2023-02-23 18:49:30 by ambuda-bot
This page has not been fully proofread.
THE CANDĪŠATAKA OF BĀŅA
girvāṇārer yayecchāmṛdupadamṛditasyä 'drijā sā 'vatād vaḥ
'O Skanda (Kārttikeya), why, alas, dost thou, so distressed, wear
a despondent expression¹ on thy six faces? Thou hast six
other mothers.²
294
O Bhava (Siva), become thou whole by taking possession of the
[other] half of thy body, for today I shall slay the false
Kali (Candi).'
These words went out from the throat of (Mahişa), Foe of the
Gods, together with the [breath of his] life,
As he was crushed at her pleasure by the tender foot of (Candi),
the Daughter of the Mountain."
May (Candi), Daughter of the Mountain, protect you!
Notes. 1. I have rendered rucam by 'expression,' although its literal
meaning is 'luster.' 2. Skanda is Kārttikeya, usually called the son of
Agni and Svähä, but sometimes of Siva and Parvati (Candi); cf. the
account given above, in stanza 5, note 1. He really had no mother, as
the story related in Mahabharata, 3. 225, and Rāmāyaṇa, 1.37, points out,
but he was fostered by the six Krttikäs (the Pleiades), who from this cir-
cumstance are called his six mothers; cf. Mahābhārata, 3. 226. 22-25, and
Ramayana, 1. 37. 24-29. He was born with six faces; cf. Mahabharata, 3. 225.
17, and Rāmāyaṇa, 1. 37. 29. Mahişa is here seeking to console Skanda for the
death of Candi, which he (Mahişa) claims to be on the point of bringing
3. Candi occupied one half of Siva's body; cf. stanza 26, note
4. The commentary attributes the following thought to Mahişa: 'She
is dishonest and black (kali), but you are honest and white; hence the
union of you two is not fitting; therefore I am slaying her.' 5. Candi,
or Pārvatī, was the daughter of Himalaya.
to pass.
4.
V.L. (d) girvandrer yadṛcchamṛdu-.
29
gāhasva vyomamārgam gatamahiṣabhayāir bradhna viśrab-
dham aśvāiḥ
śṛngäbhyām viśvakarman ghatayasi na navam śārngiṇaḥ
śārngam anyat
äibhī tvan niṣṭhureyam bibhṛhi mṛdum imām īśvarety āttahāsā
gauri vo 'vyāt kṣatāriḥ svacaraṇagarimagrastagīrvāṇagarvā
girvāṇārer yayecchāmṛdupadamṛditasyä 'drijā sā 'vatād vaḥ
'O Skanda (Kārttikeya), why, alas, dost thou, so distressed, wear
a despondent expression¹ on thy six faces? Thou hast six
other mothers.²
294
O Bhava (Siva), become thou whole by taking possession of the
[other] half of thy body, for today I shall slay the false
Kali (Candi).'
These words went out from the throat of (Mahişa), Foe of the
Gods, together with the [breath of his] life,
As he was crushed at her pleasure by the tender foot of (Candi),
the Daughter of the Mountain."
May (Candi), Daughter of the Mountain, protect you!
Notes. 1. I have rendered rucam by 'expression,' although its literal
meaning is 'luster.' 2. Skanda is Kārttikeya, usually called the son of
Agni and Svähä, but sometimes of Siva and Parvati (Candi); cf. the
account given above, in stanza 5, note 1. He really had no mother, as
the story related in Mahabharata, 3. 225, and Rāmāyaṇa, 1.37, points out,
but he was fostered by the six Krttikäs (the Pleiades), who from this cir-
cumstance are called his six mothers; cf. Mahābhārata, 3. 226. 22-25, and
Ramayana, 1. 37. 24-29. He was born with six faces; cf. Mahabharata, 3. 225.
17, and Rāmāyaṇa, 1. 37. 29. Mahişa is here seeking to console Skanda for the
death of Candi, which he (Mahişa) claims to be on the point of bringing
3. Candi occupied one half of Siva's body; cf. stanza 26, note
4. The commentary attributes the following thought to Mahişa: 'She
is dishonest and black (kali), but you are honest and white; hence the
union of you two is not fitting; therefore I am slaying her.' 5. Candi,
or Pārvatī, was the daughter of Himalaya.
to pass.
4.
V.L. (d) girvandrer yadṛcchamṛdu-.
29
gāhasva vyomamārgam gatamahiṣabhayāir bradhna viśrab-
dham aśvāiḥ
śṛngäbhyām viśvakarman ghatayasi na navam śārngiṇaḥ
śārngam anyat
äibhī tvan niṣṭhureyam bibhṛhi mṛdum imām īśvarety āttahāsā
gauri vo 'vyāt kṣatāriḥ svacaraṇagarimagrastagīrvāṇagarvā