राजा । अस्त्येतदन्यसमाधिभीरुत्वं देवानाम् । manical classes) which ended in the defeat of Viśvāmitra, whose vexation was such, that he devoted himself to tremendous austerities, hoping to force the gods to make him a Brahman that he might fight with the saint Vasishtha on equal terms. The Rāmāyaṇa goes on to recount how, by gradually increasing the rigour of his bodily mortification through thousands of years, he successively earned the title of Rajarshi (i. 57, 5), Rishi (63, 2), Maharshi (63, 19), and finally, Brahmarshi (65, 18). Not till he had gained this last title did Vasishtha consent to acknowledge his equality with himself, and ratify his admission into the Brahmanical state. It was at the time of Viśvāmitra's advancement to the rank of a Ṛishi, and whilst he was still a Kshatriya, that Indra and the gods, jealous of his increasing power-exhibited in his transporting king Tri anku to the region of the stars, and in saving Sunaḥsepa, the son of his own brother-in-law Ṛićīka, out of the hands of Indra, to whom he had been promised by king Ambarīsha as a victim in a sacrifice—sent the nymph Menaka, to seduce him from his life of continence. The Rāmāyaṇa records his surrender to this temptation, and relates that the nymph was his companion in the hermitage for ten years, but does not allude to the birth of Sakuntala during that period. It only informs us that at the end of ten years the Rishi extricated himself from this hindrance (niyama-vighna), and abandoning the nymph, departed into another region. See Indian Wisdom, p. 363. 1 'Such is the dread which the (inferior) gods have of the devotion of others!' Indra and all the deities below Brahman are really, according to the Hindu system, finite beings, whose existence as separate deities will one day terminate, and whose sovereignty in Svarga, or 'heaven,' is by no means inalienable. They viewed with jealousy and alarm any persistency by a human being in acts of penance which might raise him to a level with themselves; and if carried beyond a certain point, might enable him to dispossess them of paradise. Indra was therefore the enemy of excessive devotion, and had in his service numerous nymphs (apsaras), such as Menaka, Rambha, and Urvasi, who were called his 'weapons' (Indrasya praharaṇāni, Vikram., Act I), and who were constantly sent by him to impede by their seductions the devotions of holy men. मानुषीषु कथं वा स्यादस्य रूपस्य सम्भवः । a ततो वसन्तावतारसमयेऽस्या उन्मादयितृकं रूपं प्रेष्क्ष्य । b ॥२६॥ अथ किम् । 1 Then at the season of the descent of Spring, having looked upon the intoxicating beauty [form] of that (nymph).' Some commentators consider vasantodāra to be a compound of vasanta and udāra; but odāra is a legitimate Prakrit contraction for avatara, although avadara would be equally correct. Cf. odansayanti for avatansayanti (p. 7, n. 1), hodi for havadi or bhavati, jedi for jayadi or jayati, &c. Avatāra is from ava-trī, 'to descend,' and applies especially to the descent of a god from heaven. Vasanta, 'the Spring,' is often personified as a deity. See Vikram., Act II, Pekkhadu bhavam vasantāvadārasūidam assa ahirămattaṇam pamadavanassa, 'let your honour observe the delightfulness of this pleasure-garden manifested by the descent of Spring.' Unmādayitrikam is for the neut. unmādayitṛi, 'that which causes to go mad or be intoxicated' (=adhairya-janakam, ‘causing unsteadiness'). ± • What (happened) afterwards is quite understood [or guessed by me].' The suffix tāt, in words like parastāt, adhastāt, may stand for the nominative case, as well as for abl. and loc. (Pān. v. 3, 27 ). Hence parastāt = para- vrittāntah, 'the rest of the story,' 'the subsequent particulars.' 3 6 assent. Exactly so,' 'how can it be otherwise?' Athakim is a particle of 4 ‘It is fitting (that she should be the daughter of an Apsaras ). How Verse 26. ŚLOKA OF ANUSHTUBH. See verses 5, 6, 11. ॥ शकुन्तलाधोमुखी भूत्वा तिष्ठति ॥ राजा ॥ आत्मगतम् ॥ लब्धावकाशो मे मनोरथः । किन्तु सख्याः परिहासोदाहृतां वरप्रार्थनां श्रुत्वा धृतद्वैधीभावकातरं मे मनः । प्रियंवदा ॥ सस्मितं शकुन्तलां विलोक्य नायकाभिमुखी भूत्वा ॥ *yufa agmm fazy syst अज्जो । a yarfa azma zarâ: 1 otherwise could there be the birth of this beautiful-form amongst mortal females? the tremulously-radiant flash does not rise from the surface of the earth (but descends from the skies).' Apsaraḥ-sambhavatvam is to be supplied before upapadyate. According to K., prabhā-taralam (i. e. prabhaya ćanćalam) jyotis = vidyut, 'lightning;' but S. applies it also to the beams of the sun and moon. The comparison of the unearthly beauty of a nymph to the radiance of lightning is common. Cf. Megha-d. 40. 1 'My desire has found (free) scope,' i. e. since it is certain that she is not a Brāhmaṇī woman (asavarṇatva-niśćayāt, 'from the certainty of her not being of the same class with the holy father'), it is clear that my desire is directed towards an attainable object. Avakāśa means 'free course,' 'range,' 'power of expatiating.' Cf. p. 55, 1. 