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[[रघुवंशम् (षोडशः सर्गः) Source: EB]]

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INTRODUCTION

** Preliminary—**In Sanskrit any literary composition is generally termed Kavya. This kavya is of two kinds— 1. Drisya (दृश्य) and 2. Sravya (श्रब्य). The ‘seeable’literary writings such as the drama belong to the former group, while the ‘hearable’ones comprising of Prose (गद्य), Poetry (पद्य) and the Champu (Prose interspersed with poetry), belong to the latter. The पद्य or metrical composition again is of two kinds in accordance with its length—1. Mahakavyas (Long poems) and 2. Khanda kavyas (Short poems). As illustrations of the former we may cite Kali-dasa’s Raghuvamsa, Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya etc. and of the latter, Kalidasa’s Meghaduta, Amaru’s Amaru Sataka etc.

The Raghuvamsa— The Raghuvamsa is a Mahakavya dealing with the story of Raghu’s race, in 19 cantos, a brief analysis of which is as follows:—

** I–II.**King Dilipa is childless and on the advice of Vasistha propitiates the celestial cow Nandini. After some time the queen becomes enciente.

** III–IV.**Raghu is born, educated, married and installed on the throne. He conquers the whole earth; and performs many glorious deeds and a Visvajit sacrifice, during which he distributes all his wealth to the last pie.

** V–VIII.**Aja is born and grows to a marriageable age. He goes as a suitor to the svavamvara of Indumati, who chooses him as her husband. Aja is married and installed as king. Indumati dies suddenly and Aja’s lamentations are highly pathetic. He departs from this world when his son Dasaratha grows of age.

IX. Dasaratha is cursed by a sage ‘to suffer पुत्रशोक’.

X. Gods appeal to Vishnu to destroy the demon Ravana. Four sons are born to Dasaratha.

XI. While guarding the sacrifice of Visvamitra, Rama

and Lakshmana kill Tataka and others. Rama and his brothers are married. Rama vanquishes Parasurama, the brahmin warrior.

XII. Rama is exiled. Dasaratha dies, and Sita is abducted by Ravana who is later killed by Rama in a momentous fight.

XIII. Rama flies back to Ayodhya in the aerial car Pushpaka and is received by Bharata.

XIV. Rama becomes king and begins his happy reign. In course of time Sita becomes pregnant and is anxious to visit the penance groves once again. By about the same time, news is brought to him that people are talking ill of him for having accepted Sita as his queen in spite of her having lived in Ravana’s palace for some time. This makes him feel that he must abandon Sita, although he was quite aware of her innocence. Hence, he orders Lakshmana to take Sita to the forest and leave her at Valmiki’s hermitage Lakshmana carries out the order. Valmiki finding Sita in a forlorn state gives her shelter in his hermitage.

XV. Sita delivers twin boys. Rama prepares to perform an Asvamedha. The horse is let loose but haltered by Sita’s sons Lava and Kusa. Rama comes to fight. But Valmiki presents Sita who establishes her chastity by a terrible ordeal which silences all scandal and she is taken back by her husband. There is a curious dialogue between Death and Rama. Rama ascends to Heaven.

XVI.(1) Kusa is elected king by his brothers and cousins (seven in all) and Kusavati is assigned as his capital. (2–3) The eight princes— their rule, charity etc.(4) Once in the dead of night, Kusa, lying awake on his bed, beholds the guardian deity of Ayodhya. (5) She hails victory and salutes him. (6–8) Kusa, astonished at her appearance there, asks a few questions about her. (9–22) In reply she informs him that she is the presiding deity of his ancestral capital Ayodhya, pictures to him the deplorable and deserted state of the city and requests him to return to the same city. (23) Kusa consents to do so and she disappears. (24) He announces the event in the assembly

next day. (25) Kusa makes over Kusavati to Brahmins and sets out to Ayodhya with all the army. (26–34) Description of the army and the march towards Ayodhya. (35) He arrives at the bank of Sarayu. (36–37) and encamps his exhausted forces at the outskirts of the city. (38) Ayodhya is made quite new by artisans. (39) The city is duly worshipped. (40) The king enters the palace and assigns different mansions to all his followers. (41–42) The splendour of Ayodhya. (43–53) Description of summer. (54) The king’s desire to sport in the Sarayu (river) in the company of his wives. (55–67) The water-sport of the women folk. (68–71) The king joins them in the sport. (72) The celestial armlet of Kusa which he had obtained from his father drops down and sinks in the water during the sport. (73) The king finishes the sport and afterwards finds his arm without the ornament. (74–75) Distressed at that, he orders for a search of the entire river by divers, (76) who return unsuccessful and inform him that Kumuda, the Naga king living in a pool there, must have taken it. (77) Thereupon Kusa prepares to shoot the Garutmata missile at the Naga, (78–80) when the Naga comes out of the pool having in front of him a maiden and holding the ornament in his hand; seeing this Kusa withdraws the missile. (81–86) Kumuda salutes him, begs his pardon, explains to him how his sister out of curiosity took the ornament while it dropped down, returns it to him and offers along with it the maiden, i.e., his sister, in marriage to him as an atonement for her offence. (87–88) King Kusa marries her. Both he and Kumuda live as friends thereafter.

XVII. Kusa has a son Atithi who becomes king when Kusa is killed in a battle with a giant.

**XVIII.**A list of the successors of Atithi.

XIX. Agnivarna’s reign and his sudden death. His queen becomes the regent in behalf of her unborn child, as she was then an expectant mother.

Here the poem ends quite abruptly.

** Kalidasa— His date:—** There are only a few tantalising legends which have to speak about the life and date of our poet, though none of the legends is reliable. If one legend

makes him the contemporary of Bhavabhuti, another makes him the court poet of Bhojaraja of Dhara. But the tradition that he was one of the Nine Jems¹ of Vikramaditya’s court seems to have some truth about it. No doubt some scholars have rejected even this as totally baseless; but many are inclined to believe that Kalidasa’s patron must have been Vikramaditya. It is not unlikely that Kalidasa has paid his tribute to this patron of his, in the title of his play Vikramorvasiam. But as there have been several Vikramadityas, this tradition by itself does not help to fix the date of Kalidasa. One king Vikramaditya founded the era known after him which commences from 57 B.C. A good many scholars are inclined to think that it is very likely that this king was our poet’s patron. In support of this view, among other arguments, Mr. Pandit points out that Agnimitra, son of Pushpamitra who founded the Maurya dynasty in 160 B.C., is the hero of the Malavikagnimitra, being a historic person and a contemporary of our poet. Internal evidences are not wanting to strengthen this. The law of inheritence as detailed in the Sakuntalam Act VI, that the property of a person who died childless would go to the king, was current in or about the first century B.C. Moreover, the Bauddha poet Asvaghosha who is placed in 78 A.D. has in all likelihood borrowed his ideas from Kalidasa, as the latter has been recognised as an original poet borrowing his subjects only from ancient authors like Valmiki. These tend to show that Kalidasa lived in the first century B.C. The date is approximate, as it has not yet been finally accepted. That is why, if Dr. Peterson holds that “Kalidasa stands near the beginning of the Christian era, if indeed, he does not overtop it,”Dr. Kern places him in the latter half of the 6th cent. A.D.

** His Life**— There is a legend according to which Kalidasa was a boor by birth, but was somehow married to an obstinate princess who abandoned him finding that he had no education at all. Thereupon he devoted himself to the worship of Kali who blessed him with literacy and poesy.

_________________________________________________________________

1. धन्वन्तरिक्षपणकामरसिंहशङ्कुवेतालभट्टघटकर्परकालिदासाः।
   ख्यातो वराहमिहिरो नृपतेः सभायां रत्नानि वै वररुचिर्नव विक्रमस्य॥

Thus he became Kali-dasa and a gifted poet by the favour of Kali. He then returned to his wife and she put him the question ‘अस्ति कश्चित् वागर्थः’in reply to which it is stated that he composed three stanzas beginning with the three words and that he later composed the three Kavyas, 1. Kumarasambhava 2. Meghaduta and 3. Raghuvamsa, with one of those words at the commencement of the first verses of them respectively. The legend is no doubt interesting but not reliable.

We can gather some information about Kalidasa’s life from his own writings. His repeated reference to Ujjain indicates that he must have spent at least a part of his life in the city. His dwelling upon the charms of that city in his Meghadutam makes clear that he loved it much. His description of the Tour about the whole of India and even into the regions beyond the borders of India, in the Raghuvamsam, makes any one believe that Kalidasa himself must have made such a grand tour. Mountains seem to have impressed him deeply. As acutely observed by a critic, he is the only Sanskrit poet who has described a certain flower which is exclusively Kasmirian.

There cannot be any doubt that Kalidasa had extensive education and that he had mastered rhetoric, dramatic theory and the science of grammar ‘the chief of all sciences.’Besides the knowledge of law and astronomy, he seems to have had proficiency in the profound and subtle systems of philosophy. If his Kumarasambhavam is shivaistic, his Raghuvamsam is Vishnuite. If the hymn to Vishnu in the latter work is expressing Vedantic monism, the hymn to Brahma in the former expresses the dualism of the Samkhyas. The Buddhism and Yoga doctrines are also mentioned here and there. Therefore we may observe that,

in matters of religion and philosophy, Kalidasa was of an unbiased mind.

** His works**:— More than forty works are generally attributed to Kalidasa, but critics acknowledge only seven or eight of them as his. Those works are—

1—3. Three dramas— 1.Sakuntalam, 2.Vikramorvasiyam, and 3.Malavikagnimitram.

4—5. Two Mahakavyas— 1. Raghuvamsam and2. Kumarasambhavam.

6. One Khanda Kavya— 1. Meghadutam.

7. कुन्तेश्वरदौत्यम्– Not yet discovered, but known by a quotation in the औचित्यविचारचर्चा of Kshemendra.

8. ऋतुसंहारम्— A descriptive poem accepted by some as the work of Kalidasa.

His Poetry:—In the translation of Prof. A.W. Ryder, this is what Bana, the celebrated Sanskrit novelist says about Kalidasa’s verse:—

“Where find a soul that does not thri॥
In Kalidasa’s verse to meet
The smooth, inevitable lines.
Like blossom-clusters, honey sweet?”

“उपमा कालिदासस्य”has been a very common saying in appreciation of Kalidasa’s abundant and homely similes. Jayadeva describes him as ‘the grace of poetry’—‘कालिदासो विलासः’.It is this grace of Kalidasa’s composition that induced the celebrated critic Schlegel assign for him a very high position amongst the galaxy of the “Sons of Song.”

Kalidasa is undoubtedly “the brightest star in the firmament of Indian Poetry.”‘The richness of his creative fancy and his skill in expressing tender sentiment and sympathy with nature gives him a very high place among the world’s dramatic poets.’

