mahAkavi kAlidAsa virachita
	raghuvaMsham Dynasty of Emperor Raghu
	6 chapter -- 86 verses

Introduction

The suitor-princes assemble in the hall where Indumati enters with garland in hand fully robed as a selecting bride creating a sensation among the assembled princes. She is chaparoned by her nurse named lady sunanda under whose guidance she passes on from prince to prince until she comes in front of Aja; she looks lovingly at him and puts the garland round his neck much to the chagrin of the rival suitors and to the approval of the populace who express it by vociforous acclamations. - KMG

Notes and commentary of Kishanrao Madhavarao Joglekar on this 6th canto is made available here 1 MB pdf for further reading.

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sa tatra ma.mceSu manoj~na veSAn si.mhAsanasthAn upacAravatsu vaimAnikAnA.m marutAm apashyat AkR^iSTa lIlAn nara loka pAlAn

6-1. saH= he that prince aja; tatra= there, in svayamvara maNDapa - the hall of bride's personal selection of bridegroom; upacAravatsu= rAja upacAra upakaraNa yukteSu - which is having paraphernalia for attending kings; ma.nceSu= on such podium; si.mhAsanasthAn= on thrones - befitting to visiting kings; manoj~na veSAn= charmingly, decorated; vaimAnikAnA.m= those who travel in celestial aircrafts; marutAm= of such gods; AkR^iSTa= Atta = drwan, permeated; lIlAn= saubhAgyAn= [celestials'] magnificence; AkR^iSta vaimAnika marullIlAn - iti arthaH= who have pre-empted the magnificence of gods who travel in celestial aircrafts; nara loka pAlAn= human, world, rulers; sApekshatvAt api gamakatvAt samAsaH= mundane kings who looked ultramundane; apashyat= [prince aja] has seen.

In the hall of swayamvara prince aja has seen other princes and kings who have come as suitors of princess indumati sitting on befitting thrones placed on a stepped podia, where apparatus required for the comforts of visiting kings, like fanning instruments, refreshment liquors etc are provided, and those mundane princes have decorating themselves charmingly and looked ultra mundane as though they have preempted the magnificence of celestials whose wont is to travel in aircrafts. [6-1]

THEN fair as Gods who mount celestial cars, / In royal robes arrayed, and seated high / On thrones, refulgent, raised on dais-steps, / The noble range of suitor-kings he saw.

The prince prince aja saw there the rulers of the human world of agreeable attire, seated on thrones over decorated dais, and exhi­bited the charms of the gods who wandered about in balloons. - N

Mark the peculiar construction - the grace, lIla, of the marutaH and hence the compound ought to have been something like AkR^iSta marullIlAn, or there ought have been no compound at all; but instances like the present one are very common, see ratergR^hItvA in the next stanza or devadattasya gurukulam, which are explained as sApekshatvAt api gamakatvAt samAsaH - KMJ

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rateH gR^ihIta anunayena kAmam prati arpita sva a.mgam iva IshvareNa kAkutstham AlokayatA.m nR^ipANAm manaH babhUva indumatI nirAsham

6-2. rateH= of rati-devi - consort of manmatha; gR^ihIta anunayena = accepted, by appeasement - Shiva on accepting Rati-devi's supplications to him to re-confer physical body to manmatha; IshvareNa= by Ishvara, shiva; prati arpita= in return, given - restored; sva a.ngam= his own, body - manmatha's winsome personality; kAmam iva [sthitam]= Love-god, as if, [who is staying there, appearing]; kAkutstham= one born in kakutstha dynasty, king prince aja; AlokayatA.m= while seeing at him - at prince aja; nR^ipANAm= [other suitor] kings'; manaH= heart; indumatI= in princess indumati; nir Asham= without, hope; babhUva= they [hearts] became; indumatI sat patim enam prince ajam vihAya na asmAn variSyati iti nishcikyuH iti arthaH, sarvAtishgaya saundryam asyA iti bhAvaH.

When the other suitor-kings have looked at prince prince aja of kakutstha lineage their hearts became hopeless of winning the hand of princess indumati in the self-selection of her bridegroom, because the appearance of prince prince aja is more like lovegod manmatha, when he was with his own winsome physique, which physique had been burnt by shiva, but restored with invisibility by shiva on accepting the supplication of rati-devi, the wife of manmatha, for such restoration. [6-2]

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vaidarbha nirdiSTam asau kumAraH kL^iptena sopAna pathena ma.mcam shilA vibhangaiH mR^iga rAja shAbaH tu.mgam naga utsa.mgam iva Aruroha

6-3. asau kumAraH= this, young man - prince aja, the prince; vaidarbha= vidarabha's king, by Bhoja; nirdiSTam= indicated; ma.ncam= podium; kL^iptena= su vihitena= well crafted; sopAna= stairs [sopAna = saha=vidyamAnaH; upa= upari; AnaH= gamanam]; pathena= by path - by a flight of; mR^iga rAja shAbaH= animals', king's, son - lion cub - bigger than mere cub; shilA vibhangaiH = with boulders, preset with - straticulated; tu.ngam= to heights - of mountain / of podium; naga utsa.ngam iva = on mountain's, peak, as with; Aruroha= ascended.

This young man prince prince aja ascending a flight of well-crafted stairs reached a podium as ushered by bhoja, the king of vidarbha, as with a cub of lion ascending straticulated boulders to reach heights on a mountaintop. [6-3]

By carven stair he mounted to the throne /  the King assigned him, as a lion stalks / O'er rocks to gain a mighty mountain-peak.

Here lion cub - u.mA; prince aja - u.me; ascending - sA.dha; and this ascending is bilateral - u. q; anugAmidharma; flight of stairs - bimba; flight of boulders - pratibimba; podium - bimba; mountaintop - pratibimba; well-crafted stairs in palace / beautifully stratified boulders on mountain - ubhaya anvayi; anugAmitva - bimba prati bimba - bhAva - shleSa mishraNa.

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parArthya varNa AstaraNa upapannam AsedivAn ratnavat Asanam saH bhUyiSTam AsIt upameya kA.mtiH mayUra pR^iSTa AshrayiNA guhena

6-4. parArthya= shreSTA = the best; varNa= nIla pIta AdyaoH = variegated colours; AstaraNa = kambala AdinA = with upholstery; upapannam= sangatam= having, decorated with; ratnavat= ratna khacitam = studded with jewels; Asanam= a high seat; AsedivAn= adhiSTitavAn= one who assumed seat, sitting; saH= such as he is - prince aja; mayUra pR^iSTa= peacock's, on the back of; AshrayiNA= one who is biding, mounted on peacock; guhena= with kArtikeya, kumAra; bhUyiSTam= superlative of bahu - muchly, significantly; upameya kA.ntiH AsIt= comparable, with resplendence, he [prince aja] became.

On assuming a throne studded with jewels and upholstered with upholstery containing variegated colour work, prince prince aja has assumed certain resplendence significantly comparable to that of kumara when he is mounted on the back of peacock. [6-4]

The idea is indeed very happy . A peacock with his feathers resembles a work studded with jewels. The peacock has been celebrated for its beauty and used as a model for seats. Thus, the celebrated peacock throne of Delhi. - KMJ.

Of course, this throne is shifted to London during British Raj. parArthyavarNAstaraNopapanna-ratnakhacitAsanam - bimba; back of peacock - pratibimba; AsedivAn, AshrayI - different words are used for two sitters; hence this is vastu prati vasu nirUpaNa. Hence this is bimba pratibimba, vastu prati vastu upama is there.

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tAsu shriyA rAja para.mparAsu prabhA visheSa udaya dur nirIkshyaH sahasradhA Atma vyarucat vibhaktaH payaH mucAm pa.mktiSu vidyut iva

6-5. tAsu rAja para.mparAsu = in those, suitor-kings, rows - on podium; shriyA= with [a particular] refulgence; payaH mucAm pa.nktiSu= water, releasers, among rows of - among rows of black clouds; vidyuteva = vidyutA + iva= lightning, as with; sahasradhA= thousand fold - innumerably; vibhaktaH= distributed itself - streaks of lightning; prabhA visheSa udaya= refulgence, peculiar property of, causation - in the wake of; dur nirIkshyaH= impossible, to look at; Atma= shriyaH svarUpam= personified Divine Refulgence, lady  grandeur; vyarucat= shone forth; tasmin samaye pratyekam sa.mkrAnta lakshmI katayA teSAm kim api durAsadam tejaH prAdurAsIt - ityarthaH.

Lady Grandeur's particular refulgence shone forth among the rows of suitor kings distributing itself among each of the kings, as with one lightning distributing itself into innumerable streaks among clouds, and in the wake of such peculiarity of Divine Refulgence it has become impossible to stare at them. [6-5]

Here streaks of lightning - u.mA; Divine Refulgence - u.me; distributing itself to many clouds / kings - sA.dha; rows of kings - bimba; rows of clouds - pratibimba; anugAmitva - bimba prati bimba mishrNa .

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teSAm mahA arha Asana sa.msthitAnAm udAra naipathya bhR^itAm sa madhyerarAja dhAmnA raghu sUnuH eva kalpa drumANAm iva pArijAtaH

6-6. mahA arha= most valuable; Asana sa.msthitAnAm= on seats, among those who are sitting; udAra= ujjvala= gorgeously; naipathya= veSa= with getups; bhR^itAm= having such getups; teSAm madhye= their [other kings,] in the midst of; kalpa drumANAm [madhye]= kalpa - celestial, trees, [among]; pArijAtaH iva= pArijata plant, like; saH raghu sUnuH eva= he, that raghu's, legatee, alone; dhAmnA= tejasA= with his own resplendence; [if it is bhUmnA = exceptionally]; rarAja= shone forth.

In the midst of those suitor kings who are in gorgeous getups and sitting on most valuable seats, prince aja, the legatee of emperor raghu, alone shone forth with his resplendence as with pArijAta tree among the other celestial trees. [6-6]

In the previous stanza we are lead to gather that the suitor princes shone by the borrowed lustre of shrI; while raghu's legatee shone by his own lustre; he was so impressive. Reg. trees, accurately speaking kalpa druma is only one tree among five celestial trees - mandAra, pArijAtaka santAna, kalpa-vriksha, hari-candana, but the plural is here used in the generic sense. This pArijAta was one of the fourteen jewels obtained by the churning of the Milky Ocean. KMJ.

 pArijAta - u.mA; raghu's legatee - u.me; self-resplendence - sA.dha and anugAmidharma; iva - sA.vA; teSAm = svayamvara AgatAnAm rAj~nAm - bimba; kalpa drumANAm - pratibimba; why the name of pArijAta is touched upon; because kalpa druma fulfils all desires - kalpayanti, pUrayanti manorathAn iti kalpAH - so, the desire of prince aja is going to fructify now.

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netra vrajAH paura janasya tasmin vihAya sarvAn nR^ipatIn nipetuH mada utkaTe recita puSpa vR^ikshA ga.mdha dvipe vanya iva dvirephAH

6-7. paura janasya= of city, people; netra= eyes; vrajAH= hosts of [eyes]; sarvAn nR^ipatIn vihAya= all, kings, on leaving off - refraining to gaze at other kings; tasmin= on him, on prince aja; mada utkaTe= ichor, on temples - ruttish elephants with ichor oozing on temples; vanya= in forest - wild elephant; ga.ndha dvipe= on smelly, elephant; recita puSpa vR^ikshA= that are left off - leaving trees, flowered, trees; dvirephAH iva= honeybees, as with; nipetuH= fell - eye fell on prince aja like honeybees.

Refraining from gazing at all the other suitor princes, the host of eyes of city dwelling hosts fell on prince aja, as with honeybees refraining from the flowered trees on which they are so far hovering for nectar fall upon a wild elephant when it nears with strong smelling ichor oozing on its temples. [6-7]

Here the swarm of honeybees - u.mA; host of eyes of people - u.me; leaving one place to go to the other - anugAmidharma; leaving off all kings - bimba; leaving off flowered trees - pratibimba. There is no adhika visheShaNatva doSha in this upama.

--o)0(o--

atha stute va.mdibhiH anvaya j~naiH soma arka va.mshye nara devaloke sa.mcArite ca agaru sAra yonau dhUpe samutsarpati vaijayantIH

6-8. atha= now; anvaya j~naiH= lineage, knowers of; va.ndibhiH= by panegyrists; soma arka va.mshye= reg. Moon, Sun, legatees of; nara deva loke= humans, gods of, assembly - assembly of gods in human world - about the kings in that aseembly; stute sati= eulogising, while; sa.mcArite= that is being wafted; agaru sAra yonau= black aloe, its essence, as its cause - caused by the incense of black aloe; dhUpe= incenses from such aloes; vaijayantIH= flags - decorative welcome flags in city; samutsarpati [sam ut sarp] sati= wafting up, while it is;

Verses 8, 9, 10 eka-anvaya - are to be parsed together; This stanza with the next two form what is technically called a visheSaka, the predicate vivesha being in stanza 10.

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pura upakaNTa upa vana AshrayANAm kalApinAm uddhata nR^itta hetau prAdhmAta sha.mkhe paritaH digantAn tUrya svane mUChati ma.mgala arthe

6-9. pura= city's; upakaNTa= outskirts, fringes; upa vana= in woodlands; AshrayANAm= those that are dependent - living in such woodlands - peacocks; kalApinAm= of peacocks; uddhata nR^itta = for frantic, dances; hetau= cause - which are becoming cause for such dances; prA dhmAta = well, bugled; sha.nkhe= having conch-shells; ma.ngala arthe= for auspicious, purpose of; tUrya svane = wind instrument's, by the sound of; paritaH= around; dik antAn= directions, up to end; mUChati sati= spreading, while it is so. 

--o)0(o--

manuSya vAhyam catura.mta yAnam adhyAsya kanyA parivAra shobhi vivesha ma.mca a.mtara rAja mArgam patim varA kL^ipta vivAha veSA

6-10. patim= husband; varA= who is going to choose - indumati; kL^ipta vivAha veSA= embellished, with marriage [time,] getup; kanyA= damsel - indumati; manuSya vAhyam= by men, carried - palanquin bearers; parivAra shobhi= with retinue, shining forth; catura.mta= catasraH asrayaH [KoNaH] yasya tat - carried on four corners; yAnam= vehicle - palanquin; adhyAsya= mounting on; ma.nca a.ntara= podia, in between; rAja mArgam= royal, path - a broad passage between podia; vivesha= entered - princess indumati entered.