3, labdhāvakāśā me prārthanā; K. there explains it by labdhāśrayaḥ or sārtho me manorathaḥ. 2'Nevertheless, having heard her friend's prayer for a husband uttered in joke [see p. 30, 1. 1], my heart is held in suspense and anxious,' i. e. anxious to know the truth, as to whether she is really destined for marriage, or for an ascetic life; and fearful lest at some former time her husband may have been decided upon (pūrvam asyā varo nirṇīto na vā, K.) S. interprets vara-prarthana by svāmy-abhilasha, 'wish for a husband.' Dhrita-dvaidhibhāva-kātaram is a complex Dvandva compound. Dvaidhi-bhāva, 'a state of difference, distraction, doubt.' 3 Looking with a smile at Sakuntala, (and then) turning her face towards the hero-of-the-poem;' lit. 'having become with her face turned,' &c. All the Deva-n. MSS. have this latter clause. Nayaka, in dramatic poetry, is the leading character or hero of the poem, and nāyikā, the heroine. Romeo, in Shakespeare, would be the nāyaka, and Juliet the nāyikā. In every Hindu play there is also a prati-nāyaka, or 'antihero,' and an upa-nāyaka, or 'sub-hero.' See Indian Wisdom, p. 467. वैखानसं किमनया व्रतमा प्रदाना- a अलं विचार्य । अनियन्त्रणानुयोगस्तपस्विजनो नाम । 1 — Sakuntalā threatens [reproves] her friend with her finger, i. e. makes a threatening or chiding gesture, as if she were angry with her friend for leading Dushyanta to pursue his interrogatories, and were ashamed at the revelation of the particulars of her history (atmano vrīḍā-janaka-svavṛittāntodghātanam, K.) According to S. this is an example of the coquettish gesture called lalita, i. e. though she was really eager to hear all that her lover had to say, yet by her outward gestures she appeared to be the reverse (priyajana-kathā-śuśrūshur api vahis tad-anyathā). 26 Rightly judged by your ladyship; from an eagerness to hear (all the particulars of) the history of pious people, there is still something (that remains) to be asked by us.' 36 'Enough of deliberating; ascetic people may surely be questioned unreservedly [freely].' Aniyantranānuyoga = aniyama-prasna, 'one to whom a question may be put without any restraint or ceremony,' K. Alam, in the sense of prohibiting or forbidding, is more usually found with instr. case of a noun, but, like khalu, it may sometimes be used in this sense with an indeclinable participle in tvā and ya, thus alam dattvā, ‘ enough of giving, or ' having given, it is enough ;' so khalu pitvãâ, ‘having drunk, hold !' See Gram. 918. a. The Beng. MSS. read alam vitāritena. a अत्यन्तमात्मसदृशेक्षण वल्लभाभि cat faarufa axi zfcu1zátfut: 11 29 || ZTĒT प्रियंवदा । । अज्ज | धम्मचरणेबि परवसो अअं जणो । गुरुणो उण से अणुरूबवरप्पदाणे सङ्घप्पी । * चार्य । धर्मचरणेऽपि परवशोऽयं जनः । गुरोः पुनरस्था अनुरूपवरप्रदाने सङ्कल्पः । 1 'I wish to ascertain (respecting) your friend-Is this monastic vow, (so) opposed to the ways of love, to be observed by her (merely) until her gift-in-marriage; or else (aho), will she dwell to the end (of her life) along with the female deer, her favourites (from) having eyes like her own?' Dr. Boehtlingk remarks that sakhim te jñātum iććhāmi kim anayā, &c., is equivalent to jñātum iććhāmi kim sakhyā te, &c., 'I wish to know whether this vow is to be observed by thy friend,' &c. He gives instances of a similar construction in Draupadi-h. iv. 5; Mahā-bh. iii. 269. Vaikhānasa, 'relating to a vikhānasa or hermit;' tena kṛitam proktam vā vratam vaikhānasam, tat tu niyatāraṇya-vāsa-rūpam, 'the vow which is performed by him or enjoined on him is called vaikhānasa, and that consists in always living in the woods,' S. A pradānāt=pradāna-paryantam, or ā vivāhāt, ‘up to the period of her marriage.' In the time of Manu every Hindu girl was given away in marriage before the season of maturity (ritoḥ prāk pradāna-kālaḥ), and that father incurred great disgrace who did not so give her away. It was deemed highly reprehensible if the betrothed husband did not take her to his own house, when the marriageable period of life arrived; (see Manu ix. 4, with commentary.) Vyāpāra-rodhi madanasya=kāma-kriyā-nivārakam, 'hindering amatory actions.' According to K. atma-sadṛiśekshana-vallabhabhir may be optionally resolved into ātma-sadṛisekshaṇa-vallabhā ābhir. Aho, a particle of doubt, is used pakshāntare or vikalpe, i. e. antithetically, in stating an opposite alternative. 2 Even in the practice of religious duties this person [Sakuntala] is subject to (the will of) another [viz. Kaṇva]; nevertheless, it is the settled purpose of the Guru to give her away to a husband suited to her.' Ayam janaḥ may possibly mean 'we.' The same expression occurs in Verse 27. VASANTA-TILAKĀ (a variety of SAKVARI). See verse 8. H |