॥श्रीः॥

रघुवंशे महाकाव्ये

षोडशः सर्गः।

_________

अथेतरे सप्त रघुप्रवीरा ज्येष्ठं पुरोजन्मतया गुणैश्च।
चक्रुः कुशं रत्नविशेषभाजं सौभ्रात्रमेषां हि कुलानुसारि॥१॥

ते सेतुवार्तागजबन्धमुख्यैरभ्युच्छ्रिताः¹ कर्मभिरप्यवन्ध्यैः।
अन्योन्यदेशप्रविभाग²सीमां वेलां समुद्रा इव न व्यतीयुः॥२॥

चतुर्भुजांशप्रभवः स तेषां दानप्रवृत्तेरनुपारतानाम्।
सुरद्विपानामिव सामयोनिर्भिन्नोऽष्टधा विप्रससार वंशः॥३॥

अथार्धरात्रे स्तिमितप्रदीपे शय्यागृहे सुप्तजने प्रबुद्धः³।
कुशः प्रवासस्थकलत्रवेषामदृष्टपूर्वांवनितामपश्यत्॥४॥

सा साधुसाधारणपार्थिवर्द्धेः स्थित्वा पुरस्तात्पुरुहूतभासः।
जेतुः परेषां जयशब्दपूर्वं तस्याञ्जलिं बन्धुमतो बबन्ध॥५॥

अथानपोढा⁴र्गलमप्यगारं छायामिवादर्शतलं प्रविष्टाम्।
सविस्मयो दाशरथेस्तनूजः प्रोवाच पूर्वार्धविसृष्टतल्पः॥६॥

लब्धान्तरा सावरणेऽपि गेहे योगप्रभावो⁵ न च लक्ष्यते⁶ते।
बिभर्षि चाकारमनिर्वृतानां मृणालिनी हैममिवोपरागम्॥७॥

का त्वं शुभे कस्य परिग्रहो वा किं वा मदभ्यागमकारणं ते।
आचक्ष्वमत्वा वशिनां रघूणां मनः परस्त्रीविमुखप्रवृत्ति॥८॥

तमब्रवीत्सा गुरुणानवद्या या नीतपौरा स्वपदोन्मुखेन।
तस्याः पुरः संप्रति वीतनाथां जानीहि राजन्नधिदेवतां⁷ माम्॥९॥

वस्वौकसारामभिभूय साहं सौराज्यबद्धोत्सवया विभूत्या।
समग्रशक्तौ त्वयि सूर्यवंश्ये सति प्रपन्ना करुणामवस्थाम्॥१०॥

विशीर्णतल्पाट्टशतो निवेशः⁸- तल्योगृहसन्निवेशः”) पर्यस्तशालः प्रभुणा विना मे।
विडम्बयत्यस्त⁹निमग्नसूर्यं दिनान्तमुग्रानिलभिन्नमेघम्॥११॥

निशासु भास्वत्कलनूपुराणां यः संचरो¹⁰ऽभूदभिसारिकाणाम्।
नदन्मुखोल्काविचितामिषाभिः¹¹ सबाह्यते¹² राजपथः शिवाभिः॥१२॥

आस्फालितं यत्प्रमदाकराग्रैर्मृदङ्गधीरध्वनिमन्वगच्छत्।
वन्यैरिदानीं महिषैस्तदम्भःशृङ्गाहतं क्रोशति दीर्घिकाणाम्¹³॥१३॥

वृक्षेशया यष्टिनिवास¹⁴भङ्गान्मृदङ्गशब्दापगमादलास्याः।
प्राप्ता दवोल्काहतशेषबर्हाःक्रीडामयूरा वनबर्हिणत्वम्॥१४॥

सोपानमार्गेषु च येषु रामा निक्षिप्तवत्यश्चरणान्स¹⁵रागान्।
सद्यो हतन्यङ्कुभिरस्रदिग्धं व्याघ्रैः पदं तेषु निधीयते मे¹⁶॥१५॥

चित्रद्विपाः पद्मवनावतीर्णाः करेणुभिर्दत्तमृणाल भङ्गाः।
नखाङ्कुशाघातविभिन्न¹⁷कुम्भाः संरब्धसिंहप्रहृतं¹⁸ वहन्ति॥१६॥

स्तम्भेषु योषित्प्रतियातनानामुत्क्रान्तवर्णक्रमधूसराणाम्।
स्तनोत्तरीयाणि¹⁹ भवन्ति सङ्गान्निर्मोकपट्टाः²⁰फणिभिर्विमुक्ताः॥१७॥

कालान्तरश्यामसुधेषु नक्तमितस्ततो रूढतृणाङ्कुरेषु।
त एव मुक्तागुण²¹शुद्धयोऽपि हर्म्येषु मूर्छन्ति न चन्द्रपादाः॥१८॥

आवर्ज्य शाखाः सदयं चयासां पुष्पाण्युपात्तानि विलासिनीभिः।
वन्यैः पुलिन्दैरिव वानरैस्ताः क्लिश्यन्त उद्यानलता मदीयाः॥१९॥

रात्रावनाविष्कृतदीपभासः कान्तामुखश्रीवियुता दिवापि।
तिरस्क्रियन्ते कृमितन्तुजालैर्विच्छिन्नधूमप्रसरा²²–प्रसराः”) गवाक्षाः॥२०॥

बलिक्रियावर्जितसैकतानि स्नानीयसंसर्गमनाप्नुवन्ति।
उपान्तवानीरगृहाणि²³ दृष्ट्वा शून्यानि दूये सरयूजलानि²⁴॥२१॥

तदर्हसीमां वसतिं विसृज्य मामभ्युपैतुं कुलराजधानीम्।
हित्वा तनुं कारणमानुषीं तां यथा गुरुस्ते परमात्ममूर्तिम्॥२२॥

तथेति तस्याः प्रणयं प्रतीतः प्रत्यग्रहीत्प्राग्रहरो²⁵ रघूणाम्।
पूरप्यभिव्यक्तमुखप्रसादा शरीरबन्धेन तिरोबभूव॥२३॥

तदद्भुतं संसदि रात्रिवृत्तं प्रातर्द्विजेभ्यो नृपतिः शशंस।
श्रुत्वा त एनं कुलराजधान्या साक्षात्पतित्वे वृतमभ्यनन्दन्॥२४॥

कुशावतीं श्रोत्रियसात्स कृत्वा यात्रानुकूलेऽहनि सावरोधः।
अनुद्रुतो वायुरिवाभ्रवृन्दैः सैन्यैरयोध्याभिमुखः प्रतस्थे॥२५॥

सा केतुमालोपवना बृहद्भिर्विहारशैलानुगतेव नागैः।
सेना रथोदारगृहा प्रयाणे तस्याभवज्जंगमराजधानी॥२६॥

तेनातपत्रामलमण्डलेन प्रस्थापितः पूर्वनिवासभूमिम्।
बभौ बलौघः शशिनोदितेन²⁶ वेलामुदन्वानिव नीयमानः॥२७॥

तस्य प्रयातस्य वरूथिनीनां पीडामपर्याप्तवतीव सोढुम्²⁷।
वसुंधरा विष्णुपदं द्वितीयमध्यारुरोहेव रजश्छलेन॥२८॥

उद्यच्छमाना गमनाय पश्चात्पुरो निवेशे पथि च²⁸व्रजन्ती।
सा यत्र सेना ददृशे नृपस्य तत्रैव सामग्र्यमतिं²⁹ चकार॥२९॥

तस्य द्विपानां मदवारि³⁰सेकात्खुराभिघाताच्च तुरंगमाणाम्।
रेणुः प्रपेदे पथि पङ्कभावं पङ्कोऽपि रेणुत्वमियाय नेतुः³¹॥३०॥

मार्गैषिणी³² सा कटकान्तरेषु वैन्ध्येषु³³ सेना बहुधा विभिन्ना।
चकार रेवेव महाविरावा बद्धप्रतिश्रुन्ति गुहामुखानि॥३१॥

स धातुभेदारुणयाननेमिः प्रभुः प्रयाण³⁴ध्वनिमिश्रतूर्यः।
व्यलङ्घयद्विन्ध्यमुपायनानि पश्यन्पुलिन्दैरुपपादितानि॥३२॥

तीर्थेतदीये गजसेतुबन्धात्प्रतीपगामुत्तरतोऽस्य गङ्गाम्।
अयत्नबालव्यजनविभूवुर्हंसा नभोलङ्घनलोलपक्षाः॥३३॥

स पूर्वजानां कपिलेन रोषाद्भस्मावशेषीकृतविग्रहाणाम्।
सुरालयप्राप्तिनिमित्तमम्भस्त्रैस्रोतसं नौलुलितं³⁵ ववन्दे॥३४॥

इत्यध्वनः कैश्चिदहोभिरन्ते कूलं³⁶ समासाद्य कुशः सरय्वाः।
वेदिप्रतिष्ठान्वितताध्वराणां यूपानपश्यच्छतशो रघूणाम्॥३५॥

आधूय शाखाः कुसुमद्रुमाणां स्पृष्ट्वा च शीता³⁷न्सरयूतरंगान्।
तं क्लान्तसैन्यं कुलराजधान्याः प्रत्युज्जगामोपवनान्तवायुः³⁸॥३६॥

अथोपशल्ये रिपुमग्नशल्यस्तस्याः पुरः पौरसखः स राजा।
कुलध्वजस्तानि चलध्वजानि निवेशयामास बली बलानि॥३७॥

तां शिल्पिसंघाः प्रभुणा नियुक्तास्तथागतां³⁹ संभृतसाधनत्वात्।
पुरं⁴⁰ नवीचक्रुरपां विसर्गान्मेघा निदाघग्लपितामि⁴¹वोर्वीम्॥३८॥

ततः सपर्यां सपशूपहारां पुरः परार्ध्यप्रतिमागृहायाः⁴²।
उपोषितैर्वास्तुविधानविद्धिर्निर्वर्तयामास⁴³ रघुप्रवीरः॥३९॥

तस्याः स राजोपपदं निशान्तं कामीवकान्ताहृदयं प्रविश्य।
यथार्हमन्यैरनुजीविलोकं⁴⁴ संभावयामास यथा⁴⁵प्रधानम्॥४०॥

सा मन्दुरासंश्रयिभिस्तुरंगैः शालाविधिस्तम्भगतेश्च⁴⁶नागैः।
पूराबभासे विपणिस्थपण्या⁴⁷सर्वाङ्गनद्धाभ्ररणेव नारी॥४१॥

वसन्स तस्यां वसतौ रघूणां पुराणशोभामधिरोपितायाम्⁴⁸।
न मैथिलेयः स्पृहयांबभूव भर्त्रे दिवो नाप्यलकेश्वराय॥४२॥

अथास्य रत्नग्रथितोत्तरीयमेकान्तपाण्डुस्तनलम्बिहारम्।
निःश्वासहार्यांशुकमाजगाम घर्मः प्रियावेषमि⁴⁹वोपदेष्टुम्॥४३॥

अगस्त्यचिह्नादयनात्समीपं दिगुत्तरा भास्वति संनिवृत्ते।
आनन्दशीतामिव बाष्पवृष्टिं⁵⁰ हिमस्रुतिं हैमवतीं ससर्ज॥४४॥

प्रवृद्ध⁵¹तापो दिवसोऽतिमात्रमत्यर्थमेव क्षणदा च तन्वी।
उभौ विरोधक्रियया विभिन्नौ जायापती सानुशयाविवास्ताम्॥४५॥

दिने दिने शैवलवन्त्यधस्तात्सोपानपर्वाणि विमुञ्चदम्भः⁵²।
उद्दण्डपद्मं गृहदीर्घिकाणां नारीनितम्बद्वयसं बभूव॥४६॥

वनेषु⁵³ सायंतनमल्लिकानां⁵⁴ विजृम्भणो⁵⁵द्गन्धिषु कुड्मलेपु।
प्रत्येकनिक्षिप्तपदः सशब्दं⁵⁶ संख्यामिवैषां भ्रमरश्चकार॥४७॥

स्वेदानुविद्धार्द्रनख⁵⁷क्षताङ्के भूयिष्ठसंदष्टशिखं⁵⁸ कपोले।
च्युतं न कर्णादपि कामिनीनां शिरीषपुष्पं सहसा पपात॥४८॥

यन्त्रप्रवाहैः शिशिरैः परीतान् रसेन धौतान्म⁵⁹लयोद्भवस्य।
शिलाविशेषानधिशय्य निन्युर्धारागृहेष्वातपमृद्धिमन्तः॥४९॥