Now, while the whole assemblage of princes of the Solar and Lunar dynasties is being glorified by bards familiar with their pedigrees, while the smoke arising from the burning of aguru, black aloe incense, is curling up overtopping the several banners, welcome flags fluttering in sky, while the sound of auspicious musical instruments swelled by the dinning blasts of conch-shells spreading all round to the extreme limits so as to produce an impression is exciting the peacocks belonging to the gardens of the outskirts of the city magadha to dance frantically, there entered the princess who is the selector of her husband dressed in nuptial-garments in a palanquin carried by bearers and attended by a retinue of attendants; she came up the broad road left open between the rows of the daises. [6-8, 9, 10] - KMJ

--o)0(o--

tasmin vidhAna atishaye vidhAtuH kanyAmaye netra shata eka lakshye nipetuH antaHkaraNaiH narendrAH dehaiH sthitAH kevalam AsaneSu

6-11. netra shata= eyes, for hundreds of; eka lakshye= only, target, cynosure; kanyAmaye= on damsel; vidhAtuH= Creator; tasmin vidhAna atishaye= in that, of perfection, highest degree - chef-d'œuvre; narendrAH= [other suitor] kings; antaHkaraNaiH= by their hearts - that are filled with impassion; nipetuH= fell down - bested; AsaneSu= in seats; dehaiH kevalam sthitAH= with bodies, just, staying - physicaly avialble in seats minus their hearts or minds; dehAn api vismR^itya tatra eva datta cittA babhUvuH ityrtyaH= other suitor kings had no bodily sensation while they are making sheep's eyes at her.

On seeing the chef-d'œuvre of the creator in the form of a lovely damsel, princess indumati, who presently is the cynosure of hundreds of eyes, the suitor kings became addle-pated and just stuck to their seats bodily, as their impassioned hearts have bested them out at her sight. [6-11]

That perfect woman, Brahma's last best work, / The goal of countless hearts, drew all their souls / Out through their eyes, the lumpish clay alone / Remained behind. 

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tAm prati abhivyakta manorathAnAm mahI patInAm praNaya agra dUtyaH pravAla shobhA iva pAdapAnAm shR^i.mgAra ceSTA vividhA babhUvuH

6-12. tAm prati= her, towards; abhivyakta manorathAnAm= prarUDha abhilASANAm= who betrayed, their ardent longing; mahI patInAm= for land, lords - for kings; praNaya agra dUtyaH= in amorousness, foremost, messengers; vividhA shR^i.ngAra ceSTA= many, amatory, gestures; pAdapAnAm= for trees; pravAla shobhA iva= tender leaves, beauty, as with; babhUvuH= became.

The suitor kings betraying an ardent longing for the princess indumati have started sending many feelers with their amatory gestures, the foremost messengers in amorousness, as with trees which will put out tender leaves on seeing vasanta laksmi, the springtide. [6-12]

Here shR^i.ngAra ceSTA - u.mA; pravAla shobha - u.me; starting to send, sprouting - anugAmi dharma; iva - sA.vA; kings interested in the princes - bimba; trees sprouting leaves - pratibimba; vividhA, praNaya agra dUtyaH - ubhaya anvayi - adoptable on both sides; hence in this anugAmitva - bimba pratibimba bhAva - shleSa mishraNa - is there.

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kashcit karAbhyAm upa gUDha nAlam Alola patra abhihata dvirepham rajobhiH a.mtaH pariveSa bandhi lIlA aravi.mdam bhramayA.m cakAra

6-13. kashcit = rAjA= a certain king; karAbhyAm= pANibhyAm= with palms; upa gUDha nAlam= gR^ihIta nAlam= handling, stem - of a lotus; Alola patra= swaying, petals - of the lotus; abhihata dvirepham= beaten, honeybees - shoved off honey bees; rajobhiH= pollen; a.mtaH pariveSa bandhi= inside, coil, winding; lIlA= for sport; aravi.ndam= a lotus; bhramayA.m cakAra= to spin, he made - started to twirl the lotus sportily;

A certain king sporting a lotus started to twirl its stem held in between both of his rubbing palms, while the swaying petals of that are shoving honeybees and its pollen is swirling inside the flower. [6-13]

karastha lIla aravinda vat tvayA.aham bhramayitavya - iti nR^ipa abhiprAyaH - that king meant by this gesture that, "you marry me and spin me in pleasures like this lotus...' hasta ghURNiko.ayam - ava lakshaNaH - iti indumati abhiprAyaH - her thinking is, 'he is unfit to be a husband since he is just a juggler...' thus she dismissed him.

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visrastam a.msAt aparaH vilAsI ratna anuviddhA a.mgada koTi lagnam prAla.mbam utkR^iSya yathA pradesham ninAya sAcI kR^ita cAru vaktraH

6-14. vilAsI= a voluptuary; aparaH= another - king; a.msAt visrastam= from shoulder, slipped ; ratna anuviddhA= with gems, studded; a.ngada koTi lagnam= of bicep-ornament, in cusp, stuck; prAla.mbam= a hanging pendant - lavaliere; utkR^iSya= extricating it; sAcI kR^ita= sideways, on making - face turning sideways; cAru vaktraH san= handsome, face, he is having; yathA pradesham = as to its proper, place; ninAya= he made it [pendant] to reach - braced it on his chest.

Another voluptuary king extricated his lavaliere which slipped from his shoulder and stuck in the cusp of his gem-studded bicep-ornament, and braced it on his chest in its proper place turning his handsome face to sideways. [6-14]

prAvAra utkshepaNa cChalena aham tvAm evam parirapsya iti nR^pa abhiprAyAH - 'I will embrace you in a pranksome manner of adjusting some necklace of mine…' - is the view of that prince; gopanIyam ki.ncit ange asti tato ayam prAvR^iNuta iti indumati abhiprAyaH - 'he has something on his body that cannot be revealed, so he is hiding his body…' - is the view of indumati.

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Aku.mcita agra agulinA tataH anyaH ki.mcit samAvarjita netra shobhaH tiryak visa.m sarpi nakha prabheNa pAdena haimam vililekha pITham

6-15. tataH anyaH= then, another - suitor; ki.mcit samAvarjita netra shobhaH san = a little, bending down, eyes', brilliance, he is; Aku.ncita= [a little] bent; agra agulinA= with end part, of toe; tiryak= crosswise; visa.msarpi= casting; nakha prabheNa= nail's, with the glint of; pAdena= with such foot - having such nails; haimam pITham= golden, footstool; vi+li+lekha= drew lines - with nail of toe;

Then another suitor prince with slightly downcast eyes started to draw lines on the golden footstool with a little bent edge of toe casting the glint of his toenails slightly aslant. [6-15]

pAda angulinAm Akuncanena tvam mat samIpam AgacCha iti nR^ipa abhiprAyaH - 'you come to me' is the idea of the king with bent toe; bhUmi lekhako ayam ava lakshaNaH - iti indumati abhiprAyam; 'he is a scriber on earth which shows his misdemeanour,' is her opinion; bhUmi vilekhanam tu lakshmI vinAsha hetuH - Drawing of lines on the ground is considered very inauspicious. So, she dismissed him.

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viveshya vAmam bhujam Asana arthe tat sanniveshAt adhika unnata a.msaH kashicit vivR^itta trika bhinna hAraH suhR^it samAbhASaNa tatparaH AbhUt

6-16. kashicit= someone - another king; vAmam bhujam= left, shoulder; Asana arthe= seat's, on a part of - to a side of seat; niveshya= having kept; tat sanniveshAt= by that [shoulder,] placement [to a side of seat]; adhika unnata a.msaH san= much, height, shoulder, he is having - a lopsided shoulder; vivR^itta= turned, twisted; trika= backbone - it would be better to take it as the upper part of the spine between the shoulder blades - KMJ; bhinna hAraH= displaced, chest ornament -displaced in consequence of the twisting of the upper part of body; suhR^it= with a friend - sitting on left; samAbhASaNa tatparaH AbhUt= in conversation, involved, he became.

Another one resting his left arm on a part of the seat and thus having the shoulder of the other side raised lopsidedly and as a consequence the pearl-necklace on his chest appearing only in halves, showed that he is deeply engaged in conversation with his friend. [6-16]

tvayA vAmAnke niveshitayA saha evam vArtAm kariShyati - iti nR^ipa abhiprAyaH - 'I will place you in left and chitchat with you in this way,' is the idea of suitor; mAm dR^iSTvA parAnmukho ayam na kArya kartA - iti indumati AshayaH - 'on seeing me he turned his face away, he is good for nothing, except to chitchat,' is the opinion of the princes.

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vilAsinI vibhrama da.mta patram ApA.mDuram ketaka barham anyaH priyA nita.mba ucita sanniveshaiH vipATayAmAsa yuvA nkhAgraiH

6-17. anyaH yuvA= another, young man; vilAsinI= for a lady charmer; vibhrama= vibhramArtha = for the purpose of decoration; da.nta patram = an ear-ornament - folded leaf stuck at the back side of ears; ApA.nDuram= a little yellowish - leaf; ketaka barham= mogra, leaf; priyA nita.mba= ladylove's, on buttocks; ucita= habituated; sanniveshaiH= in keeping - fingers on buttocks; nakha agraiH= with nails', edges; vipATayAmAsa= started to strip - the mogra leaf.

 Another youngster started to tear an yellowish mogra leaf with the edges of his nails which are habituated to scratch the behinds of his ladyloves, where that leaf is the usual charming decorative hairslide of lady charmers at the back of their ears. [6-17]

aham tava nitambe evam nakha vraNAdIn dAsyAmi iti NR^pa abhiprAyaH - 'I will scratch your behinds with nails in this way,' is the expression of the suitor; tR^iNa cChedakavat patra pATakoyam - avalakshaNaH - iti indumatyA na a.ngIkR^itam - 'he is just an ill-mannered shredder of flowers like a hopeless grass cutter,' thus indumati rejected him.

The ketaki or mogra is often folded in the form of a rectangle and put in the head as a piece of decoration, and therefore, I am half-inclined to take danta patra to signify 'a comb' but unfortunately I find no authority for it. - KMJ.

Others say that the stiff blade like petal of this flower is folded and stuck like a comb in hair that too at the back of ears, as ladies will usually [used to] stick combs in buns while they lace braids. Now they are not applying hair oil even.

--o)0(o--

kusheshaya AtAamra talena kashcit kareNa rekhA dhvprince aja lA~NChanena ratna a.mgulIya prabhayA anuviddhAn udIrayAmAsa salIlam akshAn

6-18. kashcit= someone; kusheshaya= kushe= jale - kusham sharam vanam nIram - names of water; thus on water, shete= which reclines= kushe shaya= a lotus reclining on water; A+tAamra= fully, red; talena= with such a reddish - palm; rekhA dhvprince aja lA~NChanena= lines, of a flagstaff, with such marks - in a reddish palm which has [palmistry] lines resembling flag post - certain lines on palm mark royalty, among them dhvprince aja is one; kareNa= with such hand - having such a palm; ratna a.ngulIya= jewelled, [finger] ring's prabhayA= with glint; anuviddhAn= covered over - this is a different sense from the sense at 6-63 for anuvidh; akshAn= dice; sa lIlam= with sport - sportily; udIrayAmAsa= started to toss - this also means 'to speak'.

 One of those suitors started to toss dice sportily with his hand on which the glint of his jeweled rings on fingers is overspreading, and which hand is having a very reddish palm comparable to a red lotus, on which an important line of palmistry called flagstaff is there. [6-18]

aham tvayA saha evam ramsya - iti nR^pa abhiprAyaH - 'I will take delight in playing with you,' is the king's opinion; aksha cAturyeNa kApuruSa - iti indumati abhiprAyaH - 'he is a knavish gambler, forget him…' is the opinion of the princess.

--o)0(o--

kashcit yathA bhAgam avasthite api sva sanniveshAt vyati la.mghini iva ratna a.mshu garbha a.mguli ra.mdhram ekam vyApArayAmAsa kara.m kirITe

6-19. kashcit= someone; yathA bhAgam= yathA sthAnam= in its own place; avasthite api= it is there, even though; sva sanniveshAt= from its own, place; vyati la.nghini iva= much, slipped, as if; kirITe= on the crown; ratna a.mshu garbha= diamonds, lustre, having inside; a.nguli ra.ndhram= fingers, interstices; ekam kara.m= one, hand; vyApArayAmAsa= started to fidget.

 Some other suitor started to fidget one of his arms on his crown as if it has slipped from its place, and as though he is adjusting it to its proper place, and in doing so the lustre of diamonds filled the interstices of his fingers. [6-19]

kIrITa vat mama shirashi sthitAm api tAm bhAram na manya iti NR^ipAbhiprAyaH - 'though you sit on my head like crown, I don't mind you as weighty,' is the opinion of the king; shirashi nyasta hastaH - ayam avalakshaNaH - iti indumati abhiprAyaH - 'he is placing hands on his head as if his house is drowned - he is an awkward lout,' is the opinion of princess.

--o)0(o--

tataH nR^ipANAm shruta vR^itta va.mshA pu.mvat pragalhA pratihAra rakshI prAk sannikarSam magadha Ishvarasya nItvA kumArIm avadat suna.mdA

6-20. tataH= then; nR^ipANAm= of kings; shruta= heard of, familiar with; vR^itta va.mshA = history, lineage - of suitor kings; pragalbhA= lady bold in speech, eloquent; suna.ndA= lady  sunanda; pratihAra rakshI= gate, keeper - chatelaine; prAk= firstly; kumArIm= young one - young princess indumati; magadha Ishvarasya sannikarSam= magadha's, lord's, to proximity; nItvA= on leading; pu.mvat= like a man - confidently; avadat= she spoke.

Then the chatelaine lady sunanda who is familiar with the histories and lineages of kings who have come as suitors, firstly led the young princess indumati to the proximity of the king of magadha province, and spoke this in a self-confident voice of a man. [6-20]

--o)0(o--

asau sharaNyaH sharaNa unmukhAnAm agAdha sattvaH magadha pratiSTaH rAjA prajA ra.mjana labdha varNaH para.mtapaH nAma yathArtha nAmA

6-21. sharaNa unmukhAnAm= for shelter, who are pro-faced - for shelter seekers; sharaNyaH= a shelterer; agAdha sattvaH= one with unfathomable, energy; magadha pratiSTaH= on magadha kingdom, who holds sway; prajA ra.njana= people, to make happy; labdha varNaH= labdha utkarShaH= who received, laurels; asau rAjA= this, king; para.mtapaH nAmA= enemy, scorcher, named; yathArtha nAma= appropriate, named - true to his name.

