2023-02-23 18:48:21 by ambuda-bot
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GENERAL INTRODUCTION
gataprāyā rātriḥ kṛśatanu śafiyata iva
pradipo 'yam nidravaśam upagato ghürnata iva
prandmante manam tyajasi na yatha tvam krudham aha
kucapratyasattyä hrdayam api te subhru kathinam¹
23
"O thin-waisted one, the night that is nearly past escapes swiftly, like a
hare; this lamp nods as if it were sleepy; O fair-browed one, thy heart
also has become hard on account of its vicinity to thy breasts, so that,
alas! thou dost not put off thy pride and thy anger at the end of my
prostrations."
'Hearing this, Mayūra said, "Don't call her fair-browed but passionate
(candi), since she is angry." Hearing this harsh speech, that faithful
wife cursed her father, who revealed the character of his daughter, saying,
"Mayest thou become a leper by the touch of the betel juice which I now
have in my mouth." At that moment lepra-spots appeared on his body.
In the morning Bana went as formerly to the Court, dressed as a Varaka,
and made with reference to Mayura, who also came, the following speech
containing a pun, "The Varakodhi has come."
1 This stanza, which is in the fikharini meter, is quoted in the Su-
bhaşitävali (Peterson, no. 1612), in the Paddhati of Sārngadhara (Peterson,
no. 3713), in the Kavindravacanasamuccaya (edition of F. W. Thomas, in
the Bibliotheca Indica Series, Calcutta, 1912), stanza 367, and also, accord-
ing to Thomas (Kavindravacanasamuccaya, stanza 367, footnote), in the
following: the Saktimuktavali (120, a) of Jalhana, the Alamkaratilaka
(Kavyamālā Series, no. 43, p. 54) of Vägbhata, the Sabhyalamkarana
Samyogaśṛngara (4.21, a) of Bhatta Govindajit, the Padyaracana (Kavya-
mālā Series, no. 89) 9. 1, and the Padyavent (5.34) of Venidatta. The
Subhasitavali assigns it to Bāṇa, and the Kavindravacanasamuccaya to
Mahodadhi; in the other works cited it is given anonymously. The Su-
bhasitavali has the following variants: (a) śaft sidata iva. (c) praṇāmānto
manas, tatha 'pi krudham aho. (d) candi (for subhru). The Paddhati
has: (a) ratriḥ śaśimukhi śaf firyata iva. (c) prandmanto manas tad
api na jahäsi krudham aho. (d) candi (for subhru). The Kavindrava-
canasamuccaya has: (a) fafi fryata iva. (c) prandmanto manas tyajasi
na tatha 'pi krudham aho. (d) candi (for subhru). It should be noted
that the first pada as given by Bühler is metrically one syllable short.
2 Punningly, 'Don't call her the <fair-browed> <Subhru>, but <Candi»,
<a scold >.' See below, p. 247, where I have discussed this passage more
at length.
That is, she spat down on him from the window beneath which he was
standing.
Bühler (IA, 1. 114, footnote) says: 'I am unable to translate the term
Varaka. The words of the text are-varakavastram paridhaya sametam
mayaram prati (av du varakoḍhi) iti śliştam vaca uvaca. The lexicons
give 'cloak' as the meaning of varaka; I would therefore render: 'He
made, referring to Mayura, who came wearing a cloak as his garment, the
gataprāyā rātriḥ kṛśatanu śafiyata iva
pradipo 'yam nidravaśam upagato ghürnata iva
prandmante manam tyajasi na yatha tvam krudham aha
kucapratyasattyä hrdayam api te subhru kathinam¹
23
"O thin-waisted one, the night that is nearly past escapes swiftly, like a
hare; this lamp nods as if it were sleepy; O fair-browed one, thy heart
also has become hard on account of its vicinity to thy breasts, so that,
alas! thou dost not put off thy pride and thy anger at the end of my
prostrations."
'Hearing this, Mayūra said, "Don't call her fair-browed but passionate
(candi), since she is angry." Hearing this harsh speech, that faithful
wife cursed her father, who revealed the character of his daughter, saying,
"Mayest thou become a leper by the touch of the betel juice which I now
have in my mouth." At that moment lepra-spots appeared on his body.
In the morning Bana went as formerly to the Court, dressed as a Varaka,
and made with reference to Mayura, who also came, the following speech
containing a pun, "The Varakodhi has come."
1 This stanza, which is in the fikharini meter, is quoted in the Su-
bhaşitävali (Peterson, no. 1612), in the Paddhati of Sārngadhara (Peterson,
no. 3713), in the Kavindravacanasamuccaya (edition of F. W. Thomas, in
the Bibliotheca Indica Series, Calcutta, 1912), stanza 367, and also, accord-
ing to Thomas (Kavindravacanasamuccaya, stanza 367, footnote), in the
following: the Saktimuktavali (120, a) of Jalhana, the Alamkaratilaka
(Kavyamālā Series, no. 43, p. 54) of Vägbhata, the Sabhyalamkarana
Samyogaśṛngara (4.21, a) of Bhatta Govindajit, the Padyaracana (Kavya-
mālā Series, no. 89) 9. 1, and the Padyavent (5.34) of Venidatta. The
Subhasitavali assigns it to Bāṇa, and the Kavindravacanasamuccaya to
Mahodadhi; in the other works cited it is given anonymously. The Su-
bhasitavali has the following variants: (a) śaft sidata iva. (c) praṇāmānto
manas, tatha 'pi krudham aho. (d) candi (for subhru). The Paddhati
has: (a) ratriḥ śaśimukhi śaf firyata iva. (c) prandmanto manas tad
api na jahäsi krudham aho. (d) candi (for subhru). The Kavindrava-
canasamuccaya has: (a) fafi fryata iva. (c) prandmanto manas tyajasi
na tatha 'pi krudham aho. (d) candi (for subhru). It should be noted
that the first pada as given by Bühler is metrically one syllable short.
2 Punningly, 'Don't call her the <fair-browed> <Subhru>, but <Candi»,
<a scold >.' See below, p. 247, where I have discussed this passage more
at length.
That is, she spat down on him from the window beneath which he was
standing.
Bühler (IA, 1. 114, footnote) says: 'I am unable to translate the term
Varaka. The words of the text are-varakavastram paridhaya sametam
mayaram prati (av du varakoḍhi) iti śliştam vaca uvaca. The lexicons
give 'cloak' as the meaning of varaka; I would therefore render: 'He
made, referring to Mayura, who came wearing a cloak as his garment, the