स्नानार्द्रमुक्तेष्वनुधूपवासं⁶⁰ विन्यस्तसायंतनमल्लिकेषु।
कामो वसन्तात्ययमन्दवीर्यः केशेषु लेभेबल⁶¹मङ्गनानाम्॥५०॥

आपिञ्जरा बद्वरजःकणत्वान्मञ्जर्युदारा शुशुभे⁶²ऽर्जुनस्य।
दग्ध्वापि देहं गिरिशेन रोषात्खण्डीकृता⁶³ ज्येव मनोभवस्य॥

मनोज्ञगन्धं सहकारभङ्गं पुराणशीधुं⁶⁴ नवपाटलं च²⁸।
संबध्नता कामिजनेषु दोषाः⁶⁵ सर्वे निदाघावधिना प्रमृष्टाः॥५२॥

जनस्य तस्मिन्समये विगाढे बभूवतुर्द्वौ सविशेषकान्तौ।
तापापनोदक्षमपादसेवौ⁶⁶सचोदयस्थौ⁶⁷ नृपतिः शशी च॥५३॥

अथोर्मिलोलोन्मद⁶⁸राजहंसे रोधोलतापुष्पवहे सरय्वाः।
विहर्तुमिच्छा वनितासखस्य तस्याम्भसि ग्रीष्मसुखे बभूव॥५४॥

स तीरभूमौ विहितोपकार्यामानायिभिस्तामपकृष्ट⁶⁹नक्राम्।
विगाहितुं श्रीमहिमानुरूपं प्रचक्रमे चक्रधरप्रभावः॥५५॥

सा तीरसोपानपथावतारादन्योन्यकेयूरविघट्टिनीभिः⁷⁰।
सनूपुरक्षोभपदाभिरासीदुद्विग्न⁷¹हंसा सरिदङ्गनाभिः॥५६॥

परस्पराभ्युक्षण⁷²तत्पराणां तासां नृपो मज्जनरागदर्शी।
नौसंश्रयः पार्श्वगतां⁷³किरातीमुपात्तबालव्यजनां बभाषे॥५७॥

पश्यावरोधैः शतशो मदीयैर्विगाह्य⁷⁴मानो गलिताङ्गरागैः।
संध्योदयः साभ्रइवैष वर्णं पुष्यत्यनेकं सरयूप्रवाहः॥५८॥

विलुप्तमन्तःपुरसुन्दरीणां यदञ्जनं नौलुलिता⁷⁵भिरद्भिः।
तद्बध्नतीभि⁷⁶र्मदरागशोभां विलोचनेषु प्रतिमुक्तमासाम्॥५९॥

एता गुरुश्रोणिपयोधरत्वादात्मानमुद्वोढुमशक्नुवत्यः।
गाढाङ्गदैर्वाहुभिरप्सु बालाः क्लेशोत्तरं रागवशात्प्लवन्ते॥६०॥

अमी शिरीषप्रसवावतंसाःप्रभ्रंशिनो वारिविहारिणीनाम्।
पारिप्लवाः स्रोतसि निम्नगायाः शैवाललोलांश्छलयन्ति⁷⁷ मीनान्⁷⁸॥६१॥

आसां जला⁷⁹स्फालनतत्पराणां मुक्ताफलम्पर्धिषु शीकरेषु।
पयोधरोत्सर्पिषु शीर्यमाणः संलक्ष्यते न च्छिदुरोऽपि हारः॥६२॥

आवर्तशोभा नतनाभिकान्तेर्भङ्गा⁸⁰ भ्रुवां द्वन्द्वचराः स्तनानाम्।
जातानि रूपावयवोपमानान्यदूरवर्तीनि विलासिनीनाम्॥६३॥

तीरस्थलीबर्हिभिरुत्कलापैः प्रस्निग्धकेकैरभिनन्द्यमानम्।
श्रोत्रेषु संमूर्च्छति रक्तमासां⁸¹ गीतानुगं वारिमृदङ्गवाद्यम्॥६४॥

संदष्टवस्त्रेष्वबलानितम्बोष्विन्दुप्रकाशान्तरितोडुतुल्याः⁸²।
अमी जलापूरितसूत्र⁸³मार्गा मौनं भजन्ते रशनाकलापाः॥६५॥

एताः करोत्पीडितवारिधारा⁸⁴ हर्षात्स⁸⁵खीभिर्वदनेषु सिक्ताः।
वक्रेतराग्रैरलकैस्तरुण्यश्चूर्णारुणान्वारिलवान्वमन्ति॥६६॥

उद्बन्धकेशश्च्युतपत्रलेखो विश्लेषिमुक्ताफलपत्रवेष्टः⁸⁶।
मनोज्ञ एव प्रमदामुखानामम्भोविहाराकुलितोऽपि वेषः॥६७॥

स नौविमानादवतीर्य रेमे विलोलहारः⁸⁷ सह ताभिरप्सु।
स्कन्धावलग्नोद्धृत⁸⁸पद्मिनीकः करेणुभिर्वन्य इव द्विपेन्द्रः॥६८॥

ततो नृपेणानुगताः⁸⁹ स्त्रियस्ता भ्राजिष्णुना सातिशयं विरेजुः।
प्रागेव मुक्ता नयनाभिरामाः प्राप्येन्द्रनीलं किमुतोन्मयूखम्⁹⁰॥६९॥

वर्णोदकैः काञ्चनशृङ्ग⁹¹मुक्तैस्तमायताक्ष्यः प्रणयादसिञ्चन्।
तथागतः सोऽतितरां बभासे सधातुनिष्यन्द⁹²इवाद्रिराजः॥७०॥

तेनावरोधप्रमदासखेन विगाहमानेन सरिद्वरां ताम्।
आकाशगङ्गारतिरप्सरोभिः वृतो मरुत्वाननुयात⁹³लीलः॥७१॥

यत्कुम्भयोनेरधिगम्य रामः कुशाय राज्येन समं दिदेश।
तदस्य जैत्राभरणं विहर्तुरज्ञातपातं सलिले ममज्ज॥७२॥

स्नात्वा यथाकाममसौ सदारस्तीरोपकार्यां गतमात्र एव।
दिव्येन शून्यं वलयेन बाहुमपोढनेपथ्यविधि⁹⁴र्ददर्श॥७३॥

जयश्रियः संवननं⁹⁵ यतस्तदामुक्तपूर्वं गुरुणा च यस्मात्।
सेहेऽस्य न भ्रंशमतो न लोभात्स तुल्यपुष्पाभरणो हि धीर⁹⁶ः॥७४॥

ततःसमाज्ञापयदाशु सर्वानानायिनस्तद्विचये नदीष्णान्।
वन्ध्यश्रमास्ते सरयूं विगाह्य तमूचुरम्लान⁹⁷मुखप्रसादा⁹⁸ः॥७५॥

कृतः प्रयत्नो न च देव लब्धं मग्नंपयस्याभरणोत्तमंते।
नागेन लौल्यात्कुमुदेन नूनमपात्तमन्तर्हदवासिना तत्॥७६॥

ततःस कृत्वा धनुराततज्यं धनुर्धरःकोपविलोहिताक्षः।
गारुत्मतं तीरगतस्तरखीभ्रुजंगनाशाय समाददे⁹⁹ऽस्त्रम्॥७७॥

तस्मिन्ह्वदःसंहित¹⁰⁰मात्र एव¹⁰¹ क्षोभात्स¹⁰²माविद्धतरंहस्तः।
रोधांसि निघ्नन्न¹⁰³वपातमतग्नःकरीव वन्यःपरुषं ररास॥७८॥

तस्मात्समुद्रादिव मथ्यमानादुद्वृत्त¹⁰⁴नक्रात्सहसोन्ममज्ज।
लक्ष्म्येव सार्धं सुरराजवृक्षः कन्यां पुरस्कृत्य भुजंगराजः॥७९॥

विभूषणप्रत्युपहारहस्तमुपस्थितं वीक्ष्य विशांपतिस्तम्।
सौपर्णमस्त्रं प्रतिसंजहार प्रह्वेष्वनिर्बन्धरुषो हि सन्तः॥८०॥

त्रेलोक्यनाथप्रभवं प्रभावात्कुशं द्विषामङ्कुशमस्त्रविद्वान्।
मानोन्नतेनाप्यभिवन्द्य मूर्ध्ना मूर्धाभिषिक्तं कुमुदो बभाषे॥८१॥

“अवैमि कार्यान्तरमानुषस्य विष्णोः सुताख्यामपरां तनुं त्वाम्।
सोऽहं कथं नाम तवाचरेयमाराधनीयस्य धृतेर्विघातम्॥८२॥

कराभिघातोत्थित¹⁰⁵कन्दुकेयमालोक्य बालातिकुतूहलेन¹⁰⁶।
ह्रदात्पतज्ज्योतिरिवान्त¹⁰⁷रिक्षादादत्त जैत्राभरणं त्वदीयम्॥८३॥

तदेतदाजानुविलम्बिना ते ज्याघातरेखा¹⁰⁸स्थिरलाञ्छनेन।
भुजेन रक्षापरिघेन भूमेरुपैतु योगं पुनरंसलेन॥८४॥

इमांस्वसारं च यवीयसीं में कुमुद्वतीं नार्हसि नानुमन्तुम्।
आत्मापराधं¹⁰⁹ नुदतीं चिराय शुश्रूषया पार्थिव पादयोस्ते”॥८५॥

इत्यूचिवानुपहृताभरणः¹¹⁰ क्षितीशं
श्लाघ्यो भवान्स्वजन इत्यनुभाषितारम्¹¹¹।
संयोजयां विधिवदास समेतबन्धुः
कन्यामयेन कुमुदः कुलभूषणेन॥८६॥

तस्याः स्पृष्टे मनुजपतिना साहचर्याय हस्ते
माङगल्योर्णा¹¹²वलयिनि पुरः पावकस्योच्छिखस्य।
दिव्यस्तूर्यध्वनिरुदचरद्व्यश्नुवानो दिगन्तान्
गन्धोदग्रं तदनु ववृषुः पुष्पमाश्चर्यमेघाः॥८७॥

इत्थं नागस्त्रिभुवनगुरोरौरसं मैथिलेयं
लब्ध्वा बन्धुं तमपि च कुशः पञ्चमं तक्षकस्य।
एकः शङ्कां पितृवधरिपोर¹¹³त्यजद्वैनतेया-
च्छान्तव्यालामवनिमपरः पौरकान्तः शशास॥८८॥

इति
रघुवंशे महाकाव्ये
कुमुद्वतीपरिणयो नाम षोडशः सर्गः।

__________

RAGHUVAMSA—CANTO XVI.

Notes

[In four cantos commencing with this, Kalidasa relates the story of the descendants of Rama. The story of Rama, which he has related in seven cantos ending with the 15th is almost on the lines of Valmiki’s Ramayana. But it is difficult to point out with authority any particular work as the source for the story told in the rest of Raghuvamsa.]

** 1.** अथ— After the departure of Rama (related in the last sloka of the previous canto). इतरे सप्तरघुप्रवीराः— The seven eminent princes other than Kusa, viz.—(1) लव brother of Kusa; (2-3) तक्षक and पुष्कर (Bharata’s sons); (4-5) अङ्ग and चन्द्रकेतु (Lakshmana’s sons); and (6-7) शत्रुघाती and सुबाहु (Satrughna’s sons). सौभ्रात्रम्=शोभना भ्रातरः—सुभ्रातरः; तेषां भावः. [सुभ्रातृ+अण्, as the base of the word belongs to the युवादि group. The affix is in accordance with ‘हायनान्तयुवादिभ्योऽण्’– Panini V i 130.]

