A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry I n English Translation
Compiled by A.N.D. Haksar
INDIAN COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS NEW DELHI
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Foreword
With a continuing tradition of at least three millennia, the vast literature of Sanskrit forms an important part of India's cultural heritage . Translations from
Sanskrit classics like Shakuntala have figured among the earliest publi c at i ons of
the Indian Council for Cultural Relati on s. Some years ago the Council brought out
Glimpses (!lSanskril Literalure,
a
broad informative survey of this m agn ifi cent literature by respected scholars, attuned to general interest both in India and abroad. Included in it was a sampling of tran s l ations from celebrated Sanskrit works which could g iv e readers a flavour of the language ' s literary genius. The appreci ative response to that publication, in India as well as outside ,
encouraged the Counc il to follow up with the present volume. This is a c omprehensive anthology of Sanskrit poetry in the best English translation
available. The first ever of its kind, it br ings togethe r excerpts from a full r ange of original works translated by a galaxy of distinguished sch olars and writers Indian and foreign, incl udi ng famous names such as Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda, and Nobel Prize Poets Octavio Paz and William Butler Y cats.
Drawing from sacred and secular, classic and folk literature, this collection features a w ide variety of poetry in translation. It has been c om piled by former Indian Ambassador A.N.D. Haksar, himself a well known translator from Sanskrit into English, who had also edited the earlier volume for the Council.
Exp ress ing dee p grat itude for his efforts, the Counci l h as gre at ple asu re in placing its fruit before the public whose comments are welcome as always .
M.K. Lokesh Acting Director Genera l
Acknowledgements
The compiler and the publisher gratefully acknowledge permission from the following to reprint excerpts from works in copyright: Sahitya Akademi. New Delhi for excerpts from Chandra Raj an. The Complete Works ofKalidasa. Vol. I, and V. Raghavan "Kalividambana", Indian
L it erature. June 1970; Bennet Coleman Co. Ltd., New Delhi and Prof. P. Lal,
Kolkata, for P. Lal, "The Messenger", Femina. Bombay issue, 8-12 January 1985; Bennet Coleman & Co. Ltd., for excerpts from Pritish Nandy, "Amazing Amaru", 4 October 1990 and "Beguiling Bilhana", 14 November 1990, reproduced by arrangement with The Illustrated Weekly
of India; Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, for of God and Other Poems. 1977; Sanskrit Love Poetry. 1977, Columbia
excerpts from Swami Vivekananda, In Search Mr. J.M. Masson for excerpts from
University Press, New York copyright © by W.S. Merwin and J.M. Masson; Motilal Banarasidass Publishers, Delhi for excerpts of translations by Barbara Stoler Miller and David Gitomer in Barbara Stoler Miller ed. Theatre of Memory: The Plays ofKalidasa. 1999 reprint, first published 1984 by Columbia University
Press; Vedanta Press, Hollywood, California, for excerpts from "The Shattering of Illusion". in ,%ankara 's Crest-Jewel qf Discrimination by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, 1947; Y.K. Publishers, Agra, for verses from The
Indian Poetic Tradition by S.H. Vatsyayan, V.N. Misra and Leonard Nathan, 1993; Cassel & Co.. London for verses from "Pushan" by Romesh Outt and "Black Marigolds" by E. Powys Mathers in An Anthology of World Poetry. ed. Mark Van Doren. 1929; Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series, Varanasi, for excerpts from Nvmns of the Ri� Veda (1889) tr. R.T.H. Griffith (reprint 1963) and Hymns of the Samaveda. tr. R.T.H. Griffith (1893); Mr. Jean Le Mee for excerpts from his Hymnsfi'om the Rig Veda. Jonathan Cape Ltd., London, 1973; Rupa & Co., New
Delhi for excerpts from
A.L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India. 1959,
(Evergreen Encyclopedia, Vol. E-148), Grove Press Inc., New York; Oxford University Press, New Delhi, for permission to reproduce excerpts from The Thirteen Principal Upanishad�. ed. R.E. Hume, and from Vinay Dharwadkar ed. The
Col/ected Essays ofA.K. Ramanujan (1999); Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi.
for all of the following: excerpts from The Buddha Charita or Acts of the Buddha. ed. E.H. Johnston (Lahore 1936), reprinted 1972, copyright © by Motilal Banarsidass; verses from Gita�ovjnda qfJayadeva. tr. Barbara Stoler Miller, 1984 (copyright © by Columbia University Press, 1977,
Love Songs of the Dark Lord);
Acknowledgements. ix
and verses from A.K. Warder, Indian Kavya Literature, Vols. 3,4,5 and 6, 1977,
1983, 1992 ; Penguin Books, UK, for verses from Poems from the Sanskrit, (Penguin Classics 1968), tr. John Brough, copyright © John Brough 1988; Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd .• for excerpts from The Hitopadda by Nariiyana, and Simhasana Dvatrim,fikii: Thirtytwo Tales olthe Throne ol Vikramaditya, both tr. A.N.D. Haksar; The Adyar Library and Research Centre, Chennai, for verse translations from A.K. Warder, The Science qlCrilicism in India (1978); Harper Coli ins Publishers India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. for extracts from A.N.D. Haksar, Shuka Saptati, 2000; Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Pondicherry. for passages from
the following writings of Sri Aurobindo: The Translations and The Century 0/ Lile. and from Sri A urobindo, A Biogr aphy and a history, vo!. I, by K.R.S.
Iyengar; Jaico Publis hing House. Mumbai, for excerpts from Arthur W. Ryder, Panchatantra, 1949, ( publis hed by arrangement with the University of Chicago
Press), originally published in the USA in 1925; Ms. from Barbara
Stoler Miller, The
G we nn A. Miller for excerpts Thief; Columbia University
Hermit and the Love
Press, New York (1978); Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chcnnai, for exce rpts from Bhagavad Gita , tr. S wami Prabhavananda and C hris tophe r Isherwood; Ms.
Nayantara Sahgal , Dehradun, for exce rpts from R.S. Pandi t . Ritusamhara, National Information and Publications Ltd., Mumbai (1947); and Ravi Dayal Publishe rs ,
New Delhi, for excerpts from Arvind Kri sh na Mehrotra, The Ahsent Excerpts from "A T ale of Two (j ardens Col/eclcd Pocms
Traveller (1991).
",
1957-1987 by Octavio Paz, translated by Eliot Weinburger, reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corp., copyright (�') 1986 by Octavio Paz
and Eliot Weinburger ; lines from 'Taittiriya" and "Chandogya" in The Tell Principal Upanishad� by W.B. Ycats and Shree Purohit Swami, re print ed with the
permission of A.P. Wall Ltd., London, on behalf of Michacl B. Yeats and Shri Purohit Swami; poem reprinted by permission of the publishers frolll Sal7skrit
Poctry ./fom
Vidl'akara 's
'Trea.\·lIry·,
ed.
and tr.
by D aniel 11.11.
I n galls ,
Camb ridge , Mass.: the Belknap Press of Harvard University Pr ess . copyright ©
1965, 1968 by the President and Fellows of Harvard C()II\!g�, C ambridge, Mass.; poems reprinted by p ermission of the pub l isher from 711c Saundaryalahri
(Harvard Oriental Series 43), ed. and tr. by W. Norman Brown, copyright © 1958 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Excerpts of translations by Sheldoll Pollock are from Sheldon Pollock, "Public Poetry in Sanskrit", in Glimpses a/Sanskrit Literature, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi © 1995 leCR; translations by George Keyt are from Gita Govinda 1947, Kutub Publishers, Mumbai; of Kalidasa by A.W. Ryder are from Arthur W. Ryder, Kalidasa: Shakuntala and other Writings,
1912, E. P. Dutton and Co., New York; by Edwin Gerow and Peter Dent from The Elek Book of Oriental Verse, 1979, Paul Elek Ltd., London; and by Romesh
C. Dutt, from his The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Temple Classics 1899, E. P. Dutton, New York, reprint 1910. Other selections in this book are from Nalopakhyana, tr. Sir M. Monier Williams, Oxford Univ ersit y Press, 1879;
x •
A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
Indian Idylls, Ir. Sir Edwin Arnold, Trubner and Co., London, 1883; Song Celestial tr. Sir Edwin Arnold, Sacred Writings Vo!. 2, The Harvard Classics (New York, P.F. Collier and Co., 19 10); and Shakuntala tr. A. Hjalmer Edgren ( 1894), reproduced in Six Sanskrit Plays, ed. Henry W. Wells, Asia Publishing House, 1964 . Trans lations from Bhartrihari by A.N.D. Haksar are reprinted with his copyright permission. We are grateful to all whose works have been used to compile this book.
Acknowledgements. xi
Contents
Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction
VII
ix xxiii
THE VEDAS Rig Veda
I.
Ushas: The Dawn
1
2. 3.
Hymn of Creation
2
The Wind
4.
Night
3 3
5.
The Dawn
4
6.
The Sun
5 7 9
7.
Indra
8.
Aranyani: Forest Spirit
9.
Push an
10
10.
The Gambler
II
11.
Thoughts
13
Siima Veda
12.
Soma
14
Atharva Veda
13.
Earth, the Mother
15
14.
Courage
17
Yajur Veda
15.
A Prayer
17
THE UPANISHADS Kena Upanishad
16.
By Whom?
18
Katha Upanishad
17.
The One Essential
18
Brihadiiranyaka Upanishad
18.
Tree and Man
19
19.
The Hymn of Sweetness
20
Contents. xiii
Chhiindogya 20.
Upanishad
You are That
21
Taittiriya Upanishad 21.
Learn and Teach
Munqaka 22.
21
Upanishad
Two Birds
22
VYASA Mahiibhiirata 23.
The Humiliation of Draupadi
23
24.
Death of Abhimanyu
28
25.
Oblation to Karna
30
26.
The Mother to Her Son
33
27.
The Bridal of Damayanti
34
28.
Savitri and the God of Death
36
Bhagavadgitii 29.
The Sorrow of Arjuna
42
30.
The Vision
44
VALMIKI RiimiiyafJa 31.
Rama and Sita
45
32.
Sita's Vow
47
33.
City in Mourning
49
34.
The Sandals
51
35.
Winter in Panchavati
52
36.
The Season of Rain
54
37./
The Asoka Garden
57
ASVAGHOSHA Buddhacharita 38.
The Great Departure
59
39.
The Leave Taking
61
40.
The Grief of Yasodhara
63
41.
The Final Penance
65
42.
The Army of Mara
66
43.
The Enlightenment
67
OHASA Svapna Viisavadattii 44.
Flight of Cranes
68
Chiirudatta 45.
Moonrise
xiv. A Treasury �f Sanskrit Poetry
68
f;'rom Subhashita Ratnakosha of Vidyakara 46.
The Magic of Moonlight
68
47.
End of the Rains
69
HALA Catha Sat/asai (Prakrit) 48.
Verses
70
SDDRAKA
Mricchaka�ika 49.
The Storm
73
50.
On Being Poor
74
VISHNU SARMA
Panchatantra 51 .
Kings
75
52.
The Penalty of Virtue
76
53.
Fate
77
54.
True Friendship
77
55.
Fool and False
78
56.
Poverty
78
57.
Procrastination
79
KALlDASA
Meghadiita 58.
The Yaksha's City
80
59.
The Yaksha's Message
81
Kumarasambhava 60.
The Bride's Adornment
84
61.
Omens of War
86
62.
Advent of Spring and Love
87
Raghuva�sa 63.
The Foresakcn City
90
Ritusamhara 64 .
The Pageant of the Seasons
91
Abh(jnanasakunla/a 65.
Remembrances of Shakuntala
93
Vikramorva.fiya 66. 67.
The Search for Urvasi
94
Signs of Urvasi
95
68.
Twilight
95
Contents. xv
SyAMILAKA
Piidatiidilaka 69.
On Laughter
96
SUBANDHU
Vii.l'avadatta 70.
97
Villains
BHARAVI
Kiratarjunfya 71 .
The Water Sport
98
72.
Of Fools
99
73.
In Praise of Good Words
99
MAGHA
.�isupalavadha 100
74.
The Carousal
75.
The Morning After
101
76.
The Island City of Dvaraka
101
BHARTRIHARI
Satakatrayam 77.
Verses on Life
103
78.
Verses on Love
104
79.
Verses on Renunciation
105
DHARMAKIRTI
From Suhha.l'hilu
RUlnukusha
80.
To ask no favours
107
81 .
Prestige
107
82.
The Lonely Path
IOS
VlsAKHADATTA
Mudriiraksha.l'a 109
83.
Royal Power
84.
The Good Man
109
85.
Autumn Skies
109
BANA
Harshacharilu 86.
The Horse
1 10
From Subhashila Ratnakosha 87.
The Traveller at the Well
110
88.
Forest Fire
111
xvi. A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
D1VAKARA From Surngadhara Paddhati 89.
The Spread of Fame
1 12
AMARU Amarusataka 90.
Love Poems
1 13
DANDlN From Subhushila Ratnakosha 91.
Epigrams
117
KlJMARADAsA Jiinakiharana
92.
The Quarrel
1 18
From Sub hiis h ila Ralnakosha 93.
As the Wind Blows
1 18
BHATT . . A NARA Y ANA . Ventsamhiira 94.
The Challenge
1 19
95.
Ve nge ance
1 19
From Subhiishila Ralnakosha 96.
True Strenb>1h
119
SANKARA SaundQ/:valahari 97.
In Praise of the Goddess
1 20
Moha MlIilgara 98.
The Shat tering of Illusion
121
YASOVARMAN From SlIhhiishiliivali of Vallabhadeva 99.
The Intolerance of Fate
1 23
SARAIIA Dohiiko.�a (Apabhra�sa) 1 00. The Boatman
1 24
Contents. xvii
RAVIGUPTA From Subhiishitiivali 101. Wickedness
125
KOOHALA Lifiivai (Prakrit) 102. A Mistress of Arts
126
GOVINDA Svayambhuchanda (Apabhra�sa) 103. Cattle in the Moon Light
127
BHAVABHOTI Ut/ara Riima Char ita 104.
Deep in Love
128
105. Great Hearts
128
106. Mountain River
129
107. The Beloved
129
108.
129
B i tter Grief
Miilati Miidhava 109.
Her Glances
130
110.
Medley of Emotions
130
I I I. The Proud Poet
131
VIDYA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 112. To the River Murala
132
113. To Her Friends
132
114. Jumna's Bank
132
From Saduktikarnamrita o/Sridharadiisa 115.
Love in the Countryside
133
DAMODARAGUPTA KuUanimata
1 16. The Harlot's Experience
134
MLJRARI
A nar�hariighava I 17.
The Lord of Lanka
135
118.
In Praise of ValmTki
135
119. The Courtier
135
120. The Moon Knows
136
xviii. A
Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
SILA BHATTARIKA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 12 1. A Memory 122. The Messenger
137 137
ASAGA
Vardhamiinacharita 123. Pen Pictures
138
VIKATANITAMBA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 124. Recollection
\39
From Subhiishitiivali 125. The Advice
139
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 126. River of Beauty
140
VALLANA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 127. The Month of May 128. When he had taken off my clothes 129. Beauty
141 141 141
ABHINANDA Riimacharita 130. Hanuman
leaps over the Ocean
From Suhhiishita Ratnakosha 13 1. Country Scene 132. Friendshi p
142 142 143
NARAYANA Hitopadda 1 33. On Nobility
134. 135. 136. 137. 138.
144
On Transience
144
On Friends
145
On Governance
145
On Hunger
146
Reflections
147
DAMODARAMISRA Hanumanniitaka 139. The Moon Disguised 140. The Arrows of Love
148 148
Contents. xix
RAJASEKHARA
Viddhasiilabhanjikii 14 1. The Dancer
149
142. Growing Up
149
KSHEMIsv ARA
Chandakausika 143. The Sacrificial Tree
150
SIDDHA
Upamitibhavaprapancha Kathii 144. The Beggar Unmeritorious
15 1
ANANTA
From Siirngadhara Paddhati 145. The Poet's Fame
152
KALASAKA
From Subhiishifiivali 146. Love Recal l ed
153
BHOJYA DEVA
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 147. Apparition on the River Bank
154
148. The Mango Grove
154
ATULA
Mushikavam.�a 149. A March through Kerala
155
KSHEMENDRA
Kavikan�hiibharana 150. The Poet
1 56
I 51.
156
Pundarika
SOMADEVA
Kalhiisarilsiigara 152. The Merchant's Daughter
1 57
BILHANA
Chaurapancha.�ikii 153. Memories of Love
xx •
A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
159
DHANESVARA
Surasundari (Prakrit) 154. When the Rain's Came
161
155. The Shipwreck
162
JAYADEVA
Gitagovinda 156. Song in the Melody Gurjari
165
157. Song in the Melody Ramakari
166
J 58. Song in the Melody Vasanta
167
HARIBHATTA
From SlIbhiishitiivali J 59. The W i se and the Great
169
MANOVINODA
From SlIbhiishita Ratnakoshu 160. B irds
170
NA Y ACHANDRA SllRI
/{ummira Muhiikiivya 16 1. The Dancer on the Rampart
17 1
RUPA GOSVAMIN
UiJvalunllumuni 162. The Cowherd's Daughter
173
163. In Love
173
JAGANNATHA Rasagangiidhara 164. The Retort
175
Bhiimini Viliisa 165. A Word of Warning
175
NiLAKANTHA DiKSHITA
Kalividumbana 166. Satire on Physici ans
176
ANONYMOlJS VERSES FROM ANTHOLOGIES
From SlIbhiishitiivali ol Vallahhadeva 167. Do not go
177
168. My Love
177
169. Love all you can
178
Content.I·. xxi
From Paddhati orc�iirngadhara 1 70. Gentle Deer
178
171. The Burglar
178
172. The Compliment
179
173.
179
A Marvel
174. The Teacher
179
175
180
The InvitatiC'n
176. Rain in the Forest
180
177. A Come-hither Glance
180
OTHER ANONYMOUS VERSES
c�lIka Saptati 178. Sp rin gt i m e
in the Forest (Prakrit)
181
Simhiisana Dvatrimsikii 179. Gnomic Verses
182
A SEASONAL ANTHOLOGY
From Suhhiishita Ratnakosha of Vidyiikara 180. The Six Seasons
183
POETRY FROM INSCRIPTIONS
The Mandasor Epigraph (436 CE) 181. The Weavers of Lata
185
The Changu Narayan Pillar. Nepal (464 CE) 182. The Queen and the Prince
186
The Merhahu Rock Inscription. .lava (e. 7th Century) 183. The Spring
188
APPENDIX The Progress of Translation
189
The Poets
193
The Translators
198
Endnotes
202
xxii. A
Treasury afSanskrit Poetry
Introduction
This anthology endeavours to bring together a representat i ve selection of Sanskrit verse i n th e b est Eng l ish translations available. Its objective is to make
some of the poet ic wealth of the ancient language acces sible in this way to a w ider circle of modern readers than has been the case so far
.
It
is also intended
to p rov ide them a broad perspective of this c omparatively less known aspect of Sansk rit literature: not thr ough learned discourse, but by letti ng the po etry s p e a k
for itself. Final ly, l i k e any anthology, it is m eant primarily for the re adi ng pleasu re of those who may peruse its pages. Translations from Sanskrit into E n gl i sh have a history of over two cen t uries. The fi rst to be published was that of the
Bha�avadgita, by the British
East I ndia Company scholar C harl es Wilkins, in 1784. The first I ndian to
translate from Sanskrit into English was Raja Ram Mohan Roy, whose rendition of the
J.\:a Upanishad appeared in
18 1 6. Two e a rly translations deserve note for
t heir s ub seque n t im pac t Sir Williams Jones' rendering in 1789 of K a l i dasa s .
'
famous play ,�akuntala was among the first works to stim ulate Western interest in San s krit studies. A major role i n setting their di rect i o n was later provided by
the fitly translated volumes of the Sacred Books
of the East (1875-1904) ed i ted
by Max Muller. Other translations a re n u m erous enou gh to till a considerable bi bl iograph y; many are of great merit but th ey have tended to conc en trate in p a rt ic u la r areas of academ ic interest. Modern Sanskrit studies, wh i c h g radual ly took shape from the 19th
centu ry onwards, foun d a sp ec i a l focus in history, linguistics, relig io n and p h i losophy . C o l on ial sch ol arsh i p s ou ght to learn about India's past thr ough its old langu age : about the orig i ns and the evolution of the Indic ci v i lizat io n the ,
development of i ts institutions and, increasingly, about its re l i g i ous and phi l os o ph i c al insi gh t s. Indian scholars versed in western te c hni ques made their
own contribution to the gro wth of what came to be know n as Indology. This di s c ipl i n e p a id close attention to Vedic studies and to the latcr texts of sch o larly r a ther tha n ma i n ly l i ter ar y interest. As a r es u lt in contrast to works ,
like the Upanishads and th e Bhagavadgitii, re lat i ve ly little of the p u rely
poetical literature of Sanskrit has been readily available i n E ng lish translations. In present popular p erception it is best known as the language of re l i g i o n and philosophy. While its s acred writ i n gs also include poetry of high quality the fu ll ,
Introduction. xxiii
beauty of the Sanskrit Muse still remains to be unveiled for other than specialist audiences. Appropriate translation is the best, if not the only, way of making the poetic riches of any language available to those who do not know it. The qualification has been added to distinguish between literal and literary translation. The first transmits information about ideas and the linguistic form in which they are presented: its main concern is fidelity to the original text, even if the readability of the rendition is thereby impaired. The second needs to convey also the flavour and the feel of the original, apart from being accurate and readable. It must qualify as literature in its own right. Poetry obviously requires translations of the second kind. Can poetry at all be translated from Sanskrit into as dissimilar a language as English? The trans-cultural difficulties involved are compounded by differences of linguistic construction and literary convention. Earlier scholars like Arthur Berriedale Keith contended that Sanskrit poetry was essentially untranslatable. "English efforts at verse translation," he asserted, "fall invariably below a tolerable mediocrity, their diffuse tepidity contrasting painfully with the brilliant t:ondcnsatlOn of style, the elegance of metres, and the adaptation of sound to sense of the originals.' I While this criticism related mainly to form, the savant Sri Aurobindo struck a similar note with respect to content. "To translate the Veda is to border upon an attempt at the impossible," he observed. "For while a literal English rendering of the hymns of the ancient Illuminates would be a falsification of their sense and spirit, a version which aimed at bringing out all � the real thought would be an interpretation rather than a translation." The comments of Keith and Aurobindo highlight what the American Sanskritist Arthur Ryder described as "the cruel inadequacy of poetical ) translation." Yet some of Aurobindo's and Ryder's own renderings of Sanskrit verse demonstrate that the obstacles to be overcome are not entirely insuperable. What is important is the end result. A translation of poetry must eventually stand on its own merit to please or move the reader. That several from Sanskrit into English have succeeded in doing so is evident from the testimony of reputable observers. The Mexican poet and critic Octavio Paz's insightful essay on the beauties of Sanskrit poetry was based in part on his readings of various translations. He wrote that he had "read excellent translations of Kalidasa in English, ..4 and quoted from others of Bilhana's love poems. The British Indologist A.L. Basham listed in his Sanskrit bibliography over a dozen works as "a few only of s the best literary translations in English." The Chinese philosopher Lin Yutang wrote about Romesh Dutt's 19th century verse renditions: "My love and true respect for India was born when I first read the Indian epics, the the
Mahabharala.
xxiv. A
Ramayana and
in the present translations" which were "two masterpieces."
