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THE CANDIŚATAKA OF BĀŅA
 
<Kumāra>,¹ <the son of the Mother (Candi), out of regard for
her ear-adornment, an imitation lotus-bud,²
 
272
 
Which, [as he supposed], had fallen off, picked up, at the con-
clusion of the battle, the tip of the horn* <of Mahişa>,
 
The <buffalo-shaped> Foe of the Gods, which had clung to the
edge of the knot of her anklet-being all that was left of his
body,
 
Which had been crushed on the spot by the weight of her foot,
when he presumptuously struck a blow.
 
May Kumāra destroy your sins!
 
Notes. 1. Kumāra is one of the names of Kärttikeya, reputed son of
Siva and Parvati (Candi). His parentage, however, is variously given.
He is usually called the son of Agni and Svähä, according to the story of
his birth as given in Mahabharata, 3. 225. 15-17; but in Mahabharata, 6. 23.
12, Durga (Candi) is identified with Svähā, and in 6. 23. 11 is addressed
as Skandamatar, Mother of Skanda (Kärttikeya)'; and again, in Ma-
habhārata, 3. 229. 27-31, it is explained that Rudra, who is Siva, is some-
times regarded as the father of Skanda (Kärttikeya). See also Süryaśataka,
stanza 25, notes 1, 4, 8; and Candiśataka, stanza 28, note 2. 2. An ear-
ornament in the shape of a lotus. 3. The word vyatikara, 'contact,'
appears not to be generally used in the sense of 'battle'; but the com-
mentary here glosses it by yuddha, 'battle,' and in stanza 72 also it must
have that meaning. 4. The implication that the tip of the horn was
shaped like a lotus-bud is plain. 5. According to the commentary,
kumaro is not the logical, but only the grammatical, subject of musyad,
'may destroy.' It reads: 'If any logical connection is intended in the
words "may Kumāra destroy your sins," then there would exist the con-
dition of a logical connection with what is irrelevant, by reason of Kumāra's
not being connected with the subject-matter. Therefore we must para-
phrase by supplying the following: "May that Mother, whose son picked
up, etc. . . . destroy your sins.""
 
V.L. (c) K musyad vaḥ kilbişāni.
 
6
 
śaśvad viśvopakāraprakṛtir avikṛtiḥ sā 'stu śāntyāi śivā vo
yasyāḥ pādopaśalye tridaśapatiripur dūraduṣṭāśayo 'pi
nāke prāpat pratiṣṭhām asakṛd abhimukho vādayañ śṛngakoṭyā
hatvā konena vīņām iva raṇitamanim mandalim nūpurasya
 
Siva (Candi) is unchangeable, and is a perpetual source of
benefits to the universe.²