"Here is king paramtapa who holds sway over magadha kingdom and whose energy is unfathomable, who is a shelterer to the shelter seekers, and who received laurels in keeping his subjects happy and enemies at bay, thus he is true to his name... [6-21]

--o)0(o--

kAmam nR^ipAH sa.mtu sahasrashaH anye rAjanvatIm AhuH anena bhUmim nakshatra tArA graha sa.mkulA api jyotiSmatI ca.mdramasA eva rAtriH

6-22. anye nR^ipAH= other, kings; kAmam= maybe - this particle kAmam is used in various senses by authors, where the general meaning is 'forced assent,' and here it is 'let there be'; sahasrashaH= sahasraiH sahasraiH paricChinAH= thousands and thousands; sa.ntu= mayhap be there; bhUmim= earth; anena= by him; rAjanvatIm= having king - not rAja vati; AhuH= they say; [tathA hi= indeed]; nakshatra= na ksharanti sva sthAnAt na cyutAni bhavanti tAni nakshatrANi= those that do not fall or change their positions - fixed stars, but this term is restricted to 27 constellations only; tArA= tarantyAbhiH iti = those that serve as guides to travellers; graha= gR^ihNanti sUrya tejAmsi iti grahAH - those that take shine from the sun, hence grahAH, planets; sa.mkulA api= replete with, even though; rAtriH= a night; ca.ndramasA eva= by moon, alone; jyotiSmatI= will be brightened.

"The earth may perhaps have thousands of other kings, but she is said to be under good rule only through this king of magadha, as with a night though replete with constellations, stars and planets, it will be brightened only with the moon... [6-22]

In this alankAra is dR^iShTAnta; earth - night; king - moon; other kings on earth - numerous stars on sky; prashasta rAjavatva - prashasta jyotiShmattva - will each become the mirrored object and its reflected object.

 --o)0(o--

kriyA prabandhAat ayam adhvarANAm prince ajasram AhUta sahasra netraH shacyAH ciram pA.mDu kapola la.mbAn ma.mdAra shUnyAn alakAn cakAra

6-23. ayam= he, this king; adhvarANAm= of Vedic rituals; kriyA prabandhAat= works, by continuous undertaking; prince ajasram= always; AhUta= invited; sahasra netraH san= Thousand, eyed one - Indra, he [king] is having; ciram= for a long time; shacyAH= of shachi devi - consort of indra; alakAn= curls, tresses; pA.nDu kapola la.mbAn= on white - palish, cheeks, dangling; ma.ndAra shUnyAn= by mandAra flowers, without; cakAra= rendered became instrumental to render so.

This king has become instrumental in rendering the uncombed curls of shachi-devi, the consort of indra, to dangle on her palish cheeks, and thus made her to remain undecorated with mandAra flowers in her unkempt hair for a long, long times, because this king has continuously performed Vedic-rituals in which indra had to come from heaven to receive ritual oblations without a surcease... [6-23]

Although the tree mandAra is named here we are to understand the flowers of this tree by 'implication.'

--o)0(o--

anena cet icChasi gR^ihyamANam pANim vareNyena kuru praveshe prAsada vAta ayana sa.msthitAnAm netra utsavam puSpa pura a.mganAnAm

6-24. vareNyena= most eligible, desirable one; anena= by him; gR^ihyamANam pANim= while being taken, palm - when he takes your palm in marriage; icChasi cet= you wish, if; praveshe= on entering - his city as his bride; prAsada= multi storied buildings; vAta ayana= air, travellers - windows; sa.msthitAnAm= those that are there in windows; puSpa pura= flower, city - pAtalIputra, Patna; a.nganAnAm= for womenfolk; netra utsavam= eye, festival; kuru= you make.

"Should you wish that this most eligible prince may take your hand in marriage, let the womenfolk of puShpapura, the capital of magadha, peering through the windows of their multi-storeyed buildings fill their eyes with festivity upon your entry into that city along with this king..." So said chatelaine sunanda to princess indumati. [6-24]

--o)0(o--

evam tayA ukte tam avekshya ki.mcit visra.msi dUrvA a.mka madhUka mAlA R^iju praNAma kriyayA eva tanvI prati Adidesha enam abhASamANA

6-25. evam= in this way; tayA ukte= by her [by sunanda] she who is said - indumati; tam= him, prince of Magadha; avekshya= on seeing; ki.mcit visra.msi= a little, slipped - required readjustment; dUrvA= sacred grass; a.nka= embedded; madhUka= madhuka flowers; mAlA= she who has such a garland; tanvI= slender girl - curvaceous indumati; enam= with him; a+ bhASamANA = without, talking - silently ; R^iju praNAma= with a plain, salutation - a matter of fact namaskAr; kriyayA eva= by gesture, alone; prati Adidesha= counter, manded - turned him down.

When sunanda said in this way she that curvaceous princess indumati has seen the prince of magadha, whereupon the garland of madhuka flowers embedded with sacred grass held in her hands to grace the prospective bridegroom required a little readjustment in her handling, and adjusting it she silently made a matter of fact gesture of adjoining palms and bade adieu to him. [6-25]

A garland stuffed with sacred darbha grass is considered as an auspicious item; vara mAla - garland with which the prospective bridegroom is garlanded, if selected.

---o)0(o--

tA.m sA eva vetra grahaNe niyuktA rAjA a.mtaram rAja sutAm ninAya samIraNa utthA iva tara.mga rekhA padma antaram mAnasa rAja ha.msIm

6-26. vetra grahaNe niyuktA= bamboo cane, wielder, one who is assigned to - sunanda who is assigned to act as a macebearer, where mace is a staff of office; sA eva= na anyA, cittaj~natvAt = she, alone - sunanda - who knows the mind of indumati; tA.m rAja sutAm= her, king's, daughter - indumati; rAjA a.ntaram= anya rAjA= king, to another; samIraNa= by air; utthA= upheaved; tara.nga rekhA= wave, lines - ripples; mAnasa rAja ha.msIm= in Manasa lake, kingly, she-swan; padma antaram iva=to lotus, another one, as with; ninAya= led forth.

Because she is aware of princess indumati's thinking that chatelaine sunanda as a macebearer for that occasion led the princess to another suitor king as with a ripple when upheaved by a breeze wafts a she-swan from one lotus to another in mAnasa Lake.

rAja suta- bimba; rAja ha.msa - pratibimba; rAjA a.ntara - bimba; padma antaram - pratibimba; tara.nga pa~Nkti - u.mA; sunanda - u.me; ninAya - led forth - sA.dha; iva - sA.vA;  anugAmitva bimba pratibimba bhAva mishraNa.

The cane-mace, staff of office, is the sine qua non of the warder who always walks before a royal personage. [KMJ]

--o)0(o--

jagAda ca enAm ayam a.mga nAthaH sura a.mganA prArthita yauvana shrIH vinIta nAgaH kila sUtra kAraiH aindram padam bhUmi gataH api bhu~Nkte

6-27. enAm= to her, to indumati; jagAda ca= said, also; ayam a.nga nAthaH= he is, anga's, lord; sura a.nganA= by celestial, females; prArthita yauvana shrIH= yearned for, youthfulness's, vivacity - he has such a vivacity; sUtra kAraiH= by aphorisms, makers of; vinIta= humbled down, trained; nAgaH= elephants - who has such elephants; kila= they say - kile iti aitihye - legend says so; bhUmi gataH api= on earth, he obtained, even though; aindram padam= Indra's, position - digg apsaro devarShi sevyatavam aindram pada shabda arthaH= a supreme position; bhu~Nkte= he enjoys.

sunanda again said this to princess indumati, "here is the ruler of anga kingdom whose youthful vivacity is yearned after by celestial damsels, and at whose instance experts in composing aphorisms, they say, have composed aphorisms on taming the elephant with which he got elephants tamed, by which he is enjoying the supreme position of indra even though he is on earth..." [6-27]

It is said that the king of anga became unsuccessful in taming elephants running amuck and prayed indra for help. Indra sent sages called, pAlakApya, rAjaputra, and Mrigacarma who composed the art and science of taming elephants in aphorisms and taught it to the king of anga. Hence he became the foremost tamer of elephants .

--o)0(o--

anena paryAsayatA asra bi.mdUn muktA phala sthUla tamAn staneSu prati arpitaH shatru vilAsinInAm unmucya sUtreNa vinA eva hArAH

6-28. shatru vilAsinInAm staneSu = for enemies', ladyloves, on breasts; muktA phala= pearls; sthUla tamAn = large, higher in degree - larger than; asra bi.ndUn= ashru bindUn= tear, drops; paryAsayatA= causing to shed, to throw down; anena= by him - king of Anga; unmucya= hauling them out - taken away; sUtreNa vinA hArAH eva= thread, without, necklace, only; prati arpitaH= in return, gave - returned; utprekhsa.

"This king of anga made the wives of his enemies to throw off their ornaments and weep for their husbands shedding tears larger than pearls onto their breasts, and those tears continuously shed, in effect, appeared as stringless pearl necklaces given by him in lieu of real necklaces taken away by him... [6-28]

--o)0(o--

nisarga bhinna Aspadam eka sa.mstham asmin dvayam shrIH ca sarasvatI ca kA.mtyA girA sUnR^itayA ca yogyA tvam eva kalyANI tayoH tR^itIyA

6-29. nisarga= nisargataH= owing to their nature; bhinna Aspadam= in different [places,] abodes - abiding in different locales; shrIH ca sarasvatI ca= goddess Lakshmi, and, goddess Saraswati, also; dvayam= these two; asmin= in him; eka sa.mstham= at one, same place they are; hè kalyANI= oh, blessed princess; kA.ntyA= by your loveliness; sUnR^itayA girA= by your truthful, words - by veraciousness; yogyA= a befitting one; tvam eva= you, alone are; tayoH= of them two; tR^itIyA= third one.

"By their nature the goddess of wealth and the goddess of learning will be abiding in two different locales, but they are found in one and the same place in this king of anga, and oh, blessed princess, you by your loveliness and veraciousness are suited to become the third among those two goddesses, in case you choose him…" Thus sunanda said to indumati. [6-29]

--o)0(o--

atha a.mga rAjAt avatArya cakshuH yAhi iti janyAm avadat kumArI na asau na kAmyaH na ca veda samyak draSTum na sA bhinna ruciH hi lokaH

6-30. atha= then; kumArI= damsel - princess indumati; a.nga rAjAt= from anga, king; cakshuH= eyes; ava tArya= down, descending - lowering - eyes; janyAm= mAtR^i sakhIm= to the friend of her mother - to sunanda; yAhi= move - move on, get going; iti avadat= thus, said; asau= he, anga king; kAmyaH= kamanIya= wooable; na [iti] na= not, [thus,] it is not; sA ca= she - princess, also; samyak draSTum = correctly, to see [ to distinguish]; na veda= not, in the know of; [iti= thus] na= it is not; [kim tu= why because]; lokaH bhinna ruciH hi= people are, with different, tastes, indeed.

Then, lowering her eyes from the king of anga, princess indumati said to the friend of her mother sunanda, "get going…" and they moved from there; not that this king of anga is not wooable, nor was it that the princess indumati did not understand how to distinguish correctly; but different people will have different tastes.

The axiom 'loko bhinna ruchiH' coined here has remained among people even today. Here arthAntara nyAsa alankAra is there.

--o)0(o--

tataH param duS prasaham dviSadbhiH nR^ipam niyuktA pratihAra bhUmau nidarshayAmAsa visheSa dR^ishyam i.mdum nava utthAnam iva indumatyai

6-31. tataH= then; pratihAra bhUmau= dvAra deshe= at door, place of - in the position of a doorkeeper, rather a custodian of palace-chambers, chataleine; niyuktA= she who is assigned - sunanda; dviSadbhiH= by his enemies; duS prasaham= hard, to withstand - in enmity; visheSa dR^ishyam= darshanIya rUpavantam= one who is pleasant to look at; param nR^ipam= at another, king; nava utthAnam= newly, risen; i.ndum iva= at moon, as with; indumatyai= for indumati; nidarshayAmAsa= started pointing out.

Then the custodian of palace-chambers lady sunanda pointed out to princess indumati another pleasant looking prince whom his enemies found it hard to withstand, just as people point out the newly risen moon. [6-31]

--o)0(o--

ava.mti nAthaH ayam udagra bAhuH vishAla vakshAH tanu vR^itta madhyaH Aropya cakrabhramam uSNa tejAH tvaSTrA iva yatna ullikhitaH vibhAti

6-32. udagra bAhuH= dIrgha bAhuH= long-armed; vishAla vakshAH= broad, chested; tanu vR^itta madhyaH= slim, circumference, in middle - lion-waisted; ayam= such as he is, he; ava.nti nAthaH= avanti's, lord; tvaSTrA= by Vishvakarma, Divine Architect; cakra bhramam= wheel, spinner - a machine with spinning wheel - revolving grindstone; Aropya= on mounting - the Sun; yatna= yatnena = assiduously; ullikhitaH= trimmed out, ground down; uSNa tejAH= one with scorching, refulgence - Sun; iva= like; vibhAti= he [this prince] shines forth.

"This long-armed, broad-chested, lion-waisted lord of avanti kingdom too shines forth like the sun, when vishva-karma , the divine architect, assiduously ground down that sun by mounting him on a revolving grindstone..." [6-32]

tvashTra, or vishvakarma has a daughter called sanj~jna, who is given in marriage to the Sun. She was unable to bear the severe resplendence of her husband, namely Sun. Then vishvakarma the father of the bride mounted the bridegroom, Sun, on a lathe like grinding machine and trimmed off a part of Sun's disc, which too was utilised in making viShNu's disc. With all his skills vishvakarma could trim off only one eighth of Sun's disc. Vishnu Purana.

--o)0(o--

asya prayANeSu samagra shakteH agresaraiH vAjibhiH utthitAni kurvanti sAmanta shikhA maNInAm prabhA praroha astamayam rajA.msi

6-33. samagra shakteH= full-fledged, are his powers - powers appertaining to royalty are generally viewed to be made up of three elements - 1] kosha daNDa balam prabhu shaktiH; 2] vikrama bala samutsAha shakti; 3] sAma dAna bhedAdi mantra shakti; asya= his - king of avanti; prayANeSu= in travels - here, in his campaigns; agresaraiH= going in front; vAjibhiH= by horses; utthitAni rajA.msi= raised, dust; sAmanta= of feudatories; shikhA maNInAm= crest, jewels'; prabhA praroha = to lustre, sprouts; astamayam= dusking; kurvanti= it does - dust is dusking the lustre sprouts; asya shatravaH parAjIyanta iti bhAvaH.

"In the campaigns of this king of avanti, who is in the possession of three elements of power, the heaps of dust raised by the horses running in front of his army will be dusking the lustre sprouting from the crest-jewels of feudatories. [6-33]

--o)0(o--

asau mahA kAla niketanasya vasan adUre kila ca.mdra mauleH tamisra pakshe api saha priyAbhiH jyotsnAvataH nirvishati pradoSAn

6-34. asau= this one - avanti king; mahA kAla= the name of shiva's temple at ujjaini; niketanasya = [that temple as his] abode; ca.ndra mauleH= of one with - moon, at crest - of shiva with crescent moon; a+dUre= not, distantly - very near; vasan= while residing; tamisra pakshe api = in dark, fortnight, even in; priyAbhiH saha = ladyloves, along with; jyotsnAvataH pradoSAn= moonlit, nights - as it were; nirvishati kila= he lives - he enjoys, indeed.