TreasUlY ofSanskril Poetry
"
A century earlier, the great European poet J.W. von Goethe had expressed fulsome praise for
Siikuntala on reading it in a
German rendition of Sir William
Jones' translation. Goethe's well-known epigram remains perhaps the best comment on the translatability or otherwise of Sanskrit poetry: If you want the bloom of youth and fruit of later years, If you want what el,chants, fultills, and nourishes, If you want heaven and earth contained in one name .�akuntalii and all is spoken. 7
I say
Good literary translations of the
full range of Sanskrit poetry are
nevertheless not easy to come by, and more need to be encouraged to make its wealth and variety better known. The present anthology contains excerpts from translations by over forty writers. These include, apart from some distinguished scholars and poets, two winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature and two figures whose national eminence extends beyond their literary accomplishment. If translations by some other writers have not been included, it is either because they were from texts without poetic content; or their source was untraceable; or other translations of the same passage had already been selected. Some translations may have been missed out by inadvertence or due to lack of information which the compiler can only regret. It is noteworthy that while a few poetical works, for example those of Kalidasa, have been translated by many hands, others have received much less attention, and many have not been translated at all. The last category includes, regrettably, most of the satiric and comic verse in Sanskrit, and much of the epigrammatic poetry collected in anthologies. It may be added that, of the several excellent and still available anthologies of Sanskrit verse compiled s between the 10th and the 16th centuries, only one has been fully translated into English so far. The poetry represented here stretches over a period of about 3000 years or more, depending on the dating of the Vedic texts, which is still uncertain. Including this
.I:ruti literature and the two famous epics, the translated excerpts in
this compilation are drawn from 63 separate works, five Sanskrit and Prakrit verse anthologies 9, and three inscriptions located respectively in India, Indonesia and Nepal. The collection teatures 59 named poets whose provenance, where known, ranges from Kerala to Kashmir, and from Gujarat to Bengal. Many others are anonymous, while the works of some are known only from anthologies. More recent poetical works from the 17th century onwards, for example those of authors like Venkatadhvarin, Paramananda and Ghanasyama, have gone unrepresented as they are still unavailable in translation. The selection of excerpts was made on three broad considerations: poetical content; availability of suitable translation; and the need for covering a wide
Introduction. xxv
enough time span. Some well know texts were excluded on one of the first two grounds. In considering the suitability of translations where they were available, literal and prose renderings were omitted in favour of those in verse form, except in a few cases which were i ncluded mainly to provide representation to otherwise neglected authors. The reader will find a rich variety of poetry in these translations. They include m.ture hymns and mystical utterances of profound speculation; epic narratives with evocative descriptions and d ialogues; songs and musings; lyrics on many aspects of love; heroic and tragic, erotic and satiric verses; devotional and philosophical poetry; sophisticated compos itions from the courts and simple poems of the countryside. The narrative and descriptive verses are presented in longer extracts to convey their sense more fully. A natural counterpoint is provided by the epigrammatic
subhiishita or "well said" single stanza, which
expresses a gamut of compressed emotion or thought, and is a characteristic of classical Sanskrit poetry. The anthology also includes excerpts from Prakrit and Apabhramsa. While the evolution and chronology of their relationship with Sanskrit continues to be a su bject of research, their interconnection is intimate and a part of the same poetic tradition. Sanskrit and Prakrit verses occur frequently in the same works and are quoted in the same classical commentaries on literature. The presence here of Prakrit and Apabhramsa poems in translation is in keeping wi th this tradition; but each has been identified as such in the table of contents. To enable them to be seen simply as poetry, the translations are presented here without further comment except some explanatory information in a few cases contained in the endnotes. The order follows generally accepted chronology. The source of the original has been indicated in each case, together with the translator's name. Ti tles provided by translators for the excerpts have been retained in most cases; where no titles were provided the compiler has devised them, mainly for purpose of reference. Sanskrit verse itself has no traditi on for such titles. Standard
practice
has
been
followed
in the
use
of
diacri tics
in
transli teration, except in some cases where better known spellings have been preferred or those used by individual translators retained. The letters
ri and sh
are used instead of � and �, for example the popular name is written as
Krishna, which i s also common usage, rather than as Kr:�fJa, which is jarring. Similarly ch is used instead of c, to write the number five as pancha, not panca. The lett�r fJ is shown simply as n where thi s is the current common usage. An appendix contains different translations of the same text to give some idea of how they have changed over time. Also included are separate lists giving brief detai ls of the translators, and of the poets who have been translated. Chronological and other details of the latter, it should be noted, are not known with any certainty in most cases.
xxvi . A
Treasury o.fSanskril Poetry
The compiler would like to thank the Indian Council for Cultural Relations for accepting his proposal for this proj ect, and the Council's Director General and officers for their support and assistance in its implementation, specially in securing pennission for use of copyright material. He is grateful to Shri H.K. Kaul and his colleagues at the India International Centre library, and to Smt. M. Vij ayalakshmi of the Sahitya Akademi library for their help in his researches; and in particular to Dr. Anthony K. Warder, Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit, University of Toronto, for valuable references from his monumental work
Indian Kavya Literature.
Above all he thanks his wife Priti for her unfailing
support, encouragement, patience and always constructive criticism for which no words can be adequate. The preparation of this anthology has been largely a labour of love for the compiler, and if it can interest readers to explore further the treasure trove of Sanskrit poetry, in translation or the original, that will be h is greatest reward.
New Delhi, Republic Day
2002
A.N.D.H.
Introduction .
xxvii
THE VEDAS
Rig Veda Ushas: The Dawn
Of al l the l ights the l ightest, this l i ght has come, This radi ance, conceived in a great dazzle of colour, Rushing ahead of the imminent rise of the sun; And N i ght has now gi ven over Her place to the Dawn. She comes up shi ni ng leadi ng a shining calf. The Dark One has g i ven over Her mansi ons to Dawn. For they are undy i ng kin and fol l ow each other N i ght and the Dawn, e xch a n g in g hue for hue. ,
They are s isters whose endless road i s the very same road, And they take i t as surely as if They were guided by Gods; No clashing there, no halting for N i g ht or Dawn, Un l ike, yet lovely, and i n Thei r thoughts as one. Her colors flash out as she leads Her exultant dance, She has opened her gates for us, and opened them w i de; Revealing the worl d, She shows us how rich we are. A l l of the li v i ng open the i r eyes to the Dawn. Men who were stretched on the ground, She l itis up to act; Some rise with the g ol den thou g ht of wealth as an end, Some, who see l i ttle, go on to gape at what's far. 1\1 1 of the l iv i ng open thei r eyes to the Dawn. You for conquest, and you for a name in this world, You arisen to ti nd some momentous good, You moving off toward a d i fferent way to l i ve. All of the liv i ng open their eyes to the Dawn. Chi l d of the ki ngdom of Light it's to us She comes; A faultl ess g i rl arrayed in Her l ustrous robes, Lady who oversees our earthly goods, o Dawn, 0 l ucid Portent, shine on us now. ,
I. 113
, ·.N. Misra. I.. Nalhan and S f'ulsyavan
*****
Rig Veda . 1
2
Hymn of Creation
not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. W hat covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, un fathomed depth of water?
Then was
not then, nor was the re aught immortal : no s i gn was there, the day ' s and night s divid e r That o ne thi ng, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothi ng what s oev er Death was
'
.
.
there was : at tirst concealed i n darkness, was indiscri m inated chaos. All that existed then was void and forml ess: by the great power of warmth was born that unit. Darkness
this All
Thereatier rose desire
i n the be gi nn i ng Des i re, the primal seed and germ ,
of spirit.
Sages who searched with their heart ' s thought d i scovered the existent's
k i n s h ip i n the non-exi stent. Tr ans ver se ly was
their severing l i ne extended: what was above it then, and what below i t? There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free acti on here and energy up yonder.
knows and who can here declare i t, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The gods are later than thi s world ' s production. Who knows, then whence i t lirst came i nto being? Who verily
,
He, the Ii rst
origi n of this creation, whether he formed it al l or did not
form it.
Whose eye controls this world i n h ighest heaven, he veri ly knows it, or perhaps he
knows not.
X. 129 lUll
* * ***
2
•
A Trea,I'w)'
olSanskrit Poetry
Griffith
3 The Wind o the W i n d's char i ot, 0 i ts power and gl ory! Cras h i ng it goes and hath a voice of thunder. It makes the reg i ons red and touches heaven, and as it moves the d ust of earth is scattered. A l on g the traces of the Wind they h u rry, they com e to h i m as dames to an assembly. Borne on his car with these for h i s attendants, the god speeds fo rth, the un iverse's mo narch. Travelli n g on the paths of ai r s m i d-regi o n, '
no s ingl e day doth he take rest or s l u m ber. Holy and earl i est-born, friend of the waters, where d i d he spring and from what region came he? Germ of the wor l d , the d e i t i es' vital sp i rit
,
th i s god moves ever as h i s wi l l i ncl i nes h i m. His voi ce i s heard, h i s shape is ever viewl ess. Let us adore th i s Wi nd with our oblati on.
X.168 R. T H
Ciriffith
*****
4 Night The goddess Night has l ooked abroad with her eyes, everywhere d rawi ng near. She has put al l her gl ories on. The i m mortal goddess now has fil led w i de space, i ts depths and heights. Her radiance drives out the dark. A pproachi ng, the goddess has expelled her sister Dawn. Now darkness a l so d i sappears.
Rig Veda. 3
And so you have drawn near to us, who at your comi ng have come home, as birds to their nest upon the tree. The clans have now gone home to rest, home the beasts, and home the b i rds, home even the hawks who l ust for prey. Guard us from the she-wolf and the wolf, and guard us from the thief, 0 Night, and so be good for us to pass. For darkness, blotting out, has come near me, black and pa l pable. o Dawn, dispel it l i ke my debts. I have offered my hymn as a cow is offered, Daughter of '·Ieaven. 0 Night, accept it, as a victor praise.
X.I27 AL Basham
*****
5 The Dawn
L i ke a youthful maiden, Dawn shi nes brightl y forth, Stirring to motion every l iv i ng creature. Di vine Fire was kindled for the use of men; Dawn created l i ght, driving away the dark. Send i ng out her beams, she rose up facing al l , I n bri l l i ant robes, resplendent, radi ating Golden-coloured and glorious to behol d, Mother of plenty, m istress of the days she shone. B l essed, bearing the sun, the eye of the gods, Lead i n g her white horse, magnificent to see, Dawn reveal s hersel f, arrayed i n beams of l i gh t, And w i th boundless glory she transforms the world. 4
•
A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
o fa i r one banish the enemy w i t h l i gh t ! ,
A n d prepare for us broad pastures free from fear! Ward off hatred, b ring us your priceless treasure !
o bountif u l , shower b less ings on the s i n ger ! II l umi ne us with your glorious splendour
,
o di v i ne Dawn! Enrich and lengthen our l i ves. o Goddess f u l l of grace! Grant us fu lti IIment A n d cows, horses, and chari ots in abundance!
o daughter of heaven, Dawn of noble birth
,
Whom the men of glory cel ebrate i n hym ns, Establis h in us wealth sublime and mighty !
o god s , protect us a l ways with your b lessings!
VII. 77 Jean Le AH:e
*****
6 The Sun The beam s ascend toward the god Who h o l d s the knowl edge of al l l ives
,
So that a l l thi ngs beh o l d the Sun. Off l ike t h i eves, t he conste l lations Stea l th i l y retreat with the nights Before the all-beholding Sun. Now h i s beams are m ade apparent Radiant above the worl d of men Bl azing and l u m inous l i ke tires. Trave l l i n g on, i n view of al l. Creator of I i ght are you. 0 Sun, S h inin g through al l ethereal space. Now facing a l l the hosts of gods, Now facing al l men you arise, Now fac ing al l for al l to see. Rig Veda. 5
o Pu ri fi er with your eye ,
You see life q u ive ri ng
w ith i n The world of creatures, Supreme Lord. Cross i ng sky and obscure regions You measure out the day w i th n i ghts, o Sun who sees all ge n er ations ,
,
.
Seven m ares draw you, 0 Lord, In your chariot. Sun Divine, o Rad iant One with hair aflame. He has yoked t h e s plendi d Seven, The dau ght e rs of the Sun's chariot, And with this willing team, m o ve s on
.
Emergi n g up above the dark, Toward the higher li g ht we turn ; We h av e attai ned t he go d of gods. The Sun itself� the h igh est l ight. R i s i n g tod a y 0 Love's glory, ,
M oun ti n g to the highest heaven, Expel, great Sun my heart ' s disease, And drive the jaundice far away ! ,
To s pa r ro w s and to parakeet s o let us pass my jaund ice on !
,
Li kew i se unto the yel low birds, o let u s pass my j aun di c e o n The
.
Son of the I ntin ite has
Risen with all his s t ren gt h an d
Overcome evi l for my sake, And let me not be o v e rc o me!
m ight
,
1.50 .Jean Le MI!e
*****
6. A
Ji"eu.I'lIry o{Sunskrit Poetry
7
Indra Let me proclaim the valiant deeds of lndra, the first he d id , the wielder of the thunder,
when he slew the dragon and let loose the waters, and p ie rce d the bellies of the mountains. He slew the dragon ly ing on the mountain, for Tvashtri made him a heavenly thunderbolt.
The waters suddenly, l ike bellowing cattle, descended and flowed on, down to the ocean.
In h is strength h e chose the soma from three cups he drank the essence. The Generous seized his thunderbolt,
and smote the tirstborn of drago ns. When, lndra, you slew the firstborn of d ra gons , and frustrated the arts of th e sorcerers, creating sun and heaven and dawn, you found no enemy to withstand you. lndra sl ew Vritra, and VyafT\sa, stronger than Vritra,
w ith his thunderbolt, w ith h is migh ty weapon. Like the branches of a tree felled by the axe the dragon lay strewn over the earth. Like an enraged coward he called a challenge to the great h ero , the strong ' s oppressor, charging. But he did not escape the force of his blows-
the foe of Indra crushed the clouds together [in fal ling]. Footless and handless, he still gave Indra battle, until the thunderbolt struck him hard on his back.
The bullock sough t to be match for the bull, But Vritra, lay, his members scattered afar. The waters, flowing for man's good, pass over h im , as he lies thus, broken like a reed.
Rig
Veda. 7
Beneath the waters which he had encompassed in his great might, Vritra, the serpent lay. The strength of the mother of V ritra was exhausted, and Indra bore away her weapon. The mother lay above, the son below. Danu lay l ike a cow beside her calf. Fallen i n the midst of water-courses, never pausi ng, never resting, floods overwhelm the hidden corpse of Vritra. In a long darkness lay the foe of l ndra. Lorded by Dasas and guarded by the dragon the waters l ay, pe nned in as cows by a Pa�i. When the opening of the waters was closed up the s layer of Vritra threw it open. o I n d ra you became a ,
w
re a th of vapour,
when he i mpa led you on his lance. A l one
you won the cows, hero, you won the soma, and you let l oos e the Seven Streams to flow. Thunder and lightning avai l ed him nothing, nor the mist he scattered abroad, nor hai l . When Indra and the d ragon fought h e conquered as he, the Generous, w i l l i n future conquer.
,
And what avenger of the dragon did you see, Indra, as fear entered your heart when you had ki l led h i m, when you crossed over nine and ninety streams, as a frightened hawk crosses the ski es? I ndra is king of al l that moves or rests, of tame and fierce, the wielder of the thunder. He is the king of mortals, whom he rules, encircling them as a wheel 's rim the spokes.
1 . 32 A . L. Basham
*****
8
•
A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
8 A rany ani : Forest Spirit
Lad y o f the Forest ! Lady of the Forest! who see m to vanish from sight i n the distance, why do you never come to the v i l l age? s u r ely you are not afrai d of men ! When the grasshopper repl i es to the d istant lowi ng of catt le, as t h o ug h to the sound of t i n k l i n g bells the Lady of the Forest m akes m erry . Somet i m es y o u c atc h a gl i m p s e of h e r and think i t i s catt l e g raz i n g or a hOLJse, far away , a n d at e ve n i n g you hear the L ad y of the Forest l i ke the d i stant sound of m o v i n g w a gon s .
,
.
I kr vo i ce is as the s o u nd
of a m an cal l i ng h i s cattl e, a s t h e c rash o f a fe l l ed tree. 1 1" you s t a y i n t h e forest in the eveni ng, you w i l l hear her l i ke a far voice c ry i ng. m
H ut t h e Lady o f t h e Forest w i l l no t
s l ay enemy d raws near. She eats the sweet wi I d fru i t s , and then she re st s w herever she w i 1 1 . u n l ess an
N o w I h a ve pra i sed t h e Lady o f t h e Porest, who is per fu m ed w i th bal m , and fr ag r a nt who i s wel l fed , a l though s h e ti l i s not. t h e m ot h e r of a l l thi ngs of the w i l d
.
X
.
1 46
,., I.. Hasham
Rig
Veda . 9
9 Pushan
Pushan, God of golden day, Shorten thou the shepherd ' s way, Vanquish every foe and stranger, Free our path from every danger; Cl oud-born Pushan, ever more, L e a d liS as YOll led before ! Sm ite the w i l d wolf, fi erce and v i le, Lurking i n the dark defi l e, Sm ite the robber and the thief, Stea l i ng forth to take our l i fe; C loud-born Pushan, ever more Lead us as you led before ! Thou dost p a th l e ss forests
know Thou canst quel l the secret foe, Tholl di dst lead our fathers right, Wonder-worker, orb of l i g h t; ,
G rant from t h y u n fa i l i ng store
Wea l t h and b l ess i ng e v e r more !
Th o u h as t treasures m a n i fol d
,
arms of gol d ; Fore m ost of t h e Sons of L i g h t Shepherd s ' god and leader bright. G ranl from thy un fa i l i n g store Wealth and b l e s s i ngs ever more !
G l i tter i n g weapons,
.
VI
54
Romesh Dull * * * * *
1 0 . A ]i-('(I,\"III:I ' ofS'lIl1skril PoellY
10 The Gam bler
The dan gl i ng nuts, born where the wind blows the lofty tree, del i ght me with their rol l i ng on the board. The cheering vibhidaka has brought me joy, l i ke a draught of soma from Mount Muj avant. She did not scold me, or lose her temper. She was k i nd to my fri ends and me. But because of a throw too high by one I have rejected my loving wife. Her mother hates me; my wife repels me a man in trouble fi nds no one to pity h i m . They say, T ve n o more use for a gambler Than for a worn-out horse put up for sale. ' When the conquering die has got his possessions others embrace the gamester's wife. H i s father, his mother, his brothers say of h i m : ' We don ' t know him ! Take him a s a bondman ! ' I th i n k to myself: " won ' t go w ith the others ! I ' l l stop behind when my friends go to play ! ' B ut then the brown ones raise thei r voice�, and off I go, l i ke a m istress to her lover. The gambler goes to the hal l of assembly. ' Shal l I win?' he wonders. His body trembles. The dice run counter to his hopes, and give his opponent the l ucky throws. The dice are armed with hooks and pierci ng, they are deceptive, hot and burning. L i ke children they give and take again, they strike back at their conquerors. They are sweetened with honey through the magic they work on the gambler. Rig
Veda .
11
T h ey p l a y in a
troo p of three times fi fty. god Savitr, they are true to their laws. T h ey w i l l not bend to the wrath of the m i ghty, and even a king bows low be fo re them. L i k e th e
ro l l down, the dice l e a p u pw a rd s the man with arms. arc heaven l y co a l s strewn over the board, t h o ug h t hey are c oo l they burn up the heart.
The d i ce
,
unarmed they w i t hsta n d They
and
,
The forsaken w i fe of the gambler sorrows, and the m ot h er o f t he son who wanders afar. l i', debt, i n fear, i n need of m oney, he goes by n i g h t
to the house of others.
when he sees a w om a n anot her m an ' s w i fe, i n thei r p l e as a nt h o m e I n the m o rn i n g he yokes the chestnut horses I n t he e v e n i ng he fa l l s by the hearth, a beggar.
T h e gam b l e r g r i ev e s
,
.
So to the ge n era l of your great army,
the c h i e f of your h o s t out to him my ten fingers : risk m y al l ! I a m s pea k i ng the trut h ! '
to h i m who is k i ng,
,
I say, stre t c h i ng 'I
' Do n ' t play w i t h d i ce , but p lo u g h your furrow ! De l i g h t i n your property, prize it h i g h l y ! Look to your c a tt l e and l ook to your wife, You
gam bler! ' Thus noble Savitr tel ls me.
w i t h us, be k i n d to us! w i t h your fierce magi c ! M a y y o u r wrath a n d hatred n o w come t o [ . st ! M a y n o m a n fal l i n to the snares o f the brown ones !
So m a k e friends
Do n o t force us
X. 34 A . L. Basham
* * * * *
1 2 . A Treasury of Sanskrit PoetlJ!
1 1 Tho ughts Our t h o u g h t s wander in a l l d i rect i ons A nd m a ny a re t h e wa y s o f m en : The cartwri ght hopes for acc i d ents, The phys i c i a n for t h e c r i pp l e,
A nd the pri est for a ri ch patro n . F o r th e s a k e o f S p i r i t, 0 M i nd ,
L e t g o of al l these wander i n g t h o ug hts ! W i th h i s d ry grass and feather fan A n d a l l h i s too l s of fas h i oned stone, The b l ac k s m i t h seeks day afte r d ay The c u s t o m er endowed w i th go l d .
For t h e sake of S p i r i t, 0 M i nd, Let go of al l these wande r i n g t h oug h t s ! [ ' m a s i nger, father ' s a d octor, M other grinds fl our w i t h a m i l l stone . O u r t h o u ght s a l l turn upon profit
A n d cow l i ke w e al l p l od a l ong.
For t h e s a k e of S p i r i t 0 M i nd Let go of a l l these wand e r i n g t h oughts ! .
The horse wou l d d raw
a
s w i ft carriage.
T h e enterta i n e r a good l au g h .
The pen i s seeks a ha i ry s l ot A nd the frog s ee k s a stag n a n t p o n d . F o r the s a k e o f S p i r i t. 0 M i nd Let go of al l these wanderi ng tho u g h ts !
IX. 1 1 2 Jean Le Mee
* * * * *
Rig Veda .
