2023-02-23 18:48:27 by ambuda-bot
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GENERAL INTRODUCTION
deva tatha 'py ucyate
kā sabhā kim kavijñānam rasikāḥ kavayaś ca ke
bhoja kim nama te danam śukas tuşyati yena saḥ
tatha 'pi bhavanadvāram agataḥ śukadevaḥ sabhayam anetavya eval
47
'Sire, it is also said :-
"What court [is there], what poetic knowledge, what esthetic poets,
And what gift of thine, pray, O Bhoja, by which this Suka can be
satisfied?"
'However, Sukadeva, since he has come to the door of the palace, must be
brought into the court.'
Bhoja, following this suggestion of Mayūra, had Sukadeva
admitted, listened to but one of his stanzas, and gave him four
hundred elephants and a gold dish full of rubies.
Mayūra in disfavor. It appears, for some unstated reason,
that Mayura had fallen into disfavor. The text of the passage
relating to this occurrence runs as follows:-
ekada krīḍodyānapāla āgatyāikam ikşudaṇḍam rajñaḥ puro mumoca ।
tam rājā kare grhītavān । tato mayürakavir nitāntam paricayavaśād ātmani
rājñā kṛtām avajñām manasi nidhãyekşumişeṇa "ha
kanto 'si nityamadhuro 'si rasākulo 'si
kim ca'si pañcaśarakārmukam advitiyam
ikşo tava 'sti sakalam param ekam unam
yat sevito bhajasi nīrasatām kramena
raja kavihṛdayam jñātva mayüram sammānitavān²
'Once upon a time, the gardener of the pleasure-garden, going up to a
single stalk of sugar-cane, broke it off in the presence of the king. The
king took it in his hand. Then the poet Mayura, relying on [lit. on ac-
count of] his great intimacy, [and] having in mind the disesteem felt [lit.
made] by the king towards himself, said, under pretext of [addressing]
the sugar-cane, [but really referring to the king] :-
"Thou art lovely, thou art mellifluous ever, thou art filled with syrup;
Moreover thou art the incomparable bow of the Five-arrowed (Kāma).
O sugar-cane stalk, everything about thee is of the highest quality; [but]
one thing is lacking-
In that thou, though cultivated, becomest, by degrees, insipid."
'The king, realizing the feelings of the poet, treated Mayūra with respect.'
Incidental mention of Mayūra. Once upon a time, Bhoja
1 Parab's 2d edition, p. 42, stanza 194.
Parab's 2d edition, p. 52, stanza 235. The stanza is written in the
vasantatilakā meter. I have emended -kärmakam of the text to -kärmukam.
deva tatha 'py ucyate
kā sabhā kim kavijñānam rasikāḥ kavayaś ca ke
bhoja kim nama te danam śukas tuşyati yena saḥ
tatha 'pi bhavanadvāram agataḥ śukadevaḥ sabhayam anetavya eval
47
'Sire, it is also said :-
"What court [is there], what poetic knowledge, what esthetic poets,
And what gift of thine, pray, O Bhoja, by which this Suka can be
satisfied?"
'However, Sukadeva, since he has come to the door of the palace, must be
brought into the court.'
Bhoja, following this suggestion of Mayūra, had Sukadeva
admitted, listened to but one of his stanzas, and gave him four
hundred elephants and a gold dish full of rubies.
Mayūra in disfavor. It appears, for some unstated reason,
that Mayura had fallen into disfavor. The text of the passage
relating to this occurrence runs as follows:-
ekada krīḍodyānapāla āgatyāikam ikşudaṇḍam rajñaḥ puro mumoca ।
tam rājā kare grhītavān । tato mayürakavir nitāntam paricayavaśād ātmani
rājñā kṛtām avajñām manasi nidhãyekşumişeṇa "ha
kanto 'si nityamadhuro 'si rasākulo 'si
kim ca'si pañcaśarakārmukam advitiyam
ikşo tava 'sti sakalam param ekam unam
yat sevito bhajasi nīrasatām kramena
raja kavihṛdayam jñātva mayüram sammānitavān²
'Once upon a time, the gardener of the pleasure-garden, going up to a
single stalk of sugar-cane, broke it off in the presence of the king. The
king took it in his hand. Then the poet Mayura, relying on [lit. on ac-
count of] his great intimacy, [and] having in mind the disesteem felt [lit.
made] by the king towards himself, said, under pretext of [addressing]
the sugar-cane, [but really referring to the king] :-
"Thou art lovely, thou art mellifluous ever, thou art filled with syrup;
Moreover thou art the incomparable bow of the Five-arrowed (Kāma).
O sugar-cane stalk, everything about thee is of the highest quality; [but]
one thing is lacking-
In that thou, though cultivated, becomest, by degrees, insipid."
'The king, realizing the feelings of the poet, treated Mayūra with respect.'
Incidental mention of Mayūra. Once upon a time, Bhoja
1 Parab's 2d edition, p. 42, stanza 194.
Parab's 2d edition, p. 52, stanza 235. The stanza is written in the
vasantatilakā meter. I have emended -kärmakam of the text to -kärmukam.