"Residing very near to temple-abode of shiva, the mahA-kAla, the god with crescentic moon on his crest, this king of avanti enjoys the moonlit nights along with his ladyloves even during dark fortnights... [6-34]

This concept is very poetically descried by kAlidAsa in meghadUta 30 to 39. The capital of avanti kingdom is avantipuri or ujjaini, also called vishAla, which is considered to be one of the seven most sacred cities in India to die, where eternal happiness - moksha - is ensured.

--o)0(o--

anena yUnA saha pArthivena ra.mbhoru kaccit manasaH ruciH te shiprA tara.mga anila ka.mpitAsu vihartum udyAna para.mparAsu

6-35. hè ra.mbha Uru= oh, one with plantain-stalk like, thighs; yUnA= ins. sing. of the irregular yuvan - a youth; anena pArthivena saha= with him, with king, along with; shiprA= of shripa river - a river near ujjain, a tributary of chambalA; tara.nga= of waves; anila= by breeze; ka.mpitAsu = moved by, fanned by; udyAna para.mparAsu= in pleasure gardens, a series of; vihartum= to pleasure trip - to sport; te manasaH ruciH kaccit= your, heart's, longing, is there - do you wish to.

"Oh, princess with plantain-stalk like thighs, is there any longing in your heart to sport with this youthful king in the series of gardens that are fanned by the breezes wafted by the waves of shipra river in avanti?" Thus sunanda asked for the opinion of indumati about king of avanti. [6-35]

--o)0(o--

tasmin abhi dyotita ba.mdhu padme pratApa sa.mshoSita shatru pa.mke baba.mdha sA na uttama saukumAryA kumudvatI bhAnumatI iva bhAvam

6-36. uttama saukumAryA= highly, pretty - princess; sA= she that indumati; abhi dyotita= that are made to fully bloomed; ba.ndhu= friends; padme= lotuses - one having such lotuses - namely sun, whose friends are lotuses; pratApa= by his valour; sa.mshoSita= parched; shatru= enemies; pa.nke= [called] mire - sun who parches up mire as his enemy; tasmin= in him - for avanti king; kumudvatI= white lotus that blooms by night; bhAnumatI= in one who has shine - Sun; iva= as with; bhAvam= [any] notion, penchant; na baba.ndha= not, attached; na tatra anuragam cakAra iti arthaH= she had no penchant for Avanti king.

As with white-lotus blooming in night does not have a penchant for the sun who makes day-lotuses to bloom and parch the enemy called mire with his valorous torridity, she that highly pretty princess indumati also did not attach significance to the king of avanti who with his valorous prowess made his friends to bloom like day-lotuses, and parched enemies like mud. [6-36]

The night-lotus kumudvati - u.mA; indumati - u.me; to have a linking - anugAmi dharma - sA.dha; iva - sA.vA; king of avanti - bimba; sun - pratibimba; bandhava eva padmAni - bandhu padmAni; abhidyotitAni bandhu padmAni yena tasmin - on king's side; bandhavaH ca tAni padmAni ca - bandhu padmAni - abhidyotitAni bandhu padmAni yena tasmin - on the part of sun; pratApena samshoShitAH - shatrava eva pankAH yena tasmin - on the part of king of avanti; shatravaH ca te pankAH ca shatru pankAH - pratApena samshoShitAH - shatru pankAH yena tasmin - on the part of Sun; kumudvati - candra priyaH; padmini - sUrya priyaH; kumudvatI- shatruH - sUrya nAmaH; abja-ari candra nAmaH; induH kumuda bAndhavaH; sapta saptiH padma bandhuH.

--o)0(o--

tAm agrataH tAmarasa a.mtara AbhAm anUpa rAjasya guNaiH anUnAm nidhAya sR^iSTim lalitAm vidhAtuH jagAda bhUyaH sudatIm suna.mdA

6-37. suna.ndA= sunanda; tAmarasa a.ntara AbhAm= red lotus flower, interior, in shine with; guNaiH= by characteristics; a+nUnAm= not, inferior - a superior princess; sudatIm= come of age - not sudanti = one with good teeth; vidhAtuH lalitAm sR^iSTim= creator's, charming, creation; tAm= her - such princess; anUpa rAjasya agrataH= anUpa, king's, before; nidhAya= placing - the princess; bhUyaH jagAda= again, said.

Then lady sunanda led the princess indumati whose shine is like that of the corolla of a red lotus, a superior princess by her characteristics, a girl come of age, and a charming creation of the Creator, and placing such a princess before the king of anUpa that lady sunanda again said this to her. [6-37]

--o)0(o--

sa.mgrAma nirviSTa sahasra bAhuH aSTA dasha dvIpa nikhAta yUpaH ananya sAdhAraNa rAja shabdaH babhUva yogI kila kArtavIryaH

6-38. sa.ngrAma= in war; nirviSTa= anubhUtAH= experienced, manifested; sahasra bAhuH= thousand, arms - yddhAt anyatra dvi bhuja eva dR^ishyata iti arthaH - ordinarily only two arms are seen, but in wars they manifest like a thousand arms - ambidextrous ing; aSTA dasha= eight, ten - eighteen; dvIpa= in islands - of globe; nikhAta yUpaH= staked, ritual posts - he staked them after winning those countries in battles - sArvabhauma; an+anya= not, by others; sAdhAraNa= generalised - na bhavati ananya sAdhAraNa - not common, uncommon justification of title rAja; rAja shabdaH= one having - king's, title; yogI= one who engaged in metaphysical learning - a yogi; kArtavIryaH= king kArtavIrya; babhUva kila= was there, they say - isn't it.

"Once there was a king named kArtavIrya whose pair of arms used to manifest in wars as thousand arms because of his ambidexterity, who on performing Vedic rituals had staked ritual posts in all the eighteen continents of the world, who deserved, unlike others, the title of rAja, and above all who was a yogi... isn't it… [6-38]

kArtavIrya arjuna was the king of haihaya people in central India. From dattatreya he obtained several boons among them a thousand arms, a golden chariot moving at his will, power to restrain wrong and the power to discover that wrong even if it lurked in the minds of people, invincibility by his enemies and death at the hands of a person renowned in the three worlds. He ruled over the earth with justice and performed ten thousand Vedic rituals. Vishnu Purana. - KMJ

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akArya ci.mtA sama kAlam eva prAdurbhavan cApa dharaH purastAt a.mtaH sharIreSu api yaH prajAnAm pratyAdidesha avinayam vinetA

6-39. vinetA= visheSheNa nayati asau = an exemplary leader; yaH= who, which kArtavIrya was there; a+kArya= not, doable - wrong doing - evil; ci.ntA= thinking; sama kAlam eva= same, time, only - at the same time when an evil thought occurred; purastAt= before; cApa dharaH= bow, wielding; prAdurbhavan san= used to appear, while he was so; prajAnAm= of people; a.ntaH sharIreSu api= inside, [subtle] bodies, even in - latent in people's thinking; a+vinayam= not, disciplined - indiscipline; prati Adidesha= counter, ordered - used to counteract.

"As an exemplary leader he who used to appear before subjects wielding his bow the moment when an evil thought crosses their minds, and who used to counteract the indiscipline of subjects even if it cropped up latently in their thoughts, such a king kArtavIrya was there, isn't it... [6-39]

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jyA ba.mdha niSpanda bhujena yasya vinishvasat vaktra para.mpareNa kArA gR^ihe nirjita vAsavena lankeshvareNa uSitam AprasAdAt

6-40. jyA ba.ndha= with bowstring, one who is tied with it; niSpanda bhujena= motionless, arms - arms rendered motionless; vinishvasat= suspiring; vaktra para.mpareNa= faces, a row of - a row of ten mouths sighing furiously; nirjita vAsavena= one who has conquered, Indra - such rAvana; lankeshvareNa= lanka's, lord - rAvaNa; yasya= in whose; kArA gR^ihe= arresting, house - jail; A+prasAdAt= until, grace is bestowed; uSitam= one who has dwelled in - imprisoned - rAvana.

"In whose prison-house the lord of lanka and the vanquisher of indra, namely rAvaNa, had been imprisoned with twenty of his arms became motionless and with ten of his mouths furiously gasping for breath when tied down just with one bowstring of kArtavIrya, and who held that rAvana as a prisoner until he was favourably disposed to release him… that powerful king kArtavIrya was there, isn't it... [6-40]

The reference in the stanza is to the incident when kArtavIrya arjuna while enjoying a bath in the waters of the River narmada with the females of his harem obstructed the flow of the water of the river. Taking advantage of the bed thus left dry down below, rAvaNa commenced the worship of shiva linga there. When kArtavIrya came out of the river the obstruction was suddenly removed and the flow washed rAvaNa with the shiva linga. Irritated at this rAvaNa challenged kArtavIrya to a fight in which he [rAvaNa] was defeated and taken prisoner. At the intercession of sage pulastya, kArtavIrya set rAvaNa at liberty. The Vayu Purana, however, says that kArtavIrya invaded lanka and there took rAvaNa as a prisoner. - KMJ

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tasya anvaye bhuupatiH eSha jaataH pratiipa iti aagama vR^iddha sevii yenaH shriyaH sa.mshraya doSharuuDha.m svabhaava lolaa iti ayashaH pramR^iShTam

41. AgamaH= scriptures; vR^iddha= elders; sevI= a servitor of - AgamaH ca vR^iddhAH ca, tAn sevitum shIlaH - one who follows Veda-s and elders; or, one who is a servitor of elders who are well-read in Veda-s; pratIpa= pratIpa - name of the king; iti= thus; eSha bhUpatiH= he is, the king; tasya= his, that kArtavIrya arjuna's; anvaye= in lineage; jAtaH= born in; yena= by whom, by which king pratIpa; sa.mshraya= pu.msaH= with whom [glory] abides; doSha= flaws [of the persons on whom glory rests]; rUDha.m= caused by [on account of the flaws of that person on whom glory rests]; shriyaH= glory; svabhAva lolA iti= by nature, fickle, thus; a+yashaH= ill, repute [of glory as she is fickle, mercurial]; pramR^iShTam = wiped out.

"In the lineage of such a kArtavIrya arjuna this prince is born. He is known as pratIpa and he is a servitor of those that are well read in scriptures. Generally an ill repute is attached to shrI, the Lady of Glory that she is mercurial by her nature, which in fact is on account of the flaws of those persons with whom she abides… but this prince has wiped out that ill repute of mercuriality of Lady of Glory, because this prince is flawless... [6-41]

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Ayodhane kR^iShNa gati.m sahAyam avApya yaH kShatriya kAla rAtrim dhArA.m shitA.m rAma parashvadhasya sa.mbhAvayati utpala patra sArAm

43. yaH= who; Ayodhane= in battle; kR^iShNa gati.m= kR^iSNA gatiH yasya saH - which leaves a black trail - fire, here Firegod; sahAyam = assistance [of Fire-god]; avApya= having obtained - by the forefathers of pratIpa; kShatriya kAla rAtrim= for kshatriya-s, deadly, night - epoch ending night; rAma= of parashu rAma; parashvadhasya= of his axe - parasya shvam dhayati iti - enemy's, tomorrow, which ruins - the axe of parashu rAma that ruins the hopeful tomorrow of kshatriya-s; shitA.m dhArA.m= sharp, edge - of axe; utpala patra= lotuses, petals; sArAm= as good as - in sharpness; sa.mbhAvayati= he who deems - prince pratIpa; anvaya with 41 and 43 shloka-s.

"Having obtained the firegod as an alley in battles through his ancestors, this prince pratIpa considers the sharp edge of parashu-rAma's axe, which by itself is the cataclysmal last-night of kshatriya-s, to be no more than the petal of a lotus...

The reference is to the help received by nIla, one of the kings of mahiShmati from Fire-god. nIla had a daughter of exquisite beauty; she used to attend to the sacrificial fire of her father. agni, Fire-god, fell in love with her and his suit was accepted by the girl herself. The king came to know this and was very much incensed and wanted to punish Fire-god who used to enjoy the company of the princess in the disguise of a brAhmaNa. The deity disclosed his identity whereupon the king bestowed his daughter upon him as a recompense. Fire-god conferred a boon upon nIla that his soldiers should be always victorious. From that time those who invade the kingdom of the rulers of mahishmati are consumed by fire. - mahAbhArata; sabha parva. - KMJ

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asya a~Nka lakShmIH bhava dIrgha bAhoH mAhiShmatI vapra nitamba kA~ncIm prAsAda jAlaiH jala veNi ramyA.m revA.m yadi prekShitum asti kAmaH

43. mAhiShmatI= of city mahIShmati; vapra nitamba kA~ncIm = compound wall, on hip, golden-cincture - a cincture around the hip called the compound wall of that city; jala veNi ramyA.m= water, gushes, beautiful with; revA.m= at reva river, narmada river; prAsAda jAlaiH= of skyscrapers', from latticed windows; prekShitum= to see, to enjoy; kAmaH asti yadi= desire, is there, if; dIrgha bAhoH= of long, armed one - dextrous prince; asya= his; a~Nka lakShmIH= in lap, goddess of fortune - consort, like Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, represented as sitting in the lap, or on the thigh of Vishnu; bhava= you become.

"If you wish to enjoy the sight of River narmada through the latticed windows of skyscrapers of mAhishamati city, while that river will be beautiful with billowy water around the compound wall of that city like a golden-cincture around the waist of a lady, then you become the consort of this dexterous prince pratIpa..." So said chatelaine sunanda to princess indumati. [6-43]

mahishmati is said to have been situated on the River narmada between vindhya and the Riksha mountains somewhere near Jabalpoor where there are the celebrated marble rocks. KMJ

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tasyAH prakAma.m priyadarshanaH api na saH kShitIshaH rucaye babhUva sharat pramR^iShTa ambu dhara uparodhaH shashi iva paryApta kalaH nalinyAH

44. prakAma.m= excessively; priya darshanaH= pleasant, to see - handsome; api= even though; saH kShitIshaH= he, that king - prince pratIpa; sharat= by autumn; pramR^iShTa= removed; ambu dhara= water, bearers - clouds; uparodhaH= one who has covering - nirasta megha AvaraNa - one who has no covering of clouds as those clouds are already eliminated by autumn season; paryApta kalaH= fully fledged, in digits / arts - having all sixteen digits of waxing - with ref. to moon; versed in all 64 arts - with ref. to the prince; shashi nalinyAH iva= moon, to day-lotus, as with; tasyAH= to her - to princess; rucaye= acceptable; na babhUva= not, [he, prince pratIpa,] became.