13
Siima Veda 12 Soma
Hero, the Soma being shed, I pour the j u i ce for thee to dri nk: Sate thee and fi n i sh thy carouse ! Let not the fools, or those who mock, beguile thee when they seek thine aid : Love not the enemy o f prayer! Here l et them cheer thee wel l supplied w i th m i l k to great m un i ticence : Drink as the w i l d b u l l drinks the l ake ! Here is the Soma j uice expressed : 0 VasLl, drink ti l l thou art full: U ndaunted god, we give it to thee ! Washed by the men, pressed out w ith stones, strai ned through the tilter made of wool, 'Tis l ike a courser bathed i n streams. This juice have we m ade sweet for thee l ike barley, blend i ng it with m i lk. I ndra, I cal l thee to our feast. So. lord of affl uent g i fts, this j u ice hath been expressed for thee with
strength: : l ; i nk of it, thou who lovest song! I ncline thy body to the j uice which suits thy godlike nature wel l : Thee, Soma-lover! let i t cheer! o I ndra, let it enter both thy tlanks, enter thy head w i th prayer. With bounty, hero! both thine arm s ! Strong, mountain-born, t h e sta l k hath been pressed i n t h e streams for rapturous j oy: Hawk-l ike he settles i n h i s home. Fair is the j uice beloved of gods. washed in the waters, pressed by men: The m i lch-kine sweeten it with m i l k . Then, l i ke a steed, have they adorned the i nc iter for eternal l i fe, The heath ' s j uice at the festi val. As a good cow to him who m i lks, we cal l the doer of good deeds To our assistance day by day. Come thou to our l i bations, drink of Soma, Soma-drinker! Yea. The rich one ' s rapture gi veth kine. So may we be acq uai nted with thine i n nermost benevolence: N eglect us not, come hitherward ! 14 . A
TreaslIry (�fSanskrit Poetry
Pass by the wrathful offerer; speed the man who pours l i bations, drink The j uice which he presents to thee ! What is the word addressed to him, god great and excel lently wise? For thi s i s what exalteth h i m . H i s wealth, w h o hath no store of kine, hath ne' er found recited loud, Nor song of prai ses that is sung. W i th wealth to our l i bation come, be not thou angry with us, l i ke 11. i. i i i , iv an d I. iii. A great man with a youthful bride. R. r H
Griffith
* * * * *
A tharva Veda 13 Earth, the M other
May that Earth, which holds on Her ample lap the ocean, The ri vers, the l akes; which bears the crop-yielding soi l , And is ground for a l l that breathes and stirs and l ives, M ay She also bear the fruits of what we have done. That Earth was born from vast waters, at fi rst was water. And anc i ents attended Her gro w th w ith their own creations. I l er heart is set on the real, high i n the heavens, A n d what i s undy i ng of Hers i s g u a rd e d by Truth. W hatever there i s at the core of Your bei ng, whatever There is in Your air. whatever the power that leaps From Your le n gth set us, Mother, among that wealth. Raise us up. Y our are my Mother. I am Your chi ld. ,
M other, g i ve me that fragra n ce You Yourself make, The perfume that comes from green gro w i n g thi n gs, fro m wa te rs The same that heavenly players and dancers desire. Annoint me with it, so none may wish me hurt. ,
Atharva Veda . 1 5
Your very same fragrance that fi l ls up the lotus pool, The perfume You had as gift at the marriage arranged For Dawn by the Gods, the very first perfume of al l : Anoint m e with it, s o none may wish m e hurt. You who uphold the men who, though mortal , Are singing and dancing together i n exultation, And uphold the men who, mortal, go out to k i l l With furious shouts and the wai l o f trumpets at war: o may You, Mother, drive my opponents away, And make me a man without a rival in al l the world. You Who nurture the five kinds of crops And are cause for their grains to swe l l out to ri peness. o Earth, Wife to the lavish cloud, It's to You, To Your open hand, that I bow. Though men cry out in many strange tongues, and profess A tl urry of faiths, You take them al l to Y oursel f. G ive us a thousand streams of Your wealth, G i ve, l i ke a cow whose udder is fu l l . Make u s the masters o f crowded highways And of narrower paths, that few, in a hurry, take, The ways of goodness as wel l as the ways of evi l . May these b e cleared of those who would hurt u s o r rob us. And may we receive what is good to recei ve. B i rds must come swinging round You when they take fl ight: The hawk, the swan, and everything that fl ies, And the w ind that, circl ing the sky, goes pl unging ahead To drive down the rai n, rock the trees, and flare up the tire. You are the One who i ssues the wind i ts force. Darkness and golden l i ght, the night and day Were conceived out of You together, 0 Earth Wrapped in the circling seasons, wound in time. Render us good in all our scattered homes.
XII. I
V N. Misra. L. Nathan and S. Vatsyavan
*****
16
•
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
14 Courage
As the sky even, and even the earth Do not falter and are not afrai d, So, my l i fe ' s breath, have no fear. As the day even, and even the ni ght Do not falter and are not afraid, So, my l i fe ' s breath, have no fear. As the sun even, and even the moon Do not fal ter and are not afraid, So, my l i fe ' s breath, have no fear. As spirit even, and even action Do not falter and are not afrai d, So, my l i fe ' s breath, have no fear. As the truth even, and even chaos Do not falter and are not afraid, So, my l ife ' s breath, have no fear. As the past even, and even the future Do not falter and are not afraid, So, m y l i fe ' s breath, have no fear.
I. 1 5
/ '. N Misra, L Nathan and S Vatsvayan * * * * *
Yajur Veda 15 A Prayer From the U nreal lead us to the Real. From darkness lead us unto L ight.
From death lead us to I mmortal ity. Reach us through and through our Sel f. And evermore protect us - Oh Thou Terrible ! From ignorance, by thy sweet compassionate Face.
X I V . 3 ( S . Br.)
Swami Vivekananda
Yajur
Veda .
17
THE UP ANISHADS
Kena Upanishad 16 By Whom?
By whom impe l l ed soars forth the m i nd proj ected? By whom enjoi ned goes forth the earl iest breath i ng? By whom i m pe l l ed this speech do peopl e utter? The eye, the ear-what god, pray, them enjoi neth?
That which is the hearing of the ear, The thought of the m i nd, The voice of speech, as also the breathi ng of the breath, And the sight of the eye ! Past these escapi ng, the wise, On departing from this world, become immortal . There the eye goes not; Speech goes not, nor the m i nd . We know not, we understand not How one would teach It. Other, i ndeed, is It than the known, And moreover above the unknown. Thus have we heard of the ancients Who to us have expl ai ned I t .
I . 1 -4 Nohrrl Ernesl lIume
* * * * *
Katha Upanishad 17 The One Essential
As the one air, entering into this world, Becomes the form of what it houses in, The one Essential, housed i n a l l things born, A l so takes that thing's external form. 1 8 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
As the one sun, the si ngle eye of a l l , I s not darkened b y flaws i n things it sees, The one Essential, housed in al l things born, A nd past al l grief, is not darkened by grief. The only Lord, housed i n al l thi ngs born, He who makes from one a swarm of shapes, The wise who see H i m in themselves, His sel f: Thei r joy i s joy that lasts, no other joy . I t is t h i s the Absol ute Joy, they think, and can ' t b e said, ,
How i s it otherwi se known, if it shines or does not shine? In H i m no sun, no moon, not one star, N o l i ghting how much l ess these common fi res. B ut when He blazes up, then al l m ust show; Then everything flares up immense with him. ,
I l . 2 . 1 O- 1 S
/ ', N, Misra, L. Nalhan and S. Valsyavan * * * * *
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 18 Tree and Man
As a tree of the forest, J ust so, surely, is m an. H i s hair are leaves, H i s skin the outer bark. From his skin blood, Sap from the bark flows forth . From him when pierced there comes forth A stream, as from the tree when struck. H i s pieces of flesh are under-layers of wood. The fi bre is muscle-l i ke, strong. The bones are the wood within. The ma rrow i s made resemb l i ng pith. Brihadiiranyalw Upanishad . 19
tree, when it is fel led, grows up From the root, more new agai n; A mortal, when cut down by death From what root does he grow up? A
Say not ' from semen' For that is produced from the l i v i ng, As the tree, forsooth, spri nging from seed, Clearly arises without having died. [ f with its roots they should pull up The tree, it would not come into being again . A mortal, when c u t down b y deathFrom what root does he grow up?
Il l . 9 . 2 R
Roberl Ernesl lIume *****
19 The Hymn o f S weetness
The bl issful wlllds are sweet to us. The seas are showering bliss on us. May the corn i n our fields bring bl iss to us. May the plants and herbs bri ng bl iss to LIS. May the cattle give LIS bl iss. o Father i n Heaven be ThoLl blissful unto LIS! The very dust of the earth is ful l of bl iss. [ t is al l bliss - all bliss - all b l i ss.
VI. 16
Swam i / 'ivekananda
* * * * *
20 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
Chhiindogya Upanishad 20 You are That
Uddalaka asked his son to fetch a banyan fruit. ' Here it is, Lord ! ' said S vetaketu. ' Break it, ' said Uddalaka. ' I have broken it, Lord ! ' ' What d o you see there? ' L ittle seeds, Lord ! ' ' B reak one of them, my son ! ' ' I t i s broken, Lord ! ' ' What d o you s ee there?' 'Noth ing Lord ! ' said S vetaketu. Uddalaka said: ' My son ! This great bany an tree has sprung up from seed so smal l that you cannot see i t. Bel ieve i n what 1 say my son ! That b e i n g i s the seed; a l l e l se but H is expression. He i s truth. He i s Sel f. S vetaketu! You are that . ' '
,
V I . I 2 . 1 -3
Silrce 1'1Irohil S1l"(Jnl i and IV B rea/s * * * * *
Taittir�va Upanishad 21 Learn and Teach
Do your duty; learn and teach. Speak truth; learn and teach. M editate; learn and teach. Control sense; learn and teach. Control m i nd; l earn and teach. K i ndle fire: learn and teach. Feed fi re; learn and teach . ChhiindoK)'a Upanishad . 2 1
Be hospitable; learn and teach. Be hu m ane ; learn and teach. Serve the fa m i ly; learn and teach.
Procreate; l earn and teach. Educate your chi l dren; learn and teach.
I. 9
Shrce Purohit Swami and w. E. reats
* * * * *
Mundaka Upanishad 22 Two B i rds Two birds. twin images in pl umage,
friends. ever inseperable, c l i ng to a tree.
One eats the fruit, eats of th e sweet a n d eats of the bi tter, while the other watches. watches w i thout eati ng. B uried in the bole of the self-same tree one suffers. engulfed in his impotence. Yet as he watches the watching bird, the adorable one, and sees the sweet bitter gl ory as H i s alone, He ri s e s free from grief. ,
111. 1 AK Ramanujan
* * * * *
22
•
A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
VYASA
Mahiibhiirata
,J " _
The H um i l i ation o f Draupad i
l i m p id waters bri ghtly shine H ast i n a ' s w a l l s ! d u l y h onoure d l i v e s w i t h i n t he pa l ac e h a l l s,
G l assed on G an g a s '
Queen Dr a up ad i
But as s t ea l s a l o w l y j a cka l
Rase
in a lord l y l i o n ' s den, D u ry odh a n s humble menial came to p r o u d D ra upa di s ken '
'
.
q uoth the menial, roy a l Pand u ' s r i ghteou s son, Lost h i s game and l ost his reason, E m p res s thou art staked and won,
" Pardon, Em pres s , "
"
,
Prince Duryodhan claims thee, lady, and the victor bids me say, Thou shalt serve h i m as h i s vassal, as h i s slave in pal ace stay ! " "Have I
heard thee, menial, ri ght l y ?" q uestioned s h e i n a ngui s h keen, k i n g and husband stake h i s w i fe and lose his q ueen,
" Oath a c ro wn e d
Did m )' noble lord a nd m on a rc h se ns e a n d reason l ose at d i c e , Other stake he did not wa g e r wedded wife to sacrifi ce ! " ,
"Other stakes were d u l y wagered," s o h e s p ake w i t h bitter groan , " W e a l t h and
em p ire every ,
obj ect
which Y udhishthi r cal led his own,
Lost himself and a l l his brothers, bondsmen are those princes brave, Then he staked his wife and em p re ss thou art pri nce Duryodhan ' s s l ave ! " ,
Rose t h e q ueen i n queenly an ge r and w i th woman ' s pri de s h e spake : " H i e thee. m eni a l to thy master. Qu e e n D ra u p a d i 's answer ta k e, ,
,
If my lord. hi mself a bondsman, then hath Slaked his q ueen and w i fe, Fa l s e the stake, for owns a bondsman neither w e a l t h nor other ' s l i fe,
S lave can wager wife nor chi ldren, and such a c t i o n i s u n d o ne Take my word to pr i n c e Duryodhan, Qu een Drau p ad i is unwon ! " ,
W rathfu l was the proud Duryodhan when he heard the answer bold, To h i s younger, w i l d Duhsasan, th u s h i s a n gry m a n d a te t o ld :
Mahiihhiirata • 23
"Little-m i nded is the menial, and his heart i n terror fa i l s, For t he fear of wrathful Bhima, l o ! his coward-bosom q ua i ls, Thou Duhsasan, bid the princess as our humble slave appear, Pand u ' s sons are humble bondsmen, and thy heart it owns no fear! " Fierce Duhsasan h eard the mandate, blood-shot was his flaming eye, Forthwith to the inner chambers d i d w i th eager footsteps h ie, Proud ly sat the fair Draupadi , monarc h ' s daughter, monarch ' s w i fe, U nto her the ba se Duhsasan spake the message, i nsult-rife: Lo t u s eye d Panchala-pri ncess ! fairly staked and won at game, Come and meet thy lord Duryodhan, chase that mant l i ng bl ush of shame,
"
-
Serve u s as thy l ords and m asters, be our beauteous bright-eyed slave, Come lInto the Counci I C h ambe r wait upon the young and brave ! " ,
Proud Draupad i shakes w i t h tremor a t D uh s a s an ' s hatefu l s i ght, And she shades her eye and forehead, and her bloodless cheeks are white,
At h i s words h e r chaste heart s ickens, and with w i l d averted eye, U nto rooms where dwelt the women, Queen Draupad i seeks to ll y, Va i n l y sped the t rem b l i ng pri ncess in her fear and in her shame, By her streaming wavy tresses fi erce D u hsasan held the dame! Sacred l ocks ! w i th holy water dewed at rajasuya rite, A nd by mantra consecrated, fragrant, flowi ng, raven-bright, Base Duhsasan by those tresses held the fai nt and flying queen, Feared no more the sons of Pandu, nor their vengeance fi erce and keen, Dragged her in her s l ipping garments by her long and tra i l i ng hai r, A nd l i ke sapl i ng tem pest-shaken, wept and shook the t rembl ing fai r ! Stooping in h e r shame and anguish, pale w i t h wrath and woman 's fear, Tremb l i n g and in stifled accents, thus shc spake with strcam i ng tear: "Leave me, shameless prince Duhsasan ! elders, noble lords are here, Can a m odest wedded woman thus in l oose atti re appear?" 24 . A Treasury a/ Sanskrit Poetry
Va i n t h e words and soft entreaty which the weeping p ri n cess made, V a i n l y to the g o d s and mortals she in bitter an g u i s h p ra y e d , For w i t h cruel words of i n s u l t sti l l Duhsasan mocked h e r woe: Loo s e l y c l ad or vo i d of c l o t h i n g , to the c o un c i l ha l l you go,
"
-
S l a ve-wench fai rl) staked
and conq uered,
wait
upon thy m a s t e rs brave, wi l l ing s l a v e !
L i ve among ou r house h o l d m e n i a l s , serve us as ou r
"
" Lllose-au i red, w it h t ra i l i ng
tresses, came Dra u p a di weak and fa i nt
,
S t ood w i t h i n the C o u nc i l C h a m ber, ten r i'u l made her p i teous p l a i n t :
"E l ders ! versed i n h o l y saslra, and i n every h o l y rite, Pardon if D m u p a d i cometh in t h i s sa d un s e e m l y p l i g h t Stay thy s i n fu l deed,
.
D u hs a s a n nameless wrongs and i ns u l ts spare, is a woman ' s ha i r ,
To u c h m e not w i th h a nd s un c l e a n l y sacred ,
,
H onoured e l d ers, r i gh teo us nobles, h a ve on me protection g i ven, Tre m b l e s i nner, seek n o mercy from t h e wrathfu l go d s in h e a ven ! H e re i n g l o ry , son o f D h a r m a s i ts my noble ,
S i n nor shame nor h u m a n fr a i l ty S i l ent a l l ' ) and w i l l
no
N o t a hand or vo i c e i s
c h i eftain
l i fte d
ri ghteo u s l o rd sta i n s Y u dh i s h t h i r ' s deed or word,
rise
t o save a
,
woman ' s l i fe ,
to defend a v i rt uous w i fe')
Lost i s K u ru ' s ri ghteo u s g l o ry, l os t i s I3 h a ra t ' s a n c i e n t name, Lost i s K s hatra ' s k i n g l y p rowes s, w a r l i ke wort h and k n i g h t l y fam e , Wherefore e l s e
do
K u ru warri ors t a m e l y v i e w t h is i m p i ous sc e n e
W he r e fo r e g l e a m no t
r i ght e ou s
,
weapons to protect an o u t rage d q u e e n ?
13 h i s h m a , hath he lost h i s v i rtue, Drona, hath he lost h i s m i ght. Hllth the Illonarc h of the Kurus c e a s e d to bat t l e
for the r i ght,
ye Ill u te and voiceless, counc i l lors of m i gh ty fame, and palsied right arm watch t h i s deed of Kuru ' s shameT
W herefore a re Vacant eye
Mahiihhiirala •
2S
III Spake Draupad i slender-waisted, and her words were stern and high, A nger flamed withi n her bosom and the tear was i n her eye, A nd her spark l i ng speaking glances fel l on Pandu's sons l i ke fire, S ti rr e d in them a m ighty passion and a t h i rst for vengeance d i re, Lost the i r empire wealth and fortune, l ittle recked they for the fal l , But Draupad i ' s plead i ng glances l i ke a poniard smote them al l ! Darkly frowned the ancient B h i shma, wrathfu l Drona bit h i s tongue, Pale Vidura m arked w ith anger i nsults on Draupadi fl ung,
Fulsome word nor fou l dishonour could thei r truthfu l utterance taint, A nd they cursed Duhsasan ' s acti on, when they heard Draupad i ' s plaint. But brave K arna, though a warrior,-Arj un ' s dead l y foe was he, 'Gai nst the humbled sons of Pandu spake h i s scorn in scornful glee: .. 'Tis no fault of thi ne, fai r pri ncess, fal len to this serv i l e state, W i fe and son ru l e not thei r actions, others rule their hapless fate, Thy Y udhishthir sold his birthri ght, sold thee at the i m pi ou s play,
And the w i fe fal ls w ith the husband, and her d uty - to obey ! L i ve thou i n this Kuru household, do the Kuru pri nces ' w i l l , Serve them a s thy lords and m asters, w i t h thy beauty please them sti l l , Fai r Onc! seek another husband who i n foo l i s h reckless game W i l l not stake a l oving woman, w i l l not cast her forth in shame ! For they censure not a woman, when she i s a menial slave, I f her
woman ' s fancy wanders to the young and to the brave,
For thy l o rd is not thy husband, as a s lave he hath no w i fe, Tholl art free w i th truer lover to enjoy a wedded l i fe, They w hom at the s wayamvara, thou had ' st chose, Panchala's bride,
They have l ost thee, sweet Draupad i, lost thei r empire and the i r pri d e ! "
26 . A Treas/lI:l' ojSal1.1'kril Poclry
Bhima heard, and quick and fi ercely heaved his bosom in his shame, And his red glance fel l on Karna l i ke a tongue of withering flame, Bound by elder's p l i ghted promise Bhima could not smite in i re, Looked the pai nted form of Anger flam i n g w i th an anguish d i re ! " K i ng and elder!" uttered Bhi m a and his words were few and brave, "Vain were wrath and ri ghteous passion in the sold and bounden slave, ,
Would that son of chariot-dri ver fl i ng on us this insult keen, H adst thou, noble k i ng and elder, staked nor freedom nor our q ueen?" Sad Yudhi shth i r heard in anguish, bent in shame his lowly head, Proud Duryodhan laughed in triumph, and in scornful accents said: "Speak Y udhishth i r, for thy brothers own their elder's righteous sway, Speak, for truth i n thee abideth, v i rtue ever marks thy way ,
Hast thou l ost thy new-bui lt empire and thy brothers proud and brave, H ast thou lost thy fai r D rau p adi is thy wedded wife our slave?" ,
L i p nor eye did move Yudhi shthir, hatefu l truth m i ght not deny, K arna l aughed but sai ntly Bhi shma wiped his old and manly eye. ,
M adness seized the proud Duryodhan, and i nfl amed by passion base, Sought the prince to s tain Draupad i with a deep and d i re disgrace ,
On the proud and peerless woman cast his wicked lustful eye, S o u g ht to hold the high born princess as his slave upon his knee ! Rhima penned his wrath no longer l i ghtn i ng- l i ke his g lance he fl ung, And the ancient hal l of Kurus with his thunder accents rllng: ,
"May I never reach those mansions where my fathers l i ve on high M ay I never meet ancestors in the bright and happy sky, If that knee by whic h thou sinnes<, Bhima breaks not in his i re the batt l e s red arena with his weapon, dreadful, dire ! ,
In
'
,
,
"
Red fi re fl amed on Bhima's forehead, s parkled from his angry eye, As from tough and gnarled branches fast the crack l ing red sparks fl y !
If . 65-69
Romc.I"h Dull ** * * *
Mahiibhiirata •
27
24 Death of Abhimanyu
Fatal was the blood-red morning purpling o ' er the angry east, Fatal day for Abhi manyu, bravest warrior and the best, Countless were the gal lant ch ieftains l i ke the sands bes ide the sea, N one w i th braver bosom battled, none w ith hands more stout and free ! Brief, alas, thy rad iant summers, fai r Subhadra's gal l ant boy, Loved of Matsya' s soft-eyed princess and her young heart's pride and j oy . Brief: alas, thy sun l i t winters, l i ght of w a r too early q uenched, Peerl ess son of peerless A�i un, in the blood of foemen drenched ! Drona on that fatal morning ranged his dreadfu l battle- l i ne I n a circle darkly spread ing w here the chiefs with chiefs combi ne, And the Pandavs looked despai ring on the battle's dread array, Vainly strove to force a passage, vai n l y sought their onward way !
Abh i m anyu, young and fiery, dashed alone into the war, Reck l ess through the shattered forces al l res istless drove h i s car, El ephants and crashing standards, neighing steeds and warriors slain
Fell before the furious hero as he made a ghastly l ane! Proud Duryodhan rushed to battle, strove to stop the turn i ng t i de, And h i s stoutest truest warri ors fought by proud Duryodhan ' s s i de, Onward sti l l went Abh i m anyu, Kurus strove and fought in vain, Backward reeled and fel l Duryodhan and his bravest chiefs were s l a i n ! Next came Salya car-borne monarch ' gai nst the young resistless foe, Urged his fiery battle-coursers, stretched his death-com pel l ing bow, Onward sti l l went Abhimanyu, Salya strove and fought in vain, And h i s warriors took h i m bleeding from the reddened battle-pla i n !
28 . A Treusury of Sanskrit Poetry
Next Duhsasan darkly loweri ng thundered with his bended bow, Abhimanyu sm iled to see him, kinsman and the dearest foe, "Art thou he," said Abhima.yu, "known for cruel word and deed, I mpious in thy heart and purpose, base and ruthless i n thy greed? Di dst thou with the false Sakuni w i n a real m by low device, Win his ki ngdom from Y udhishthir by i gnoble trick of dice, Di dst thou in the counci l cham ber with thy i nsults foul and keen By her flowi ng raven tresses drag Yudhishthir's stainless queen, Didst thou speak to warl ike Bhima as thy serf and bounden slave, Wrong my father righteous A rj un, peerless prince and warrior brave? Welcome ! I have sought thee often, wi shed to cross thy tainted path, Welcome! Dearest of al l victims to my nursed and cherished wrath, Reap the meed of sin and i nsult, draw o n earth thy l atest breath, for I owe to Queen Draupad i , i mpi ou s prince, thy speedy death ! " L i ke a snake upon a n ant-h i l l , o n Duhsasan 's wicked heart Fel l with h i ss i ng w rath an d fu ry Abhi manyu 's fiery dart, From the loss of blood Duhsasan fainted on his battle-car, chi e ft a i n s bore h i m s e n sele s s from the b l ood-s tai ne d
K u ru
scene of war!
Next in gleam ing arms accoutred came Duryodhan 's g a l l an t son, Proud and warl i ke as his father, fam ed for deeds of valour d on e , Y oung i n years and rich i n valour, for a l a s ! he fou g ht too wel l , before h i s w e e p i n g father proud and gal lant Lakshman te l l !
And
Onward sti l l went Abh i m anyu midst the d y i n g and the dead, Shook from rank to rank the K uru a n d their shattered arlllY ll ed, Then the i m pious Jayadratha, king of S i ndhu ' 5 s o u n d i n g shore, Came forth in unri ghteous concert w ith six car-borne warriors more, Darkl y c 1 o.sed t h e fatal circle with the g u l li n g surge ' s m oa n , Dauntless with t he seven c h i e tlai ns brave A b h i manyu fought a l one ! Mahiibhiirula .