2. सेतु वार्ता…..—Here. वार्ता= agriculture, protection of cattle etc.; compare these with—“कृषिर्वणिक्पथो दुर्गं सेतुः कुञ्जरबन्धनम्। खन्याकरधनादानं शून्यानां च निवेशनम्। अष्टवर्गमिमं साधुः स्वयं वृद्धोऽपि वर्धयेत्”—कामन्दकनीतिसारे, V 77f.

3. चतुर्भुजः— The four-armed Vishnu. चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य सः; or भुङ्क्ते इति भुजः, चतुर्णां धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां भुजः,दानप्रवृत्तेः= (1) from the occupation of charity, (2) … flow of ichor. सुरद्विपानां—सुराणां द्विपाः, तेषां; the celestial elephants; the guardian elephants of the quarters, which are eight in number, cf.—ऐरावतः पुण्डरीको वामनः कुमुदोऽञ्जनः। पुष्पदन्तः सार्वभौमः सुप्रतीकश्च दिग्गजाः—Amara). Note that this number eight agrees with the number of the princes which is also eight, inclusive of Kusa. सामयोनिः= सामानि योनिःयस्य. The दिग्गजाऽ are believed

to have sprung up from the hymns of the सामवेद. In suppor of this belief Mallinatha in his commentary quotes the following from पालकाप्य—“सूर्यस्याण्डकपाले द्वे समानीय प्रजापतिः हस्ताभ्यां परिगृह्याथ सप्त सामान्यगायत। गायतो ब्रह्मणस्तस्मात् समुत्पेतुर्मतङ्गजाः”अष्टधा—The affix धा is added to the numeral अष्ट, in the sense of ‘the manner or mode of an action’in accordance with the rule “संख्याया विधेर्धाल्”—Panini V iii 42.

4. अथ marks the opening of a new topic. अर्धरात्रे—अर्धंरात्रेः अर्धरात्रः, तस्मिन्. Note here that अर्धं meaning half isalways neuter and forms the first member of the compoundthe compound word however is masculine and अकारान्त, by the rules 1. ‘रात्राह्नाहाः पुंसि’—(II iv 29) & ‘अहः सर्वैकदेशसंख्यातपुण्याच्च रात्रेः’—(V iv. 87). स्तिमितप्रदीपे and सुप्तजने qualify शय्यागृहे. प्रवास.. वेषां-प्रवासे तिष्ठति इति प्रवासस्थः, तस्य कलत्रं; प्रवासस्थकलत्रस्य वेष इव वेषःयस्याः सा; ताम्. Indian women are generally described as neglecting their toilet, decorations etc. when their husbands are away from them on journey. This is the most common feature of a Virahini. Kalidasa gives a very graphic picture of a Virahini in his Meghaduta II 10–27. अदृष्टपूर्वां- न दृष्टा पर्वं, ताम्.

5. साधु… ऋद्धेः–साधुभिः साधारणा, पार्थिवस्य ऋद्धिः; साधुसाधारणा पार्थिवर्धिः यस्य सः, तस्य. पुरुहूतभासः—पुरूणि हूतानि (नामानि) अस्य— (Indra); पुरुहूतस्य इव भाः यस्य सः, तस्य जयशब्दपूर्वं—जयशब्दः पूर्वः(अस्मिन् कर्मणि) यथा तथा. बन्धुमतः—प्रशस्ता बन्धवः अस्य इति बन्धुमान्, तस्य.

6. अथ– after her sight. अनपोढार्गलम्–न अपोढम् अर्गलम् यस्य तत्. छायां– reflection, image. The simile here is graphic. Just as a reflexion enters the mirror (without finding any doorway) she had entered the apartment through no doorway i.e., without opening the door. पूर्वार्धविसृष्टतल्पः—पूर्वार्धेन बिसृष्टः तल्पः येन.

** 7.** आवरण is a door here, (आव्रियते अनेन द्वारम् इति). अनिर्वृतानां— of those in distress. है= हिमकृतम्.

** 8.** परिग्रहः—wife. This word has been used in this text several times to convey various meanings— cf. IX 46, XI 55, XIII 36, XII 16, XV 55, XVIII 38. वशिनां=जितेन्द्रियाणां. परस्त्रीविमुखप्रवृत्ति= परेषां स्त्रीषु (विषये) विमुखा प्रवृत्तिः यस्य तत्.

** 9.** पुरःis the possessive singular of पूः—city, which is in the feminine gender.

** 10.** वस्वौकसारा is taken to mean the city of Alaka, the capital of Kubera, on the basis of the यादवकोश— “अलकापुरी वस्वौकसारा स्यात्”. It may also refer to Indra’s capital on the basis of a line in the विष्णुपुराण.viz., ‘वस्वौकसारा शक्रस्य’. The word may also be interpreted thus—बसूनां (रत्नानां) ओकैः(सद्मभिः) सारा ( श्रेष्ठा). [Note that ओकस् is treated as ओक (ending in अ) by क्षीरस्वामी.] समग्रशक्तौ.endowed with all the three regal powers; viz. प्रभावशक्ति, उत्साहशक्ति and मन्त्र (counsel) शक्ति. सूर्यवंशे भवः— सूर्यवंश्यः.

11. There is very little difference in the meaning of the words तल्पand अट्ट. Amara treats them as synonymous. (‘तल्पं शय्याट्टदारेषु’इत्यमरः) So तल्प may be taken to mean the terrace of a house, and अट्टa turret. The reading विशीर्णकल्पाट्टशतः noticed by Mallinatha is better.

12. अभिसारिकाणां—भर्तृसंकेतस्थानाभिमुखं सरन्ति इति अभिसारिकाः.i.e.women who go to meet their lovers at appointed places; cf. कान्तार्थिनी तु या याति संकेत साभिसारिका— Amara. शिवाभिः is qualified by नदन्मुखोल्काविचितामिषाभिः; नदन्ति च तानि मुखानि, तेभ्यः निर्गताः उल्काः, ताभिः विचितं आभिषं याभिः ताः, ताभिःThe she-jackals of a particular type are believed to emit flames of fire while howling: the reference made above is to these flames with the help of which they search for flesh.

13. दीर्घिका—a long or oblong lake. Cf. शुशुभिरे……। विकचतानसरसा गृहदीर्घिका मदकलोदकलोलविहङ्गमाः. Raghu. IX 39.

14. वृक्षे शेरते इति वृक्षेशयाः; the locative of वृक्षे is retained even in the compound by the rule ‘शयवासवासिष्वकालात्’—Panini VI iii.18, which means that the locative ending is retained before शय, बासand वासिन् in a compound if the ending does not denote time; the अच् affix in… शयः is by the rule ‘अधिकरणे शेतेः’(III ii.15) which prescribes it for शी- to lie down, when it is compounded with a case-inflected word indicating location. दवस्य उल्काभिः हतेभ्यः शेषाणि वर्हाणि येषां ते–दवोल्काहतं शेषवर्हाः. क्रीडार्थं मयूराः—क्रीडामयूराः.

**15.**हताः न्यङ्कवःयैः तैः—हतन्यङ्कुभिः न्यङ्कु is a kind of deer. Cf. ‘न्यङ्कुर्मृगे मुनौ…’–हेमचन्द्र। अस्रैःदिग्धं—अस्रांदग्धं. For अस्र= blood, cf. “रुधिरेऽसृग्लोहितास्र…”– Amara. दिग्ध is the past participle of दिह्.

16. चित्रगताः द्विपाः—चित्रद्विपाः=painted elephants. नखा एवाङ्कुशाः,, तेषाम् आघातैः विभिन्नाः कुम्भाः येषां ते—नखाङ्कुशाघातविभिन्नकुम्भाः.

17. योषितां प्रतियातनानि—योषित्प्रतियातनानि.Here प्रतियातनrefers to the figures (carved on the pillars).Cf. प्रतिमानं प्रतिविम्बं प्रतिमा प्रतियातना प्रतिच्छाया—Amara. उत्क्रान्ताः वर्णानां क्रमाः (अत एव) धूसराः, तासां-उत्कान्तवर्णक्रमधूसराणां निर्मोकपट्टाः–निर्मोका एव पट्टाः, cloths in the form of the sloughs of serpents.

18. कालान्तरश्यामसुधेषु—कालस्य अन्तरः, तेन श्यामा सुधा येषु, तेषु. नक्तं (रात्रौ) is an indeclinable. रूढतृणाङ्कुरेषु—रूढाः तृणानाम् अङ्कुराः येषु तेषु. मुक्तागुणशुद्धयः–मुक्तानां गुणाः, तेषां शुद्धिरिव शुद्धिः येषां ते. चन्द्रपादाः–Moon’s rays. Cf. ‘पादा रश्म्यङ्घ्रितुर्यांशाः’—Amara.

19. आवर्ज्य—Indeclinable past participle of आ+वृज् (I Paras.) मम इमाः—मदीयाः वन्यैः पुलिन्दैरिव वानरैः—by the wild pulindas and monkeys as well. Here इवmay also be taken

to show the similarity between the pulindas and monkeys, in which case the translation will have to read— ‘by the wild monkey-like pulindas’.

**20.**न आविष्कृताःदीपानां भासः येषु ते—अनाविष्कृतदीपभासः. दिवा (by day) indeclinable. गवाक्षाः—गावः(rays) अक्षन्ति (penetrate) अनेन इति. विच्छिन्नधूमप्रसराः—विच्छिन्नःधूमानां प्रसरः येषां ते. This is to indicate that the houses were deserted.

21. बलिक्रियाभिः वर्जितानि सैकतानि येषां तानि— बलिक्रियावर्जितसैकतानि बलि— flowers offered in worship. ‘बलिःपूजोपहारः स्यात्’—शाश्वत kosa. स्नान्ति अनेन इति स्नानीयं (चूर्णं). उपान्तेषु वानीरगृहाणि येषां तानि—उपान्तवानीरगृहाणि. दूये Ising. agrees with its subject अहं (understood).

22. अर्हू is used to express a polite request. कुलस्य राजधानी—कुलराजधानी. राजधानी is derived in two ways: (1) राज्ञा धीयते अस्याम् इति and (2) धीयते अस्यामिति धानी, राज्ञःधानी राजधानी.The simile indicates that Ayodhya is his real abode just a Rama’s real form was that of Vishnu, while others wetonly temporary.

23. प्रतीतः— pleased. प्राग्रहरः–foremost or chief. प्रकृष्टमग्र प्राग्रं, प्राग्रे हरतीति प्राग्रहरः, cf. विश्वावसुप्राग्रहरैःप्रवीणैः—Kumara. VII 48.

24. The king related all that took place between him and the presiding deity of Ayodhya to the Brahmins, as the whole thing looked a dream while reflecting upon it. Gargya lays a rule that an auspicious dream should always be related to good people to secure their blessings also. Cf.

दृष्ट्वा स्वप्नंशोभनं नैव सुप्यात्पश्चाद्दृष्टो यः स पाकंविधत्तेI
शंसेदिष्टं तत्र साधुर्द्विजेभ्यस्ते चाशीर्भिः प्रीणयेयुर्नरेन्द्रम्॥

25. श्रोत्रियसात्— Here the affix सात् is used to indicate that something is made over to a master or superior person. A श्रोत्रिय is a Brahmin well-read in the Vedas. Cf. जन्मना

ब्राह्मणो ज्ञेयः संस्कारैर्द्विज उच्यते। विद्यया यातिविप्रत्वं त्रिभिः श्रोत्रिय उच्यते। and Amara—श्रोत्रियश्छान्दसौ समौ। Mallinatha quotes Panini V ii 84 ‘श्रोत्रियंश्छन्दोऽधीते’in support of this. प्रतस्थे III sing. of स्था with प्र in the perfect tense. The root स्थाis always a Parasmai, but has taken the Atmane terminations by virtue of its association with the upasarga प्र, by the rule समवप्रविभ्यःस्थः

26. सेना=सह इनेन, accompanied by the lord. रथोदारगृहाः–रथा एव उदारा गृहाः यस्याः सा. Here उदारis used in the sense of ‘splendid.’जङ्गमा च असौराजधानी च- जङ्गमराजधानी. जङ्गमा—ever in motion, moving. For the formation of राजधानी see notes on sl. 22.