Even though prince pratIpa is excessively handsome he is not acceptable to princess indumati, just as the moon though complete in all his sixteen waxing digits, and though autumn has already cleared cloudcover on him, remains unacceptable to a day-lotus. [6-44]

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sA shUrasena adhipati.m suSheNam uddishya loka antara gIta kIrtim AcAra shuddha ubhaya va.msha dIpa.m shuddhAnta rakShyA jagade kumArI

45. loka antara gIta kIrtim= worlds, intervening, sung, one who has such a fame - one whose fame is sung in intervening worlds other than this; AcAra shuddha= by religious conventions, who are pure; ubhaya= both; va.msha= dynasties - of his paternal as well as maternal dynasties; dIpa.m= a lamplight - of those two dynasties; shUrasena= shUrasena kingdom - near Mathura; adhipati.m= lord of - shUrasena kingdom; suSheNam= at shushena, the king of shUrashena kingdom; uddishya= pointing out, with reference to; shuddha antaH [pura]= flawless, palace-chambers; rakShyA= one who keeps guard - caretaker; sA kumArI= she, that damsel indumati; jagade= is said - indumati is addressed by the caretaker sunanda.

sunanda, the caretaker of the flawless palace-chambers, then addressed the damsel indumati with reference to susheNa, the king of shUrasena province, whose fame is chanted even in worlds other than this one, and who is, as it were, the lamplight of both his maternal and paternal dynasties which are pristine in their religious conventions. [5-45]

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nIpa anvayaH pArthiva eShaH yajvA guNaiH yam Ashritya paraspareNa siddha Ashrama.m shAntam iva etya sattvaiH naisargikaH api utsasR^ije virodhaH

46. yajvA= nom. sing. of yajvan= a [regular] Vedic-ritualist; eShaH pArthivaH= this, king; nIpa anvayaH= nIpa, lineage - he is from; yam Ashritya= whom, taking shelter of - having concentrated in him; guNaiH= by qualities - characteristics like j~nAna-mauna, shakti-kshama - i.e., knowledge-silence, power-tolerance etc; shAntam= tranquillity - is achieved; siddha Ashrama.m etya= saint's, hermitage, on coming to; sattvaiH = by beings - by animals like lion-elephant, cow-tiger, etc; iva= as if; naisargikaH api= natural, though - though enmity is natural to those animals; paraspareNa virodhaH= mutual, antagonism; utsasR^ije= is cast aside, abandoned.

"This king is the descendent of nIpa lineage and he is a regular Vedic-ritualist, in whom several endowments are coexisting as if they have abandoned their natural variances just as wild animals forget their mutual and natural antagonism on coming to the hermitage of a saint where tranquillity ever reigns... [6-46]

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yasya Atma gehe nayana abhirAmA kAntiH himA.mshoH iva sa.mniviShTA harmya agra sa.mrUDha tR^iNa a~NkureShu tejaH aviShahya.m ripu ma.ndireShu

47. himA.mshoH= himAH a.mshavaH yasya saH= whose beams are cool - the moon; [kAntiH= splendour]; iva= like; nayana abhirAmA= for eyes, delightful; yasya= whose; kAntiH= splendour; Atma gehe sa.mniviShTA= in his own, house, settled - that splendour of the king settled in his city/house itself; a+vi+Shahya.m= not, verily, endurable; tejaH= resplendence - of his valour; harmya agra sa.mrUDha tR^iNa a~NkureShu = on building, tops, overgrown, grass, blades; ripu ma.ndireShu= enemies', in cities - mandiram nagare gR^iha - iti vishva kosha - ma.ndiram is a synonym to city also; [susa.mniviShTham= settled down]; anvaya with next verse; he is such a king, namely susheNa, the king of shUrasena - is the completing expression for each verse.

"He whose eye-pleasing splendour has settled down in his own house like moonshine with coolant moonbeams for his allies, while his unendurable resplendence of valour has settled down on the grass blades sprouted on the rooftops of his enemies when they fled abandoning their houses.... [6-47]

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yasya avarodha stana candanAnA.m prakShAlanAt vAri vihAra kAle kalinda kanyA mathurA.m gatA pi ga~Nga Urmi sa.msakta jalA iva bhAti

48. yasya vAri vihAra kAle= whose, water, sporting, at the time of - at the time of whose water sports with his harem; avarodha= not 'screenable inner apartment' here - but the ladies of screenable palace-chambers, old word harem, while harem nowadays means a brothel house; stana candanAnA.m prakShAlanAt= breasts, sandalwood paste, by the way of washing; kalinda kanyA= Mt. Kalinda's, daughter - River kAlindi emerging from Mt. kalinda; mathurA.m gatA api= city of mathura, reached, though; ga~Nga Urmi= River Ganga's, with ripples; sa.msakta jalA iva= mixed with, water, as though; bhAti= shines forth; he is such a king, namely susheNa, the king of shUrasena - is the competing line.

"He who participates in the waters sports with his palace ladies in the river water of River kAlindi, aka River yamuna, the river daughter of Mt. kalinda, in consequence of which the sandalwood paste daubed on the breasts of those ladies gets washed imparting a creaminess to the water of that river, whereby that River yamuna appears to have merged with the ripples of River ganga, though it is still flowing down south at mathura without actually achieving confluence with ganga at prayAga... [6-48]

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trastena tArkShyAt kila kAliyena maNi.m visR^iShTa.m yamunA okasA yaH vakShaHsthala vyApi rucha.m dadhAnaH sa kaustubha.m hrIpayati iva kR^iShNam

49. tArkShyAt= from garuDa, the Divine Eagle; trastena= one who is tortured, harassed; yamunA= River yamuna; okasA= yamunA eva okaH= [yamuna as his] dwelling place; kAliyena= by kAlIya, the gigantic serpent; visR^iShTa.m= abhaya dAna= [gem] gaged - archaic stake, pledge; offer as a guarantee - [by KAlIya]; kila= they say so; vakShaHsthala vyApi= on broad-chest, overspreading; rucha.m= pleasance, pleasant light of jewel; maNi.m dadhAnaH= [such a] jewel, wearing yaH= he who; sa kaustubha.m= with kausthubha jewel; kR^iShNam= vishnum= Vishnu; hrIpayati iva= vrIDayati iva= makes [Vishnu] feel ashamed, as though.

"Once the gigantic serpent kAliaya entrusted the jewel on his hood to the ancestors of this king when he fled harassed by Divine Eagle garuDa to take shelter in the underwater of River yamuna, so they say... and now this king who wears that jewel whose lustre spreads on his broad-chest makes light of viShNu even if viShNu wears the divine jewel kausthubha obtained from the churning of Milk Ocean...

kAlIya was a huge serpent whose abode was the island ramaNaka. By his insolence he incurred the displeasure of garuDa and being defeated in the ensuing fight he sought shelter under the water of the yamuna in the kingdom of shUrasena, a ground forbidden to garuDa through the curse of saubhari. - Brahma Vaivarta Purana. kausthubha - kum - the earth; sthubhnati iti kusthubha - the sea; kusthubhasya ayam kausthubha. [KMJ] The jewel kausthubha was no recompense for protection. Hence ala.nkAra in this is utpreksha.

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sa.mbhAvya bhartAram amu.m yuvAnam mR^idu pravAla uttara puShpa shayye vR^indAvane caitrarathAt anUne nirvishyatA.m sundari yauvana shrIH

50. yuvAnam= young man; amu.m= him; bhartAram= as husband; sa.mbhAvya= on considering, by honouring him as your husband; mR^idu= soft; pravAla= tender leaves; uttara= upari prasArita = overspread; puShpa shayye= on flower, bed; caitrarathAt= than chaitraratha, the pleasure gardens of kubera; a+nUne= not, inferior [to those celestial gardens]; vR^inda vane= in bRinda, gardens - bRindavan is the garden named after Brinda, the daughter of king kedara, which girl sported in the company of shrIhari in those gardens; sundari= oh, pretty girl; yauvana shrIH= [your] youth's, glory; nirvishyatA.m= [you] may enjoy.

"By honouring this young prince susheNa as your husband, oh pretty girl, you will be enjoying your youth on flowered beds covered with tender leaves in bRindavana garden, which in no way is inferior to chaitraratha, the pleasure garden of kubera... [6-50]

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adhyAsya ca ambhaH pR^iShata ukShitAni shaileya gandhIni shilA talAni kalApinA.m prAvR^iShi pashya nR^itya.m kAntAsu govardhana kandarAsu

51. [kim] ca= further; prAvR^iShi= in rainy season; kAntAsu= manoharAsu= in beautiful; govardhana kandarAsu= in Mt. govardhana, dales; ambhaH pR^iShata = with water, drops - with raindrops; ukShitAni= sprinkled; shaileya= shilAjitu ca shaileyam iti - vishva kosh= ShilAjit- a stone based medicament; gandhIni= having perfume of - suh medicament; shilA talAni adhyAsya= on stone, slabs, sitting on; kalApinA.m= of peacocks; nR^itya.m= dance; pashya= you see.

"Further, you may enjoy the dance of peacocks in the delightful dales of Mt. govardhana during rainy seasons by sitting on the stone slabs which when wetted with raindrops will be fragrant with the scent of shilAjit..." So said Lady sunanda to princess indumati. [6-51]

govardhana is the mountain where Krishna had amorous sports, and lifted it on his little finger. - Vishnu Purana.

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nR^ipa.m tam Avarta manoj~na nAbhiH sA vyatyagAt anya vadhUH bhavitrI mahI dhara.m mArga vashAt upeta.m srotovahA sAgara gAminI iva

52. Avarta= eddy like; manoj~na nAbhiH= beautiful, one who has such a navel; anya vadhUH = another [man's,] wife; bhavitrI= fem. sing. of bhavitu - she who is scheduled to become; sA= she, indumati; tam nR^ipa.m= him, that king - susheNa; sAgara gAminI srotovahA= ocean, going, stream-carrier - river; mArga vashAt upeta.m= in path, chanced, neared - one which by chance is met on the way; mahI dhara.m iva= earth, borne one - mountain, as with; vyatyagAt= moved past.

She who has a navel as beautiful as an eddy, and who is scheduled to become another man's wife, that princess indumati moved past that prince susheNa of shUrasena kingdom, just as an ocean bound river moves past a mountain met by chance on its way. [6-52]

Here u. ma - srotovaha - river; u.me - indumati; sAdhAraNa dharma - moving past - river moving past a mountain if encountered on its path, indumati moving past the king of kalinga because he happened to be on her way; cw - iva. 1] In Avarta manoj~na nAbhi - there is samAsa bheda as said in these vigraha vAkyA-s: Avarta eva manoj~nA nAbhi ryassyA ssA - eddy itself is the beautiful navel of the sheet of water of the river - on river's side; Avarta iva manoj~nA nAbhi ryassyA ssA - one having eddy-like beautiful navel on her belly which in turn is like the sheet of water of a river - on the side of princess. vyatyagAt - moved past - is the commonality applicable for both upamAna and upameya. anya vadhUrbhavitrI - going to become another man's wife - bimba; sAgara gAminI - river is also going to become another entity's wife, namely the wife of ocean, hence it is the pratibimba; tam nR^ipam - bimba; mhIdharam - pratibimba; mArga vashAt upetam - common factor in respect of both the king and mountain. In this construction there is a mishraNa, a mixture, of four elements - anugAmitva, bi.mba pratibi.mba, bhAva, shleSa samAsa bheda elements. 2] shrauti pUrNa upama.

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atha a~Ngada AshliShTa bhuja.m bhujiShyA hema a~Ngada.m nAma kali~Nga nAtham AseduShI.m sAdita shatru pakSha.m bAlAm abAla indu mukhI.m babhAShe

53. atha= then; bhujiShyA= ki~NkarI= chambermaid - sunanda; a~Ngada AshliShTa bhuja.m = with bicep ornaments, bound, one with such upper arms; sAdita shatru pakSha.m= extirpated, enemy, sides; hema a~Ngada.m nAma= hemangada, known as; kali~Nga nAtham= kalinga, king of; AseduShI.m= one who neared - indumati who by now neared such a prince; a +  bAla = not, very young - full grown [moon]; indu mukhI.m= to moon, faced one - to indumati; bAlAm = to [that] damsel indumati; babhAShe= [sunanda] spoke.

Then the chambermaid sunanda addressed that damsel indumati whose face is like that of a full moon and who by now has come into the proximity of the prince of kalinga, known as prince hemAngada, who is wearing bicep ornaments on his upper arms and who extirpated his foes. [6-53]

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asau mahendra adri samAna sAraH patiH mahendrasya maha udadheH ca yasya kSharat sainya gaja cChalena yAtrAsu yAti iva puraH mahendraH

54. mahendra adri samAna= to mahendra, mountain, similar to - vallabhacArya cleaves this as mahendra - to Indra; adri= to sun; samAnaH= comparable - to indra and sun; sAraH= having calibre; asau= he is - this hemAngada is; mahendrasya= of mahendra mountain; maha udadheH ca= of great, ocean, also; patiH= lord of; yasya yAtrAsu= in whose, expeditions; kSharat= flowing - ichor - flowing from the temples of elephants; sainya gaja= war, elephants; cChalena= with their semblance; mahendraH= Mt. Mahendra; puraH= in forefront; yAti iva= is moving, as though.

"This king hemanagada is equal to the Mt. mahendra. He is the lord both of the Mt. mahendra and a great ocean by that name. In the expeditions of this king, that Mt. mahendra itself appears, as it were, to march in the forefront of his army under the semblance of his war-elephants on whose temples ichor will be oozing as a mark of their invigoration... [6-54]

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jyA ghAta rekhe su bhujo bhujAbhyA.m bibharti yaH cApa bhR^itA.m purogaH ripu shriyA.m sa a~njana bAShpa seke bandI kR^itAnAm iva paddhatI dve

55. su bhujaH= glorious, arms - one having them, the prince of kalinga; cApa bhR^itA.m purogaH= bow, among wielders, foremost one - best archer; yaH= who; bandI kR^itAnAm= captive, who is made as - captivated; ripu shriyA.m= enemy's, grandeur; sa a~njana= with, mascara; bAShpa seke= teardrops, besprinkled to form runnels; paddhatI= pathi pa~NktI ca= continous [two] lines; iva [sthite]= like, [available - on his palms]; dve= two; jyA ghAta rekhe= jyAyAH AghAtAH= by bowstring, dented, lines - two continuous lines on his palms dented by continuous use of bowstring; bhujAbhyA.m= with two arms - by this dual case said for both arms, the prince is a savyasAchi - capable to handle arrows with both hands, ambidextrous; bibharti= he is bearing [those two scars made by bowstring - he is such a valorous prince; ala.nkAra - utpreksha.

