2023-02-23 18:49:36 by ambuda-bot
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THE CANDĪŠATAKA OF BĀŅA
321
The commentary says: 'Why are ye also fled?' The meaning of this
pada is not clear to me, and the whole stanza is troublesome. The prin-
cipal idea seems to be that Mahişa is seeking to deride the Vasus, Indra
and Vişnu for having run away from the battle where they had been
fighting with Mahişa. 4. Lit. 'caused by Garuda to go to swiftness.'
The commentary glosses täikşnyam, which ordinarily means 'sharpness
or 'severity,' by fighratam, 'swiftness.' 5. The bird Garuda was Vişnu's
vehicle; cf. Saryaśataka, stanza 47, note 3. 6. Indra is sometimes rep-
resented as 'the thousand-eyed,' with eyes all over his body; cf. Sürya-
śataka, stanza 94, note 4, and Candiśataka, stanza 42, note 3. 7. Or,
attadarpam may mean 'reft of his pride'; cf. stanza 23, note 8.
V.L. (c) tava surapate pasya.
58
śrutvā satrum duhitrā nihatam atijado 'py ägato 'hnāya harṣād
āśliṣyan chailakalpam mahişam avanibhṛdbāndhavo vindhya-
buddhyā
yasyāḥ śvetikṛte 'smin smitadaśanarucā tulyarūpo himādrir
drāg drāghīyān ivā "sīd avatamasanirāsāya sā stād umā vaḥ
The Snow Mountain (Himalaya), although very sluggish [with
cold], came quickly in joy, upon hearing that the Foe
(Mahişa) had been slain by his daughter (Candi),
And, since his relatives were mountains, he embraced Mahisa,
who resembled a mountain, under the impression that he
(Mahişa) was the Vindhya;
And so, since this (Mahisa) was made white by the [dazzling]
splendor of [Uma's (Candi's)] teeth, as she smiled,¹
The Snow Mountain (Himalaya), whose form was similar [to
Mahişa's], quickly appeared to become more extended.²
May that Uma (Candi) remove your ignorance³!
Notes. 1. Candi smiled at her father's mistake. 2. The flash of daz-
zling light emanating from Candi's teeth (cf. stanza 67) enveloped Mahişa
and made him seem white by its gleam. Being of mountainous size to
begin with, and now being made white by the dazzling splendor of Candi's
teeth, he appeared, when embraced by the snow-covered Himalaya, to be
an extension of that mountain, or, as the text has it, 'the Snow Mountain
appeared to become more extended.' 3. Lit. 'darkness,' but the com-
mentary says: 'the darkness of ignorance.' According to Hindu philoso-
phy, the darkness of ignorance was sin, and prevented the merging of the
individual soul in the All-soul of the Creator.
V.L. (d) atanujanuniräsaya.
22
321
The commentary says: 'Why are ye also fled?' The meaning of this
pada is not clear to me, and the whole stanza is troublesome. The prin-
cipal idea seems to be that Mahişa is seeking to deride the Vasus, Indra
and Vişnu for having run away from the battle where they had been
fighting with Mahişa. 4. Lit. 'caused by Garuda to go to swiftness.'
The commentary glosses täikşnyam, which ordinarily means 'sharpness
or 'severity,' by fighratam, 'swiftness.' 5. The bird Garuda was Vişnu's
vehicle; cf. Saryaśataka, stanza 47, note 3. 6. Indra is sometimes rep-
resented as 'the thousand-eyed,' with eyes all over his body; cf. Sürya-
śataka, stanza 94, note 4, and Candiśataka, stanza 42, note 3. 7. Or,
attadarpam may mean 'reft of his pride'; cf. stanza 23, note 8.
V.L. (c) tava surapate pasya.
58
śrutvā satrum duhitrā nihatam atijado 'py ägato 'hnāya harṣād
āśliṣyan chailakalpam mahişam avanibhṛdbāndhavo vindhya-
buddhyā
yasyāḥ śvetikṛte 'smin smitadaśanarucā tulyarūpo himādrir
drāg drāghīyān ivā "sīd avatamasanirāsāya sā stād umā vaḥ
The Snow Mountain (Himalaya), although very sluggish [with
cold], came quickly in joy, upon hearing that the Foe
(Mahişa) had been slain by his daughter (Candi),
And, since his relatives were mountains, he embraced Mahisa,
who resembled a mountain, under the impression that he
(Mahişa) was the Vindhya;
And so, since this (Mahisa) was made white by the [dazzling]
splendor of [Uma's (Candi's)] teeth, as she smiled,¹
The Snow Mountain (Himalaya), whose form was similar [to
Mahişa's], quickly appeared to become more extended.²
May that Uma (Candi) remove your ignorance³!
Notes. 1. Candi smiled at her father's mistake. 2. The flash of daz-
zling light emanating from Candi's teeth (cf. stanza 67) enveloped Mahişa
and made him seem white by its gleam. Being of mountainous size to
begin with, and now being made white by the dazzling splendor of Candi's
teeth, he appeared, when embraced by the snow-covered Himalaya, to be
an extension of that mountain, or, as the text has it, 'the Snow Mountain
appeared to become more extended.' 3. Lit. 'darkness,' but the com-
mentary says: 'the darkness of ignorance.' According to Hindu philoso-
phy, the darkness of ignorance was sin, and prevented the merging of the
individual soul in the All-soul of the Creator.
V.L. (d) atanujanuniräsaya.
22