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169
 
THE SŪRYAŚATAKA OF MAYURA
 
mañjari, p. 217, and p. 223, note 8. 4. It was customary for the 'direc-
tor' (sutradhära), or the leading performer, to scatter handfuls of flowers
when beginning the prologue; cf. H. H. Wilson, Theatre of the Hindus,
vol. I, introd., p. 67, 3d ed., London, 1871. 5. That is, divides the day
into four fixed periods. The word yama denotes a period of three hours,
like the vigilia of the Romans. 6. The natika regularly had four acts;
 
Wilson, Theatre of the Hindus, vol. 1, introd., p. 31; Sylvain Lévi, Le
Théatre Indien, p. 146, 155, Paris, 1890; Daśarüpa, ed. Haas, 3. 48, p. 96,
where full references to Hindu dramaturgic treatises are given.
 
V.L. (a) HB -failagravange. (b) V uḍanikaram. (c) VK eva yātaḥ
pratiştham, JHB eva yataḥ pratişṭām.
 
51
 
ākrāntyā vāhyamānam paśum iva hariņā vāhako 'gryo harīṇām
bhrāmyantam pakṣapātāj jagati samaruciḥ sarvakarmāikasākṣī
śatrum netraśrutīnām avajayati vayojyeṣṭhabhāve same 'pi
sthāmnām dhāmnām nidhir yaḥ sa bhavadaghanude nūtanaḥ
stād anūruḥ
 
(Aruna), the Foremost Driver of Horses, is superior¹ to
(Garuda), who is forcibly ridden by Hari² (Viṣṇu), like a
brute beast,
 
And (Aruna), the Sole Witness of Every Deed, whose splendor
is equally [diffused] over all the world [without <partial-
ity>], is superior to (Garuḍa), who wanders over the world
<by the flapping of his wings>,
 
And (Aruna) is superior to (Garuda), Foe of Serpents, even
though <the nature of (Garuda), Chief of Birds>, is the
same as that of (Aruna), <who is his elder [in point] of
 
age>.
 
May that [ever] new Thighless' (Aruna), the repository of
eternal splendors, bring about the removal of your sin!
 
Notes. 1. As the commentary notes, the superiority here mentioned lies
in a word-pun-the idea being that Aruna, who drives the hari (horses)
of Surya, is better off than Garuda, who is driven by Hari (Vişnu). For
somewhat analogous puns on the word hari, cf. stanzas 53, 64, 71, 72, and
Candidataka, stanzas 15 and 19. 2. For Garuda as the vehicle of Vişnu
see Mahabharata, 1.33. 16-17; cf. stanza 47, note 3, where a summary
of Garuda's adventures is given; cf. also Wilkins, Hindu Mythology, p.
451-453. 3. Cf. stanzas 21 and 32, where Sürya is called the 'Eye of