"This prince with glorious arms is an ace archer and bears two dents on his palms made by the continuous use of his bowstring. Those two lines appear as two pathways for the runnels of teardrops mixed with the mascara of ladies called the grandeurs of his enemies, when this prince hemAngada captivated them... [6-55]

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yam AtmanaH sadmani sannikR^iShTaH mandra dhvani tyAjita yAma tUryaH prAsAda vAta ayana dR^ishya vIciH prabodhayati arNavaH eva suptam

56. AtmanaH sadmani= in his own, house - palace; suptam= one who slept; yam= whom; sannikR^iShTaH= available close by, in vicinity; prAsAda= of palace; vAta ayana= air, passages - from windows; dR^ishya = one whose [waves] can be seen; vIciH= who has waves [namely the ocean]; mandra dhvani tyAjita= by rumbling, sound, suppressed - bugles of watches are rendered unnecessary by the rumbling sound of waves; yAma tUryaH= watches, bugle - and their sound; arNavaH eva= [such] ocean, alone; prabodhayati= awakens - this king; arNava eva= ocean, alone; prabodhayati= wakes him up; arNavasya eva tUrya kAritvAt vaiartham samudrasya api sevyaH; kimutAnyeShAm iti bhAvaH - when the ocean itself is serving this king of kalinga as a bugler of watches, why reiterating that others are to be in his service? The anvaya that you may marry such a lordly king - is with next verse.

"When this king of kalinga is adored by no less than the great ocean, then what to tell about commoners… why because, there is a great ocean in the vicinity of the mansion of this king of kalinga whose waves can be seen from the windows of that mansion… for being in the proximity that ocean renders the regular bugles of watch-guards unnecessary to awaken this king in the mornings, because, the ocean-god himself gives watch-bugle with the rumbling sounds of his oceanic waves to wake up this king... [6-56]

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anena sArdha.m vihara ambu rAsheH tIreShu tAlI vana marmareShu dvIpa antara AnIta lava~Nga puShpaiH apAkR^ita sveda lavA marudbhiH

57. anena= with him, with such a prince whose merits are said in above verses; sArdha.m= along with - this prince; tAlI vana marmareShu= palm trees, groves of, in rustlings - in the rustling groves of palm trees; ambu rAsheH= water, heap - ocean; tIreShu= on shores; dvIpa antara AnIta= from islands, interspersed, brought - breezes brought from the interspersing islands; lava~Nga puShpaiH marudbhiH= clove, flowers, with breezes - in the breezes wafting the fragrance of clove flowers; apAkR^ita= removed; sveda lavA [satI]= sweat, drops [on becoming]; vihara= take jaunts, pleasure trips.

"With such a prince hemAngada of kalinga kingdom you can take pleasure trips in the groves of palm trees full with rustling of palm leaves on the seashore to where breezes will be wafting the fragrance of clove flowers from the interspersed islands of that ocean, if you accept his hand in marriage..." lady sunanda said so to the princess. [6-57]

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pralobhitA api AkR^iti lobhanIyA vidarbha rAjA avarajA tayA evam tasmAt apAvartata dUra kR^iShTA nItyA iva lakSmIH pratikUla daivAt

58. AkR^iti lobhanIyA= AkR^ityA AkarShaNIyA, na tu varNanA mAtrena - ityarthaH= one who is attracted by actual appearance, and not by mere description - indumati who can get attracted by the actuality of suitor king, not by sunanda's eulogy; vidarbha rAjA avarajA= vidarbha, king's, later born - younger sister - indumati; tayA= by her, by sunanda; evam= in this way; pralobhitA = excited, blandished; api= even though; nItyA= by tactics; dUra kR^iShTA= dUram AnIta = from a [great] distance, hauled; lakSmIH= goddess of fortune; pratikUla daivAt= pratikUlam daivam yasya tasmAt pu.msaH= one whose god is adverse - unfortunate fellow; iva= as with; tasmAt= from him - from kalinga king; apa Avartata= to side, turned away.

Though caretaker sunanda blandished her in this way, that younger sister of the king of vidarbha, namely princess indumati, who is apt to get attracted by the physicality, has turned away from the prince of kalinga, namely hemAngada, just as the goddess of fortune turns away from an unfortunate person however close she may have been hauled towards him by his tactics. [6-58]

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atha uraga Akhyasya purasya nAtha.m dauvArikI deva sa rUpam etya itaH cakora akShi vilokaya iti pUrva anushiShTA.m nijagAda bhojyAm

59. atha= later; dauvArikI= a female warder; deva sa rUpam= devena sa rUpam deva sa rUpam - tam; samAnam rUpam asya iti sa rUpam= divine featured; uraga= urasA gacChati iti uraga - generally a reptile, serpent, a city named after serpent - say nAga paTTaNam - of Andhra ; Akhyasya= known as; purasya nAtha.m= to [that] city [namely uraga city, say nAga paTTaNam] to its lord; etya= having gone to; hè cakora akShi= oh, one whose eyes are like the eyes of chakora bird; itaH vilokaya= here, you see; iti= thus; pUrva anushiShTA.m= pUrvam uktvA paschAtd vaktavyam injagAda iti arthaH= firstly, on addressing= bhojyAm= to bhoja's [sister]; ni jagAda= laying stress, said to.

Later, lady sunanda, the female warder of palace-chambers, having come to the divine-featured lord of the city known by the name of a serpent, firstly spoke to the younger sister of bhoja, namely princess indumati saying, "look here, oh, princess with beautiful eyes like those of a cakora bird..." and then spoke to her laying stress on the matter she is saying. [6-59]

The town referred to is nAga paTTanNam in the rAjamahendri distinct in [the then] Madras Presidency - KMJ

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pANDyaH ayam a.msa arpita lamba hAraH kL^ipta a~Nga rAgaH hari candanena AbhAti bAla Atapa rakta sAnuH sa nirjhara udgAraH iva adri rAjaH

60. a.msa= on shoulder tops; arpita= given, adorned with; lamba hAraH= dangling, chest-pendant - one who has a long chest pendant of pearls dangling from his shoulders; hari candanena= by red sandalwood; kL^ipta a~Nga ragaH= decorated, body, colour - body colour shines forth as red sandalwood as that paste is smeared on his body; ayam= he is - such as he is; pANDyaH= pANDUnAm nivAsaH, janapadaH pANDavaH, teShAm rAjaH pANDyaH - he is the king of pANDyA-s; bAla Atapa= young, sun - by rising sun; rakta sAnuH= reddened, mountain tops; sa nirjhara udgAraH= with, mountain rapids, streaming - mountain letting out rapids in streams; adri rAjaH= mountain, lordly; iva= like - this king is like; AbhAti= shines forth.

"This king whose long pendant of pearls is dangling from his shoulders, and whose body is shining forth with the tinge of red sandalwood as that paste is smeared on his body, and who appears like a lordly mountain letting streams of rapids on its mountainsides, and with its peaks flooded with the morning sunlight, is the prince of pANDya kingdom... [6-60]

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vindhyasya sa.mstambhayitA mahA adreH niHsheSha pIta ujjhita sindhu rAjaH prItyA ashva medha avabhR^itha Ardra mUrteH sausnAtikaH yasya bhavati agastyaH

61. vindhyasya mahA adreH= of Mt. vindhya, great, mountain; sa.mstambhayitA= one who stalled [its upward growth]; niHsheSha= completely; pIta= drunk; ujjhita= spoted; sindhu rAjaH= rivers, lord of - ocean - one who drank ocean and spouted it out; agastyaH= sage agastya; ashva medha= hose, ritual; avabhR^itha= a sacrted bathg on completing that ritual; Ardra mUrteH= wet, with body - when his body is still wet after the sacred bath; yasya= in whom; prItyA= friendlily, not by pity; sausnAtikaH= sukhena snAtaH iti pR^icChantaH - or - sushobhanam snAtam susnAtam pR^icChati; pR^icChatau susnAtAdibhyaH - those about whom enquiries are made if they have had a bath in due form after Vedic ritual, i.e., have you completed ritual procedurally' etc. will be enquired by Agastya. The questioner is Sage Agastya and the questioned king is the king of pANDya; bhavati= he who becomes - king of pANDya; anvaya is with 60 verse - drawing sense 'he is such a king of pANDyA-s who is asked by no less than sage agastya, which sage has stopped the growth of mountain on one occasion, and which sage drank and spouted an ocean on another occasion, such a sage will be enquiring this king about this king's sacred bath after Vedic-ritual, and such a king is here as suitor to you...'

"Sage who stopped the upward growth of the great vindhya mountain, who quaffed off and spouted out entire ocean, that sage agastya will be the catechiser of this king when this pANDyan king's body is still wet after the concluding sacred bath of ashvamedha ritual enquiring, '…have you performed the ceremony of ablution after Vedic-ritual ashvamedha properly....' [6-61]

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astra.m harAt AptavatA durApa.m yena indra loka apajayAya dR^iptaH purA janasthAna vimarda sha~Nkii sa.mdhAya la~Nka adhipatiH pratasthe

62. purA= in the days of yore; janasthAna= janasthAna - a stronghold of demon rAvaNa; vi marda= devastation; sha~NkI= one who was doubting - rAvaNa; dR^iptaH= insolent - demon; la~Nka adhipatiH= lanka's, lord - rAvaNa; dur Apa.m= difficult, to be obtained; astra.m= a missile; harAt= from hara, shiva; AptavatA= one who obtained; yena= by whom - rAvaNa; sa.mdhAya= having made peace - with the king of pANDya; indra loka= Indra's, world; apajayAya= not exactly victory, but gaining anything by conquest - as if to make Indra's heavean defeated - avajayAya is another text; pratasthe= embarked on - rAvaNa; anvaya with 60th verse - he who is such a king etc; indra vijayino rAvaNasya api [pANDya rAjA] vijete iti arthaH.

"No less than the haughty king of lanka, namely rAvaNa, had to make truce with these pANDyan kings as he feared the devastation of his stronghold called janasthAna at the hand of pANDya kings, because the pANDyan-s wielded a deadly missile called brahma-shiro-astra, obtained through the grace of god shiva… so, rAvaNa firstly made pact with them and then went to conquer indra's heaven, because conquering heaven is nothing before conquering pANDyan empire…  [6-62]

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anena pANau vidhivat gR^ihIte mahA kulInena mahI iva gurvI ratna anuviddha arNava mekhalAyA dishaH sapatnI bhava dakShiNasyAH

63. mahA kulInena= from a great, lineage; anena= by him; pANau= [your] hand; vidhivat gR^ihIte [sati]= procedurally, taken, [when wedded]; gurvI mahI iva= great, earth, as with; ratna anuviddha= gem, studded; arNava mekhalAyAH = ocean, with girdle cincture - like great earth wearing ocean, like a lady wearing girdle cincture studded with gems; dakShiNasyAH dishaH= to southern, quarter; sapatnI= a co-wife - samAnaH patnI asyA astIiti sapatnI; bhava= you will become.

"When your hand is procedurally accepted by this pANDyan king, who belongs to an illustrious lineage of southern kings, you will not have another co-wife excepting the great pANDyan earth… hence, do thou become a co-wife of the lady called southern quarter who is engirt by the girdle of ocean studded with gems... then garland him… and then you will… [6-63]

The girdle studded with gems has threefold upama. 1] ratnaiH anuviddhaH - ratnAnuviddhaH; sa cAsau arNavaH ca - ratnAnuviddhArNavaH - sa eva mekhalA yasyAssA - one who has a girdle studded with gems, which is also an ocean, rather ocean studded with gems - with ref. to earth in general. 2] arNava sadR^ishI mekhalA - arNava mekhalA - shAka pArthivAditvAt madhyama pada samAsaH - one whose girdle cincture is broad and beautiful like an ocean, and which is also studded with gems - with ref. to the princess indumati. 3] ratnAnuviddha eva mekhalA yasyAssA - one whose girdle cincture, namely southern quarter, which is grit with an ocean which is studded with gems, because the southern ocean is famous for gems - with ref. to southern quarter.

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tAmbUla vallI pariNaddha pUgAsu elA lata Ali~Ngita candanAsu tamAla patra astaraNAsu shashvat prasIda rantu.m malaya sthalIShu

64. tAmbUla vallI= beetle-leaves, creepers; pariNaddha= entwined with; pUgAsu= in areca-palms groves; elA lata Ali~Ngita= with cardamom, creepers, embraced with; candanAsu= in such sandalwood tree groves; tamAla patra= with Tamala, leaves; astaraNAsu= on layered beds; malaya sthalIShu= on Mt. malaya, on level spots; shashvat prasIda rantu.m= always, be pleased to, enjoy yourself.

"Be pleased to divert yourself always on the level spots of Mt. malaya where the areca-palms will be entwining the beetle-leaf creepers, cardamom creepers engirt the sandalwood trees and where the ground is covered with the layers of black tamala leaves... [6-64]

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indiivara shyaama tanuH nR^ipaH asau tva.m rocanaa gaura shariira yaShTiH anyonya shobhaa parivR^iddhaye vaa.m yogaH taTit toyadayoH iva astu

65. asau nR^ipaH= this, prince is; indIvara= indI - lakshmI - tasyAH varam = iShTam indIvaram, tadiva shyAmAtanuH yasya saH - blue lotus, Nympheae coerula and stellata; shyAma tanuH= blue-black, bodied - this prince; tva.m= yours is; rocanA= like gorocana; gaura= yellowish; sharIra= body; yaShTiH= this word primarily means a stick, or a pole but at the end of compounds meaning 'the body' it means slim, slender, e.g., sarasAnga yaShTi - ku. sam. V. 85; taTit= lightning; toyadayoH= black cloud; iva= as with; vA.m yogaH= of you two, union; anyonya= each other's; shobhA= elegance; parivR^iddhaye astu= enhance, let it - let the elegance of you too may enhance.

"This prince has the complexion of a blue-lotus and your slim figure has the fairness of yellowish gorocana, and your union with him enhances the elegance of both of you as with the beauty of lightening and black cloud..." So said lady sunanda to princess indumati. [6-65]

In this verse: 1] u.mA - blue lotus; u.me - body; commonality - blue-blackness; cw - iva - like. 2] samAsaga-vacaka lupta - upama; cw unsaid in compound; u. ma= rocana, gorocana; u. me - body of princess; commanlity for gorocana and princess - golden colour; cw - iva - this is lupta, unsaid here. 3] u. ma- slender like stick; u. me- slim body; c and cw are unsaid - lupta vAcaka. 4] dharma - vAcaka lupta - upama - u. ma- taTit toyada yoga - unison of lightning and cloud; u. me - indumatI pAnDyarAja yoga - unison of princess and pANDya prince; c - anyonaya shobhA parivarthakatva - this itself is the common dharma and commonality of a wedded life; cw - iva. Hence this has two vAcaka lupta upama-s, one dharma lupta upama, and one shrauti pUrNa upama.