27. आतपत्राभलमण्डलेन—(आतपात् त्रायते इति आतपत्रम्) आतपत्रमेव अमलं मण्डलम् (बिंबं) यस्य, तेन. The flat and bright umbrella spread out resembles the disc of the Moon, with the difference that the Moon’s disc is समल while the disc of the umbrella is अमल. बलौघः—बलानां ओघः(flow, or rush).

28. वरूथिनीनां—वरूथाः (armours etc.) सन्ति अस्याम् इति वरूथिनी, तासाम्. Cf. वरूथिनी वलं सैन्यम्–Amara. विष्णुपदं— विष्णोः पदं. *Cf.‘*वियद्विष्णुपदं वापि पुस्याकाशविहायसी’–Amara. The word means ‘sky’as it formed the second stride of Vishnu as Vamana.

29. उद्यच्छमाना- preparing to go. Note that यम् preceded by सम्, उद् or आ will have to be treated as Atmane, when it does not refer to a book and when it conveys the result of the action indicated by the verb to the agent. (Vide Panini- “समुदाङ्भ्योयमोऽग्रन्थे”). निवेश is a halting place while marching. सामग्यमतिं—(समग्रस्य भावःसामग्यं) सामग्यस्य मतिः, ताम्.

30. द्विपानां—द्वाभ्यां (शुण्डातुण्डाभ्यां) पिबति इति द्विपः, तेषां. तुरङ्गमाणांतुरेण (त्वरया) गच्छति इति तुरंगमः(तुरगःalso) तेषां. रेणुः प्रपेदे etc., implies the vastness of the army.

31. मार्गं इच्छति असौ इति मार्गैषिणी। रेवा is the Narmada river; cf. “रेवा तु नर्मदा सोमोद्भवा मेखलकन्यका”–Amara. वद्धप्रतिश्रुन्ति=वद्धा प्रतिश्रुत्यैः, तानि।

32. धातूनां भेदेन अरुणा याननेमिः यस्य सः—धातुभेदारुणयाननेमिः। प्रयाणे ये ध्वनयः तन्मिश्राणि तूर्याणि यस्य सः। Pulindas are the aborigines who were driven southwards into the fastness of the Vindhya mountain by the Aryans who coming from the North-west took possession of the Gangetic plain.

33. तीर्थ—‘a ford’. गजा एव सेतुः, तस्य बन्धात्। प्रतीपगां–(प्रतिगता आपःअत्रइति प्रतीपं) प्रतीप यथा तथा गच्छति असौ इति प्रतीपगा, ताम् Note here that the word आप्becomes आप्in a compound by the rule ऋक्पूरब्धूःपथामानक्षे (V iv 73) and the अ (beginning of अप्) becomes ई according to द्व्यन्तरुपसर्गेभ्योऽप ईत् (VI iii 97). as it is preceded by the upasarga प्रति। उत्तरतः is the genitive singular of the present participle of तॄ with उत्।

Mr. Pandit says—“There are some who maintain that the king crossed the Ganges near a place called विन्ध्यवासिनी देवी to the south of Benares.”

34. कपिलेन रोषात्—The reference is to Sagara’s 60,000 sons who were reduced to ashes by Kapila for accusing him of having stolen away the sacrificial horse of their father which was found near him, (of course not knowing that Indra had brought away the horse and left it there).

35. वितताः अध्वराःयैः, तेषां- वितताध्वराणाम्। वेदिः प्रतिष्ठा (आस्पदं) येषां तान्—वेदिप्रतिष्ठान्. A Yupa is the post to which the animal to be sacrificed is tied and which post is left behind after the sacrifice is over.

37. उपशल्य is the open space in the vicinity of a town. रिपुषुमग्नं शल्यं यस्य सः–रिपुमग्नशल्यः। पौराणां सखा—पौरसखः। The अ ending of the compound is by the rule राजाहःसखिभ्यष्टच्।

38. संभृतानि च तानि साधनानि तेषां भावः–संभृतसाधनत्वं, तस्मात्. पुरं is the accu. sing of पुर् (fem.). विसर्गात्— by pouring down.

39. वास्तु is the marking out of the site for the construction of a house. (वसन्ति अत्र इति वास्तुः) It is a religious rite performed before commencing the construction and at the time of entering the fully constructed house (गृहप्रवेश)।

40. उप उच्चरितं पदं–उपपदं; राजा उपपदं यस्य तत्—राजोपपदम्. निशायां अम्यते स्म इति निशान्तं—a dwelling place (lit. resorted to for shelter at nights).

41. मन्दुरा—the horse-stable. Cf. ‘वाजिशाला तु मन्दुरा’—Amara. शालासु (गृहेषु) ये विधिना स्थापिताः स्तम्भाः तान् गतैः—शालाविधिस्तम्भगतैः। सर्वेषु अङ्गेषु नद्धानि आभरणानि यस्याः सा, सर्वाङ्गनद्धाभरणा।

42. न स्पृहयां वभूव—did not envy. Note that the verb and the derivatives of स्पृह् govern the dative of the object or thing desired. Hence the two datives viz. (1) दिवः भर्त्रेand (2) अलकेश्वराय are governed by न स्पृहयां बभूव।

43. रत्नैः ग्रथितानि उत्तरीयाणि यस्मिंस्तम्–रत्नग्रथितोत्तरीयम्; एकान्तं (अत्यन्तं) पाण्ड्वोः स्तनयोः लम्बिनः हाराःयस्मिंस्तम्– एकान्तपाण्डुस्तनलम्बिहारम्। निश्वासैःहार्याणि अंशुकानि यत्र तम्–निश्वातहार्यांशुकम्। प्रियावेषं–Some commentators take this as (प्रियाः वेषं) two independent words and construe प्रियाःas another object of उपदेष्टु, along with वेषं. This is incorrect as उप+दिश् can govern only the dative and not the objective प्रियाः. But if प्रियावेषं is taken as a compound there will be no difficulty at all. प्रियायाः वेषं—प्रियावेषं. It should also be borne in mind that अस्य in this sloka is used in the sense of अस्मै। (Cf. ‘चतुर्थ्यर्थे बहुलम्’—II iii 62.)

44. अगस्त्यचिह्नात् अयनात्–From the solstice (अयन) marked by the star, i.e. the winter solstice where the sun will have reached his southern-most destination

(about 22nd December). Agastya is usually identified with the star ‘Canopus’belonging to the Argo Navis constellation. The उत्तरा दिक् is represented as a beloved of the Sun and the rival of दक्षिणा दिक्. आनन्दशीतां marks the joy of उत्तरा दिक् on the return of her lover to her after a long absence during which period he was with her rival दक्षिणा दिक्; cf. for a similar idea, Kumara. III 25. हिमवतः इयम्—हैमवती, तां—हैमवतीम्।

45. अतिमात्रं & अत्यथ both mean excessively, extremely. Cf. ‘अतिवेलभृशात्यर्थमतिमात्रोद्गाढनिर्भरम्’—Amara. क्षणं (joy, rest) ददाति इति—क्षणदा (night). विरोधस्य क्रिया तथा—विरोधक्रियया। विभिन्नौ— estranged. अनुशयेन सहितौ—सानुशयौ, filled with remorse. *Cf.*भवेदनुशयो द्वेषे पश्चात्तापानुबन्धयोः— Amara.

46. अधस्तात्— Adverb used as an adjective in the sense of अधः स्थितानि. उद्दण्डपद्मा—(उद्गताः दण्डाः येषां तानि उद्दण्डानि) उद्दण्डानि पद्मानि यत्र, तत् गृहदीर्घिकाः—oblong tanks (cisterns) of water attached to houses. नारीनितम्बद्वयसं—Here द्वयम् is an affix added to bring out the sense of ‘measure,’‘reaching as far as,’ in accordance with the rule ‘प्रमाणे द्वयसच् दघ्नञ् मात्रचः—V ii 37.

47. सायंतनमल्लिकानां— सायंतनस्य मल्लिकाः तासां। The jasmine flowers which bloom out only in the evening<MISSING_FIG href=”../books_images/U-IMG-1729230501mou.png”/>. विजृम्भणोद्ग्रन्धिषु—विजृम्भणेन उद्गतःगन्धःयेषां तानि तेषु। Note that the compound has a final इ as it is a Bahuvrihi withगन्धas its last member, in accordance with the rule ‘गन्धस्येदुत्षूतिसुसुरभिभ्यः’—V iv 135. सशब्दं—Adv. शब्देन सहितं यथा तथा।

48. … नखक्षताङ्के- Marks of nails on cheeks etc. of women are usually described as part of amorous sports. संदष्ट—sticky (on account of perspiration) शिरीषपुष्प—‘mimosea’ is extremely delicate.

**49.**यन्त्राणां (of fountains) प्रवाहैः—यन्त्रप्रवाहैः! ऋद्धिमन्तः—ऋद्धिः येषां ते।

50. स्नानेन आर्द्राः, अत एव मुक्ताश्च तेषु—स्नानार्द्रमुक्तेषु। As Vasanta, the friend of Kama, had disappeared, Kama had become weak; but he gained strength again (i.e., had his effect on gallants) through the perfumed and dishevelled tresses of fair ladies decorated with the evening jasmines. (as they excited the passion of men).

**51.**आपिञ्जराः— ईषत् पिञ्जराः। आ is used in the sense of ‘slight,’ ‘little’. पिञ्जरis the yellowish red colour. रजसां कणाः; वद्धाश्च ते रजः कणाश्च; तेषां भावः—बद्धरजःकणत्वं। अर्जुन is ‘Terminatia Alanla Glabra’. गिरिशःcan be resolved in two ways. (1) गिरौ शेते इति गिरिशः। This form is permitted only in Vedas and not in classical works. (2) गिरिः अस्ति अस्य निवासत्वेन इति गिरिशः. Here the श added to गिरि in the compound is in the sense of मतुप् as the word गिरि belongs to the लोभादि group.ज्या—bowstring.

52. सहकारभङ्गः—(भज्यते इति भङ्गः by कर्मणि घञ्)। सहकारस्य भङ्गः. (पुराण) शीधु—(old) wine prepared from sugar-cane juice. कामिजनेषु—कामिन्यश्च कामिनश्च कामिजनाः, तेषु। निदाघावधिना—by the closing part of the sultry season.

53. तापस्य अपनोदे क्षमा पादयोः(पादानां) सेवा ययोः तौ—तापापनोदक्षम पादसेवौ. Note the 2 meanings of पादसेवा. (1) Serving the 2 feet. (2) enjoying the rays of.

54. ऊर्मिषु लोलाःउन्मदाश्चराजहंसाःयस्मिन् तत्, तस्मिन्— ऊर्मिलोलोन्मदराजहंसे। रोधसोः लताः, तासां पुष्पाणां वहः—रोधोलतापुष्पवहः। वनितासखस्य—see notes on sl. 37.

