2023-02-23 18:49:19 by ambuda-bot
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THE CANDĪŠATAKA OF BĀŅA
INTRODUCTION
ANALYSIS OF THE CANDĪŠATAKA
NUMBER AND FORM OF THE STANZAS
Although supposed to contain a hundred stanzas, as the term
śataka implies, the Candidataka really consists of one hundred
and two stanzas. Of these, all but eight are in the asis or 'bene-
dictive' form, like the stanzas of the Suryaśataka, and these eight
(viz. stanzas 3, 4, 21, 33, 38, 54, 71, 102) invariably contain, as
substitute for the asis, a jayati or jayanti, 'Hail to,' 'Glory to,'
'Victorious is,' etc. The asis, or 'benediction,' usually assumes
some such form as 'May Candi protect you,' or 'May Candi
grant you prosperity,' 'destroy your sins,' 'purify you,' 'grant
your desires,' 'ward off troubles,' further your joy,' etc. Pro-
tection seems desired most, and is asked for in 55 stanzas. Some-
times it is not the goddess herself who is invoked to grant the
protection, prosperity, etc., but some part of her body, as, for
example, her foot (stanzas 10, 12, 22, 92, 101), her lotus face
(53), her toe-nails (9), or else some other agency, as her utter-
ances (59), or her arrow (18). In some instances the boon is
invoked through the medium of her son Kärttikeya (5, 67), her
handmaid Jaya (19), Jayā's amazement (69), and even through
the slain Mahişa's blood (40). The benediction is commonly ex-
pressed by a present imperative, active or middle, but seventeen
times (stanzas 1, 5, 12, 22, 27, 29, 31, 42, 50, 62, 63, 69, 73, 77,
79, 82, 87) by a precative or root aorist optative, and seventeen
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INTRODUCTION
ANALYSIS OF THE CANDĪŠATAKA
NUMBER AND FORM OF THE STANZAS
Although supposed to contain a hundred stanzas, as the term
śataka implies, the Candidataka really consists of one hundred
and two stanzas. Of these, all but eight are in the asis or 'bene-
dictive' form, like the stanzas of the Suryaśataka, and these eight
(viz. stanzas 3, 4, 21, 33, 38, 54, 71, 102) invariably contain, as
substitute for the asis, a jayati or jayanti, 'Hail to,' 'Glory to,'
'Victorious is,' etc. The asis, or 'benediction,' usually assumes
some such form as 'May Candi protect you,' or 'May Candi
grant you prosperity,' 'destroy your sins,' 'purify you,' 'grant
your desires,' 'ward off troubles,' further your joy,' etc. Pro-
tection seems desired most, and is asked for in 55 stanzas. Some-
times it is not the goddess herself who is invoked to grant the
protection, prosperity, etc., but some part of her body, as, for
example, her foot (stanzas 10, 12, 22, 92, 101), her lotus face
(53), her toe-nails (9), or else some other agency, as her utter-
ances (59), or her arrow (18). In some instances the boon is
invoked through the medium of her son Kärttikeya (5, 67), her
handmaid Jaya (19), Jayā's amazement (69), and even through
the slain Mahişa's blood (40). The benediction is commonly ex-
pressed by a present imperative, active or middle, but seventeen
times (stanzas 1, 5, 12, 22, 27, 29, 31, 42, 50, 62, 63, 69, 73, 77,
79, 82, 87) by a precative or root aorist optative, and seventeen
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