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svasuH vidarbha adhipateH tadIyaH lebhe antara.m cetasi na upadeshaH divAkara adarshana baddha koshe nakShatra nAtha a.mshuH iva aravinde

66. vidarbha adhipateH svasuH= vidarbha's, lord's, sister's - indumati's; cetasi= in heart; tadIyaH= of her - of sunanda; upadeshaH= advise; divAkara= day maker - sun; a+darshana= without, seeing - when unseen; baddha koshe= bound, bud - in enfolded bud; aravinde= in day-lotus; nakShatra nAtha= stars, lord of - moon's; a.mshuH iva= moonbeam, as with; antara.m= lit. space - hence admission; na lebhe= not, took - it became inadmissible.

Chatelaine sunanda's advice found no admission into the heart of the sister of vidarbha's king, namely princess indumati, just as a ray of the lord of stars, namely the Moon, finds no entrance in the day-lotus when its petals are enfolded into a bud on the disappearance of the day maker, namely the Sun. [6-66]

Unmoved the royal Maid / Passed on : the lotus waits the rising Sun, / Nor heeds the Moon's pale beams, but stays close shut.

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sa.mcAriNI dIpa shikha iva rAtrau ya.m ya.m vyatIyAya pati.m varA sA narendra mArga aTTa iva prapede vivarNa bhAva.m sa sa bhUmi pAlaH

67. pati.m varA sA= husband, selector, she - she who has come to select her husband, indumati; rAtrau sa.mcAriNI dIpa shikha iva= in night, moving, lamp's, [glittering] flame, as with; ya.m ya.m= whom, whom; [bhUmi pAlam= king, whomever]; vyatIyAya= passed by; saH saH bhUmipAlaH= he, he, king - such and such a king; narendra mArga= on king's, way; aTTa= a turret, or a balustrade; iva= like; vi+varNa bhAva.m= without, colour, aspect - they bore a colourless aspect; prapede= [that king] obtained - that king became colourless, he drew blank.

Princess indumati who came to choose her husband then moved like the glittering flame of a lamp on a king's way, and whichever prince she left behind was suffused with pallor just like a turret or balustrade on the king's way will be shrouded in darkness and becomes dim when left behind by the moving light on the king's way. [6-67]

There are two upama-s in this: 1] dIpa shikha / rAja mArge aTTa; u. me - indumati, each prince left behind; c - becoming pallid; cw - iva; And it is also - kevala shliShTa paritopama.

Owing to this comparison of heroine with the tongue of flame of a lamp, kAlidAsa acquired the nickname of dIpa shikhA kAlidasa , like mAgha kavi acquiring a label like ghaNTA mAgha title, when he compared raivata mountain that has sun and moon on both of its sides, to an elephant - vahati girirayam vila.mbi ghaNTA... etc in shishupAla vadha.

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tasyA.m raghoH sUnuH upasthitAyA.m vR^iNIta vA na iti samAkulaH AbhUt vAma itaraH sa.mshayam asya bAhuH keyUra bandha ucChvasitaiH nunoda

68. tasyA.m upasthitAyA.m= of her, in proximity - when she came into his proximity; raghoH sUnuH= raghu's, son - prince prince aja; [mAm= me]; vR^iNIta vA = [she] chooses, whether; na= not; [vA= or]; whether she chooses me or not; iti= like this; samAkulaH AbhUt= anxious, he became; but; asya= his; vAma itaraH bAhuH= left, other than, upper arm - right arm; keyUra bandha ucChvasitaiH= bicep-lets, tying place, by throbbing - owing to the throbbing of upper arm where bicep-ornaments are tied; sa.mshayam nunoda= doubt, removed.

When princess indumati arrived before the son of emperor raghu, namely prince aja, he became uneasy whether she would choose him or not. But the throbbing of the upper right arm, where bicep-ornaments are usually tied, removed his misgivings. [6-68]

Light shuddering of right arm or eye of males, left arm or eye of females, is a good omen. siita kapiindra kshaNadaa charaaNaam raajiiva hema jvalanopamaanaani | sugriiva raama praNaya pasa~Nge vaamaani netraaNi samam sphuranti || 4-5-31  - vAlmIki rAmAyaNa. And dushyanta in shAkuntala wonders: sphurati ca me bAhuH, kutaH phalam iha asya?...

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ta.m prApya sarva avayava anavadya.m nyavartata anya upagamAt kumArI na hi praphulla.m sahakAram etya vR^ikSha antara.m kA~NkShati ShaTpadAliH

69. kumArI= damsel - indumati; sarva avayava anavadya.m= by all, limbs, faultless one - prince aja; ta.m prApya= to him, on coming up; anya upagamAt nyavartata= other, to approach, refrained from - she stirred no further; ShaTpad AliH= honeybees, a row of; praphulla.m sahakAram etya = fully bloomed, mango tree, on going to; vR^ikSha antara.m= tree, another; na kA~NkShati hi= not, desires [to go,] certainly.

That damsel indumati became stirless when she came to the fore of prince aja who is faultless in every limb, as a row of honeybees will certainly have no desire to approach any other tree when it has gone to a mango tree in full blossom. [6-69]

Here visheSha is justified by sAmAnya, hence arthAntara ala.nkAra.

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tasmin samAveshita citta vR^ittim indu prabhAm indumatIm avekShya pracakrame vaktum anukramaj~nA sa vistara.m vAkyam ida.m sunandA

70. tasmin= in him, in prince aja; samAveshita citta vR^ittim= retained, heart's, activity - her heart inclined towards him; indu prabhAm= AhlAdakatvAt indu sAmyam, na tu svarUpataH - moon, shine like, pleasant princess; indumatIm avekShya= at indumati, on seeing; anu krama j~nA= due order, knower of; sunandA= sunanda; ida.m= this; sa vistara.m= with, elaboration - elaborately; vAkyam vaktum pracakrame= sentence, to speak, started to.

Noticing that the heart of indumati, a princess as pleasant as moon, is inclined towards prince aja, then sunanda started to speak these words elaborately as she is well aware regulated speech. [6-70] 

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ikShvAku va.mshyaH kakudaH nR^ipANA.m kakutsthaH iti Ahita lakShaNaH  abhUt kAkutstha shabda.m yataH unnata icChAH shlAghya.m dadhati uttara kosala indrAH

71. ikShvAku va.mshyaH nR^ipANA.m= ikshvaku, linage, among kings; kakudaH= the foremost one; Ahita lakShaNaH= familiar, by characteristics - who made a mark for himself; kakutsthaH iti abhUt= kakutstha, thus [known as,] was there; yataH= from where, from whom; unnata icChAH= of high, ideals; uttara kosala indrAH= north, kosala, kings; shlAghya.m= praiseworthy; kAkutstha shabda.m= kakutstha, title; dadhati= [they are] bearing.

"There lived a monarch of the ikshvaku dynasty, the most eminent of kings who had made a mark for himself. From him forward the high-souled kings of north kosala bear the proud patronymic of kakutstha... [6-71]

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mahendram AsthAya mahA ukSha rUpa.m yaH sa.myati prApta pinAki lIlaH cakAra bANaiH asura a~NganAnA.m gaNDa sthalIH proShita patra rekhAH

72. yaH= who, which king kakustha; sa.myati= in battle; mahA ukSha rUpa.m= great, bull, in the form of; mahendram= great Indra - Indra in bull's form; AsthAya= taking up, bestriding; prApta pinAki lIlaH [san= ] = obtained, Shiva's, dexterity, while being so - while he attained the dexterity of shiva because he mounted a great bull; bANaiH= with arrows; asura a~NganAnA.m= demon, female's; gaNDa sthalIH= cheeks, at the places of; proShita= gone abroad, away from home - hence made to disappear; patra rekhAH= leafage, lines - ornamental leafage drawn on the cheeks of Asura females - signs of happy married life; cakAra= he who made - anvaya with earlier verse.

"Once indra assumed the form of a great bull and this kakutstha bestrode that bull. And while riding the bull kakutstha attained the dexterity of shiva, the destroyer, and flinging arrows on adversaries he made the pretty cheeks of asura females bare of ornamental designs... [6-72]

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airAvaNa asphAlana vishlatha.m yaH sa.mghaTTayan a~Ngadam a~Ngadena upeyuShaH svAm api mUrtim agryAam ardha Asana.m gotrabhidaH adhitaShThau

73. yaH= who - which kakutstha; airAvaNa= irA - water, born in water - elephant emerged from the churning of ocean - AirAvata, elephant of Indra; asphAlana= tasya AsphAlanam= by patting, by flapping that elephant with hand; vishlatha.m= loosened, untied; a~Ngadam= bicep-let - of Indra; a~Ngadena = with the armlet of kakutstha; sa.mghaTTayan= rubbing; svAm= his own - Indra's; agryAam mUrtimupeyuShaH= best, physique, on getting beck - Indra after leaving bull's form and getting his own physique; gotra bhidaH= gAm trAyante iti gotrAH [mountain s]; tAn bhindanti iti gotra bhid - one who cuts [the wings] of mountains - Indra; ardha Asana.m api= half, seat - throne, even; adhitaShThau= one who sat - kakutstha shared half throne with Indra; na kevalam mahoksharUpa dhAraNaH indrasya kakudam Arurukshat; ki.mtu nija rUpa dhAriNo.api indrasya arthAsanam iti api shabda arthgaH; athavA arthAsanampItyaperanvayaH; thus this prince is the legatee of such a kakutstha - anvaya with earlier stanzas.

"It was this kakutstha who in heaven shared half the seat with the breaker of flying mountains, namely indra, even when that indra discarded the bull's form and resumed his original magnificent form… and it is he who rubbed shoulders with indra to the point of rasping his bicep-let with that indra that had been loosened with indra's continuous flapping of his elephant called AirAvata... thus this prince aja belongs to the lineage of such a heaven-mate puranjaya, the kakutstha… [6-73]

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jAtaH kule tasya kila uru kIrtiH kula pradIpaH nR^ipatiH dilIpaH atiShThat ekona shata kratutve shakra abhyasUyA vinivR^ittaye yaH

74. uru kIrtiH= of great, renown; kula pradIpaH= for dynasty, who is the luminescence; dilIpaH [iti] nR^ipatiH= DilIpa, [thus known as,] a king; tasya kule jAtaH= in his [kakutstha's,] dynasty, is born; kila= they say; yaH= who - which dilIpa; shakra abhyasUyA vinivR^ittaye= Indra's, indignation, to remove; eka na shata= one, less than, hundred - ninety nine; kratutve= one who has those many Vedic-rituals; atiShThat= he [dilIpa] was there.

"In the dynasty of kakutstha a king of great renown and a luminescent personality of that dynasty took birth… he is known as emperor dilIpa and they say that though dilIpa could perform hundred Vedic-ritual, he stopped at ninety-nine just to keep down the indignation of indra... [6-74]

Indra never allows anyone to complete hundred Vedic-rituals. Here though Indra did not interfere that severely, king dilIpa out of his own magnanimity stopped performing 100th ritual.

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yasmin mahI.m shAsati vANinInA.m nidrA.m vihAra ardha pathe gatAnAm vAtaH api na asra.msayat a.mshukAni kaH lambayet AharaNAya hastam

75. yasmin= which - DilIpa; mahI.m shAsati= earth, while reigning; vihAra ardha pathe= rendezvous, half, way - when they are halfway on the path of rendezvous; nidrA.m gatAnAm= sleep, who went into; vANinInA.m= of wanton girls, carpulent women; a.mshukAni= garments; vAtaH api= wind, even; na asra.msayat= not, moved; AharaNAya= for stealing; kaH= who; hastam lambayet= hand, stretches; anvaya with 74th verse; in which dynasty such a king DilIpa is born, in the same dynasty prince aja is born.

"While king dilIpa was reigning over the earth, even the wind did not move the garments of crapulous women fallen asleep halfway on the road to their rendezvous… then, who could stretch forth his hand to commit a theft... [6-75]

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putraH raghuH tasya pada.m prashAsti mahAkratoH vishvajitaH prayoktA catur dik Avarjita sa.mbhR^itA.m yaH mR^it pAtra sheShAm akarot vibhUtim

76. vishvajitaH mahA kratoH= Vishvajit named, great, Vedic-ritual; prayoktA= one who officiated; tasya putraH raghuH= his, son, raghu; pada.m= sthAnam= position - kingship; prashAsti= assumed charge; yaH= who - which raghu; catur dik Avarjita= from four, directions, brought; sa.mbhR^itA.m= stored; vibhUtim= riches, wealth; mR^it pAtra sheShAm= earthen, pot, reduced - straitened - who straitened all riches to an earthen pot; akarot= made; mR^it pAtram eva sheSho yasyAstAm.

"He who performed the great Vedic-ritual called vishvajit, and who straitened all the riches amassed by him from all the four quarters as good as an earthen pot, such an emperor raghu, the son of king dilIpa, holds the place of his father at present... [6-76]

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ArUDham adrIn udadhIn vitIrNa.m bhuja.mgamAnA.m vasati.m praviShTam Urdhva.m gata.m yasya na ca anubandhi yashaH paricChettum iyattayA alam

77. adrIn ArUDham= on mountains, ascended; udadhIn vitIrNa.m= on oceans, spread over; bhuja.mgamAnA.m vasati.m praviShTam= of reptiles, dwelling place, one that has entered - entered the netherworlds, pAtAla, nAgaloka; Urdhva.m gata.m= upward - to heaven, which has gone; anubandhi ca= ever-pervading, also; yasya= whose - dilIpa's; yashaH= renown; iyattayA= idam parimANam asya iyat, iyat bhAvaH, tayA - this much, that much; paricChettum= to measure; na alam = not, easy; anmvaya with previous verses - whose fame, king raghu's fame, ascended to heaven etc., prince aja is such a king's son.

"He whose renown has ascended the mountains, overspread on oceans, entered the netherworld, and even has gone high up to heaven, and is still ever-pervading beyond all measurement or limit, such an emperor raghu is reigning t present... [6-77]

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asau kumAraH tam prince ajaH anujAtaH triviShTapasya iva pati.m jayantaH gurvI.m dhura.m yaH bhuvanasya pitrA dhuryeNa damyaH sadR^isha.m bibharti

78. asau kumAraH= this one, prince aja, is heir-apparent - of raghu; triviShTapasya= heaven's; pati.m= to lord - to Indra; jayantaH iva= jayanta, as with; tam [raghum= ] = him [to raghu]; anujAtaH= took birth; damyaH= one who is under training - prince aja; yaH= who; gurvI.m bhuvanasya dhura.m= weighty, earth's, burden - responsibility; dhuryeNa= a capable one; pitrA= with father - raghu who is experienced in kingcraft; sadR^isha.m= similarly; bibharti= bears - prince aja bears.