55. आनायिभिः—by the fishermen. °उपकार्यां—tents. रूपस्य सदृशं—अनुरूपं. As for precautions a king has to take before commencing the water spot, Mallinatha quotes from Kamandaka—

“परितापिषु वासरेषुपश्यंस्तटलेखास्थितमाप्तसैन्यचक्रम्।
सुविशोधितनक्रमीनजालं व्यवगाहेत जलं सुहृत्समेतः॥”

56. केयूर is an ornament worn on the upper half of the arm. अन्योन्यानां केयूराणि विधट्टयन्ति इति, ताभिः—अन्योन्यकेयूरविद्यट्टिनीभिः। नूपुराणां क्षोभेण सहितानि पदानि यासां ताः, ताभिः—सनूपुरक्षोभपदाभिः॥

57. परस्परं अभ्युक्षणे तत्पराः, तासां। मज्जने रागः, तस्य दर्शी। उपात्तं बालव्यजनं यया सा, तां—उपात्तवालव्यजनाम्।

58. अवरोधैः–राजदारैः। शतं शतं–शतशः, मम अयं-मदीयः, तैः मदीयैः। गलितःअङ्गानां रागःयेषां ते, तैः—गलिताङ्गरागैः। अभ्रैःसहितः-साभ्रः।

59. अञ्जनं—collyrium. मदराग—the glow of passion or intoxication. प्रतिमुक्त—restored.

60. श्रोणिश्च पयोधरे च श्रोणिपयोधरं (Samahara Dv.); गुरुश्रोणिपयोधरं यस्याः सा, तस्याः भावः—गुरुश्रोणिपयोधरत्वं। क्लेशः उत्तरः(कर्मणि) यथा तथा—क्लेशोत्तरं।

61. शिराप—The Mimosea Sirerssa (flower), पारिप्लवाः—चञ्चलाः. निम्नगायाः— of the river. निम्ने (देशे) गच्छतिइति निम्नगा।

62. मुक्ताफलैः स्पर्धन्ते इति—मुक्ताफलस्पर्धिनः, तेषु। पयोधरोत्सर्पिषु—rising up to (their) breasts. छिद्रः—broken. The कुरच् (उर्) प्रत्यय is added to (विद्, भिद् and) छिद् in the sense of the agent of such a habit by the rule “विभेदिच्छिदेःकुरच्”

63. आवर्तशोभा— the beauty of the eddies. The eddies are often compared to the deep and round navals; cf. दर्शितावर्तनाभेः—Megha. I 28. द्वंद्वचराः—The chakravakas moving in pairs; The breasts of women are usually compared to pairs of chakravakas.

64. The rumbling sound produced by beating the water was mistaken to be the rumbling of clouds by the peacocks closeby; hence they spread out their plumages with sweet notes. तीरयोः स्थल्यः, तासु (स्थिताः) बर्हिणः, तैः। उद्गतः कलापः यस्य सः—उत्कलापः।

65. संदष्टवस्त्रेषु-संदष्टानि वस्त्राणि येषां तेषु। जलन आपूरिताः सूत्राणां मार्गाः येषां ते—जला… मार्गाः। इन्दोः प्रकाशेन अन्तरितानि यानि उडूनि, तत्तुल्याः–इन्दुप्र°तुल्याः। The stars mentioned here correspond to the pearls of the girdles.

66. वक्रात् इतराणि (hence straight) अग्राणि येषां तैः। दर्पात्is a V. L. for हर्षात्। चूर्णारुणान् agrees with वारिलवान्। The water drops were red with र्णi.e., the red (Kunkum or saffron) powder.

67. (उद्गतः बन्धः येषां ते) उद्बन्धाः केशाः यस्मिन् सः। मनोज्ञ एव—cf. किमिव हि मधुराणां मण्डनं नाकृतीनाम्—Sakuntala I 18, and रम्याणां विकृतिरपि श्रियं तनोति—Kirata. VII 5. With this ends Kusa’s description of the women’s water sport, to the Kirati.

68. स्कन्धे अवलग्ना—स्कन्धावलग्ना; उद्धृता चासौ पद्मिनी च— उद्धृतपद्मिनी; स्कन्धावलग्ना उद्धृतपद्मिनी यस्य सः—स्कन्धा°पद्मिनीकः। Note that the affix कप् (क) is added to a Bahuvrihi, the last member of which are feminine words ending in ई or ऊ i.e., of the नदीclass, or a word ending in a short ऋ by the rule ‘नद्यृतश्च’ V iv 153.

69. भ्राजिष्णु—भ्राजते तच्छीलःNote—The affix इष्णुच् in the sense of “of such a habit”is added. Although the rule ‘भुवश्च’ (III ii 138) that prescribes this affix is only in regard to the vedic, the वृत्ति adds how. it is used even in classical works and observes—“निरङ्कुशाः कवयः। ‘च’ कारोऽनुक्तसमुच्चयार्थः। भ्राजिष्णुरिति वृत्तिः। एवं क्षयिष्णुः। नेतद्भाष्ये दृष्टम्।”

70. वर्णोदकैः—वर्णसहितानि उदकानि, तैः। काञ्चनशृङ्ग—Gold syringes of the shape of horns (hence called शृङ्ग—lit. horn.) अद्रिराजः—अद्रीणां राजा. The ‘अ’ ending of the compound is by the rule “राजाहः सखिभ्यष्टच्।”

71. अवरोधप्रमदानां सखः—अवरोधप्रमदासखः, तेन. The ‘अ’ ending of the compound word is according to the rule “राजाहस्सखिभ्यष्टच्.” सरित्सु वरा—सरिद्वरा। अनुयाता लीला येन सः —अनुयातलीलःमरुत्वान्—Indra.

72. कुम्भयोनेः—The pitcher-born, Agastya. [‘In the Rig Veda, he and Vasistha are said to be the off spring of Mitra and Varuna, whose seed fell from them at the sight of the lovely nymph Urvasi at a sacrificial session. Part of the seed fell into a jar and part into water; from the former arose Agastya who is therefore called Kumbhayoni, Kumbhajanman, Ghatodbhava, etc., from the latter Vasistha.”—V. S. Apte.] जयति (तच्छीलं) इति जैत्रम्, जैत्रम् च तत् आभरणं च–जैत्राभरणम्। अज्ञातपातं—अज्ञातः पातः यस्य तत; adj. to आभरणम्; or अज्ञातः पातः (यस्मिन् कर्मणि or ) यथा तथा, now adv.

73. गतमात्रः=गत एव; hence, एव following is unnecessary अपोढः नेपथ्यस्य विधिः येन सः, उपोढ०for अपोढ० is a v. 1. giving a better sense. (उपोढ=आसन्न)

74. संवननं— an amulet or charm. आमुक्तं पूर्वं—आमुक्तपूर्वं put on formerly.

75. आनायिनः—See sl. 55 above. नद्यां स्नाति कौशलेन इति नदीष्णःfrom स्ना+क (अ) by the rule सुपि स्थः III ii 4 as स्ना is preceded by the उपपद नदी. The स्, in स्ना is changed into ष् as it comes after नदी by the rule “नि-नदीभ्यां स्नातेः कौशले” VIII iii 89; and consequent upon that changes into ष्ण।Thus the form नदीष्णःअम्लानःमुखानां प्रसादः येषां ते—अम्लान०प्रसादाः

76. आभरणोत्तमं—आभरणेषु (or आभरणानां) उत्तमम्। लौल्यात्—out of curiosity. नूनं—Evidently. Mallinatha says नूनं = probably.

77. आततज्यं—आतता ज्या यस्य तत्— stringed. (ज्या= bowstring) कोपविलोहितेक्षणः— कोपात् विशेषेण लोहिते आक्षणी यस्य सः.Note that अक्षिन् has changed toअक्ष at the end of a compound. गारुत्मतं—गरुत्मतः इदं belonging to Garutman i.e, Garuda or presided over by Garuda; गरुत्मान् देवता अस्य। तरस्वी= energetic, mighty.

78. समाविद्धाः तरङ्गाएव हस्ता येन. अवपात—a pit. It is well known that pits covered with grass are used for elephant-catching even in the modern Kedda operations.

79. उद्वृत्तनक्रात्—उद्वृत्ताः नक्ताःयत्र, तस्माद्. The marine animals usually throw themselves out of troubled waters. सुरराजवृक्षः—the पारिजात tree in Indra’s garden. With कन्यां पुरस्कृत्य, **cf.**शकुन्तलां पुरस्कृत्य—Sak. IV. The Parijata and Lakshmi are brother and sister, in as much as both belong to the group of the fourteen jewels gained at the churning of the ocean. Hence the comparison between these two and Kumuda and his sister is quite appropriate.

80. विभूषणं प्रत्युपहरतीति, विभूषणप्रत्युपहारः; विभू…हारः हस्तःयस्य तम्—विभूषणप्रत्युपहारहस्तम्. विशांपतिः— Lord of men. Cf. द्वौ विशौ वैश्यभनुजौ—Amara. Some take the word विशांपतिः as an अलुक् compound. But Kalidasa seems to have treated it as two different words as in X 50, he uses the form विशां पत्युः instead of विशांपतेःwhich would be the genitive. singular. if it were a compound. सौपर्णं=गारुत्यतम्, See notes on sl. 77 above.

81. त्रयोलोकाःत्रैलोक्यम् [त्रिलोक+य (ष्यञ्)]; त्रैलोक्यस्य नाथः प्रभवः यस्य तं—त्रैलोक्यनाथप्रभवम्। अस्त्रविद्वान् cannot be a genitive tatpurusha on account of a technical objection (“न लोकाव्ययनिष्ठाखलर्थतृनाम्”— II iii 69—एषां प्रयोगे षष्ठी न स्यात्)। Hence it is to be an accu. Tat. अस्त्रं विद्वान्। मानेन उन्नतं तेन—मानोन्नतेन। मूर्ध्नि अभिषिक्तं—मूर्धाभिषिक्तं. The अभिषेक is an essential ceremony at the time of crowning a king. Even in England this practice is observed to this day in as much as the Archbishop

of Canterbury sprinkles water over the king and annoints him.

82. कार्यान्तर= कार्यार्ध and not अन्यकार्य। विष्णोः सुताख्यां etc.—for this belief namely that the son is a part and parcel of the father cf. the Sruti—आत्मा वै पुत्रनामासि। आराधयितुं योग्यः—आराधनीयः।

83. करस्य आघातेन उत्थितः कन्दुकः यस्याः सा–कराभिघातोत्थितकन्दुका। This kind of playing with balls is described in Sanskrit works as a favourite amusement with young girls. ज्योतिः—a dropping star. जैत्राभरणम्—See sl. 72 above.

84. जानु मर्यादीकृत्य आजानु; आजानु विलम्बते इति आजानुविलम्बि, तेन—आजानुविलम्वितेन. परिघ— the iron bar that fastens the city gate. अंसल— strong, sinewy.

85. नार्हसि नानुमन्तुम्— You should kindly accept. Note this use of a double negative with अर्ह् along with the infinitive form of the principal verb. चिराय—indeclinable.

86. ऊचिवान्— Nom. sing. of the perfect participle of वच् substituted for ब्रू। अनुभाषितारं— भाष् wlth अनु= speak after, reply. सं योजयां आस.— Note that विधिवत् occurring between संयोजयां and आस is against Paninean rules. But there have been many instances of poetic licence. Cf. तं पातयां प्रथममास-Raghu. IX 61, and प्रभ्रंशयां यो नहुषश्चकार Raghu. XIII 36. कन्यामयेन in the form of the maiden.

