2023-02-23 18:48:52 by ambuda-bot
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THE SŪRYAŚATAKA OF MAYURA
The¹ [splendor] of jewels, whose part is played in a circum-
scribed place, is for adornments [only];
The [splendor] of fire can burn up wood and the like; [and]
the [splendor] of the moon is able to bring joy by its innate
coldness;
145
But the splendor of Arka (Sürya), being the means of adorn-
ment of the three worlds, the burner-up of sin, and the swift
bringer of joy through rain,
Is alone greater [than the other splendors] by reason of its
abundantly performing [all their] functions.5
May that splendor of Arka (Sürya) protect you!
Notes. 1. The meaning of this stanza seems to be as follows: Jewels
are for personal adornment only, but Sürya adorns the whole world; fire
burns wood, but Sürya burns up sin; the moon gives joy by its cold rays,
but Sürya gives joy by the rain that he draws up and pours down. Jewels
can only adorn, not burn; fire can only burn, not adorn; the moon can
only give joy, not burn or adorn; but Sürya, or Surya's splendor, can both
adorn, burn, and give joy; therefore the splendor of Sürya is greater than
the splendor of jewels, fire, or moon. 2. Lit. 'whose opportunity is
grasped in a circumscribed place,' the meaning being that jewels perform
their function of adorning only in some little place, as on the finger, in
the ear, or around the neck. 3. Lit. 'is able for adorning,' or 'avails
for adorning.' 4. The commentary quotes from an unnamed source,
which I find to be Mahabharata, 12. 263. 11: adityaj jayate vrstiḥ, 'from
Aditya (Sürya) rain is produced.' The same passage is quoted again in
the commentaries on stanzas 77 (see note 1) and 93 (see note 5). For
other places in the Süryafataka where the idea is expressed that Sürya is
a reservoir of water, see stanza 9, note 2. 5. Lit. 'greater because of
[these] actions produced in abundance,' or 'greater because it commonly
produces [all these] actions.'
V.L. (a) HB maṇḍalaya prabhavati; VHB niyate deśa-. (b) V vahner
davagni-; VHB-dagdham. (c) VJHBK read yat tu, which I have adopted;
the Kävyamālā text reads yac ca.
31
mīlaccakṣur vijihmaśruti jaḍarasanam nighnitaghrāṇavṛtti
svavyāpārākṣamatvak parimușitamanaḥ śvāsamātrāvaseṣam
visrastāngam patitvā svapad apaharatād aśriyam vo ʼrkajanmā
kālavyālāvalīḍham jagad agada ivotthāpayan prākpratāpaḥ
II
The¹ [splendor] of jewels, whose part is played in a circum-
scribed place, is for adornments [only];
The [splendor] of fire can burn up wood and the like; [and]
the [splendor] of the moon is able to bring joy by its innate
coldness;
145
But the splendor of Arka (Sürya), being the means of adorn-
ment of the three worlds, the burner-up of sin, and the swift
bringer of joy through rain,
Is alone greater [than the other splendors] by reason of its
abundantly performing [all their] functions.5
May that splendor of Arka (Sürya) protect you!
Notes. 1. The meaning of this stanza seems to be as follows: Jewels
are for personal adornment only, but Sürya adorns the whole world; fire
burns wood, but Sürya burns up sin; the moon gives joy by its cold rays,
but Sürya gives joy by the rain that he draws up and pours down. Jewels
can only adorn, not burn; fire can only burn, not adorn; the moon can
only give joy, not burn or adorn; but Sürya, or Surya's splendor, can both
adorn, burn, and give joy; therefore the splendor of Sürya is greater than
the splendor of jewels, fire, or moon. 2. Lit. 'whose opportunity is
grasped in a circumscribed place,' the meaning being that jewels perform
their function of adorning only in some little place, as on the finger, in
the ear, or around the neck. 3. Lit. 'is able for adorning,' or 'avails
for adorning.' 4. The commentary quotes from an unnamed source,
which I find to be Mahabharata, 12. 263. 11: adityaj jayate vrstiḥ, 'from
Aditya (Sürya) rain is produced.' The same passage is quoted again in
the commentaries on stanzas 77 (see note 1) and 93 (see note 5). For
other places in the Süryafataka where the idea is expressed that Sürya is
a reservoir of water, see stanza 9, note 2. 5. Lit. 'greater because of
[these] actions produced in abundance,' or 'greater because it commonly
produces [all these] actions.'
V.L. (a) HB maṇḍalaya prabhavati; VHB niyate deśa-. (b) V vahner
davagni-; VHB-dagdham. (c) VJHBK read yat tu, which I have adopted;
the Kävyamālā text reads yac ca.
31
mīlaccakṣur vijihmaśruti jaḍarasanam nighnitaghrāṇavṛtti
svavyāpārākṣamatvak parimușitamanaḥ śvāsamātrāvaseṣam
visrastāngam patitvā svapad apaharatād aśriyam vo ʼrkajanmā
kālavyālāvalīḍham jagad agada ivotthāpayan prākpratāpaḥ
II