29
Fel l , alas, h i s peacock standard and his car was broke in twain, Bow and sabre rent and' shattered and his faithful dri ver slain, Heedless yet of death and danger, m i sty with the loss of blood, Abhimanyu wiped his forehead, gazed where dark his foe men stood ! Then with w i l d despai ring valour, flickering flame of closing l i fe, M ace in hand the heed less warrior rushed to end the mortal stri fe, Rushed upon his startled foemen, A bhimanyu fought and fel l, And his deeds to d i stant ages bards and wand' ring m i nstrels tel l ! L i ke a tusker of the forest by surrounding hunters slain,
L i ke a wood-consuming w i ldfire quenched upon the distant plain, L i ke a mountain-shaki ng tempest spent i n force and h ushed and sti l l , L i k e the red resplendent day-god setti ng o n the western h i l l , L i k e the moon serene and beauteous q uenched i n ecl i pse dark and pale, L i feless slumbered Abhi manyu when the softened starl i ght fel l ! Done the day of death and slaughter, darkeni ng shadows close around, Wearied warriors seek for shelter on the vast and tented ground, Soldiers' camp-fires brightly blazi ng, tent-l ights shin i ng from afar. Cast the i r fitful gleam and rad i ance on the carnage of the war! V II ( abridged)
Romesh Dufl * * * * *
25
Oblation t o Karna
Sacred Ganga, ample-bosomed, sweeps along in regal pride, Rol l i ng down her l i mpid waters through high banks on either side, C h i l d less dames and weeping widows thither in thei r anguish came, Due and holy rites to render to departed chiefs of fame.
30 . A
Treasury v/Sanskrit Poetry
Cast i ng forth the i r j ewel led g i rd l es, gems and scarfs belaced with gold G ave oblations of the water unto warri ors true and bold,
,
U nto fathers, unto h usbands, unto sons in bat:le slayed, Offeri ngs of the sacred water sorrowing w ives and mothers I lIade. And so great the host of mourners wendi ng to perform the rite, That t he i r footsteps made a pathway in the sad and sacred site, And the shel vi ng banks of G an ga peopled by the sorrowing train, vast and seal i ke, formed a scene of woe and pai n !
W i de-expand i ng,
But a wave o f keener sorrow swept o'er Pritha's heavi ng breast, unto her weeping c h i l d ren thus her secret she expressed :
As
"lie. my sot/s. the peerless howman. mighty in his hat/le-car, Who hI' will offale IIntimely was hy A rjun slain in war. lie 11'iloll1 a.l' the son of Radha, chariol-driver ye have thought, Bill who shone wilh Surya 's lustre as his cOllnlless foes be fought, lie 11 '/70 filced vo ur sloule.l'l warriors and in hattle never failed, Brlll 'ell' led Ihe Kuruforce.l' and in danger nel'er quailed, Ill' who knell' no peer in prowess, owned in war no haughtier name, J 'iddl!d I ilL' hul nol his honour (lnd hy dealh halh conquered fame, fie
in
II'IIIh who
never fiillacd,
n e v e r lefi h is vow IIndone,
Om'r w1/o him oblat ion, Karna was my eldesl son!
Karna 11'a.l' your honoured elder and Ihe Sun inspired his birth, Kanw in his rings and arm o ur Sun-like Irod Ihe .\paciolls earlh ! "
Pandav brothers groaned i n penitence and pain, th e y wept i n woe and angu i s h for the brother they had slain,
Pri t h a spake; the And
H i ssing forth h i s s i gh of anguish l ike a crushed and wounded snake Yudhishthir to his mother thus his i nward feel i ngs spake:
Sad
"Didst thou, mother, bear the hero fathom less l i ke ocean d read, W hose unfa i l i n g gl isten i ng arrows l i ke its countless b i l lows sped,
Mahiibhiirata
•
31
Di dst thou bear that peerless archer all-resistless i n his car, Sweepi ng with the roar of ocean through the shattered ranks of war? Didst thou hide the m i ghty warrior, mortal man of heaven ly birth, C r u shing ' neath his arm of valour al l his foemen on the earth, Di dst thou hide the birth and l i neage of that chief of deathfu l i re, As a man in folds of garments seeks to hide the flam i ng tire? A rj un wielder of Gandiva was for us no truer stay Than was Karna for the Kurus in the battle's dread array, M onarchs m atched not Karna ' s g lory nor his deeds of valour done, M i dst the m i ghty car-borne warriors m i ghtiest warrior Karna shone !
Woe to us ! our e l d est brother we have i n th e battle slain, And
our nearest d earest elder fel l upon the gory plain,
Not the death of Abhimanyu from the fair Subhadra torn, N ot the s laughter of the pri nces by the proud D raupadi borne, N ot the fal l of fr i en d s and ki nsmen and Panchala's m i ghty hos t L i ke thy death affl i cts my bosom, noble Karna loved and lost !
.
Monarch's empire, victor' s gl o ry all the treasures earth can yield, R i ghteous bl iss and heaven ly glad n ess , harvest of the heavenly field, ,
A l l that wish can shape and utter, a l l t h a t nouri sh h o p e and p ride, A l l were ours, 0 noble Karna, hadst t h ou rested by ollr s i d e ,
A nd this carnage of t he K urus these sad eyes had never seen, Peace had g ra c e d our b l essed e m p i re, ha pp y would the e art h have been ! " Long bewai led the sad Y u d h i shth i r for h i s elder loved and dead, And oblati on of the water to the noble Karna made, And the royal dames of Kuru viewed the sight with freshen ing pain, Wept to see the go od Y udhi shth i r offering to his brother slain, And the Widowed queen of Karna with the women of h i s house Gave oblations to her hero, wept her loved and slaughtered spouse ! Done the rites to the departed, done oblations to the dead, Slowly then the sad survivors on the r i v er s margin spre ad, '
32 . A Treasury (if Sanskrit Poetry
Far along the shore and sandbank of the sacred seal ike stream Maid and matron lave their bodies ' neath the morning's holy beam, And abl utions done, the Kurus s low and sad and cheerless part, Wend their way to far H astina with a void and vacant heart.
X I. 27
Romesh Ollll * ** * *
26 The Mother to Her Son
Out, arise, thou coward ! l ie not thus upon the ground o'erthrown Shorn of pride, thy foes' delight, thy friends' shame, making fruitless moan. Eas i ly a paltry ri ver with the meagre floods o' erflows, Eas i l y the lie ldmouse with her m i te of grain contented goes, Eas i ly the coward ceases, fai nting from his great emprise. Break the serpent's fangs between thy hands and perish, not as dies I mpotent a whining dog, go deathward, but as circles o'er his pray, But as wheels an angry falcon through the wide and azure day Watching for his moment, thou in fearless s i l ence wait thy time Or with resonant and far-voiced chal lenge waken war sub l i me. Wherefore l ike a dead thing thunder-bl asted l iest thou on the ground'. R i se, thou coward, seek not sl umber while the victors j eer around. Turn not m iserably to thy set, but smiting with the sword M ake the world re-eho! deem that thou wast born to be its lord, Not with m idd le place content nor abject; al l subjection spurn. Stand erect, whate 'er befall thee, roaring on thy hunters turn. B l aze out l i ke a firebrand even if for a moment burning high, Not l ike the poor ti re of h usks that smoulders long, afraid to die. Better i s the swift and glorious flame that mounting dies of power, Not to smoke in squal i d blackness, hour on wretched futi le hour. Out to battle, do thy man's work, falter not in high attempt; So a man is quit before his God and saved from self-contem pt. For the great heart grieves not though he lose the glorious crown of strife, B ut he does the work before him, holding cheap his body's l i fe. Show thy prowess, he the hero thou wast born, with fl ashing glai ve, H ew thy way with God before thee to the heaven of the brave. V. 1 3 1 Sri A lIrohindo
Mahiihharata
•
33
27
The Bridal of Damayanti
Came the day of happy omen, moonday meet, and moment apt; Bhima to the SvayalTJvara summoned all the lords of earth. One and all, upon the instant, rose th ' enamoured lords of earth, Suitors al l to Damayanti in their lovi ng haste they came. They, the court with golden columns rich, and glittering portal arch, Like the lions on the mountains entered they the hal l of state. There the lords of earth were seated, each upon his several throne; A l l their fragrant garlands wearing, al l with pendant ear-gems rich. Arms were seen robust and vigorous as the ponderous battle mace, Some l i ke the five-headed serpents, del icate in shape and hue: With bright locks profuse and flowing, fine-formed nose, and eye and brow, Shone the faces of the Rajas l ike the radi ant stars in heaven. As with serpents, Bhogavati, the wide hall was ful l of ki ngs; As the mountain-caves with tigers, with the tiger-warriors ful l . Damayanti in her beauty entered o n that stately scene, With her dazzl i ng l i ght entrancing every eye and every soul. O ' er her lovely person gliding all the eyes of those proud kings; There were fixed, there moveless rested, as they gazed upon the maid. Then as they proclaimed the Rajas, (by his name was each proclaimed,) In dismay saw Bhima's daughter, five in garb, in form the same. On those forms, al l undistinguished each from each, she stood and gazed. In her doubt Vidarbha's princess Nala's form might not discern, Whichsoe ' er the form she gazed on, him her Nala, him she thought. She within her secret spirit deeply pondering, stood and thought: ' How shal l I the gods distingui sh? royal Nala how discern?' Pondering thus Vidarbha ' s maiden in the anguish of her heartTh ' attri butes of the immortals sought, as heard of yore, to see. 'Th' attri butes of each celestial, that our aged sires descri be, As on earth they stand before me, not of one may I discern. ' Long she pondered in her silence, and again, again she thought. To the gods, her only refuge, turned she at this trying hour. With her voice and with her spirit she her humble homage paid . Folding both her hands and trembl i ng t o the gods the maiden spake: ' As when heard the swan's sweet language chose I then Nishadha's ki ng, By this truth I here adjure ye, oh, ye gods, reveal my lord ! As in word o r thought I swerve not from m y faith, all -knowing powers ! By this truth I here adj ure ye, oh, ye gods, reveal my lord ! 34 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
As in word or thought I swerve not from my faith, al l-knowing powers ! By this truth I here adj ure ye, oh, ye gods, reveal my lord ! As the gods themselves have destined for my lord N ishadha' s king; By this truth I here adj ure ye, oh, ye gods, my lord reveal ! As my vow, so pledged to Nala, hol i ly must be maintained, By this truth I here adj ure ye, oh, ye gods my lord reveal ! Each the form divine assume ye, earth 's protectors, mighty lords; So shal l I discern my Nala, I shal l know the king of men . ' As they heard sad Damayanti uttering thus her piteous prayer, At her high resolve they wonder, steadfast truth and fervent love, Hol i ness of soul, and wisdom, to her lord her constant faith. As she prayed, the gods obedient stood with attri butes revealed: With unmoistened skins the Immortals saw she, and with moveless eyes; Fresh their dust-unsul lied garlands hovered they, nor touched the earth. By his shadow doubled, dust-soi led, garlands-drooping, moist with sweat, On the earth Nishadha's monarch stood confessed, with twinkling eyes : On the gods an instant gazed she, then upon the king of men; And of right king Bhima's daughter named N ishadha' s king her lord. Modestly the large-eyed maiden l i fted up his garment' s hem, Round his shoulders threw she l i ghtly the bright zone of radiant flowers. So she chose him for her husband, Nala, that high-hearted maid. Then ' alas ! alas ! ' burst wi ldly, from that conclave of the ki ngs, And ' wel l done, well done, ' as loudly, from the gods and sages broke. All i n their ecstatic wonder glori fied N i shadha's ki ng. Then to royal Damayanti, Virasena' s kingly son, To that slender-waisted damsel spake he comfort in his joy; ' Si nce thou'st own 'd me for thine husband, in the presence of the gods, For thy faithful consort know me, aye del ighting in thy words. While this spirit fi l l s this body, maiden with the smile serene ! Th i ne a m I , s o long thine only, this the solemn truth I vow. ' Thus he gladdened Damayanti with the assurance of his faith. Then, rejoicing in each other, that blest pair, upon the gods Led by Agni, gazed in homage, on their great protectors gazed. Ill . 6 . 5 3 Sir M. Manier Williams
* * * * *
Mahiibhiirata • 3 5
28 Savitri and the G od o f Death
Then, hav i n g reached where wood land fru its d i d grow, They gathered those, and fi l l ed a basket fu l l ; A nd afterwards the Pri nce pl i ed hard h i s axe, C utt i ng the sacred fuel . Present l y There crept a pang upon h i m ; a fi erce throe B u rned through h i s brows, and, al l asweat, h e came Feeb l y to Sav itri , and m oaned : ' 0 w i fe, I am thus sudden l y too weak for work; M y ve i n s throb, Sav itri; my b l ood runs ti re; I t i s as i f a threefo l d fork were pl unged I nto my bra i n . Let me l i e down, fai r Love ! I ndeed, J cannot stand upon my feet. ' Thereon that noble l ady, hasten i ng near, Stayed h i m , that wou l d have fal len, w i t h q u i ck arm s ; A n d , s i tt i ng o n the earth, l a i d her lord ' s head Tenderly in her lap. So bent she, m ute, Fann i ng h i s face, and t h i nk i n g ' twas the d ayThe hour-w h i c h Narada named-the s u re ti xed d ate Of d readfu l end-when, l o ! before her rose A s hade maj esti c . Red h i s garments were, H i s body vast and dark, l i ke fiery suns The eyes which burned beneath his forehead-c l ot h ; A r m e d w a s h e w i th a noose, awfu l of m i en Th i s Form tremendous stood by Satyavan, F i x i ng i ts gaze upon h i m . At the s i gh t T h e fearfu l Pri ncess started to her feet. Heedfu l l y l ay i ng on the grass h i s head, Up started she, w i t h beat i n g heart, and j o i ned Her pal m s for supp l i cation, and s pake thus In accents trem u l o u s : ' Thou seem ' st some god; Thy m i en is more than m ortal ; m ake me know W hat god thou art, and what thy purpose here. ' And Yam a (the dreadfu l God of death) sai d ; ' Thou art a fa i t hfu l w i fe, 0 Sav i tri , True to thy vows, pi ous, and d u t i fu l ; 36 . A
Treasury
of Sanskrit Poetry
Therefore I a n sw e r
thee. Yama
I ,lIn !
Th i s Pri nce, t h y l o rd , l i eth at p o i n t
to d i e ; H i m w i l l I straightway bind a n d bear from l ife; Th i s i s m y o ffi c e , and for th i s I come . ' Then Sav itri spake sad l y : ' I t i s ta u g h t T h y m essengers are sent to fetch the dyi ng; W h y i s i t , M i ghtiest, t h o u art come t h y s e l f? .
'
I n p i t y of her l ove, the Piti less Answered,-the K i n g o f a l l the Dead rep l i ed : ' Th i s w as a Pri nce unpara l l e led, t h y lord; V i rt uous as fa i r a sea of good ly g i fts, Not t o be sum moned by a meaner v o i c e Than Yama' s own: therefore i s Yama come. ' ..
W i t h t h a t t h e g l o om y
G od fi t te d h i s noose, from the Pri nce the soul of h i m Suhti l e, a t h u m b i n l en gt h w h i c h b e i n g ren, B reat h s tay e d bl o o d s t o p p ed h i s b o d y s grace was gone, And a l l l i fe ' s wa r m t h to stony co ldness turned. T h e n b i nd i n g i t . the S i l e nt Presence bore Satyavan ' s soul away tow a rd t h e So u t h And forced /(xth
-
,
,
'
,
.
B u t S a v i t r i t h e Pri ncess fo l l owed h i m : Be i ng s o
bol d i n w i fe l y p u r i t y , by her l ove: and so u ph e l d
So hol y
,
S h e fo l l owed h i m .
Pre s e ntl y Yama turned. 'Go back . ' q uo t h he; p ay him the fu neral d ues. '
E n o u g h 0 S a v i tr i ! i s w ro ug h t for l o v e; ,
G o back ! t o o
far a l ready h a s t t h o u come. ' Then Savitri made answer: ' I m u s t go Where my lord goes, or where my lord is borne; N o ug h t other i s my d u t y Nay, I t h i n k , .
By reas on o f m y se rv i ces Done to t h e G u rus, and my fau l t less love, G r an t b u t t h y grace, I s h a l l u n h i ndered go. my v ows,
T h e sages teach that to wal k
seven steps,
One '\v i t h another, m aketh good Beseech t h ee
,
let
me
say
men friends;
a verse t o t h e e :!I1ahlihlUlrala
•
37
Be m aster of t h y se l C i f thou w i l t be Servant of D uty S u c h as thou s h a l t see N ot sel f-s u bd u i ng, do n o deeds o f goo d [ n y o u t h or age, i n househo l d or i n wood . .
B u t w i s e m e n know that v i rt ue i s best b l i ss ,
A n d a l l b y s o m e o n e w a y m ay re a c h to th i s
I t n e ed s
.
not m e n s h o u l d pass t h r o ugh orders four
To c o m e to k n ow l ed ge : d o i n g r i gh t i s m o re Than any l earn i n g ; t h erefore sages s ay
Best and most exce l l e n t i s V i rt ue ' s w ay . ' S pake Y a m a t he n : ' R e t u r n ! yet
I
am m oved ,
By t hose soft w o rd s ; j u st l y t he i r acce nts fe l [ , A n d s w ect a n d r e a s o n a b l e w a s the i r sensc.
See, n o w , thou fa u l t l es s o n e . Exce pts t h i s l i fe I bear a w a y , as k a n y boon from m e ; I t s h a l l n o t b e d e n i ed . '
S a v i tri s a i d :
. L e t . t h e n , t h e K i n g , m y h usband ' s fath e r, h a v e H i s eye s i gh t bac k, and be h i s stre n gt h re st o red , A n d [ e t h i m l i ve anew, strong a s t h e s u n . '
' I g i ve t h i s g i ft , Y a m a re p l i e d : t hy w i s h , B [ a rn e l ess, s h a l l b e fu l fi l l ed B ut n o w g o bac k ; '
'
.
A l read y a r t t h o u weari ed, a n d o u r road
I s h a rd and l o n g T u r n bac k , l es t t h o u , too, d i e .
The Pri ncess a n swered : Weary am I not, So I w a l k n i gh my l o rd . W h ere he is borne, Th i t h e r w e n d I. M ost m i ghty o f t h e g od s [ fo l l ow w he reso ' e r t h o u takest h i m . '
,
A verse i s w r i t o n t h i s , i f t h o u w o u l dst h e a r :
T h e re i s n o u g ht better t h a n to b e
W i t h nob l e s o u l s i n c o m p a n y : There i s n o u g h t d e a re r t h a n to w e n d W i th g o o d fr i e n d s fa i t h fu l to t h e e n d . Th i s i s t h e l o ve w h o s e fru i t i s s weet; T h e refore to bide there i n i s meet . '
38
•
A
Treasury olSanskrit
Poetry
. .
Yama, s m i l i ng: ' Beaut i fu l ! Thy words Del igh t me; they are excel lent, and teach W i sdom unto the w i se, singing soft truth. Look, now ! E xcep t the l i fe of Satyavan, As k yet anothe r any boon from me. '
Spak e
-
-
Savi tri said: ' Let then, the pious K ing, My husband ' s father, who hath l ost his throne, H a v e back the Raj ; and l et h i m rule h i s rea l m I n happy righteousness. T h i s boon I ask. ' shal l have back the throne, ' Yama repl i ed, ' And he shal l rei gn in righteousn e ss : these thi ngs W i l l s ure l y fa l l . But thou gain i ng thy w i sh, Return anon; so shalt thou ' scape sore i l l . ' ' He
,
' A h, aw fu l God! Who hol d ' st the worl d i n l eash, ' The Pri ncess said, res t rai n i n g evi l men, A nd lead ing good men,�ven unconscious,-there W h e re t hey attain, hear yet these fam o us w ords: '
constant vi rtues of the good are tenderness and l ove a l l that l i ves- i n earth, a i r, sea-great. smal l-below, abo v e, C o m pa s s i onate of heart, th e y keep a gentle t hought for each, K i nd in their action s , m i ld in w i l l and pi t i fu l of speech; Who p i t i e t h not he hath not faith; ful l many an one so l i ves B u t w hen an enemy seeks hel p the g o od man gladly gives . '
The To
,
,
' A s water t o t h e t h i rsti ng, Yama sa i d, ' Pri ncess, th y word s melod ious are to me. '
Except the l i fe of Satyavan thy lord, Ask o ne boon yet again, for I w i l l grant. ' A nswer m ade Savitri : ' Th e K ing, my sire, Hath no male ch i ld . Let him see many son s Beg o t ten of h i s body. Who m ay keep T h e roy a l l i ne lon g regnant. Th i s I ask. ' it shal l be ! ' the Lord o f dea t h re p l i e d ; hundred fai r preservers of h i s race Thy s i re shal l boast. B ut this w i sh bein g won, Return, dear Princess; thou hast come too far. '
' So 'A
Mahabharala . 39
' I t i s n o t far for m e , ' q uo t h Sav i t r i , ' S i n ce I a m near m y h u s b a n d ; n ay , m y heart
I s s e t to go as fa r as to the e n d ; B ut hear t h e s e oth e r verses, i f t h o u w i l t : B y t hat s u n l i t n a m e t h o u bearest. T h o u , V a i vaswata ! art dearest; Those t h a t a s t he i r L o rd p roc l a i m t h ee , K i n g of R i ghteo u s ness do n a m e t h e e ; B e t t e r t h a n t h e m s e l ves t h e
w
i se
T r u s t t h e r i gh teo u s . Each re i i es M o s t u pon t h e g o o d . a n d m a kes F r i e n d s h i p w i t h t h e m . F r i e n d s h i p takes
F e a r from h e a rts ; yet fr i e n d s be t r ay , I n g oo d m e n we m ay trust a l w a y . ' ' S w e et l ady , ' Y a m a s a i d , ' ne v e r w e re words
S p o k e b e t te r ; n e v e r t r u e r h e a rd by c a r ;
La ! I a m p l eased w i t h t h e e . E xc e p t th i s sou l . A s k o n c g i ft yet aga i n . a n d get t h ee h o m e . '
' 1 a s k t h e e . t h e n . ' q u i c k l y t h e P r i n c e s s c r i ed , ' So n s , m a n y s o n s , born of m y body : boy s ; S a t y a v a n ' s c h i l d re n ; l o ve l y . v a l i a n t , s t ro n g . C o n t i n ue rs of the i r l i n e . G ra n t th i s , k i n d g o d '
' I g r a n t i t , ' Y a m a a n s w e re d ; ' t h ou s ha l t bear Those s o n s thy heart d e s i re th , va l i a n t , stro n g . T h e re fo re g o bac k , t h at y e a rs be g i ven t h e e . T o o l on g
a
path t h o u t re a d e s t . d ar k a n d ro u g h . '
B ut , sweeter than b e fore, t h e pri n cess s a n g :
' I n p at h s of peace a n d v i rt u e A l w ays t h e g o o d re m a i n ;
A n d s o rrow s h a l l
n ot
stay w i t h t h e m .
N o r l on g access of pa i n ;
A t m eet i n g or at part i n g J oy s t o t h e i r bosom s t r i k e ;
F o r good to good i s fri e nd l y , A n d v i rt u e l o ves h e r l i ke . The great s u n goes h i s j ou rney 40 . A
Treasury �rSanskril Poetry
By thei r strong truth i m pe l led ; By thei r pure l i ves and penances Is earth itself uphe l d ; Of al l w h i ch l i ve or shal l l i ve
U pon i ts h i l l s and fields,
Pure hearts are the "protectors'" For v i rtue saves and s h i e l d s . ' N ever a re n ob l e spi r i t s Poor w h i l e their l ike surv i ve ;
T r u e l ove h as gems t o render, And v i rtue wealth to gi ve. N e v er is l ost or wasted
T he goodne s s of the good ; N ever agai nst a mercy, A ga i nst a r i gh t i t stood ; ,
A n d s ee i n g t h i s , that vi rtue
[s a l w a y s fri e nd to a l l , T h e v i rt uo u s and true-hearted, Men the i r p rot e c t or s ca l l . ' "
"
sangest so,
' L i n e for l i n e Pri ncess ! as thou .
Quoth Y am a ' a l l. that l o v e l y p ra ise of good. ,
G ratefu l to hal l owed m i n d s . l ofty i n sound. A n d couched in d u l cet n u mbers-word by word Dearer t hou grew ' st
to m e . 0 tho u
great heart.
Perfect and fi rm ! ask any boon from me,-
Ask an i n comparab l e boon ! "
S he
c ri ed
S w i ft l y . no l o n g e r stayed : ' N ot heaven N o r hea v e n l y j oys. n o r
I crave. b l i s s i n c om pa rab l e .