87. साहचर्याय— सहधर्माचरणाय, for association in religious ceremonies. ‘It has been suggested that this phrase implies the प्राजापत्य form of marriage. माङ्गल्योर्णावलयिनि—मङ्गलमेव माङ्गलम्, तत्र साधुः माङ्गल्यम्; उर्णानिर्मितं वलयम्; माङ्गल्यं च तत् ऊर्णा वलयं च, तस्मिन्। Cf. “कण्ठदेशस्थसूत्रमुपरि निष्कास्य तं चोर्णायुतं कृत्वा तेन हरिद्राखण्डं बध्वा तत् वधूवामहस्तप्रकोष्ठे वरो बध्नीयात्।” दिव्यः—The Solar race is semi-divine. व्यश्नुवानाः— Present part.ofवि+अशू V paras. to fill, pervade. तदनु—तं अनु।

88. औरसं—उरसा निर्मितम्। Cf. Manu—स्वक्षेत्रे संस्कृतायां तु स्वयमुत्पादयेद्धियम्। तमौरसं विजानीयात्पुत्रंप्रथमवल्पितम्॥ तक्षकस्य पञ्चमम्-Malli. says पञ्चमं पुत्रं; but Char says तक्षकपौत्रस्य पौत्रम् i.e., fifth descendant of तक्षक। पितृवधरिपोः—(of) the enemy on account of his killing his (Garuda’s) father कश्यप।पौराणां कान्तः—पौरकान्तः, dear to his people.

_______

SUBHASHITAS
IN RAGHUVAMSA XVI.

1.प्रह्वेष्वंनिर्बन्धरुषो हि सन्तः। 80. d.
2. वशिनां (रघूणां) मनः परस्त्रीविमुखप्रवृत्ति। 8 d.
3. स तुल्यपुष्पाभरणोहि धीरः। 74 a.
4. सौभ्रात्रमेषां हि कुलानुसारि। 1 d.

RAGHUVAMSA—Canto XVI

(English Translation)

1. Then, the seven other great heroes (princes) of the Raghu family made Kusa, the eldest (among them) by virtue of earlier birth and good qualities, the receptacle of every extraordinary precious thing; for, good brotherly affection was in accordance with their family (heritage).

2. Although they had risen to very high power by their never unsuccessful undertakings, the chief of which were (construction of) bridges, (spread of) agriculture, and arresting elephants, yet they did not transcend the boundary of the parts of land divided amongst them, like the oceans which never transgress their coast line.

3. That family of those (princes), which had sprung from the portions of the four-armed god (Vishnu) who never desisted from the occupation of charity, spread wide being divided into eight branches like the family of the celestial elephants born of the Samans and of uninterrupted flow of ichor.

4. Once at midnight, Kusa, who was awake in his bed-chamber, the inmates of which were all asleep and the lamps wherein were steadily burning, beheld a lady, never seen before, in the dress of a wife whose husband is on tour.

5. Having first uttered the words ‘victory to you’, she folded her hands standing before him, a vanquisher of his foes, whose royal fortune was commonly shared by all the virtuous, whose splendour was like that of Indra and who had eminent brothers.

6. Thereupon, full of astonishment, that son of Rama having raised his upper half from the bed, addressed her who,

like the reflection on the surface of a mirror, had entered his chamber although the bolts of its doors were not removed.—

7.“Although (my) chamber is closed you have gained entrance into it, and yet no yogic power is noticed in you; further you bear an appearance of an unhappy person, like a lotus blighted by frost.

8. “Who are you, good lady? or, rather, whose wife are you? and what is the object in your coming to me? Tell me (all this) remembering that the mind of the self-restrained Raghus is such that its disposition is wholly averse to (any love of) the wives of other men.”

9. She addressed him (thus)— “Know me, o king, to be the presiding deity, now lordless, of that city which is faultless and the citizens of which were taken away with him by your sire anxious to repair to his abode (Vaikuntha).

10. “I, of such description, having surpassed Indra’s city (of Alaka) formerly by (my) riches manifested in the series of festivals held on account of the excellent rule (of your sire), have (now) attained this pitiable plight although you, a scion of the solar race, are ruling here with full power.

11. “Without a lord, my situation with its hundreds of shattered turrets and terraces and dilapidated ramparts, resembles the close of the day with the sun sunk behind the setting mountain and the clouds dispersed by a terrible wind.

12. “The royal road which had been the pathway during nights for Abhisarikas with bright jingling anklets, is now traversed along by female jackals that seek carrion by the aid of the light emitted from their howling mouths.

13. “The water of lakes which (formerly) imitated the deep resounding of a drum, being stirred by the foreparts of

the hands of young ladies, now cries hoarsely being struck violently with horns by wild buffaloes.

14. “The pet peacocks (now) lying on trees as their abodes of perching-rods are broken, devoid of their dance on account of the absence of tabor-sounds and possessing only the remnant of their plumes consumed by wild fire are reduced to the state of wild ones.

15. “And on those flights of steps where (at one time) the fair ladies planted their feet dyed in lac, the blood-smeared paws are now placed by tigers that have just killed the deer.

16. “The elephants in painting shown to have descended into a bed of lotuses and as having pieces of lotus stalks offered to them by the female elephants, now bear the attacks of the enraged lions as their frontal globes are torn out by the strokes of the goad-like claws (of lions).

17. “The strips of sloughs left on pillars by serpents become on account of their adherence (to them), a covering garment on the breasts of the (carved) female images looking dusky with a faded paint of colour (on them).

18. “Those very rays of the moon, though white like strings of pearls, do not get intensified at night on the mansions whose plaster has turned black owing to lapse of time and on which shoots of grass have grown here and there.

19. “Those garden-creepers of mine, the flowers of which were (at one time) plucked by sportive women gently (lit. compassionately) bending their boughs, are now handled roughly by the wild pulindas and monkeys as well.

20. “The windows which throw out no light of lamps at night, and which are bereft of the splendour of the faces of beautiful women during day, are now screened by the webs of

insects as the volumes of smoke (of incense) have ceased to issue forth from them.

21. “I am grieved to see the Sarayu-waters not obtaining the admixture of the perfumed powders used while bathing, their beds of sand devoid of the offerings of worship, and the cane-bowers on their borders deserted.

22. “Therefore, it behoves you to leave this abode and to repair to me, the capital of your lineage just as your sire returned to the state (lit. form) of the supreme soul (Vishnu) having abandoned his purposely assumed human form.”

23. The foremost of the descendants of Raghu, being delighted, granted her request saying ‘Be it so.’ The (presi- ding deity of the) city too, on whose countenance a smile of satisfaction was clearly visible, disappeared with her bodily frame.

24. Next morning the king related that wonderful event of the night to Brahmanas in the assembly; having heard that, they congratulated him on his having been chosen as her lord personally by the (goddess of the) hereditary capital.

25. Having made over Kusavati to Brahmins versed in Vedas, on a day suited for journey he set out with the ladies of his harem for Ayodhya, and was followed by his armies like wind by clusters of clouds.

26. During his march, the army became his moving capital having the chariots for its stately mansions and the rows of banners for its gardens containing sport-hills in the form of huge elephants.

27. The flood of the forces despatched to the land of (their) former abode by him having the disc of a white umbrella (held above him) looked like the ocean pushed on to the

shores— its original place, by the just-risen moon whose disc is as white as an umbrella.

28. As if not sufficiently able to bear the pressure of the armies of him who was marching onwards, the earth under the guise of the vast cloud of dust ascended, as it were, the second tract of Vishnu.

29. The army, seen in whichever of its three sections viz., preparing for a march having halted behind, camping in halting stations in front, and moving along its course, produced the impression that it was the entire army.

30. On account of the sprinkling of the ichor of elephants and the strokes from the hoofs of the horses of that leader (Kusa), the dust on the road was turned into mud and the mud also got reduced to the state of dust.

31. While seeking for a passage through the valleys of the Vindhya mountain, that army, like the Reva, being divided into various squadrons (branches) and making a loud clamour (roar) caused the mouths of the caves resound with echoes.

32. That king, whose chariots had the rims of their wheels turned red by crushing the minerals (on the way) and the sound of whose trumpets got mingled with the din of the march, crossed the Vindhya mountain, just glancing at the presents brought to him by the Pulindas (on his way).

33. To him, crossing the Ganges which flowed backwards in consequence of the construction of a bridge of elephants at its fordable part, the flamingoes flapping their wings to soar into the sky became chamaras obtained without effort.

34. He bowed down to the water of that three-streamed

river, which was undulated by (moving) boats and which was the means of attaining heaven in the case of his forefathers whose bodies were made to remain in the state of ashes by Kapila through wrath.

35. After travelling thus for some days, having arrived at the bank of Sarayu at the end of (his) journey, Kusa beheld hundreds of sacrificial posts fixed at altars, belonging to the Raghus who had performed sacrifices in large numbers.

36. The breeze from the interior of the gardens of his ancestral capital, having shaken the branches of the flowery trees and having touched the cool waves of Sarayu, went forth to receive him whose army was tired (by the journey).

37. Then that powerful king the banner of his family, who had an arrow planted in (the hearts of) his foes and was a friend to his cit zens, encamped those forces (of his) with wavy banners on the outskirts of the city.

38. Multitudes of artists employed by the king made that (dilapidated) city altogether a new one by virtue of their being equipped with all expedients, just as the clouds make the sun-scorched earth quite fresh by a downpour of waters.

39. Thereafter the foremost hero of the Raghu race had the worshipful ritual performed with animal sacrifices offered to the capital containing splendid statue-houses, through priests who were versed in the Vastu rites and had observed fasts.

40. Just as a lover enters the heart of his beloved, having entered the city palace to which the attribute ‘Royal’ is prefixed, he suitably honoured all his followers assigning them other mansions in accordance with their ranks.

41. With horses resting in stables, with elephants fas-

tened to the posts fixed properly in their resting grounds and with the saleable articles arranged in the shops, that city appeared like a lady having ornaments arranged on all her limbs.

42. The son of Maithili, living in that residence of the Raghus which was restored to its former splendour, did not envy (the lot of either) the lord of heaven or the king of Alaka.

43. Then came the hot season to instruct, as it were, his beloved ladies in point of dress in which the upper garments were interwoven with jems, the necklaces were hanging over their extremely pale breasts and the garments of silk were (so light as) to be blown away by a breath.

44. The sun having come near returning from the (winter) solstice (the point in the sky marked by the Agastya star), the northern quarter began to send forth a stream of snow belonging to the Himalayas, as though it were a flow of tears cool with joy.

45. The day with its heat increased excessively and the night attenuated extremely, looked like the couple of a husband and wife estranged by a contrary behaviour but filled with remorse afterwards.

46. The water of the house-ponds gradually sinking down from the rows of steps covered with moss had the stalks of its lotuses risen up and became only so deep as to reach the hips of women.

47. In the woods the black bee, having set its foot witha hum on each of the buds of the evening jasmine creepers emitting fragrance by blooming, counted their number, as it were.

48. The Sirisha flower, although slipped from the ear of amorous women, did not drop down at once as it had its filaments stuck fast to their cheek marked with the recent nail-scratches filled with perspiration.

49. The rich men passed the heat of summer in shower-houses reposing on special (seats of) stones washed with sandal-juice and surrounded by cool sprays of water poured out by fountains.

50. The God of love, whose vigour had gone down by the passing away of Vasanta, acquired power from the tresses of young women which were let loose being wet by bathing and in which the evening jasmine flowers were interwoven after they (tresses) had been fumigated (with incense-smoke).

51. The long sprout of the Arjuna tree, a little gold coloured on account of its bearing the pollen, looked as it were the bowstring of the Mind-born (God of love), broken by Siva through rage even after having burut his body.

52. By the closing part of the sultry season all its sins against amorous people were made amends for by bringing together at one and the same time the splitting of the mango blossoms, old wine of sugarcane juice and the new trumpet flower, —all of a delightful smell.

