya) bring you joy!
Notes. 1. This stanza is quoted in Anandavardhana's Dhvanyaloka
(2.23-24; p. 92 of the Kävyamālā text as cited in stanza 9, note 1) as
an example of the rhetorical figure vyatireka, 'distinction. The author's
remarks on this stanza of Mayūra are as follows: atra hi samyaprapanca-
pratipadanam vindiva vyatireko darsitaḥ, which Jacobi (ZDMG, 56.614)
renders as: 'Hier ist nämlich der vyatireka (die höhere Vortrefflichkeit der
Sonne im Vergleich mit einer Lampe) gezeigt, ohne dass die Ähnlichkeit
ausdrücklich dargestellt ist.' Jacobi (loc. cit., p. 613, footnote 3) defines
vyatireka as follows: 'Vyatireka heisst ein Vergleich, der darauf hinaus-
läuft, das Subjekt als höher oder als geringer denn das Objekt des Ver-
gleiches hinzustellen; der Vergleich fällt also zu Gunsten des Subjekts
oder Objekts aus.' Another definition is that of Dandin in the Kavyadarśa
(2.180): fabdopätte pratite va sadṛśye vastunor dvayoḥ । tatra yad bheda-
kathanam vyatirekaḥ sa kathyate. This Böhtlingk, in his edition of the
Kavyadarśa, renders as: 'Wenn bei der ausgesprochenen oder bekannten
Gleichheit zweier Dinge ihr Unterschied angegeben wird, so nennt man
dieses Vjatireka; d.i. Gegenüberstellung mit Angabe des Unterschiedes.'
It may be noted in passing that stanza 21, which compares Surya to an
eye, is very similar to this stanza in its general arrangement, and presents
another instance of vyatireka. 2. For a list of the stanzas where Sürya
is compared to a lamp, see stanza 11, note 3. 3. The dvipas were geo-
graphical divisions of the terrestrial earth. According to the Purāṇas,
they were seven in number, and were grouped around Mt. Meru (see
stanza 1, note 4) like the petals of a lotus, each being separated from the
other by a distinct ocean. The central one was Jambudvipa, in which was
situated Bhāratavarşa, or India; cf. Vişnu Purana, 2.2 (Wilson, vol. 2,
p. 109-110, and note); see also stanza 97, note 2. 4. Cf. stanza 21,
where the light of Sürya is said to be 'an eye different from an ordinary
eye.' 5. With kalpapayavayor gamya, 'assailable by the wind, etc.,'
cf. Candidataka, stanza 42, where again is found a genitive of the agent
with gamya, gamyam agner, 'assailable by Agni'; so also in Bhaktamara-
stotra, stanza 16, gamyo na ... marutam, 'not assailable by the winds.'
On this genitive, see Speijer, Sanskrit Syntax, 114. 6. A kalpa was a
period of 4,294,080,000 years, and constituted one day of Brahma. At the
end of every kalpa, the three worlds were all consumed with fire and then
immersed in ocean. Chaos then existed for a night of Brahmå, which
137
For it is not assailable even by the wind [that accompanies] the
destruction of a kalpa-a wind that rends the mountains
with merciless force¹;
And in the daytime it pours out a dense shining splendor, and is
free from the ink of darkness¹⁰;
And it derives its origin <from Patanga (Sürya)>, and, more-
over,
is not subject to being extinguished <by a moth>.¹¹
May that splendor of the Hot-rayed (Sürya) bring you joy!
Notes. 1. This stanza is quoted in Anandavardhana's Dhvanyaloka
(2.23-24; p. 92 of the Kävyamālā text as cited in stanza 9, note 1) as
an example of the rhetorical figure vyatireka, 'distinction. The author's
remarks on this stanza of Mayūra are as follows: atra hi samyaprapanca-
pratipadanam vindiva vyatireko darsitaḥ, which Jacobi (ZDMG, 56.614)
renders as: 'Hier ist nämlich der vyatireka (die höhere Vortrefflichkeit der
Sonne im Vergleich mit einer Lampe) gezeigt, ohne dass die Ähnlichkeit
ausdrücklich dargestellt ist.' Jacobi (loc. cit., p. 613, footnote 3) defines
vyatireka as follows: 'Vyatireka heisst ein Vergleich, der darauf hinaus-
läuft, das Subjekt als höher oder als geringer denn das Objekt des Ver-
gleiches hinzustellen; der Vergleich fällt also zu Gunsten des Subjekts
oder Objekts aus.' Another definition is that of Dandin in the Kavyadarśa
(2.180): fabdopätte pratite va sadṛśye vastunor dvayoḥ । tatra yad bheda-
kathanam vyatirekaḥ sa kathyate. This Böhtlingk, in his edition of the
Kavyadarśa, renders as: 'Wenn bei der ausgesprochenen oder bekannten
Gleichheit zweier Dinge ihr Unterschied angegeben wird, so nennt man
dieses Vjatireka; d.i. Gegenüberstellung mit Angabe des Unterschiedes.'
It may be noted in passing that stanza 21, which compares Surya to an
eye, is very similar to this stanza in its general arrangement, and presents
another instance of vyatireka. 2. For a list of the stanzas where Sürya
is compared to a lamp, see stanza 11, note 3. 3. The dvipas were geo-
graphical divisions of the terrestrial earth. According to the Purāṇas,
they were seven in number, and were grouped around Mt. Meru (see
stanza 1, note 4) like the petals of a lotus, each being separated from the
other by a distinct ocean. The central one was Jambudvipa, in which was
situated Bhāratavarşa, or India; cf. Vişnu Purana, 2.2 (Wilson, vol. 2,
p. 109-110, and note); see also stanza 97, note 2. 4. Cf. stanza 21,
where the light of Sürya is said to be 'an eye different from an ordinary
eye.' 5. With kalpapayavayor gamya, 'assailable by the wind, etc.,'
cf. Candidataka, stanza 42, where again is found a genitive of the agent
with gamya, gamyam agner, 'assailable by Agni'; so also in Bhaktamara-
stotra, stanza 16, gamyo na ... marutam, 'not assailable by the winds.'
On this genitive, see Speijer, Sanskrit Syntax, 114. 6. A kalpa was a
period of 4,294,080,000 years, and constituted one day of Brahma. At the
end of every kalpa, the three worlds were all consumed with fire and then
immersed in ocean. Chaos then existed for a night of Brahmå, which