H a rd to be gran ted even by thee; b u t him.
M y s w e e t lord ' s l i fe.
without which [ am I w i l l not take
d e ad ;
G i ve m c that g i ft of g i fts !
A u g ht l e s s w i t h ou t h i m
,-
n o t one b o on
,-
no p r a i s e
.
N o sp l e nd o u r s no rew ard,- not even those sons .
Whom t ho u d i dst p rom i s e
.
Ah,
thou w i l t not. now,
Bear hence the father of them . and m y ho pe ! M ake th y free word good ; g i ve A l i ve once m or e
me Satyavan
. '
Mahiibhiirata . 4 1
A nd there u pon the
God
The Lord or J us t i ce, h i gh V a i vaswata
Loos�n�d the noos� a n d freed the Pri nce ' s sou l . A n d gavc i t t o t h � l a d y , say i ng t h i s ,
With eyes grown tender : ' See, t h o u sweetest q ueen Of women, bri g ht est j cwe l of thy k i nd ! H e re i s t h y husband. H e s ha l l l i ve and re ign
Side by s i d e w i th t hee ,- sa v ed by thee,-i n peace,
And fame, and wea l t h , and health, m any l o n g years ;
For p i o u s sacri fi ces world-renow ned. 80ys shalt thou bear to h i m , as I d i d grant, Kshatriya k i n g s . fathers of kings t o be, Susta i ners of thy s i re . A l so, thy s i re S h a l l see h i s n a m e uphel d by sons of sons, L i ke the i m morta l s , val i ant, M a l avas . '
1 1 . 29 1 -7 . 1 1 1 . 2 8 1 Sir Edll'in
* * * * *
Bhagavadgifii 29 The S orrow of A rj una Kri shna, Kri shna, Now as I l o o k on Thcse m y k i n s m e n A rrayed for battl e ,
My l i m bs are wea k ened , My mouth i s parch i ng, M y body tre m b l es,
M y h a i r stands u p r i g h t ,
M y s k i n seems b u rn i n g , The bow Gand i va S l ips form my hand,
is w hi rl i n g Round and round, I can stand no l onger:
M y bra i n
Kri shna, I see such 42
•
A li"easury olSanskril Poclry
ilrnold
Omens of evi l ! What can we hope from Th i s k i l l i n g of ki nsm en? What d o I want w i t h V i c t o ry e m p i re , ,
Or the i r
enj oyment?
o G o v i nda, H o w can I c a r e fo r P o w e r or p l eas ure, My o w n l i fe , e v e n ,
W h e n a l \ t he s e ot h e r s
,
Teachers, fathers, G ra n d fathers, u n c l es . S o n s a n d brothers , H u s bands
of s i s t e rs
,
G ra n d s o n s a n d c o u s i n s , For w hose sake o n l y
I c o u l d e nj oy t h e m
S t a n d h e r e re a d y
To r i s k b l oo d a n d w e a l t h I n w ar a ga i n s t u s ?
K nower or all t h i ngs, T h o u g h they s h ou l d s l ay me
I l ow cou l d I h a rm t h e m '? I cannot w i s h i t :
N ever, never,
N ot t h o u g h it w o n m e
The t h ro ne of t h e t h ree w o rl d s ; H o w m u c h t h e l es s for E a rth l y l o rd s h i p !
I . 2 &-34
.....·wl1l11i } 'rah/uH'onanda u n d C 'hri.l'/opher }s/ze r l1'ood * * * * *
Bhagavadgftii
•
43
30 T h e V i sion Then. 0 k i ng ! the God. so say i ng. Stood . to Pritha ' s Son d i splay i ng A l l the spl endour, wonder. d read
Of H i s vast A l m i ghty-head . Out of countl ess eyes behol d i ng.
Out of count l ess mouths command i ng. Countless mystic forms e n fo l d i n g I n o n e Form : s upremely stand i ng Countless rad i ant glories wearing. Countless heaven l y weapons beari ng. C rowned w i th garl ands of star-clusters.
Robed in ga r b of woven l ustres. B reath i ng fro m H i s perfect Presence B reaths of al l del i c i ous essence Of al l sweetest odors: shedd i n g B l i nd i ng bri l l i ance. overs p read i ng Bound l ess. b e a u t i fu l
a l l spaces From H i 3 a l l - regard i ng faces: So He showed ! I f t he re should r i se --
Suddenly w i t h i n the s k i es
S u n b u rst of a thousand slIns f l o o d i n g earth with rays undeemed of, Then m i gh t be that H o l y One ' s
M a j esty and gl o ry drea m ed of.
XL 9- 1 � Sir /o'dl1'in ilrno/d
* * * * *
44
•
A
TrC(/SIII), o(Sanskril POelIJ'
VALMIKI RiimiiyafJa 31 Rama a n d S i ta
But Sita a l l the whi le, unhappy chi ld, Worshi ppe d p ro pitious go ds . lIer m ind in dreams August and sp l end i d coronat i o ns d w el t And knew not of that woe. R o y al s h e wo r s hipp e d. A pri nces s i n her m i n d and mood. and sat W i th expcctati o n thri l l ed. To whom there camc Rama, d o w n c a s t and sad, his forehead m oist From i n ner angu ish. Dark with thought and shaken He en t ered his august and j u b i l a n t h a l l s . S h e s t a rt e d from h e r seal. translixed, and t re m b l ed , For a l l the beauty of h i s face was m a rr ed. Who when hc saw his young bel oved w i fe E ndure d n o l o n ge r ; a l l h i s i n n e r passion Of tortured pridc was o p c n c d i n h i s face. And S ita. sh a k e n . c r i cd a l ou d . "What g ri e f Comes i n these eye s? Was not today t h i ne hour When J upiter, the i m peria l planet. joins With P u shya, that h i gh conste l l ation? Why A rt thou then pale , d i sturbed? Where i s thy po m p , Thy c r o w n i n g wherc? No foa m-wh i t e s o ft ness s i l k W i th hundrcd-shafted c an o py 0 ' erhucs Thy k i ngly head, no fans o ' erwave thy face L i ke bi rds that beat their bri ght wings near a tlowcr; M instrcl nor orator attcnds thy stcps To hy m n thy greatness, nor are hera l d s heard Voi c i ng h i gh stanzas. Who has then forbade The honeye d curds that Brahmins Veda-wi se Should pour on thy anoi nted brow, - the throngs That shou l d beh i n d thee i n a g l ory surge.The m i n i st ers an d l e ad i n g c it i ze n s And peers and commons of the pr o vi nces Apd commons m etro p o l i ta n ? Where stays Thy chariot by four gold-clad h o r s e s d rawn, Ranu/l'(Ina
•
45
Trampl i ng, magnificent, wi de-maned? thy huge High-omened elephant, a thunder-cloud Or moving mountain i n thy front? thy seat Enriched w i th curious gold? Such are the h i gh Symbols men l ead before anointed k i ngs Thr!lugh streets flower-crowned. But thou com ' st careless, dumb, A l one. Or if thy coronation sti l l , Hero, prepares and nations for thee wait, W herefore comes this grey face not seen before I n which there is no j oy ?" Trembl ing she hushed. Then an sw e red her the hope of Raghou ' s l ine: " S i ta, my s i re exiles m e to the woods. o hi gh-born soul, 0 fi rm r e l i gi ous m i nd, Be strong and hear me. Dussaruth my s i re, Whose royal word stands as the m ountains pl ed ge d To Bharath ' s mother boons of o ld, h e r c hoi c e I n her sel ected ti me, who now pre fe rs Athwart the coronati on ' s sacred pomp Her j ust
demand; me to the Dundac woods years exi l ed and in my stead Bharath, my brother, royally elect To this w i d e e m p i re . Therefore 1 come, to visit A n d c l as p thee once, ere t o far woods 1 go. For fou rteen
But thou before King Bharath speak my name Seldom ; thou knowest great and wealthy men
A r e jealous and e n dure not others ' pra i se. Speak low a nd humbly of me when thou speak est, Observ i n g all his m oods; for only thus S h a l l m a n s u rv i v e again st a monarch ' s brow. He i s a ki ng, therefore to b e observed ;
a monarch ' s sacred to i nviolable rule.
Holy, s i nce by Anoi nted
hands
Be pat i ent; thou art w i se and good . For I Today beg i n e x i l e , S i ta , t o d a y Leave thee, 0 S i t a .
But when I am gone I nto the paths of the ascetics old Do t h o u in vows and fasts s pe n d blamelessly T h y lonely seasons. With the dawn arise And when t h o u hast adored the Gods, bow down Before K i ng Dussaruth, my father, then L i ke a dear daughter tend rel igious l y 46 .
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
Cowshalya, my afflicted mother old; Nor her alone, but all my father's queens Gratify with sweet love, smiles, bland ishments And filial claspings; - they my mothers are, Nor than the breasts that suckled me less dear. But m ostly I would have thee show, beloved, To Shatrughna and Bharath, my dear brothers, More than my l ife-blood dear, a sister ' s love And a m aternal kindness. Cross not Bharath Even sl ightly in his w i l l . He is thy k i ng Monarch of thee and monarch of our house And all this nation . 'Tis by modest awe And soft obed ience and h i gh toi lsome service That pri nces are appeased, but being crosscd Most dangerous grow the wrathful hearts of ki ngs And m isch iefs mean . Monarchs incensed reject The sons of thei r own loins who durst oppose Their m i ghty policies, and raise, of birth Though vi le, the strong and serviceable man . Here then obed ient dwe l l unto the King, S ita; but I into the wood s depart. " ,
11. 26
Sri A lIrohindo * * * * *
32 Sita ' s Vow
Rama spake, and soft-eyed S ita, ever sweet in speech and word, Sti rred by loving woman ' s passion bold ly answered thus her lord : "Do I hear m y h u sband rightly, are thesc words b y Rama spake, And her ban ished lord and husband w i l l the wcdded wife forsake? Lightly I d ismiss the counsel which my lord hath l ightly said, For it i l l besecms a warrior and my h u sband ' s princely grade! For the faithfu l woman fol lows whcre her wedded lord may lead, In the ban ishmcnt of Rama, S ila's exi le is decreed,
Rc7I1l{lwIIUl
•
47
S i re nor son nor lovi ng brother rul es the wedded woman's state, With her l ord she fal ls or rises, w it h her consort courts her fate, I f t h e ri ghteous son of Raghu wends to forests dark and drear, S i ta steps before her husband w i l d and th o rny paths to clear!
Like the tasted refuse water cast thy tim i d thoughts aside, m e to the pathl ess j ungle, bid m e by m y l ord abide,
Take
Car and steed and gi l ded palace, vain are these to woman ' s l i fe, Dearer i s her husband ' s shadow to the loved and loving w i fe ! for m y m other often taught me and m y father o ften spake That her home the wedded woman doth beside her h usband m ake, ,
As t h e shadow to the substance, to her lord is fai thful w i fe
,
A nd she parts not from her consort t i l l she parts w i th fl eeting l i fe !
Therefore b i d me seek the j ungle and i n pathless forests roam , Where the w i l d deer freely ranges and the ti ge r m akes h i s h o me, il appier than i n father ' s mansi ons i n the w oods w i l l Sita rove, Waste no th o u g ht on home or kindred, nestl i n g in her husband ' s l ove ! World-renowned i s Ram a ' s valor, fearless by her Ram a ' s s ide, Sita sti l l w i l l l i ve and wander with a faithfu l woman ' s pride ,
And the w i ld fruit she w i l l gather from the fresh and fra g ra nt wood, And the food by Rama tasted shal l be Sita' s c herish e d food !
B i d m e seek the syl van greenwoods wooded h i l l s and pl ateaus high, L i m pi d ri l l s and c rystal nulla,l' as they softly ripple by, ,
And where in the l ake of l otus tuneful d ucks their pl umage l ave, Let me with m y loving Rama skim the cool transl ucent wave ! Years w i l l pass i n happy union happies t l ot to woman gi ven, S i ta s e e ks not throne or empire nor the brighter j oys of heaven, ,-
,
H eaven conceals not bri gh t e r mansi ons in its sunny fi e l ds of pri de, Where w ithout her l ord and husband fa ithfu l Sita wou l d reside ! 48
•
A heaSl Ifl'
of Sanskrit
['octlY
Therefore let me seek the j ungle where the j ungle-rangers rove. Dearer than the royal palace, where I share my husband' s love. And my heart in sweet communion shal l my Rama's wishes share And my wifely toi l shal l l i ghten Rama's load of woe and care ! " Vai nly gentle Rama pleaded dangers of the j ungle l i fe, Vain l y spoke of toi l and trial to a true and tender wife.
1 1 . 27 Romesh Dull
� * * * *
33
C ity i n M ourn ing
Ayodhya, great city, seems Like the night itself. in the pitch of dark Where only cats are awake and owls, Where men and monkeys keep to cover. It looks l i ke a river drying up So that i ts shall ows heat too soon And waterfowl must surface, fish And crocodiles restlessly sti r. It looks l i ke a ruined army, warriors Fallen everywhere, armour Broken, elephants fal len, horses And chariots fallen, banners thrown down. It looks l i ke the tide at ebb. brushed back By a cal m breeze, utterly quiet, A fter its hour of foam and roar, After its highest l ifting wave. It l ooks l i ke an altar gi ven up After the Soma has been pressed, The sacrificial implements Left here and there, the priests a l l gone.
P.iimiiyana
•
49
I t l ooks l i ke a cow c o m e i nto heat But l ac k i n g the serv i c e of a b u l l And stan d i ng, desolate, i n the pen, Refusi ng the o ffered new-cut grass . I t l ooks l i ke a neck l ace w i th the stones That made it prec i ous al l rem oved, Stones whose l ustre g l i ttered out, Perfectly round, the rarest k i n d . I t l ooks l ike earth shot from i ts base, A l l o f its good ness be i n g spent, Or a star p l unged o ut o f heave n , A l l i ts rad iance d i m med o u t . I t l ooks l i ke a creeper s h r i v e l l ed up, B l ackened by forest fi re, a c reeper That in l ate spri ng, a mass of fl owers, Had add l ed al l the hoveri n g bees . I t l ooks l i ke a dense l y c l ouded sky, C utt i n g off the m oon and stars . The m arket p l ace and s hops are al l Shut up, the townsmen deep i n g l oom . It l ooks l i ke a drunken party, a l l The dri nkers departed, hav i n g l e ft Beh i nd the i r refuse, a carpeti n g Of broke n c u p s , voi d ed of w i ne . I t l ooks l i ke t h e fal l en bow of a warri or Dropped off his s h o u l d ers when an arrow Spl i t it, a l on g and h e fty bow Whose h e l pl ess stri n g is broken now . I t l ooks l i k e a young m are, unsad d l ed , Stand i n g forl orn and riderl ess; I ts rider was a dar i n g m an A n d w i l l not m o unt the sad d l e now .
50
•
A
Treasury (?lSanskrit PoelfY
It looks l i ke the sun when its great l i ght Is buried under bl ue-black clouds And hidden there for many days During the time of endless rai n.
1 1 . 1 06
V N Misra, L. Nathan and S I'atsyayan * * ***
34 T h e Sandals
Tears nor sighs nor sad entreaty Rama's changeless purpose shook, Ti 11 once more with hands conjoined Bharat to his elder spoke: "Rama, true to royal mercy, true to d uties of thy race, Grant thi s favour to thy mother, to thy brother grant this grace, Vain were my unaided efforts to protect our father's throne, Town and haml et, lord and ti l ler, turn to thee and thee alone ! U nto Rama. friends and kinsmen, chiefs and warriors, turn i n pain, And each city chief and elder. and each humble v i l l age swain, Base thy empire strong, unshaken, on a loyal nation's wi l l , W i th thy worth and with thy valour serve thy faithfu l people sti l l ! " Rama raised the prostrate Bharat to his ever-loving breast. And in voice of tunefu l hansa thus his gentle speech addrest: ''Trust me, Bharat, l ofty v i rtue, strength and wi l l to thee be long, Thou could ' st ru le a world-wide empire i n thy faith and purpose strong, And OUr father's ancient m i n ' sters, ever faithful, wise and deep, They shal l help thee with their counsel and thy ancient frontiers keep. List! the Moon may l ose his l ustre, H imalaya lose his snow, Heaving Ocean pass h i s confines surging from the caves bel ow,
Riimiiyana
•
51
But the truth-abiding Rama w i l l not move from prom ise gi wn, He hath spoke and w i l l not falter, help him nghteous Gods i n heaven ! " B l azing like the Sun i n splendour, beauteous l i ke the Lord of N i ghl. Rama vowed his Vow of Duty, changeless i n h i s holy m i ght! "Humble token," answered Bharat, "sti l l I seek from Rama's hand, Token of his love and k i ndness, token of his h i gh command, From thy feet cast forth those sandals, they shal l decorate the throne, They sha l l nerve my heart to duty and shal l safely guard thy own, They sha l l to a loyal nation absent monarc h ' s w i l l proclaim, Watch the frontiers of the empire and the people's homage c la i m ! Rama gave the loosened sandals a s his younger humbly prayed, Bharat bowed to them in homage and his parting purpose sa i d : "Not alone w i l l ban ished Rama barks and matted tresses wear, Fourteen years the crowned B harat w i l l in herm it's dress appear. Henceforth B harat dwel l s i n palace guised as herm i t of the wood, I n the sum ptuous hal l of feasting w i l d fruit i s his only food, Fourteen years sha l l pass i n waiti ng, weary toi l and penance d i re, Then, i f Rama comes not l i v i ng, Bharat d ies upon the pyre ! " 1 1 . 1 22.9-26 ROll1csh /)1111 * * * * *
35 W inter i n Panchavati
Came and passed the golden autumn in the forest's gloomy shade, And the northern bl asts of wi nter swept along the s i lent gl ade, When the ch i l ly night was over. once at morn the pri nce of fame For his morn i ng ' s pure abl utions to the Godavari came, Meek-eyed Sita softly fol l owed w ith the pitcher i n her arms, Gallant Lakshman spake to Rama of the I ndian winter' s charms : 52 . A
Treasury olSanskrit Poetry
"Comes the bright and bracing winter to the royal Rama dear, Like a bride the beauteous season doth in richest robes appear, Frosty air and freshening zephyrs wake to l i fe each mart and plain, A nd the corn i n dewdrop spark l i ng makes a sea of waving green, But the vi l lage maid and matron shun the freezi ng river' s shore, By the fire the vi l l age elder tel l s the sti rri ng tal e of yore ! With the w inter's ample harvest men perform each pious rite, To the Fathers long departed, to the Gods of holy might With the rite of agrayana pious men their sins dispel , A nd with gay and sweet observance songs o f love the women tel l . And the monarchs bent o n conquest mark the wi nter' s cloud l ess glow, Lead their bannered cars and forces ' gai nst the ri val and the foe ! Southwards rol l s the solar chariot. and the cold and widowed N o rt h Reft of ' bridal mark ' and j oyance coldly sighs her sorrows forth, Southward rol l s the solar chariot, H i malaya, ' home of snow, ' True to name and appel lation doth i n whiter garments glow, Southward rol l s the solar chariot, cold and crisp the frosty air. And the wood of tlower d ismantled doth i n russet robes appear! Star of Pushya rules December and the night with rime i s hoar, And beneath the starry welkin in the woods we sleep no more, And the pale moon mist-enshrouded sheds a fai nt and fee b l e beam , As the breath obscures the m irror, wi nter m i st obscures her gleam, H i dden by the rising vapour fai nt she glistens on the dale. L i ke our sun-embrownl!d Sita with her toi l and penance pal e ! Sweeping blasts from western mountains through the gorges whistle by A nd the saras and the curlew raise thei r shri l l and piercing cry, Boundless fields of wheat and barely are with dewdrops moist and wet, And the golden rice of wi nter ri pens l i ke the cl ustering date, Peopled marts and rural ham lets wake to l i fe and cheerfu l toi l , And the peaceful happy nations prosper o n their fertile soi l ! Riimiiyana
•
53
Mark the sun i n morn i ng vapours-l ike the moon subdued and pale Brighteni ng as the day advances pierci ng through the darksome vei l , M ark h i s gay a n d golden lustre spark l i ng o ' er the dewy l ea, Mant l i ng h i l l and field and forest. pai nting bush and leaf and tree. M ark it gl iste n on the green grass on each br i ght and bending blade .
,
Li ghten up the long drawn vista. shooting through the gloomy glade ! Thi rst impe l l ed the lordly tusker sti l l avoids the freezing dri nk. W i l d duck and the tuneful hall.l'a do u btful watch the river's brink. -
From th e ri vers wrapped in vapour unseen cries the wild curlew U nseen rol ls the m i sty streamlet o ' er its sandbank soaked i n dew. And the drooping water- l i ly bends her head beneath the frost. Lost her fresh and fragrant b e auty and her tender p e tals lost! Now my errant fancy wanders to Ayodhya's distant town. Where in h e rm it s barks and tresses Bharat wears the royal crown. '
Scorn i ng regal state and splendour. spurn i ng pleas u res loved of yore, Spends h i s wi nter day in penance. sleeps at ni g ht upon the floor. Aye ! perchance Saray u ' s waters seeks he now, serene and brave, As we seek, when dawns the day l i ght Goda v ari s l i m pid wa ve ! " ,
'
Ill. 1 3
Romcsh Dull * * * * *
36 T h e S eason of Rain
N i ne months through the rays of the sun The sky had held the rai n i n its wom b It drinks up the wa ters of the seas And wat ers are born from it, transformed J ust now it seems quite reasonable To drape the sun i n flower chains, C l i m bing to heaven on the steps Of la c quered cl ouds. scaled to the sun. S4 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
.
Tht: sky seems bru ised, i ts ba n dages
Tufts of soft and fl eec y c l ouds, Moving from the ruddy dusk, Coppery, s i l ver j ust at the i r edge . The s ky seems l oves ick, very pal e, W i t h ashen cl ouds, h i s s i ghs the breezes, The twi l i ght gl i mmer l i ke a stroke Of sandal pai nted on h i s brow. The w i nd , sprung form the womb of c louds, Cool and good as lotus peta l s , Scented w i t h
Ketaka,
c uppt:d
In your hands, can now be drunk. The mounta i n s , wrapped in c l oudy deers k i n , Beari ng the sacred th read of streams, Thei r mastered breath the w i nd in caves, Seem l i ke sages at t he i r thought. H eaven is bei ng fl ogged by w h i p s Of lon g gol d l i ghtn i ng, a n d grow l s
Through t h e l ow be l l owi ng o f t h e c l ouds,
A wounded th i n g in agony . The l i ghtn i n g that fl ashes t h e c l o ud ' s Dark l a p s udde n l y seems To be my own m i sera b l e S i ta Struggl i ng i n Ravana' s l ap. These hori zons, dear to a l l W ho l ove, are buried now, Smeared by a thi c kened paste of c l ouds, The p l anets and the moon snuffed out Look at these
.
Kutaja fl owers
That b l ossom on the s l opes of h i l l s, Some of them d i m med i n sm oky scud, A n d shak i n g in the i r wish for ra i n .
Riimclya'!a
•
55
These blossoms seem to quiet. The desire I suffer with more desi re. The dust has fal len. the w i nd is c oo l i n g down. The worst of sum mer done, the royal arm ies Set to march, m ust wait at ea s e and those Far off begi n thei r lo n g p roces s io n a l home. ,
herons with the i r mates are h e a d i n g t o wa rd H i ma l ay an perches thri l l i ng at the i r n ig ht ; On m uddy roads, oxcarts s l ide an d s i nk La b o ri ng i n the drench of e n d l e s s rai n .