53. In that excessively hot season two things were particularly delightful to the people, viz., the king and the moon standing in their rise, a resort to whose feet and rays was capable of removing misery and the heat of summer respectively.

54. One day there arose in him a desire to sport accom. panied by women, in the water of the Sarayu which was delightful in the hot season, which had intoxicated royal

swans swimming unsteadily on its waves and which carried with it the flowers of the creepers growing on its banks.

55. He, having the prowess of the disc-bearer Vishnu, began to sport in a manner befitting his wealth and greatness in that river on the level grounds of whose banks tents were pitched, and from which the alligators had been taken out by fishermen.

56. That river (Sarayu) had its swans disturbed by young ladies who were striking their armlets against each other’s because of their descending the flight of steps on the bank and whose steps were accompanied by the jingling of the anklets.

57. The king, seated in a boat and observing the eagerness for bathing of those ladies who were engaged in dashing water against each other, spoke to the Kirata woman who stood by his side holding a chamara (in her hand).—

58. “Behold the stream of the Sarayu which, being waded through by the hundreds of women of my harem whose unguents are dissolved (in the water), presents a variety of colours like the rise of the twilight together with clouds.

59. “The collyrium (in the eyes) of the beautiful ladies of the harem which was washed away by the waters agitated by boats has been restored to them by the waters which unite with their eyes the beauty of a flush of intoxication.

60. “These young women, unable to support (balance) their bodies properly on account of their heavy hips and breasts, swim although with difficulty in water with their arms having tight fitted armlets, purely out of passion for sport.

61. “These ear ornaments of sirisha blossoms of the females sporting in the waters falling into the stream of the

river and floating about deceive the fish that are anxious to devour moss.

62. “The necklaces of these women absorbed in dashing the water, although broken, is not noticed as being shattered among the sprays that vie with pearls rising up to their breasts.

63. “The standards of comparison of the beauty and different limbs of these sportive women are close by;— viz., the beauty of the whirlpools for the graceful form of the deep navels, the waves for the eyebrows and the pairs of chakravakas for the breasts.

64. “The agreeable sound of the taborlike water, which is in consonance with the singing of these ladies and hailed with delight by the sweet-cooing peacocks on the slopes of the banks with their plumages spread out, fills our ears.

65. “These girdle-strings (of the damsels), with the intervals between their threads filled with water and equalling (in appearance) stars bedimmed by moonlight owing to the hips of the women having the wet garments sticking to them, have assumed silence.

66. “These young damsels by whom streams of waters are dashed upwards with their hands and who are drenched (with water) on their faces by friends out of joy, shower down drops of water red with the red (kunkum) powder from the ends of their curly tresses of hair now straightened (by being wet).

67. “The appearance of these young women’s faces, although disturbed by the water-sport, is yet charming indeed with the loosened hair, the washed off amorous paintings and the loosely hanging pearl-ear-rings.”

68. The king whose necklace was swinging about, having got down from his balloon-like boat sported with those women in water just as a lordly wild elephant having an uprooted lotus plant clinging to its shoulder sports with female elephants.

69. Then those women, accompanied by the resplendent king, appeared exceedingly beautiful; pearls are already (by nature) charming to the eyes; what to say when they have gained; (association with) a sapphire shooting forth its rays.

70. The long eyed damsels sprinkled him with coloured water ejected through gold syringes, out of love (for him). Being in that state, he shone very much like the lord of mountains having (all over him) springs of water containing metallic earth.

71. Indra, who surrounded by heavenly nymphs sports in the celestial Ganges, had that grace (of his) imitated by the king bathing in that excellent river (Sarayu), accompanied by the young women of his harem.

72. The Victory-bringing ornament of the king which Rama having obtained from Agastya had bestowed on him (Kusa) together with the kingdom, dropping down unnoticed sank in water.

73. Having bathed to his heart’s content in the company of his wives, he had just gone into the tent pitched on the bank when, even before he had put on his dress, he found his arm devoid of the celestial armlet.

74. He did not endure its loss, not because of greed but because it was the charm of (i.e. for securing) the goddess of victory worn before also by his father; for, grave as he was, ornaments and flowers were all the same (to him).

75. Thereupon for its search he ordered all fishermen

skilled in diving into a river; they after having dived into the Sarayu being unsuccessful in their labours, spoke to him thus with unfaded facial brightness.—

76. “Effort was made; but o king! your excellent ornament sunk into water was not found; evidently it has been taken away out of curiosity by Kumuda, a Naga who lives inside a deep pool of water (in the river).”

77. Thereupon, that mighty bowman, with his eyes red with anger, having gone to the bank took up after stringing his bow, the missile presided over by Garuda for the destruction of that Naga.

78. The moment it was fixed (on the bow) that deep pool of water, with its wavy bands tossed up through agitation and dashing against the banks, roared furiously like a wild elephant fallen into a pit, stretching forth its waving trunk in agitation and dashing violently against the sides (of the pit).

79. Out of that pool, the crocodiles of which were all agitated, there arose instantly the serpent king leading before him a maiden, just as the tree (Parijata) of Indra sprang up. along with Lakshmi out of the ocean that was being churned.

80. Seeing him standing nearby and bearing in his hands the ornament to be restored, the ruler of men withdrew his Sauparna (Garuda) missile; for, good men are not obstinate in their anger towards the humble.

81. Kumuda who knew the power of the missile, with a head although elevated through pride having bowed down to Kusa, the son of the lord of the three worlds, who was a goad of his enemies through his power, and who was duly consecrated on his head as king, spoke (to him) thus—

82. “I know you to be of an unrivalled form called the ‘son’of that Vishnu who had assumed a human form for a purpose. Such a one as I am, how shall I cause disturbance to the peace of mind of you, adorable as you are.

83. “This maiden, whose ball had gone up by a stroke of (her) hand, having beheld your victorious ornament fallingdown rapidly like a meteor from the sky, took it up out of great curiosity.

84. “Hence, let this ornament obtain contact onceagain with your stout arm which is reaching down to theknees, which bears on it permanent marks of a series of strokes of the bowstring and which is like a protecting iron bar (of the gates) of the earth.

85. “And further, o king! you will please not reject this younger sister of mine named Kumudvati, who wishes to atone for her own offence (against you) by a long service at your feet.”

86. Kumuda, who said thus and presented the ornament to him, accompanied by his kinsmen united according to rules with the ornament of his family which was in the form of the maiden the king who had said in reply to him—‘You are a worthy relation.’

87. When her hand bearing the auspicious wristlet of wool was held in front of the holy fire flaming upwards by the lord of the people for connubial companionship, there arose a celestial trumpet-sound pervading the extremities of the quarters; after that, wonderful clouds showered down richly fragrant flowers.

88. Thus, the Naga having gained for his kinsman the son of Maithili, the own child of the lord of the three worlds, and Kusa too (having obtained) that fifth. descendant from Takshaka (as his kinsman),—the former gave up the fear from the son of Vinatā who had become his enemy by slaying his father, and the latter who was dear to the citizens ruled the earth where serpents had become harmless.

End of Canto XVI in Raghuvamsa.

PROSODY

सानुस्वारश्च दीर्घश्च विसर्गी च गुरुर्भवेत्।
वर्णः संयोगपूर्वश्चतथा पादान्तगोऽपि वा॥

A syllable (अक्षर) is a vowel, with or without a consonant. It is गुरु ‘long’ or लघु ‘short’ according as the vowel is long or short. For practical purposes a short syllable when followed by a conjunct consonant, Anusvara or visarga will be considered (long) ‘गुरु’. The last syllable of the pada of a stanza, although short is taken as long according to the exigency of metre. A लघुis usually denoted by the symbol U, while aगुरु by— marked above theletters; e. g.—र᳴घु᳴वं᳒शे᳒ म᳴हा᳒का᳒व्ये᳒.

The Sanskrit stanzas consist of four padas or quarters, regulated by the number of either (1) the syllables or (2) syllabic instants i.e., मात्र s. The former type is called the वर्णवृत्त and the latter मात्राच्छन्दस् or जाति.

For purposes of scanning, writers on prosody have devised eight ganas or syllabic feet each consisting of 3 syllables and distinguished from one another by the long or short syllables being in a particular order.They are—

‘य’गण ᳴᳒ ᳒Bacchius

‘र’ ” ᳒᳴᳒ Amphimacer

‘त’” ᳒᳒᳴ Anti-bacchius

‘भ’”᳒ ᳴᳴ Dactylus

‘ज’” ᳴ ᳒ ᳴ Amphibrachys

‘स’” ᳴ ᳴ ᳒ Anapoestus

‘म’” ᳒ ᳒ ᳒ Mollosus

‘न’” ᳴ ᳴ ᳴ Tribrachys

आदिमध्यावसानेषु यरता यान्ति लाघवम्।
भजसा गौरवं यान्ति मनौ तु गुरुलाघवम्।

Theवृत्त s are of three kinds—

1. समवृत्त— all the four feet of the stanza are alike.

2. अर्धसमवृत्त— alternate feet of the stanza are alike.

& 3.विषमवृत्त— the feet of the stanza are dissimilar.

The vrittas (metres) are named differently according to the number and order of the long or short syllables. In the Raghuvamsa Canto XVI we come across four types of vrittas viz., (1) इन्द्रवज्रा (2) उपेन्द्रवज्रा (3) उपजाति and (4) मन्दाक्रान्ता.

(1) इन्द्रवज्रा—(eleven syllables in each quarter )
Def: स्यादिन्द्रवज्रा यदि तौ जगौ गः
*Scan:*᳒ त᳒ ᳴। ᳒त᳒ ᳴। ᳴ज᳒ ᳴। ग᳒ ग᳒

Stanzas—2, 5, 15, 17, 19, 35, 36, 41, 50, 51, 60 64, 66 and 79.

(2) उपेन्द्रवज्रा—(eleven syllables in each quarter)
Def: उपेन्द्रवज्रा जतजास्ततो गौ।
*Scan:*᳴ ज᳒ ᳴। ᳒ त᳒ ᳴। ᳴ज᳒ ᳴। ग᳒ ग᳒

Stanza— 39.

(3) उपजाति—( eleven syllables in each quarter)
Def: अनन्तरोदीरितलक्ष्मभाजौ, पादौ यदीयावुपजातयस्ताः।
(इत्थं किलान्यास्वपि मिश्रितासु, वदन्ति जातिष्विदमेव नाम॥)

[When some padas of a stanza are of the the इन्द्रवज्रा and the others of उपेन्द्रवज्रा, the metre is called उपजाति. This is of fourteen varieties.]

Stanzas—1, 3, 4, 6-14, 16, 18, 20-34, 37-38, 40, 42-49, 52-59, 61-63, 65, 67-78 and 80-85.

(4) वसन्ततिलका— (fourteen syllables in each quarter)
Def: उक्ता वसन्ततिलका तभजाजगौगः।
᳒ त᳒ ᳴ । ᳒भ᳴ ᳴ । ᳴ ज᳒ ᳴। ᳴ ज᳒ ᳴ । ग᳒ ग᳒

Stanza— 86.

(5) मन्दाक्रान्ता—(Seventeen syllables in each quarter)
Def: मन्दाक्रान्ताम्बुधिरसनगैर्मो भनौ तौ गयुग्मम्।
*Scan:*᳒ म᳒ ᳒। ᳒ भ᳴ ᳴। ᳴ न᳴ ᳴ ।᳒ त᳒ ᳴ । ᳒ त᳒ ᳴ । ग᳒ ग᳒
(Pauses at the 4th, 6th and 7th syllables).

Stanzas:—86, 87 and 88.

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