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THE CANDIŚATAKA OF BĀŅA
325
O (Siva), Bearer of the bow Pināka, again <shoot thy arrow
upwards>, for I am «the cities of the Dänavas>, and <shoot
thy arrow with might>, for I am «at the front of the
Dänavas>.'
8
While the Dänava (Mahiṣa) was derisively saying the above
words in mockery of Hara (Siva), Umā (Caṇḍī) crushed
him.
May Umã (Candi) protect you!
(
Notes. 1. The meaning appears to be that if Siva wishes to subdue
Mahişa, he must put forth greater efforts than were required to kill Kāma
(cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 55, note 9), who was burnt up by Siva's 'upper
eye-that is, his third eye, which was situated in his forehead. Mahişa
here implies that Siva's destructive eye has no terrors for him, and he
further hints that Siva will find his horns more dangerous weapons than
the weapons of Kāma. The latter was armed with flowers, as his epithet
puspayudha, 'he whose weapons are flowers,' implies. 2. The epithet
atanu, 'bodiless,' like ananga, 'bodiless,' was applied to Kāma after his
body had been destroyed by Siva's eye. As applied to Mahişa, 'bodiless'
may refer to his frequent metamorphoses during the battle with Candi;
cf. Introd., p. 250. Note the apparent contradiction-though I am Kāma
(Atanu), yet I am not Käma (Puşpayudha)'-an instance of the rhetorical
figure virodha; cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 80, note 1. 3. Lit. 'even in con-
tact (or, in connection) with thy arrow.' 4. The commentary glosses
vyāla by bana, 'arrow,' on the basis of a lexicographical quotation to the
effect that vyala means both "arrow" and "snake" (vyalaḥ syad bana-
sarpayoh).' The ordinary lexicons do not give the meaning 'arrow' for
vydla, nor does the Amarakośa nor the Sabdakalpadruma. 5. The com-
mentary says: 'Just as Yajña ran away out of fear of the descent of thy
arrow, even so do not I.' The allusion appears to be to 'Sacrifice'
(Yajña) personified, whom Siva slew with an arrow at the sacrifice of
Dakşa; cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 80, note 2. 6. Siva wore a necklace of
snakes; cf. stanza 5 of the vakrokti stanzas of Mayūra, p. 232, above. 7.
Read naya-jña, 'knowing maxims.' This the commentary glosses by
gāruḍaśāstrajña, 'versed in the Garuda śastras.' Garuda was an authority
on snakes, since they formed the principal article of his diet; cf. Sürya-
śataka, stanza 47, note 3. For the formulas or mantras used to cure snake-
bites, cf. Garuda Purana, cap. 19-20 (ed. by Pañcanana Tarkaratna, and
revised by Virasimhaśāstri and Dhīrānandakāvyanidhi, Calcutta, 1890; cf.
transl. by M. N. Dutt, p. 53-58, Calcutta, 1908).
8. Siva was the pos-
sessor of the bow Pinaka, and is also called Sarva, 'the god who kills with
arrows.' Ordinarily, the term 'Bowman' is applied to Vişnu.
destroyed Tripura, the triple city of the Dänavas, by setting it on fire with
a flaming arrow shot from his bow; cf. stanza 16, note 3.
9. Siva
V.L. (a) yasyordhvadṛṣṭyadhikataram.
325
O (Siva), Bearer of the bow Pināka, again <shoot thy arrow
upwards>, for I am «the cities of the Dänavas>, and <shoot
thy arrow with might>, for I am «at the front of the
Dänavas>.'
8
While the Dänava (Mahiṣa) was derisively saying the above
words in mockery of Hara (Siva), Umā (Caṇḍī) crushed
him.
May Umã (Candi) protect you!
(
Notes. 1. The meaning appears to be that if Siva wishes to subdue
Mahişa, he must put forth greater efforts than were required to kill Kāma
(cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 55, note 9), who was burnt up by Siva's 'upper
eye-that is, his third eye, which was situated in his forehead. Mahişa
here implies that Siva's destructive eye has no terrors for him, and he
further hints that Siva will find his horns more dangerous weapons than
the weapons of Kāma. The latter was armed with flowers, as his epithet
puspayudha, 'he whose weapons are flowers,' implies. 2. The epithet
atanu, 'bodiless,' like ananga, 'bodiless,' was applied to Kāma after his
body had been destroyed by Siva's eye. As applied to Mahişa, 'bodiless'
may refer to his frequent metamorphoses during the battle with Candi;
cf. Introd., p. 250. Note the apparent contradiction-though I am Kāma
(Atanu), yet I am not Käma (Puşpayudha)'-an instance of the rhetorical
figure virodha; cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 80, note 1. 3. Lit. 'even in con-
tact (or, in connection) with thy arrow.' 4. The commentary glosses
vyāla by bana, 'arrow,' on the basis of a lexicographical quotation to the
effect that vyala means both "arrow" and "snake" (vyalaḥ syad bana-
sarpayoh).' The ordinary lexicons do not give the meaning 'arrow' for
vydla, nor does the Amarakośa nor the Sabdakalpadruma. 5. The com-
mentary says: 'Just as Yajña ran away out of fear of the descent of thy
arrow, even so do not I.' The allusion appears to be to 'Sacrifice'
(Yajña) personified, whom Siva slew with an arrow at the sacrifice of
Dakşa; cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 80, note 2. 6. Siva wore a necklace of
snakes; cf. stanza 5 of the vakrokti stanzas of Mayūra, p. 232, above. 7.
Read naya-jña, 'knowing maxims.' This the commentary glosses by
gāruḍaśāstrajña, 'versed in the Garuda śastras.' Garuda was an authority
on snakes, since they formed the principal article of his diet; cf. Sürya-
śataka, stanza 47, note 3. For the formulas or mantras used to cure snake-
bites, cf. Garuda Purana, cap. 19-20 (ed. by Pañcanana Tarkaratna, and
revised by Virasimhaśāstri and Dhīrānandakāvyanidhi, Calcutta, 1890; cf.
transl. by M. N. Dutt, p. 53-58, Calcutta, 1908).
8. Siva was the pos-
sessor of the bow Pinaka, and is also called Sarva, 'the god who kills with
arrows.' Ordinarily, the term 'Bowman' is applied to Vişnu.
destroyed Tripura, the triple city of the Dänavas, by setting it on fire with
a flaming arrow shot from his bow; cf. stanza 16, note 3.
9. Siva
V.L. (a) yasyordhvadṛṣṭyadhikataram.