The
,
The sky, s pre a d o u t wi th cl ouds. appears a s one I mmense and quiet body of w ater, here. Open and l i ght. there dark, and there, Sudden ly blocked by clouds pi led up I ike pea ks. Their waters m i ngled with the m uddy ochre Of the h i l l s m i ng l ed w i th the b l oom Of teak and of Kadllmhu. streams flash dow n A n d p eacocks echo them w i th l i q u i d cries. ,
The clouds be l l ow them w i th thei r thunder every w here, L i ke great elephants sho u l d e r i ng t h ro ugh the front Of battle, l i gh t n i ng for thei r ori llamme And garl a n de d w i t h strung-out !l ights of geese . Th e i r great bulks cresting l i ke mountai n tops. That flock o f geese, c i rc l i n g overhead, Fl ies as if lashed ahead by l ust for clouds; I t s e e ms a wreath of snowy lotus meant For heaven, trem bling a t those w i ndy he i g h ts . The fo rest g l i tte rs as the p e ac o cks dance, Kudumhu trees l i ft up t h e i r gi n of g o l d B u l l s are swol len taut with thei r desire. And the earth spreads out its shi n i ng crop of green. ,
IV. 28
I ' N Mi.lra, L. Nalhall alld S I 'alsvavall * * * * *
56 • A
Treasury of Sanskrit
Poetry
37 The A soka G arden
Crossed the oeean ' s boundless waters. Hanuman in dutv brave . Li ghted on the emerald i sland gird l cd by the sapphi re � ave. And i n tireless quest of S i ta searched the margin of the sea. In a dark Asoka garden hid hi msel f within a tree. Creepers threw their c l asping tendri ls round the trees of ample hei ght. Stately pal m and teathered cocoa, fruit and blossoms pleased the sight. H erds of tame and gent le creatures in the grassy meadow strayed. Kokils sang i n I eaty thicket. birds of plumage l i t the shade. L i mpid lakes of scented lotus with the i r fragrance ti l led the air, Homes and h uts of rustic beauty peeped through bushes green and fa i r. B l ossoms rich i n t i nt and fragrance i n the checkered shadow gleamed. C l usteri ng fruits or golden beauty in the yel l ow sun l i ght he3lned ! Brightly shone the red A soka with the morn i ng's golden ray. Karnikara and Kil1.1uka dazzl ing as the l i ght of day. Brightly grew the flower of ( 'hampak in the vale and on the reef. 1'lI1ll1aga and Sapla{)(Jrna with its seven-fo l d scented lea!: R i c h i n blossoms many t inted, gratefu l to the ravished eye. Gay and green and glorious Lanka was l i ke garden of the sky. R i c h in fru i t and laden creeper and in beauteous bush and tree. Flower-bespangled golden Lanka was l i ke gem-bespangled sea ! Rose a pal ace i n the wood l ands girt by p i l lars strong and high. Snowy-white l i ke fai r Kai lasa cleavi ng through the azure sky. A nd its steps were ocean coral and its pavement yel low gold, W h i te and gay and heaven-aspiring rose the structure high and bol d ! By t h e r i c h a n d royal mansion Hanuman his eyes did rest. On a woman sad and sorrowing in her sylvan garments drest. Li ke the moon obscured and clouded. dim with shadows deep and dark, L i ke the smoke-enshrouded red fi re. dying with a feeble spark. lliimiivana
•
57
L i ke
the tempest-pelted lotus by the w i nd and torrent shaken, beauteous star Rohini by a graha overtaken !
L i ke the
Fasts and vigils paled her beauty, tears bedi m med her tender grace, A nguish dwelt within her bosom, sorrow darkened on her face, And she l i ved by Rakshas guarded, as a faint and t i m i d deer, Severed from her herd and kindred when the prow l i n g wolves are near, And her raven locks un gathered hung behi nd in si ngle braid, A nd her gentle eye was I ightless, and her brow was hid i n shade ! "Th is i s she! the peerless pri ncess, Rama 's consort l oved and lost, Th i s is she! the saintly Sita, by a cruel fortune crost," l Ianuman thus thought and pondered: "On her gracefu l form I spy, Gems and gol d by sorrowing Rama oft depicted with a s i gh, On her ears the golden pendants and the tiger's sharpened tooth, On her arms the j ewel led bracelets, tokens of unchangi ng truth, On her
Rama
pal l id brow and bosom sti l l the radi ant jewels shine, a sweet affection did i n early days entwine!
with
Herm i t ' s garments clothe her person, braided is her raven hair, Matted bark of trees of forest drape her neck and bosom fai r, A nd a dower
of dazzl ing beauty sti l l bedecks her peerless face, Though the shadowing ti nge of sorrow darkens al l her earl ier grace !
Thi s is she ! the soft-eyed Sita, wept with unava i l i ng tear, Thi s is she ! the fai thful consort, unto Rama ever dear, U n forgett i ng
and unchangi ng, truthful sti l l in deed and word,
S i ta i n her si lent suffering sorrows for her absent l ord,
Rama lost but cherished, Sita heaves the choking sigh, Sita l i ves for righteous Rama, for her Rama she would die!"
Sti 1 1 for
V.IS
Romesh DUll
*****
58 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
ASVAGHOSHA Buddhacharita 38 The G reat Departure Thus the best of me n, beautiful in fo rm and shini ng l i ke black t ra c k e d J\gni, instructed the white horse, the bes t of s t ee d s in his d uty as though he w e re a fr ien d and mounted h i m to go to t he forest, j ust a s the s u n , b l azi n g I i ke li re, mounts a white a u t u m n a l c l oud ,
,
.
Thereon the
te rr i fy i n g in t he
g oo d horse suppressed a l l
n i gh t
-
noi se, that w o u l d
seem
t i m e or m i ght awaken the attendants; h i s j a w s were
soundless and he s i l enced h i s ne i g h i n g
as
,
he went forth with
stea d y
steps.
Then the Yakshas bowed down their bodies and b o re up h i s hoofs off the ground w ith the t i p s of t h e i r hands, that thri l l ed with joy; their forearms were a d orn e d w i th gol den lotuses, so t h a t they
seemed to
bands and their hands were lotuses beneath h i m
be throw i ng
l i ke
.
The city gatehouses, w h i c h were c l o s e d w i t h gates furn i shed w ith coul d not easi Iy have been forced even by e l e phants, o p e n e d n o i s e l essly of the i r own acc o r d as the k i n g s son hcav y bars and w h i c h
'
passed a l ong Then he
.
went forth out o f
h i s fa t h e r
'
s
reso l v e q u i t t i n g w ithout concern h i s father.
c i t y i n the fi rmness of h i s w h o was devoted t o him. h i s ,
y o u n g s o n . h i s affectionate people and his u n e q ual l e d magn i fi cence.
Thereon he, w hose eyes were l ong I i k e stai n l ess l ot uses born of t h e the c i ty and u t t e re d a l i on-roar: " I s h a l l not be e n t e r i n g t h e c i t y named after Kapi l a. ti l l I have seen the further sh o re of m u d . l oo k ed bac k at
l i fe and death . "
He a r i n g h i s words. the t roops o f the r:']urt o f t h e Lord of Wealth the h os t s of gods w i t h j oy fu l m i nds foretol d the ful fi l me nt
j ej o i c e d . and ·
of h i s resol ve.
Other h ea v e n l y be i n g s of fiery forms
recogni zed his p u r p os e to be of a ri ft i n a c l o u d,
t h e g re a t e s t d i ffi c u l ty a n d l i ke moon-beams pierc i ng p ro d u c e d a bri gh t l i ght on h i s frosty path. .
B ut that
steed, l ik e
a steed of t h e S u n , s p eed i ng on a s
i f s p u rred
in
•
59
BlIddhacharita
m i nd, and the prince travelled very many l eagues, before the stars in the sky grew di scoloured with the dawn. Then the worl d ' s eye, the sun, rose i n a moment, and the best of men saw the herm i tage of the descendant of Bhrigu. When he saw it with the deer sleepi ng i n perfect trust and the birds sitting at peace, he felt, as it were, rested and as if the goal were attained. In order to eschew arrogance and to show honour to asceticism, and in accordance w ith his pol iteness he dismounted from the horse. , And ali ghting, he patted his steed, saying, "Your task is accomp l ished", and wel l-pleased he said to Chandaka, bedewing him as it were with his eye:"In fol l owing this horse, whose speed is l ike that of Tiirkshya you have shown, good friend, both l oyalty to m e and your own prowess. Although I am entirely given up to other matters, I am gripped to the heart by you, who possess equal l y this devotion to your m aster in such a degree and also capabi lity. A man, though not devoted, may be capabl e, or though not capable, may be devoted; but it is hard to fi nd i n the world a man l ike you who is at the same time loyal and capable. Therefore I am well-pleased with thi s your noble action in d isplay i ng towards m e this feel ing, which takes no count even of possible rewards. Who would not be favourably disposed to a man i n a posi tion to reward him? In the opposite case even kinsfolk for the most part become strangers. The son i s cherished to continue the fam i l y; the father i s honoured to obtain mai ntenance. The attachment of the world is always due to some moti ve. N o feel i ng that this or that person i s one ' s kin subsi sts w ithout a cause. Why speak many words? In short, you have done me a very great k i ndness. Return with the horse. I have arri ved at the desired spot." With these words the mighty prince unloosed his ornaments and gave them to Chandaka, whose m i nd smarted w ith sorrow, in order to do h i m benefit. Tak i ng from his diadem the blazing jewel, which perform ed the functi on of a l i ght, he stood l ike mount Mandara with the sun on it, and littered these words:-
60 • A Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
"With this jewel, Chanda, you m ust make repeated o be is an ce to the his g rie f you must in ful l confidence give him
k i n g, and in order to abate this message from me:-
h ave entered the penance grove to put an end to birth and death, and not forsooth out of yearning for Paradise, or out of l ack of affection or out of anger. "I
Therefore you should not grieve for me, since 1 have left my home for th is purpose. For a union, however l ong it has l asted, in time w i l l ceas e t o be." V . 79·87 and VI. 1 . 1 6 E H. .Inhnstnn
* * * * *
39
The Leave Taking On heari ng these words Chanda was overcome with anguish and, fol d i ng his hands, re p l ied with a voice strangled with sobs :"At this disposition of yours, 0 my l ord, which m ust cause distress to your kins fo l k, my m ind s inks down l ike an elephant in the m ud of a ri ver. To whom would not such a determi nation as this of yours cause t ea rs. even if his heart were of iron, how much m ore when it is faltering with love? For this del icacy of l i m b, fi tted only for lying i n a palace, i s not compatible with the g round of the penance grove, covered by sharp blades of darhha-grass. But as fo r my bringing this horse to you after hearing your res olve it was some di vine pow e r 0 my lord, that forcibly caused me to do it. For if I had been i n command of my s e l f� how could I, on know i ng this your resol ve, have bro ught you th e horse, the bale of Kapi l avastu? The refore, 0 m i ghty pri nce, you shoul d not de s e rt as a n i h i l i st the good Law, your loving aged father, who yearns so for h i s son. Nor should you forget, l ike an i n grate k i nd treatment. the queen, your second mother, who exhausted herself in bri nging you up. You s houl d not abandon, l i ke a coward the soverei gnty he has obtai ned. the virtuous princess, m other of a young son, devotedly fai thful ,
,
,
Ruddhacharita . 6 1
to her husband and of i l l ustrious l ineage. You should not abandon, l ike a vicious man his excellent repute, the young son of Y asodhara, worthy of praise and best of the cherishers of fame and dharma. Or if, 0 my master, you are determi ned to abandon your father and your ki ngdom, you should not abandon me. For your, feet are my sole refuge. I cannot l eave you in the forest, as Sumantra did Raghava, and go to the city with byrning heart." The best of speakers heard these words of the grief-stricken Chanda and spoke to him, self-possessed and with the utmost fi rm ness:" Quit this affl iction, Chanda, over parting from me; separation i s the fi xed law among corporeal bei ngs, i n that they are subject to different births. Should affection lead me not to quit my kinsfolk of myself, sti l l death would part u s one from the other against our w i l ls. My mother bore me i n her womb with pai ns and great longing. Her efforts have been fruitless. What am I to her now or she to me? As bi rds col lect on the roosting tree and then go their separate ways again. so inevitably the union of bei ngs ends in their parting. And as the clouds come together and depart asunder agai n, so I deem t he meeting and severance of creatures that draw breath. Si nce such is the case then, my good friend, be not affl icted ; go your way. But i f your affection tarries, sti l l go and then return again. And you should say to the folk in Kapilavastu, who keep regard for me. "Qui t your l ove for h i m and hear his resolve. Ei ther, he says. he w i l l quickly come back, after destroying birth and death; or. l acki ng in right effort and fai l i ng to reach the goal, he w i l l perish." " On hearing his speech, Kanthaka, the fi nest of steeds, l i cked h i s feet and shed scald i ng tears. With his webbed hand, which was marked with svastikas and bore the wheel sign on the pal m, the pri nce stroked Kanthaka and spoke to h i m as if he were his comrade of l i ke age:"Do not shed tears, Kanthaka, you have displayed the qual ities of a good horse. Be pati ent; this your toi l wi l l soon bring forth its fruit." Then he resol utely took from Chanda's hand the sharp sword which had a jewe l l ed hilt and was decorated w ith gold inlay, and drew it from Cl2
•
A
7i"easurv olSanskrit Poetry
the sca bbard, as i f he were drawing a snake from a hole. Having unsheathed it with its blade dark blue as a b l ue lotus petal, he cut off his decorated headdress with the hair enclosed i n it and tossed it with the muslin trail ing from it i nto the air, as though tossing a goose i nto a lake. And the i nhabitants of Heaven caught it reverently, as it was thrown, with the i ntention of worshipping i t, and the divine hosts paid it due adoration in Heaven with celestial h o no urs Then he dismissed the weeping Chandaka and, wearing the ochre robe and bearing the fame of his steadfastness, moved majesticall y to whcre the herm itage was, resem b l i n g thc monarch of the stars enveloped in a sunset cl oud Then when his master went thence to the penance grove in his discoloured clothes and free from des i re for rule, the groom fl ung up his arms and. wai l ing bitterly, fel l to the ground. Looking back once more, he wept aloud and clasped the horse, Kanthaka, with his arms. Then i n d espa i r he lamcnted again a nd ag a i n and started for the city with his bod y . but not with his m i nd. Someti mes he brooded and someti mes he lamented, sometimes he stumbled and someti mcs he fel l . So journeyi ng in grief un d c r the force of his devotion, he performed m any actions on thc road in complete V I . 25-36. 42-47. 50-57. 65-68. abandon. .
E H. Johnslon * * * * *
40 The G r i ef of Yasodhara
B ut then up spoke Yasodhara. her eyes reddened with anger, her with the b itterness bo r n of d e s pa i r, her bosom hea vin g w i t h s i gh s . and t e a rs st re am i ng down with the grief she was cnduring:vo i ce chok i n g
"Where. Chandaka. has he gone. my heart ' s desire. after deserti ng me at n ig h t agai nst my w i l l while I s l e pt ? My m i nd trembles, whcn both you and K anthaka have re tu r n ed, while three went forth toge t h er .
Why do you weep here t o J ay you brute, aftcr d o i n g me an i gnoble, unkind. u n fr i e n d l y deed? Hold back your tears. bc c o ntented i n m i nd. Tears go i l l w ith that deed of yours. F o r t h ro u gh you, his loving obedient faithful good companion. -
,
Buddhacharila . 63
always doing what is proper, my lord has gone never to return. Rejoice, by good fortune your toi l is rewarded with success. Better is it for a man to have a wise enemy than a s i l l y friend, who i s s k i l ful o n l y i n the wrong way. For your i mprudence and so c al led fri endship have wr0ught great rui n for this fam ily. For these pri ncesses with their ornaments laid aside and their eyes reddened and stai ned by i ncessant tears, are sorely to be pitied l i ke w i dows w h o se splendour has departed, though their l ord is sti l l i n existence a s m uch as are the H imalayas o r the earth. A nd these rows of pavi l i ons seems to weep together w ith the women, on separation from h i m , casting up their pinnacles for arms and heaving long sighs w i th their enamoured doves Thi s horse Kanthaka too m ust have been desirous of my rui n in every way; for, when everyone was asleep at n i ght he thus carried off my t reasure from here, l ike a j ewel-thief. Seeing that he is c erta i nly able to stand up even to the strokes of the arrows that fal l on him, not to speak of the whip, how was it he went off under fe a r of the fa l l of the whip, ta k i ng with him my good fortune and my heart to gether? To-day the base creature ne i ghs loud ly, fi l l i ng as it were the royal abode; but when he was carrying away my beloved, it was then that the w re tc h ed horse was dumb. For i f he h a d nei ghed and so woken up the people, or if he had made a nois e w i th his hoofs, or i f he had made the loudest sound he could w ith his j aws, such su ffering would not have come on me." I f i t is not to be my lot to look up at the sweetly-s m i l ing long-eyed face of my lord, s t i l l is this poor Rahula never to be dandled in his -
,
.
,
father ' s l ap?
I f my lord i s tender in body and high in s pirit how crue l and hard is his mind, when in sooth he abandons such an infant son w i t h his babbl ing tal k, who would charm even an enemy. My heart too i s c ertainly ex c eed i ng hard, made of stone or even of i ro n , i n th at it does not break in its orphaned state, when my lord, accustomed to a l l pleasures, has departed to the forest without h i s royal V I I I . 3 1 -34. 67-69 glory. " A l as !
,
exceed i n g
EH Johnslon
* * * * *
64 . A TrC'([slIry (Jf Sanskril l'oetry
41 The Final Penance
He bathed and, as in his emaciation he came painfully up the bank of the Nairanjana, the trees growing on the slope bent low the tips of their branches i n adoration to give h im a helping hand. At that time on div ine instigation Nandabala, the daughter of the cow herd chief, went there, joy bursting from her heart. She was wearing a dark-blue cloth and her arms were bri l l iant with white shells, so that she seemed l ike Yam una, best of ri vers, when its dark-blue water is wreathed with foam . Her delight was enhanced by fa ith, and her blue- lotus eyes opened wide, as, doing ob e i s ance w i th her head, she caused him to accept m i l k rice. By partak ing of it he secured for her the fu l l reward of her birth, and h i m self through the sat isfacti on of the six sense facu lt i e s became capable of obtaining en l ightenment. Then the sage ' s form together with his fam e reached ful l roundness and he bore united in his single person the loveliness of the moon and the steadfastness of the ocean. The five mendicants, holding that he had renounced the holy life, left him, as the five elements leave the th inking soul when it is l iberated . On this, with h i s resol ution for sole companion, he m ade up h i s m i nd for enl ightenment and proceeded to the root of a pipa/ tree, where the ground was carpeted with green grass. Then at that moment Kala, the best of serpents, whose m ight was as that of the king of elephants, was awakened by the incomparable sound of his feet, and, real izing that the great sage had determ ined on enl ightenment, he uttered th is eulogy:"Since, 0 sage, the earth thunders, as it were, again and again, as it is pressed by your feet, and since your splendour sh ines forth as of the sun, cl:rtainly you will today enjoy the desired result. S i nce, 0 lotus-eyed one, the flocks of blue jays, circling in the air, proceed round you right-handed, and since gentle breezes blow in the sky, today without doubt you will become a Buddha." Then, after the lordl iest of serpents had thus extol led him, he took c lean grass from a grass-cutter, and, betaking h imself to the foot of the Buddhacharita • 65
great pure tree, he made a vow for enl ightenment and seated himself. Then he took up the supreme, i mmovable cross-legged posture with his l imbs massed together l i ke the coi ls of a sleeping serpent, sayi ng, "\ w i l l not rise form this position on the ground ti l l I achi eve the completion of my task". Then when the Holy One took his seat with determ ined soul , the denizens of the heavens felt unequal led j oy, and the birds and the companies of wild beasts refrained from noise nor d id the forest trees, XII. 1 0 8- 1 2 1 when struck by the wind, rustle at al l . E H.
Johnslon
* * * * *
42
The A rmy of Mara Then as soon as Mara thought of h i s army i n his desire to obstruct the tranquil ity of the Sakya sage, his fol lowers stood round him, in various forms and carrying l ances, trees, javelins, cl ubs and swords in their hands; Having the faces of boars, fishes, horses, asses and camels, or the countenances of ti gers, bears, l ions and elephants. one-eyed, many mouthed, three-headed, with pendulous bel l i es and speck led bel l i es; Without knees or thighs, or with knees vast as pols, or armed w ith tusks or talons, or with skul l s for faces, or with many bodies, or with half their faces broken off or with huge visages; Ashy-grey in colour, tricked out with red spots. carrying ascetics ' staves, with hair smoke-coloured l ike a monkey's, hung round with garlands, with pendent ears l i ke elephants, clad in skins or enti rely naked; With half thei r countenances white or half their bodies green; some also copper-coloured, smoke-coloured, tawny or black; some too with arms having an overgarment of snakes, or with rows of jangling bell s at their girdles; Tal l as toddy-pal ms and grasping stakes, or of the stature of chi ldren with projecting tusks, or with the faces of sheep and the eyes of birds, or w i th cat-faces and human bod ies; With disheve l l ed hair, or with topknots and half-shaven pol ls, clothed in red and w i th disordered headdresses, with brist l i ng faces and frowning visages. suckers of the vital essence and suckers of the m i nd . 66 . A
Trea,\'wJ'
a/Sanskrit Poe/fy
Some, as they ran, leapt wildly about, some jumped on each other; whi l e some gambol l ed in the sky others sped along among the treetops. One danced about. brandishing a trident; another snorted, as he trai led a c l ub; one roared l i ke a bul l i n his excitement, another blazed tire from every hair. Such were the hordes of fiends who stood encompassing the root of the bodhi tree on all sides, anxious to s e i ze and to ki l l , and a waiting the command of their master. Beholding in the beginning of the ni ght the hour of contl ict between M ara and the bull of the S akyas, the sky lost its brightness. the earth shook and the quarters blazed and crashed. The wind raged wildly in every direction. the stars did not shine. the m oon was not seen, and n ight spread forth sti l l thicker darkness and a l l XI I I . 1 8-29 t h e oceans were troubled ,
.
EH
Johnslon
* * * * *
43
The Enl ightenment
At that moment of the fourth watch, when the dawn came up and al l that moves or moves not was sti l l ed, the great seer reached the stage which knows no alteration, the sovereign leader the state of omniscience. When, as the B uddha, he knew thi s truth, the earth swayed l i ke a woman drunken with w i ne, the quarters shone bri ght with crowds Siddhas, and m i ghty drums resounded in the sky. Pleasant breezes blew softly, the heaven rained moisture from a cl oud l ess sky, and from the trees there dropped flowers and fruit out of due season as if to do h i m honour. A t that time, j ust as in Paradise miindiirava fl o w e rs lotuses and water-l i lies of gold and bery l fel l from the sky and bestrewed the place of the S akya sage. At that moment none gave way to anger, no one was i l l or experienced any discomfort, none resorted to sinful ways or i ndulged in i ntoxication of m i nd; the worl d became tranqu i l as though it had reached perfection. X I V . 86-90 ,
.
,
E. H.
Johnslon
* * ***
Buddhacharita
•
67
BHAsA Svapna Viisavadattii 44 F l ight of C ranes
Straight someti mes, someti mes scattered, or curving, Or, as they whee l , crooked as the G reat Bear's fork, Their fl i ght gleams l i ke a contour of the sky, Pa le as a snake' s bel l y, its skin j ust shed ,
IV, 2
I ', /I', Mi.l'ra, L Nalhlln and S, I 'als\'avan
*****
Chiirudatta 45 M oonrise
The moonrise, pa le as the dried date pal m ; Comfort of young girls, l a m p o f the h ighway, I ts shine tumbles i nto the pits of dark L i ke m i l k flooding the caking m ud of pools
1 . 29
I ', N , Misra, 1.. Nathan and S. I 'at.l'vayan
* * ***
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha of Vidyiikara 46 The Magic of Moo n l i ght
The cat. thinking its rays are m i lk, l icks them from the dish; the elephant, seeing them woven through the l attice of the trees, takes them for lotus stems;
68 . A 7i"easlIIY o(Sanskril Poetry
the damse l after l ove would draw them fro m her cOLlch as i f they were h e r d ress: see how the moon i n its p rid e of l i ght has cozened al l the worl d .