"And this heir-apparent prince aja took birth as the son of such an emperor raghu, as jayanta took birth as the son of the lord of heaven, namely indra, and though this prince aja is still a trainee in kingcraft he bears the weighty yoke of the earth in a similar way of his experienced father raghu... [6-78]

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kulena kAntyA vayasA navena guNaiH ca taiH taiH vinaya pradhAnaiH tvam AtmanaH tulyam amu.m vR^iNIShva ratna.m samAgacChatu kA~ncanena

79. kulena= by lineage; kAntyA= by charm; navena vayasA= by new, age - by youngness, come of age; vinaya pradhAnaiH= modesty, being foremost; taiH taiH guNaiH ca= by those, those, virtues, also; AtmanaH tulyam= to you, equal; amu.m tvam vR^iNIShva= him, you, choose - as husband; ratna.m kA~ncanena samAgacChatu= jewel, with gold, let join.

"You may choose, if you please, this prince prince aja who is a coequal of yours by his lineage, charm, young age, and by several other virtues of which modesty is the chief. Let the jewel be united with gold..." So said lady sunanda to princess indumati about prince aja. [6-79]

ala.mkAra - prativastUpama. yatra upamAna upameya vAkyayoH ekaH samAno dharmaH, pR^tak nirdeshyate sA prati vastu upama. | vAkyayoreka sAmAnye prativastU matA | tApena bhrAjate sUraH shUraH cApena rAjate || prati vastu= prati vAkya artham; upamA= samAno dharmaH - asyAm iti vyutpateH - atra eva 'bhrAjate' 'rAjate' iti eka eva dharmaH upamAnopameya vAkyayoH pR^thak bhinna padAbhyAm nirdiShTaH - kuvalayAnanda.m

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tataH sunandA vacana avasAne lajjA.m tanU kR^itya narendra kanyA dR^iShTyA prasAda amalayA kumAra.m pratyagrahIt sa.mvaraNa srajA iva

80. tataH sunandA vacana avasAne= then, sunanda's, words, at the conclusion of; narendra kanyA= king's, daughter - princess indumati; lajjA.m tanU kR^itya= coyness, lesser, on makinng; prasAda amalayA= prasAdena amalA= pleasing on account of satisfaction; dR^iShTyA= with such a glance; sa.mvaraNa srajA iva= choosing, garland, as if - a garland put around the neck of whoever is chosen; kumAra.m = that young man - prince aja; pratyagrahIt= she received - she chose.

Then, at the conclusion of sunanda's speech, princess indumati lessening her coyness accepted the young prince aja as her husband by throwing a bright glance of satisfaction at him, as if that glance itself is the wooing garland. [6-80]

In this u.ma - choosing garland; u.me- glance of flower-like princess; c - choosing; cw - iva - as if . This tilts towards utprekha also.

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saa yuuni tasmin abhilaaSha bandha.m shashaaka shaaliinatayaa na vaktum romaa~nca lakShyeNa sa gaatra yaShTi.m bhittvaa niraakraamat araala keshyaaH

81. sA= she - indumati; yUni= youngster prince aja; tasmin= in him; abhilASha bandha.m= love, knot of; shAlInatayA= by bashfulness; vaktum na shashAka= to speak of, not, capable; [tathA api= even if it so]; arAla keshyAH= of that curly, haired one - of the princess; saH= that - intersedness; romA~nca= by tingling of hair; lakShyeNa= by marking; gAtra yaShTi.m= body, stick like; bhittvA= penetrating; nirAkrAmat= came out.

Though princess indumati could not express her fixed love in regard to that young prince aja verbally, but the love of that curly-haired princess penetrated through her slender body and manifested in the form of hair-thrills. [6-81]

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tathA gatAyA.m parihAsa pUrva.m sakhyA.m sakhI vetrabhR^it AbabhAShe Arye vrajAvaH anyataH iti atha enA.m vadhUH asUyA kuTila.m dadarsha

82. sakhyA.m= of her friend - indumati; tathA gatAyA.m= in that way, wnet into - when indumati went into a trance of love; parihAsa pUrva.m= jesting, preceded by; sakhI= friend, well-wisher; vetra bhR^it= staff, bearer - warder sunanda; AbabhAShe= spoke - to indumati; hè Arye= oh, lady; vrajAvaH anyataH= let us go, somewhere else; iti= thus; atha= then - on listening it; enA.m= to her, to sunanda; vadhUH= the bride, damsel - indumati; asUyA= with resentment; kuTila.m= sidelong; dadarsha= she saw - she threw a resentful sidelong glance.

On observing that her friend indumati had tripped into a trance of love, warder sunanda jestingly spoke this to her, "oh, lady, let us go somewhere else..." at which the damsel indumati frowningly threw a sidelong glance at sunanda. [6-82]

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sA cUrNa gaura.m raghunandanasya dhAtrI karAbhyA.m karabha upama UrUH Asa~njayAmAsa yathA pradesha.m kaNThe guNa.m mUrtam iva anurAgam

6-83. karabha= kara pradesha visheSaH - from wrist to the tip of small finger of a hand, a hand sized; upama= similar to; UrUH= one having that much thighs - slender thighed indumati; sA= she - indumati; cUrNa gaura.m= with kumkum powder, which became red; guNa.m= usually means a thread, here a thread to which flowers are knotted - garland; mUrtam anurAgam iva= embodiment, of [her] love, as though; dhAtrI karAbhyA.m= with nurse sunanda's, hands; raghunandanasya kaNThe= around Raghu's legatee - prince aja's, neck; yathA pradesha.m= in correct position; Asa~njayAmAsa= garlanded; na tu sva karrabhyAm - anaucityAt - The princess did not garland him with her own hands as it would be indecorous. So indumati used the hands of sunanda to garland prince aja.

Then that princess with slender-thighs indumati caused the bridal-garland, which is already reddened with auspicious kumkum powder, to be properly placed by the hands of her nurse sunanda around the neck of raghu's son, prince aja, and then that reddish garland looked the very embodiment of her blushing love towards him. [6-83]

This is disputed as 'kalpita upama' and 'utpreksha'.

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tayA srajA ma~Ngala puShpa mayyA vishAla vakShasthala lambayA saH ama.msta kaNTha arpita bAhu pAshA.m vidarbha rAja avarajA.m vareNyaH

84. vareNyaH saH [prince ajaH]= worthy to be chosen, he, that prince aja; ma~Ngala puShpa mayyA= which is with auspicious, flowers, full of; vishAla vakShasthala lambayA= on braod, chest, danglinng; tayA srajA= by that, garland; vidarbha rAja avarajA.m= vidarbha's, king's, sister - indumati; kaNTha arpita= around neck, dedicated; bAhu pAshA.m= arms, loop of; ama.msta= felt.

By that garland of auspicious flowers looped around his broad chest that worthy prince aja felt as if princess indumati had whorled her delicate arms around his neck. [6-84]

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shashinam upagatA iya.m kaumudI megha mukta.m jala nidhim anurUpa.m jahnu kanyA avatIrNA iti sama guNa yoga prItayaH
tatra paurAH shravaNa kaTu nR^ipANAm eka vAkya.m vivavruH

85. tatra= there - in the hall of husband-selection; sama guNa= who have similar, qualities - prince aja, indumati; yoga= by their union; prItayaH= gladdened; paurAH= citizens; iya.m= this is - like; megha mukta.m= by clouds, released; shashinam= moon; upagatA= neared; kaumudI= moonshine; anurUpa.m jala nidhim= suited for herself, water, treasure - ocean; avatIrNA= one who entered into; jahnu kanyA= Sage Jahnu's, daughter - River Ganga; iti= thus; nR^ipANAm shravaNa kaTu= to [other] kings, for ears, harsh; eka vAkya.m= inb one, voice; vivavruH= clearly said, eulogised.

The citizens available in the hall of bridegroom-selection eulogised the union of bride and bridegroom, whose characteristics are similar, in one voice. They said that indumati is like the moonshine that has come back to the moon when the moon is cleared of clouds covering him. And she is like River ganga descended to the ocean so suited to her. Of course, this talk remained harsh on the ears of other suitor kings still available there. [6-85]

The metre of this stanza is mAlini. The al.mkAra in this verse cannot be decided as 'nidarshana' or 'lalita' hence this is termed as 'sa.ndehaka' alankAra - kuvalayAnanda . In sAhitya darpaNa , vishvanAtha kavirAja has said as 'samAsAla.nkAra' - samam syAt anurUpyeNa, shlAghA yogyasya vastunaH ||

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pramudita vara pakSham ekataH tat kShiti pati maNDalam anyataH vitaanam uShasi saraH iva praphulla padma.m kumuda vana pratipanna nidram aasiit

86. ekataH= on one side; pramudita vara pakSham= gladdened, bridegroom's, party; anyataH= another side; vitAnam= blank with dejection; tat kShiti pati maNDalam= that, land, lords, assembly; uShasi= in morning; praphulla padma.m= fully bloomed, lotuses - under sun; kumuda= white lotuses - those closing up in consequence of the disappearance of moon; vana= with a host of - such lotuses; pratipanna nidram= which obtained, sleep - kumuda flowers; saraH iva= lake, like - like a lake with such lotuses; AsIt= it is - that hall for self-selecting the bridegroom became.

With the highly gladdened party of the bridegroom on one side, and with highly dejected party of suitors on the other, that assembly of kings in the hall for self-selecting the bridegroom appeared as a morning time lake containing a host of white lotuses drowned in sleep with the disappearance of moon on one side, and with fully blooming lotuses on the other, with the rise of the sun. [6-86]

The metre used is puShpitaagra. u. ma - uShaH kaalika saraH; u. me- vivaaha maNDapa; saa.va - iva; pramudita paksha - bi.mba; vikasita padma - prati bi.mba; vitaana raaja maNDala - bi.mba; nidrita kumuda vana - prati bi.mba; vitaana, nidrita shabdaaH - aupacaarika shabdaaH; Hence saadhaaraNa dharma is said with bi.mba prati bi.mba bhaava - upacaara - shabdaaH.

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इति कालिदास कृत रघुवंश महाकाव्ये षष्ठः सर्गः

iti kālidāsa kṛta raghuvaṁśa mahākāvye ṣaṣṭhaḥ sargaḥ

Thus this is 6th chapter in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha, The Outstanding Poem of India

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abbreviations, words used  etc - explained

Krishnarao Mahadeva Joglekar, 1916 - KMJ, or Joglekar

Gopala Raghunath Nandargikar, 1897 GRN

pithy, terse sayings or foots of poem appearing in comment section - from The Story of Raghu's Line by Kalidasa; translated  by P. De Lacy Johnston, Published by Adine House, London, 1902 - De Lacy or Lacy

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upama is roughly said as metaphor, transferred epithet, or condensed simile, or expanded simile, or whatever, but not stabilised, as with atishayokti and utpreksha both made to fall under the category of a hyperbole.

u.mA o : upamAna - comparable object; or the object itself.

u.me  oc : upameya - object compared.

sA.dha c: sAdhAraNa dharma: commonality in sharing attributes.

sA. vA cw: sAdharaNa vAcaka: coupula, conjunctional word used.

anu.dha uq : anugAmi dharma : underlying quality of factors.

bimba om, or O: object to be mirrored.

prati-bimba mo: reflected object with mirror symmetry, mirrored object.

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shleSa innuendo: lexically mixing, imbibed in; better we use this innuendo= 2 a remark with a double meaning, usu. suggestive; till pundits object.

zeugma : a figure of speech using a verb or adjective with two nouns, to one of which it is strictly applicable while the word appropriate to the other is not used (e.g. with weeping eyes and [sc. grieving] hearts).

syllepsis : a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses (e.g. caught the train and a bad cold) or to two others of which it grammatically suits one only (e.g. neither they nor it is working) - but not innuendo, or double meaning.

atishayokti - hybo: hyperbole.

utpreksha - mglq: magniloqui, gasconade.

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Out of many mind-boggling Sanskrit poetics, upama is one, and only 23 of its shades are presented here as illustration. Please construe that hero is telling these se ntences to his heroine.

• 1] candra iva mukham manoj~nam = Like moon your face is heart-pleasing - upama alankAra.

• 2] candra iva mukham mukham iva candraH - That moon is like your face, and your face is like that moon - upameya upamA alankAra.

• 3] mukham iva mukham = face is face - ananvaya alankAra.

• 4] mukham iva candraH - moon is like your face - pratIpa alankAra

• 5] candram dR^iSTvA mukham smarAmi - on seeing I reminisce your face - smaraNa alankAra

• 6] mukham eva candraH - your face is moon alone - rUpaka alankAra

• 7] mukha candreNa tApaH shAmayati - on seeing moonlike face of yours, fervidity is lessening - pariNAma alankAra

• 8] kim idam mukham? uta aho! candraH - is this your face or that moon? - sandeha alankAra.

• 9] candra iti cakorAH tvat mukham anudhAvanti - thinking your face is moon songbirds are after it - bhrAntimat alankAra

• 10] candra iti cakorAH, kamala iti bhramarAH tvat mukhe ra~njanti - thinking your face to be moon, songbirds and bees [wish to take] delight in it.

• 11] camdro ayam, na mukham - this is moon, but not a face - apahnava

• 12] idam nUnam candraH - this is definitely the moon - utpreksha

• 13] candro ayam bhUpatiH - this king is the moon - atishayokti

• 14] mukhena candra kamale nirjite - moon or lotus is conquered by your face - tulya yogitA alankAra

•  15] nishi candraH tvat mukham ca hR^iSyati - night's moon delights your face - dIpaka alankAra

• 16] tvat mukha eva aham rajyAmi, candra eva cakoro rajyate - I take delight in your face, while songbirds take delight in that moon - prati vastu upama

• 17] divi candro yathA, bhuvi tathA tvat mukham bhAti - as to how the moon shines in the sky, thus your face shines forth on the earth - dR^iSTAnta alankAra

• 18] mukham candra shriyam bhibharti - your face is bearing the shine of that moon - nidarshana alankAra

• 19] niSkalankam mukham candrAt atiricyate - immaculate face of yours is surpassing that moon - vyatireka alankAra

• 20] tvat mukheva saha nishAsu candro hR^iSyati - along with your face, moon is also delightful in nights - saha ukti alankAra

• 21] mukham netra a.nka ruciram, smita jyostno upashobhitam - your face is delightful with eyes called its embellishments, and with moonshine like smiles - samAsa ukti alankAra

• 22] abjena tvat mukham tulyam hariNA hitasaktinA - your face vies with moon who has a deer in him, [or, your face vies with rising sun with lotus...] abhanga sabhanga shleSa alankAra

• 23] mukhasya puirataH candro niSprabhaH - before your face moon is loosing his shine   a prastuta prashamsha.

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desiraju hanumanta rao, August 09

desirajuhrao at yahoo.com