905 D. H If. Ingal/s
* * * * *
47 End of the Rai ns The sun gi ves sharp pai n l i ke a low man new l y ri ch. The deer drops h i s horns l i ke
a thankless
fri end.
The w aters grow l uc i d
l i ke a saint' s
pi ous thought;
is squeezed dry a poor man who keeps a m i stress
and the m ud l i ke
276 D. I If I. Ingal/s
** * * *
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha
of Vidyiikaru • 69
HALA Giithii Sattasai 48 Verses 1
Distance destroys love, So does the l ack of it: Gossi p destroys love, And someti mes It takes nothi n g To destroy l ove.
81
2
H i s form In my eyes, H i s touch In my l i m bs, His w ords I n my ears, H i s heart I n my heart: Now who ' s Separated?
132
3
As the travel l er, eyes rai sed, C upped hands fi l led w ith water, s preads H i s fingers and l ets i t run through, She pouring i t reduces the trickle
161
4
The way he stared, I kept covering my self, N ot that I wanted h i m T o l ook elsewhere.
70 • A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
73
5
As the bridegroom Feigni ng s l eep S i d l es towards her, Her th i ghs sti ffen and s w i ftl y W i th t rem b l i ng hand She c l a sps the k not.
648
6
Before the w h i te j asmi ne Could unfold, impetuous You ' ve mangled it.
bee, 444
7
I n her fi rst l abour, She tel l s her fri ends, 'I won ' t l et him Touch me aga i n ' They l augh.
123
8
With a bored s m i l e G i vi ng h i m a j uj ube berry Marked with the i r son ' s fi rst bite, ' Look at th i s , ' she sai d .
200
9
Scared of the barber, the c h i l d bolts And beh i nd h i m his m othe r, H a i r pus hed back, ski rt h i t ch ed , runs .
29 1
10
Let fa i t h fu l w i ves Say what they l i ke, I don ' t s l e e p w i th my h usband Even w hen I do.
888
11
A frai d of m i dday heat, Even your s hadow Strays under your feet: Come i nto the shade,
t rave l l e r .
49 (Jiifha Satfasai
•
71
12
Wi ngs hanging down, necks drawn i n, Sitt i ng on fences as though spitted, Crows get soaked in the rain.
564
13
Buffalos look back And say goodbye to the grove, As butchers, long kni ves in hand, Take them away.
682
14
The moment i t meets a bowstring, The simple arrow 's in fl ight: Can the strai ght be friends With the bent?
424 Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
15
How she scol ded h i m . The travel l er, last m i ght. Hand i ng straw out for his bed . This morning, picking up the pieces, How she weeps.
379
Edwin Gero w and Peter Dent
* * * * *
72 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
SODRAKA Mricchaka(ika 49 The Storm
The sky, flung with piling clouds worked by the wind To wild and shifty shapes, seems like frescoed wal l ; N o w they are herons pairing, now a flight o f swans. Now fish and crocodi les rol led by the sea, now towered castles. C louds. dark as wet leaves have soaked up the sun; Anth i l ls, col l apsed by rain. go down l ike elephants showered with arrows; Lightn ing flares like a lamp that someone bears up and down in a mansion; The moonl i ght was carried off l ike the wife of a helpless man . At Indra's command. the clouds Hoist up the earth with chords of stream ing s i l ver; Like elephants harnessed with l ightning. They heave and shoulder against each other. Treble on palm leaf, bass on shrubs. Sharp on stones, soft on ponds. The rain beats out its music, a V ina, Its chords pl ucked by an accomplished hand.
v.
V N. Mi.vra. L . Nathan and S. Val.vyayan
Thundercloud, I think you are wicked. You know I'm going to meet my own lover, And yet you first scare me with your thunder, And now you ' re trying to caress me With your rain-hands.
V .28 John Brough
*****
Mricchaka(ika .
73
50 On B e i n g Poor
Ah, Poverty, I mourn for your sad fate. So long ago you claimed me as your friend, And ever s i nce you have been my constant guest. Where wi l l you find a home when I am dead?
1.38 John Brough
I am not saddened by the loss of riches, For riches flows in and out with turns of l uck. This is what hurts : the golden prop removed, Friendshi ps grow suddenl y feeble, start to totter.
1. 1 3
/ . N. Misra. I. . Nathan and S. Valsyayan * * * * *
74
•
A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
VISHNU
SARMA
Panchatantra 51 K i ngs
In sensuous coi l And hea rt l e ss toi I , [ n s i n uous course And armoured force, [n savage h arm s Th a t y i e l d to charm s [ n a l l these thi ngs Are the snakes l i ke k i ngs. Uneven, rough, And high enough Yet l o w fol k roam
hom e t h i ngs haunt Them , h ungry, ga u n t [ n a[ 1 these t h i n gs Are h i l l s l ike k i ngs. The i r fl an k s as
And
,
wild
t h i ng s that c l aw, and the t h i ngs that gore Are unrel iab[e t h i n gs: And so i s a m an with a sword i n his hand, And r i v e rs and women, and k ings.
Th e
,
I . 52-54
Ar/ill/r HI Ryder * * * * *
Panchatantra . 75
52 The Penalty of Virtue
The fruit-tree' s branch by very wealth Of fruit is bended low; The peacock's feathered pride compels A sluggish ga i t an d sl ow ; The bl ooded ho rse that wins his race, M ust l ike a cow be l ed : The good i n goodness often fi n d An enemy to dread.
Where J umna's waves rol l blue W i th sands of sa p ph i re hue, Black serpents have thei r lair; And who would hunt them there, B ut that a jewel ' s bright star From each hood gleam afar? By v i rtue rising, al l By that same v i rtue fal l . The man o f vi rtue common ly Is hatefu l to the k ing, W h i l e riches to the scamps and fool s Habitual ly cl i ng: The ancient chant "By vi rtue great Is man has run to seed; The world takes rare and l i ttle note Of any p l ucky deed . "
I . 297-99
Ar/hur *****
76 . A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
W
Ryder
53 Fate Success com plete
In any fe at Is sure to b less True m an l i ness, Man ' s effort (sufficiently great)
V.3D
Is j ust what d u l l ards call fate .
Arlhllr
W
Ryder
* * * * *
54 True Friendship ' T i s hard to fin d in l i fe A fr i en d , a bow, a w i fe, Stron g, s u pp le to e n d u re, I n stock and s i n ew p u re, In time of d a n ger sure. False friends are com m o n . Y es, but where True nature links a friendly pai r, The b l e ss i n g is as rich as rare .
To bi tt er e n d s You trust true fr iends, Not w i fe n o r m other, N ot son nor broth er. N o long exp eri e n ce a l loys True fri en d sh i p ' s sweet and supp l e j oys;
No ev i l m e n can steal the treasure ; ' T i s d eath , death only, sets a measure .
H . 99- 1 02
Arfhllr
W Ryder
* * * * *
Panchatanlra
•
77
55 Fool and False
With the shrewd and upright man Seek a friendship rare; Exercise with shrewd and false Superheedful care; Pity for the upright fool Find within your heart; If a man be fool and fal se, Shun him from the start.
Ill. 96
Archur W Ryder * * * * *
56
Poverty beggar to the graveyard hied And there "Friend corpse, arise," he cried; One moment lift my heavy weight Of poverty; for I of late Grow weary, and desire instead Your comfort; you are good and dead." The corpse was si lent. He was sure 'Twas better to be dead than poor. A
"
V. I S
Archur W Ryder * * * * *
78 . A TreaslIry of Sanskrit Poetry
57 Procrastination The negl i gent who say : ' Som e day , some other day The thi n g is pretty smal l ; Demands n o thought at al l , ' A re headed, heed l e s s , strai ght For that repentant state That ever comes too l ate.
Ill. 1 30 A rthur W. Ryder
* * * * *
f'anchatantra
•
79
KALIDAsA Meghaduta 58 The Yaksha ' s C ity Where pal aces in m uch may ri val theeThei r l ad i es gay , thy l i ghtn i n g ' s dazzl i ng powers Symphon i c drums, thy t h under' s m e l ody The i r bright m osai c fl oors, thy s i l ver showersThy rai n bow, pai nti ngs, and thy hei ght, c l oud- l i c k i ng towers . Where the autu m n l otus i n dear fi ngers s h i nes, A n d l odh-fl owers' A pri l d ust on faces rare, Spring amaranth w i th w i nter j as m i ne tw i nes In wom e n ' s brai ds, and summer s i r i s fai r, The rai ny madder i n the parting of thei r hair. W h ere men with maids w hose charm no b l e m i s h m ars C l i m b to the open crysta l bal cony I n l a i d w i th fl ower- l i ke sparkl i n g of the stars, And d r i n k the l ove- w i ne from the w i sh i n g-tree, A n d l i sten to the dru m s ' deep-th underin g d i gnity. Where maidens whom the gods would g l ad l y wed A re fanned by breezes cool w i th G anges ' s pray In shadows that the trees of heaven spread ; I n golden sands at h unt-the-pearl they p l ay, B u ry thei r l ittl e fi sts, and draw them void away . Where l overs ' passion-trem b l i ng fi n gers cl i ng To s i l ke n robes whose sashes fl utter w i d e , T h e knots undone; a n d red- l i pped w o m e n fl i ng, S i l l y with shame, their rouge from s i de to s i de, Hop i n g in vain the flash of j ewel l ed l am ps to h i de. Where, brought to bal con ies ' palatial tops By ever-blow i ng guides, were c l ouds before L i ke thee who spotted painti ngs w i th thei r drops ;
80 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
Then, touched with gui lty fear, were seen no more, B ut scattered smoke- l i ke through the lattice' grated door. Where from the moonstones hung in nets of thread G reat drops of water trickle in the n ightWhen the moon shines clear and thou, 0 cloud, are fl ed To case the l anguors of the women ' s p l i ght Who l i e rel axed and tired in love ' s embraces tight. Where lovers, ric h w i th hidden wealth untold, Wander each day with nymphs for ever young, Enj oy the wonders that the gardens hold, The Shining Gardens, where the prai se is sung Of the god of wealth by cho i rs w ith l ove- i m passioned tongue. Where sweet nocturnal journeys are betrayed At sunrise by the fal len fl owers from curls That fl uttered as they sto l e along afraid, By l eaves, by golden l otuses, by pearls, By broken necklaces that s l i pped from w insome girls.
1 1 . 1 -9
Arthur W. Ryder * * * * *
59 The Yaksha' s Message
As thou wouldst wake the j asmine ' s budding w onder, Wake her with breezes blowing misti l y ; Conceal t h y l i ghtni n gs, a n d with words of thunder Speak boldly, though she answer hau ghti l y W ith eyes that fasten o n t h e lattice and on thee. 'Thou art no widow; for thy husband ' s fri end come to tel l thee what h i msel f did sayA c loud with l ow, sweet thunder-tones that send A l l weary wanderers hasteni ng on their way, Eager to l oose the braids of wi ves that lonely stay. ' Is
Meghaduta . 8 1
Say this, and she will welcome thee indeed, Sweet friend, with a y earning heart ' s tumultuous beating And j oy -u plifted eyes; and she will heed The after message : s uch a friendly greeting Is hardly less to woman ' s heart than lovers ' meeting. Thus too, my king, I pray of thee to speak, Remembering kindness is its own reward; ' Thy lover li ves, and from the holy peak Asks if these absent days good health afford Those born to pai n must ever use this opening word. With body worn as thine, with pain as deep, With tears and ceaseless longings answering thine, W i th si ghs more burn i ng than the s i ghs that keep Thy lips ascorch--doomed far from thee to pine, H e too doth weave the fancies that thy soul entwine. H e used to love, when women friends were near, To whis per things he m i ght have said aloud That he m ight touch thy face and kiss t h i ne ear; Unheard and even unseen, no l onger proud, He now must send this yearning message by a cloud.
"I
see thy li mbs in graceful-creeping vines,
Thy glances in the eyes of gentle deer, T h i ne eyebrows in the ripple ' s dancing lines, Thy locks i n plumes, thy face in moonlight c1ear Ah, j ealous ! But the w hole sweet image is not here . And when
I
pai nt that loving j ealousy
W ith chalk u pon the rock, and my caress A s at thy feet I lie, I cannot see Through tears that to m ine eyes unbidden press So stern a fate denies a painted happiness . A nd when I toss mine a rm s t o clasp thee ti ght, M ine own though but in visions of a dream They who behold the oft-repeated s ight, The k i nd di vinities of wood and stream , Let fall great pearly tears that on the blossom s gleam .
82 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
H i mal aya' s breeze b l ows gentl y from the north, Unsheath i n g t w i gs upon the deodar And sweet w i th sap that i t entices forth
I em brace it l ovi ngly; it came so far, Perhaps i t touched thee fi rst, my l i fe ' s unchanging star! Oh, m i ght the l ong , long n i ght seem s hort to m e ! O h , m i ght t h e day h i s hourly tortures h i d e ! S uc h l ongi ngs for t h e thi ngs that cannot be, Consume my hel p l ess heart, sweet-glanc ing bride, In burn i ng agon i es of absence from thy s i de. Y et m uch reflection, dearest, makes me strong, Strong w i t h an i n ner strength ; nor shouldst thou fee l Despa i r a t which has come t o us of wrong; Who has unend i n g woe or l asting weal ? Our fates move up and down upon a c i rcling w heel . W hen V i s h n u rises from h i s serpent bed The curse is ended ; c l ose th ine eye l id s t ight And wait t i l l only four m onths more are sped; Then w e shal l taste each long-des i red d e l i ght Through n i ghts that the fu l l autumn moon i l l um i nes bright. And one th i n g more : thou l ayest once asleep, C l asping m y neck, then waken i n g w i th a scream ; A n d when I wondered w hy , thou cou l dst but weep A w h i le. and then a s m i l e began to beam : ' Rogue ! Rogue ! I saw thee w ith another girl in d ream . ' Thi s memory shows me cheerful, gentle w i fe; Then let no gos s i p thy s u s p i c i ons move: They say the affections strangel y forfeit l i fe In separati on, but in truth they prove , Toward the absent dear, a gro w i ng b u l k of tenderest l ove."
Arthur
11
35·49
W
Ryder
* * * * *
Meghadiita • 83
Kumarasambhava 60
The Bride ' s Adornment Dusted w i th l odhra powder to remove the o i l from her s k i n t i nged go ld b y t h e partly dry paste of sandal wood , the women wrapped around her a c l oth right for being bathed, and led Uma to a four-pi l l ared sunken bath. I ts fl oor paved w i th s l abs of lapis l azu l i was i n l aid i n i ntri cate patterns of pearls. There they bathed U ma, pouring water from j ars of gold, while p i pes sounded auspicious m us i c . Bri ght, flaw l ess l y pure after h e r ritual bath , and dressed in fresh weddi ng garments, she shone L i ke the rich earth gleam i n g rai n-spri n k l ed and m antled i n fu l l-blown kasa blossom s. Chaste women w i n d i ng the i r arms round U m a then l e d h e r t o a seat u nder a canopy ra i sed on four j ewe l l ed pi l i ars, at the m i dpo i nt of which was the altar where the Sacred F i re was kindled. Seating that s l ender girl faci n g east, the women delayed for some time, sitting before her, the adornments ready bes ide them, thei r eyes c harmed by the v i s i on of beauty in its prist i ne state. Her gorgeous mass of hair dried by the smoke of i ncense had fl owers fol ded with i n it and tied by a woman w i th a string of pal e yel low madhCika blossom s and green durva shoots i nto a charm i ng c h i gnon . They smoothed cream of white aloe a l l over her body and drew on it designs i n yel l ow and go ld pigments . And s h e glowed i n beauty surpassi ng Tri p l e- Streamed Ganga gleam i n g w i th sandy banks dotted w i th chakravaka birds.
84
•
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
Framed i n c har m i n g curl s , the spl endour of her face o u tshone the g l ory of a l otus w i th bees c l i n gi n g
.
or of the m oon ' s b r i g h t orb fri nged by w i sps of c l o u d s
.
so that al l ta l k of com pari sons w as cut short as vai n . T h e bar l ey shoot p l aced a t h e r ear h e l d a l l eyes capt i ve
and appeared to greatest ad v a n t age agai nst her cheek, tran s l ucent from the l odhra ' s b r a c i n g l ot i on
e n hanc i ng the bri l l i ant pale go l d go roc ha n a. The lower l i p of that g i rl so e x q u i s i t e l y formed ,
a l i ne d i v i d i n g it i n the m i dd l e i ts red ness he i g h t e ne d .
by a t o u c h of beeswax, and p u l s i n g e xp e ct a nt
of the fru i t of its ch arm so o n to come-A h ! how i ndescri bah l e !
When a friend h a v i ng t i nted her feet w i t h l aksha j u i c e and bl essed her, said laugh i ng: ' W i t h th i s foot m ay you touch the moon on your l ord ' s head:
w i thout a word,
Uma struck her w i th
a garl and .
See i n g as h e r eyes were exq u i s i te l y l ovely as the petals of some fi ne b l ue l otus, the women adorn i n g U m a a p p l i ed the col l y r i u m not to enhance the i r b ri l l i a n c e, b u t o n l y because it was an aus p i c i ou s m ark to p u t on the bride. Like a v i n e b u rg e o n i n g w i th b l o ss om s
,
l i ke the n i ght when stars are ri s i ng,
l i ke a stream on w h i ch c ha kra v a ka s are g l i d i n g
.
she g l ea m ed wondro us as they adorned her w i t h j e we l s .
And gazi n g a t hersel f so gorgeous i n t h e m i rror' s ova l . U m a o f l ong ey es, st i l led, could hardly wait for S i v a ' s arri val . To be seen by her bel oved is a w o m a n ' s rew ard for adorn i ng herse l f: is it not?
V I I 9-22 ( 'ham/m R{J/1l1I
* * * * *
KlImiirasambhava
•
85
61 O m e n s of War fea r fu l flock of ev i l bi rds,
A
re a d y fo r
the j oy o f ea ti ng the army t he host of the g o ds and c l o uded the sun.
Il ew o ver
of dem o n s
,
,
A w i n d cont i nua l l y fl uttered the i r u m bre l l as and banners,
and trou bled the i r eyes w i t h c l ouds of w h i rl ing d ust, so that the trem bl i ng horses and e l ephants
and the great c hariots coul d not be seen
.
S ud d e n l y mon s trous serpents, as b l ack as pow d ere d s oot s ca t t ering poi son from the i r uprai sed heads. fri ghtfu l
in form . i n the army ' s p ath
a p p e a r ed
.
put on a ghast l y robe an d terri b l e snakes, c u rl i ng togeth e r i f to mark h i s j oy at the d e at h o f the enemy demon .
The s u n
of great
as
,
A n d be fore the as
very d i sc o f t h e sun j a c k a l s ba y e d h a rs h l y together, t h o u g h eager fi e r c e l y to l a p the b l ood o f the k i n g of the foes of t h e gods. fal len in batt l e .
L i ght i n g heaven from c n d t o e n d . w i t h fl alll es fl ash i ng all around, w i t h an
awfu l c rash. rendi n g the heart with terror, fe l l from a c l o u d less sky.
a t h u nderbo l t
sky poured down torrents of red-hot ashes. w i t h w h i c h were m i xed blood and h u m an bones. t i 11 t h e fl a m i n g ends o f heaven were fi l led w i t h smoke and bore the d u l l hue o f the neck of an ass .
The
t h e th u ndered t h reat of the angry de a th-go d gre at crash broke the wal l s of the ears, shatteri ng sound. tearing the t ops of the mountains, and w hol ly fi l l i ng the bel ly of heaven .
L i ke a
a
86
•
A Ti"eus lI/y
of"S'unskrif
Poeffy
.
T he host o f the foe was jost led together. The great e l ep h a nt s stumbled, the h orses fel l , and a l l t h e foo tm e n c l u n g t og e th er i n fear, a s th e earth trem b l e d and the ocean rose te. shake
the
m o u n t a i ns
.
A n d , befo re the host of t h e foes of t he gods.
m uzzles to gaze on the s u n together w i t h cri es that ren t the w r e tc h e d l y s l unk away.
dogs l i fted the i r T h e n , how l i n g they
.
eard r u m s . x v . 1 4·2� AL HosiJolII
* * * * *
62 A d vent of S pring and Love A nd t h e n
S k i l led
w ith i n
these mounta i n - forest r e a ches .
to d i st r a ct
sai nts ' thoughts from heaven above The young a w a k e n i ng S pri n g now yawns a n d s t re t c h es B e l o v d c om pa n i o n of t h e god of l o v e .
,
'
the hol sun. untimely. came to wakcn be h i s l ove. t h e g e n t l e South Exha l ed a s i g h. thus to have bccn forsakcn, ;\. breat h warm-sce nted fro m h er fra gr an t m o u t h W h i le
The N o rth to
.
and branches l ad en m a ny a gree n l e a f-s hoot . e x pect a m a i d en
T h e ;\. s h oka t hen, i t s t r u n k
.
F u l l - flowered , w i t h fo i l of I m patrent, q u i te fo rgo t to
To w a k e its fl owers w i th a n k l et -t i n k l i n g fool . On e v e ry b l ossom-:l rrow he c reated,
and t i pped w i t h mango- n a m e . S pri n g t h e o w n e r d e s i gna ted .
Feathered with leaves T h e tl ctcher W ri t i ng w i t h
bees t h e g od of l o ve ' s o w n
n am e .
T h e K a rn i k a ra s b l ossom, b r i g h t l y g l o w i ng '
.
W h i l e by i ts sc e nt l ess ness i t g r i e v e d the m i nd ,
S howed h o w God ' s w i l l i s set a g a i ns t
bestow ing
;\. 1 1 exce l l e n ce s i n o n e pl ace com b i n e d . !\/llIlllmsambhu\'(/
•
11 7
C u rved l i ke the crescent moon, deep cri mson traces G l ow ed as Pal asha-buds began to swel l , A s i f the nai l - m arks o f the Spri n g ' s e m braces
F l ushed on the forest- lands he l oved so w e l l . Spri n g ' s LO',' e l i ness, w i th woman ' s w i l e s acq u a i nted, W i th fl owers of T i l aka adorned her head , M a d e beauty -s pots of c l i ng i n g bees , and pai nted Fresh m a ngo- b l o s som l i ps w i t h morn i n g-red . P i y a l a- b l ossom c l usters shed the i r pol l e n
I n s moke-cl o u d s ; a n d t h e deer, bew i l dered, bl i n d , Th rough forest-gl ades w h e re r u st l i n g l ea ves h a d fa l l en,
Made rash by springt i m e , coursed aga i nst the w i n d .
T h e cuckoo ' s song, hoarsened to gent l e cooi ng, When food o f m ango-sprouts t i ghten e d h i s t h ro a t Became the voice o f Love. 10 \v lnk the u n do i n g O f m a i ds c o l d-hearted , b y i t s m a g i c note.
,
T h e fa i ry-women, w i th t h e i r w i nter faces Devo i d o f l i ps t i c k , saw the i r c o l o u r fade,
W h i l e w i th the Spr i n g the r i s i n g sweat l eft traces, S m eari ng t h e beauty-marks s o c ar e fu l l y made. W he n , i n t h e forest of the i r m e d i tat i o n , The h o l y herm i ts saw the u nt i m e l y spring, The i r m i nds were hard-pressed to res i st tem ptation, To keep the i r thoughts from Love ' s i m ag i n i ng
.
W hen Love came there, h i s fl ow er-bow ready stri ngi ng, W i th fai r Des i re, his consort, at his s i d e, The forest creatures s howed the pass ion spri n g i n g I n every bridegroom ' s heart towards h i s brid e . F rom the s a m e fl ow e r-cu p w h i c h h i s l o v e h a d savoured The bl ack bee s i pped the nectar as a k i ss ; W h i l e t h e b l ack doe, by her o w n consort favoured, Sc ratched by h i s antl ers, c l osed her eyes i n b l i s s .
88
•
A
Treasury olSanskril Poetry
'he e l ephant w ith water l otus-scented Iprayed her own l ord, g i v i n g o f l ove a token ; 'he whee l - d rake, honouri n g h i s w i fe, presented \ ha l f-chewed l otus-sta l k w h i ch he tad broke n .
Vhen nectar- w i ne ha d s e t her eyes a-danci ng, Ind sweat had sm udged the fai ry ' s p ai nte d fac e
,
l e r fai ry l over fo und her mo re en t ran c i ng -
,nd checked h i s song to seek a fresh em brace. v h e n t rem b l i n g p e t al l i p s m ad e l a u g h i n g faces, -
, nd bl ossom-breasts the s l ende r s t e m s were be n d i ng. ven the forest-trees re c e i ved the e m b races If c re e p e r w i ves , from their bough-arms depend i n g . -
et
Sh i va
st i l l rem a i ned i n m e d i tati o n
bsorbed, a l though he heard the s i ng i n g e l ve s : an anyth i n g have p o w e r of p e rt u rbat i o n f sou l s com p l e t e l y m asters of themse l ves? hen at the d oo rw a y of his forest d w e l l i n g ' i th r o d of g o l d h i s s er va n t N a n d i stood, ·ow n i ng. w i th fi nger to h i s l i p, thus q u e l l i ng le u nse e m l y cond uct i n the s p ri ngt i m e wood . lfoughout the forest. at h i s s i m p l e st r i cture
.
u m b w e re the b i rds. and s i l ent were the bees: � i n a scene fi xed in a p a i nte d p i c t u re.
i l i ed were the deer and motion l ess t h e trees
.
1 1 1 24-42 John firm/Rh
* * * * *
Kumiirasamhhava . 89
63 The Foresaken C i ty
My desol ate hal l s , my terraced houses, Once handsome, masterless now, and w a s t i ng; I seem to m i m i c the sun at its fal lA wreckage of l i gh t thro ugh wind-slashed c louds. These streets that l i ved with the ankl ets ' tri l l A s they fl as hed toward l ove, now echo the patter And yel p of j ackal s d r i bbl i ng l i ve ash From the i r smoking tongues as they shadow on by . P layfu l women, splashi ng. could sound My poo l s l i ke mridanRas-a mel low thrum. And now the water be l l ows and groans Gored by the untamed buffa l o ' s horns . The bowe r p o l e s snapped, the peacoc ks s i t I n the trees . N o dance. The mridanga i s sti l l . T h e i r tai l s . l i ke the tai l s o f the i r w i l der k i n , Mere s t u b b l e. c harred i n t h e burn i ng woods. P retty /llOt prints o n e v e ry stone,
Cri mson of l ac w herever they steppe d . N ow a d i fferent rcd. pri nti ng the paw Of a t i ger gone by , j ust off the ki 1 1 . C u bs o f the l i on have c l awed i n the i r fury The heads of those el ephants p a i n t e d at p l ay I n a poo l . The cows hol d del i cate l y out Those s i l k) l otus stems to thei r bu l l s .
The carved w o m e n w h o h o l d u p these p i l l a rs A re weat hered i n t o t he roc ky gray. S k i ns that the snakes have l eft beh i nd them G l i sten l i ke new wr a p s a t t h e i r breasts. l)()
•
A Tr('(/slIrI'
()j '.....af).I'kril .
['rn'l ry
The moon no l onger drops strings of pearl On my houses of pleasure. They' re patched with dark; The pl aster, exhausted. has droppe d ; moss thickens. And grass h a s wedged out of every cra ck . My vi nes, whose l i mbs were bent gently down By w o men , at play, in their need for tlowers. A re torn apart now and snapped by a rage Of monkeys, l i ke savage al ien fol k . I ncense n o l onger drifts through t h e l attice
Of balc o ny w i n d ows-s p id ers have woven
Where lamps once l ustred i ntensely the dark And lovely young faces d a wn e d on the d a y .
XYI . 1 I ·20
, ', N, Misra, L Na/hall and S , 'alsyayan * * * * *
Ritusamhara 64 The Pageant of the Seasons .\'11111111('"
furiolls slln i s a bl aze , lon g s for the moo n . The poo l s o f l i mpid waters
The
One
I n v i te a d i p evermore . The t w i l i g h t hours are charm i ng When
the day dies down, churner of the m i nd, i s weary. my love. is the ad vent of fu l l Summer.
A nd C u pid . This.
1.1
Rail1S The a ppro a c h i n g season of R a in , dear love, Comes l i ke a k i n g in pride of power,
The rai n - l aden c l ouds are i ts r ut t i n g war-e l e phant s ;
T h e l a m ben t fl ashes of l ightn ing
RilusllIlliJiim
•
91
Serve for i ts s t rea m i ng pennons, A n d the r e ve r be ra t i ng thunder
Is the ratt l e of its battl e-dru m s ;
I 1 i s hai l ed b y a host of l o vers As the royal caval cade is acc l a i med By crowds of suppl i ants.
2. I
A ulumn Beho l d ! The Lady A ut u m n comes C l ad in the s i l ver kasa b l ossoms,
Her fa i r vi sage i s t h e w h i te l otus bl oom , The t i n k l i n g of her a n k l et be l l s i s heard I n th e tuneful cry of w i l d geese o n h i gh ;
T h e harvest o f rice w i th ripen i n g sheaves, Bend i n g i n bi l l ows i n the fresh young breeze,
I s her g r ac e fu l fi gure and supp l e bod y ; bri de W i t h w h i te bridal vesture and l i l y- w h i te face, The j i n g l i n g a n k l e t s a nd s l e n d er fi g u r e , She e m u l ates t h e cha rm i n g
A n d the s ho u l ders bowed w i th decorous modesty
A n d w o m a n s gen t l e g rac e '
EaI'll'
J1
.
Winler
B e ho l d ! The young m a i d m i rror i n hand, ,
Making Lip her l otus face I n t h e s i de l ong m o rn i n g s u n ; Pout i n g h e r m o u t h s h e scans her l i ps
W hose essence was s ucked by the l over.
4 ,IJ
Willler May t h i s w i nter t i m e R i c h i n d a i n t i es, s weets a n d l ucent syrups, C harm i ng w i th the ti e l d s of ri ce, And c l oy i ng w i t h the j u ice of the s u garcane,
Warm w i t h love ' s awak en i n g A n d ha ppy fu l fi l ment,
B u t pai n fu l to pi n i ng l ove r s Tend to your b l i ss for e v e r ! 92
•
A
7i'easlIry olSanskrit Poetry
,
5. 16
The trees atl ower are crowned with glory, The waters are strewn with lotus and l i ly, The bal my breeze l i berates fragrance, And maidens are ti l ied with dreams of l ove; The lan g uid perfection of the day Wanes to a q u i ve r i n g twi l i ght, A nd a l l that breathes, or m oves, or blossoms Is s weeter, my l ove, in Spring.
6.2 R S 1'l1lldil
* * * * *
A bh Unanasakuntala 65 Remembrances of Shak untal a I cannot know whom Fate shal l once Permit to own this faultless fo rm A bloom whose perfume none has drunk. A bud by human hand uncut, A pure. unperforated pearl , Fresh honey not by mortal s ipped, The pe r fe c t fru i t of holy deeds . ,
She looked aside before my gaze; She S ill i led but with a fei gned pretense; And so, by coyness checked, her love .
Was half concealed and hal f revealed. The tender girl was hardly gone When by pretense she stopped and cried : "A K usha grass has stung my foot ! " A n d gazed around, and fe i gn ed to free Her robe, as i f by bram bles caught.
Ahhijnana.l'iikunlala . 93
W hen i n the m i dst of happy hours fervent longing ti l l s our heart, As we behold enchanting forms, Or hear del ightful music sound, It is then our soul with vague, But l ingering. love remem bers yet The affections of a former l ife. A
1 1 . 1 0- 1 2. V . 2
A.
'lfa/mar fdgren
* * * * *
Vikramorva.fiya 66 The S earch for U rvasi
Peacock, I beg you to tel l me this thing: w h i l e roaming the grove d i d you see my love'? L i sten ! A w i l d goose gait and a face l ike the moon by the s i gns that [ ' ve told you you ' l l know her. o bl ue-necked bird, in this grove
the long white neck of my love is rai sed in longi ng. o white-eyed bird. the sig ht of her long blue cyes would be worthy of your waiting. Gentle winds- part tai l feathers, black and glossy as l i ghtni ng-streaked clouds; because my love has d i sappeared, the peacock ' s pi umage has no ri val . Her thick hair is adorned with flowers, the ri bbon l oosened for sweet love play i f she were here now, would a peacock dare to com pete.
I V . 2fl-22
Davit! Ci i/ollla * * * * *
94
•
A hca.l'u/'}'
o/Sanskrit Poc/ly
67 S i g n s o r li t v a s i O h j oy ' I see a h i n t of h e r . T h i s w a y Then
w en
t her a n g ry beiluty ! 1 ,0. h e r bod i c e
B r i g h t green as i s a parro t ' s be l l y . s m i tt e l l
W i t h c r i mson d ro p s . I t o n c e ve i l ed i n her b o so m A n d p a u sed to s h o w her n a v e l deep as l o ve
.
These a re her tears t h a t fro m those a n gry eyes
Went t r i c k l i n g s t e a l i n g scarlet fro m her l i ps Doubt l ess h e r he a v i n g T u m u l t o f breasts bro k e i t s dear h o l d a nd s h e Stum b l i n g i n anger. from m y heaven i t d r i fi. e d . ,
To s pa n g l e a l l t h i s gree n .
,
IV.?
Sr i A uroh inc/o * * * * *
68 Twi l i g h t H o w bea u t i fu l l y t w i l i gh t s i t s a n d d rea m s U pon these p a l a c e w a l l s ' T h e peacoc k s now S i t on t h e i r perc hes. d rowsed
w
i th s l e e p a n d n i g h t .
L i k e ti gures h e w n i n stone. A nd on the roo f
T h e fl u tt e r i n g p i g e o n s w i th t he i r p a l l i d w i ngs M i s l ead t h e eye. d i sg u i sed a s r i n gs of s m o k e That fro m t h e w i nd ow -way s h a w Il oated o u t 1 1 1 .2
I n to t h e even i n g . . .
Sri A urohindo * * * * *
Vikralll o l"l'u.I;Zva .
95
SyAMILAKA padataditaka 69 On Laughter A scet i cs do not attai n ' rel eas e ' by weepi ng, humorous stories do not obstruct a future heaven; Therefore a w i se man shoul d laugh with an apprec i at i ve m i nd after a bandon ing mean modes of l i fe .
V.5 11 . 1\. Warder
* * * * *
96 . A
Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
SUBANDH U Viisavadattii 70 V i l l ains
V i l lains h a v e e xt re m e l y subtle understan d i n g b u t only of very dark deeds; For the eyes of owls see their objects only in darkness. The more a v i l l ain, dark w ith cunni ng. outrages a good man, A s a dark hand w i th ashes passes over a m i rror, the more he makes h i m of spotless l ustre.
V 7-X /1/':. Warder
* * * * *
Viisavadattii
•
97
BHARAVI Kiriitc"i,�junlya 71
The Water Sport
The c o l o u r wa s h ed from their cheeks, the l ac from their l ips, Col lyrium gone, and sti l l t h ey shone, most lovely, And seeing them shine, their lovers l ucidly knew That beauty l e n t the ga u d s it wore al l thei r be auty .
Sw a y i n g lotlls mat�hed w i t h gl ow i ng face, swinging neckl ace, B r i ght water w i t h the skin this w at e r ri nsedThe waves strove with the i r beauty, strove and l ost.
S h i ft i ng l i ll e of foam w i t h
Thei r hal f-closed e yes send OLlt a l ong l ook lovers, w ho hold them trembl i ng, very close: Their breasts lift i n t h e water; they ' re b rea th i n g deep From weari ness, or a h i gh tide of des i re?
To
T h e water, broken by the slow advance of h i p s of thighs, l i ke stately prows Sca m pe red ahead, in r i p p le s to the shore C ry i ng that the pl a y of g o d d ess e s is done.
Of b re a s t s
,
,
,
Its bl ue stai ned by sandal wood washed off And spread i ng; its surface streaked with tangled garlands, I ts s i nking waves a rumpled sheet-wi th t h e women gone The r i v e r seemed a beautifu l ly tousled marriage bed.
VIII
l · lv·. Misra. L Nathan and S Vatsyayan * * * * *
98
•
A
TrC'(lslIIJ o(Sanskrit Poell:V
72 O f Foo l s
T o quarrel w i th them i s a loss o f face; To have the i r fri endship i s a sad disgrace : A man of sterl ing j udgement real i zes What fools are worth, and fool i sh men despi ses.
XIV John Brough
* * * * *
73 I n P rai se of G ood Word s
Lucid, c l eanly uttered, and good to hear. W i n n i ng even a m i nd that came to attack; Strai ght, fl uent, but also grave with sense, A speech issuing from act on scrupulous act. There are those, i t ' s true, so faci l e and well-schooled The i r tal k exactly proclaims the i r adeq uate m i nds; And then a few, a masterl y few, w hose words F l ash, of a sudden, down through the dark of sense. Some fi nd powerfu l plai nness is best, and some A l l usion , fi nely worked unt i l i t ' s exact; Di fl'erent stat i ons, d i fferent tastes. Most coveted And rare the speech that I i fts a l l men to i ts praise.
XIV
V N. Mi.l'ra. L Nathan a n d S. Vatsyayan * * * * *
Kiralarjuniya • 99
MAGHA Sisupiilavadha 74 The Carousal
Beautifu l l y adorned and richly scented, S h i n i ng with restless lotus eyes, the faces Of these cherished girls had such round l i ps, Thei r l overs used red mouths as cups for wine. Netting down shyness with thei r warm attentions, Rousing by their desires the girls' desires, The young men made them forget a l l shame and drink Thei r very love, deeply disguised as w i ne. A m i rror for the lover' s lovely face, And perfumed with fresh ly gathered m ango-buds, And sweet, and hummed over by bees, and cool, The w i ne �eft a l l the senses satisfied. The drunken bee hovered, confused between The wide-eyed faces of these girls who breathed out The sweet bouquet of w i ne they drank and the cups They held figured with lotuses carved l i ke life. The wine, tasted by the l i ps of women So l ovely, surely acq uired a richer taste, For though thei r l overs had tasted the same before, Thi s was new, more sweet, ti l l now untasted.
X
" . N. Misra, L Nalhan and S ral.lyayan
* * * * *
l OO
•
A
Treasl/ly alSanskrit PoellY
75 T h e Mornin g A fter The bride o f the East, at l ast and w i th ease, d i scards The vei l of m oon l i ght she held so c l ose for so long A gauze of shyness that, fi na l l y l et s l i p, d i sc l oses
A face that g l ows w i th the w i ne of the morn i ng s u n . H av i n g w atched al l n i gh t w i t h w i de-eyed attenti on the m arvel O f the a l w ay s- novel p l ay of l o v i ng pai rs, The ll ame of the l am p now w avers, fl utters, and d u l l s L i ke an eye that, open too l ong, i s g l az i n g w i th s l eep. N i ght, l i ke a woman done w i th a secret tryst, H urri es away, her rai ment the dappl ed sky C r u m p l ed w i th the m oon ' s long work, the breeze
Of dawn made aromatic by thei r l o v i ng. The d i rect i ons hau l u p the sun from the sea l i ke women H au l i ng a bul ky p i tcher out of a w e l l . The rays are l a i d l i ke a spread o f ropes be i ng l owered, The chatter o f b i rd s l i ke women ' s noisy goss i p . T h e golden w i ne c u p earl ier drai ned b y t h e g i rls, In t he i r reve l s now seems to beT i n ted by the new red rays of t he daw n , F i l l ed to the t o p agai n, bri m m i ng w i th w i ne .
XI
/ '. N. Misl"U. L Nathan and S / ·ot.ITIIl {// I * * * * *
76 The I s l a n d C ity of Dviirakii C i rc l e d by sea, the fou r d i rect ions G l ow i n g go l d from i ts golden wa l l s , The c i ty rose from the w aves rej o i c i ng, B r i ght as the bl aze at the ocea n ' s heart .
.<:i.{upiilal'adha .
101
C i rcled by conchs that tossed i n the waves Of the restless sea, the fortified wal l s Of t h e c i ty seemed l i ke Sumeru 's peak C rowned at n i ght by the whee l i ng stars. The sea, stack i ng wave above wave, Sweepi ng in the jewels that traders Had p i l ed on their wharves, earned once m ore I ts old name: The Treasury of Gems. And y e t the sea, w i th waves for hands, H as c a r e ful l y set out those jewels, St i l l d r i p p i n g wet. on the city ' s doorsteps, A s i f to dry them in the sun. The waves c o m e p l u nging from fa r of{ Set to subdue the t o w e r i n g wal l s . T he i r power re p u l s ed , they fa l l away, Beaten and shamed, and m e lt to no t h i ng . A c l oud, wanting to
see t h e wonder, R ut suddenly checked by battlement, Roars out i n rage, but then begins To weep, d i sgui s i ng its tears as rai n.
At night, the marble sta i rs and crystal T e rr a ce s of mansions merge
W i th moonl i ght, so Dvaraka's women seem L i ke Heaven ' s girls stro l l ing the sky.
III
, . N. Misra, L Na/han and S , 'alsvavan * * * * *
1 02 .
A Treusm:v o(Sanskril POell)1
BHARTRIHARI Satakatrayam 77 Verses on Life
One c l oak i n i gnorance absolutely tits; J ustly i f worn, some grace i s even l ent; S i l e n ce in sess i ons of the l e arned s its On the foo l ' s brow l ike a hri ght ornament.
(,
wa s with a l ittl e knowledge cursed, Like a mad e l e ph a n t I stormed a h ou t A nd thought mysel f a l l -knowing. B ut when dee p v e rs e d R i c h m i nd s s o m e porti o n of the i r wealth di shursed My poverty to raise, then for a lout A nd dunce I k n e w mysel f: and the i nsolence went Out from me l i ke a fever v i o l ent .
7
W hen I
It i s n o t arm lets that ad o rn a man, Nor n e c kl ac e s a l l cram m e d with moonbri ght pe a rls . Nor baths, n o r oi ntments, nor a r ra n ged c ll r l s . ' T i s art of excel lent s p eech that only can Adorn h i m ; jewe l s perish, ga rl an ds fad e ; Th i s only abides and g l i tte r s undecaye d.
IX
Scven gri efs a re as seven da ggers i n my heart ,
se e a lake w i thou t its l i l ied bloom, rad iant part, S w e et woman ' s b ea u ty fade towards t h e tomb, A noble hug h i s we alth , a go od ma n go n e Down i n the pres s of m i s er i e s , a fa i r A nd vacant face when knowl edge i s n o t there. ;\. base man stand ing by a monarc h ' s throne.
55
afternoon and morn good men is and in t h e base; A l l vast the lewd man 's i n i ts ti rst embrace, But lessens and wears away; the other's, b or n A dwarfish t hing , gr ow s giant - l i k e apace.
5 '1
To
Th c
m o on g r o w begga re d of her
L i ke shadows or the F r ien d sh i p in
.<'atakatrayam
•
1 03
Freely the sun gives all h i s beams to wake The lotus slumbering in the darkened lake; The moon unasked expends her gentle light, Wooing to bloom her l i ly of the n ight; U nasked the c l oud its watery burden gives, The noble nature i n beneficence l ives; Unsought, unsued, not aski ng kindness back Does good in secret for that good ' s sole sake.
73
Sri A urobindo
*****
78 Verses on Love
When she I ies on your chest amid the d isarray o f her own scented hair, with eyes l ike s l i ght l y opened buds and cheeks flushed pink with love' s fat i g u e the l i ps of a woman are honey which favoured men dr i nk .
,
1 23
sky and plantain l i l ies mask the earth, when w inds bear l inge ri n g scents W hen clouds shade the
of fresh verbena and kadamba,
and forest retreats rejoice to the cries of pea c oc ks then ardent longing overpowers loved and wretched men al ike. ,
1 40
Renunc iation of worldly attachment
is only the talk of scholars, whose mouths are wordy with wisdom . Who can rea l l y forsa ke the hips of beautifu l women bound with girdles of ruby j ewels?
1 47
Barbara StoleI' Miller
1 04 • A
Treasury
ofSanskrit Poetry
I n l i fe t h i s i s the fru i t of love: two bod i es w i t h a s i ngle thought. I f, in the act of l ove, the m i nd i s e l sewhere, i t i s l i ke the i ntercourse of corpses.
28
When m i nds a re attuned there i s u n i o n even i n separat i o n . B ut i f hearts are sundered,
even toget h er, peop l e rem a i n apart .
A
67
scrawny c ur,
on e-eyed and l ame, w i th b i tten e ar s and tattered tai l , covered w i th sores e x ud i n g pus a n d fu l l o f m a g go t s
w orn out, sta r v i ng
,
,
a broken potshead rou n d i ts neck :
and yet th i s dog purs ues the b i tch . Desi re s l ayeth even the s l a i n .
IW A . /1,'. 1). I laksar * * * * *
79 Verses o n Renunciation For one s hort act, a c h i l d ; next act, a boy I n l ove; then poor; a short act to enj oy Sta ms and wea l t h : t i l l i n the l ast act, M a n , Pai nted w ith w r i n k l e s , body be nt w i th age, E n d i n g t h e c o m e d y w h i ch b i rth began , W i thdraws beh i nd the c u rtai n of l i fe ' s sta g e .
235
,�a/aka/rayam
•
105
She who i s al ways i n my thoughts prefers Another man, and does not thi nk of me. Yet he seeks for another's love, not hers; And some poor girl is grieving for my sake. Why then, the dev i l take Both her and h i m ; and l ove; and her; and me.
311
Earth, my ow n mother; father Air; and Fire, My fri end ; and Water, wel l -beloved cousi n ; A n 9 Ether, hrother m ine: t o a l l o f you This i s my l ast farewel l . I give you thanks For a l l the benefits you have conferred During my soj ourn with you. Now my soul H as won c l ear, certain k now ledge, and returns To the great absolute from whence it came.
30 1 John lJrollgh
* * * * *
1 06
•
A
Trf!(/.\'lIIY oj'San.l'krit Poetry
DHARMAKIRTI From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 80 To ask no favours To ask n o favours from the w i c k e d ; to b e g not from a fr i e n d whose means are s m a l l ; t o b e i n m a nne r k i n d l y and correct,
spotless even at t he h o ur of death : keep o n e s stature i n m isfortune and fo l l ow i n t h e footsteps of the great : i n these r u l e s though hard to travel as a sword g o od m e n re q u i re no i n struction . in eonduct
to
'
,
hi adc, 121] !J I U I. II1;.:alls
* * * * *
81 Prestige Val m ik i had
the o c e a n
b r i d ged w i t h m o u n ta i n s borne by m o n keys:
A n d Vyasa w i t h Arj u n a ' s arrows hridged
sti l l no
thc a i r;
one th i n k s th i s overdone.
H ere I a m , word and m ean i n g balan ccd out, yet p e op l e wan t i n g to fau l t M y v e rse open t h e i r m ouths wide. Prest i ge, I h o w low b efo re yo u . ,
,
From
Subhiishila RatnakosiJa •
1 07
82 The Lonely Path No one b e h i n d no one ahead . ,
The path the anci ents c l ea red has c l osed . A n d the other pat h , everyone ' s path, easy a n d w i de, goes nowhere.
I
a m a l one and ti nd m y way. Oe/m 'io Pa�
1 08
•
A 7;'('(/.1"111:1'
o(Sa/1skrif Por/IT
VIsAKHADATTA Mudrarakshasa 83 Royal Power
Wary of too m uch attention, cold to the weak who can ' t hold her, Scornful of fools, yet chary of those who know too m uch, Fearfu l of courage, ready to mock the coward, the fortune Of k i ngs is hard to p lease as a whore when she's lead i ng you on. Ill. 5 ". N. Misra. L. Nathan and S Vatsyayan
84 The G ood M an
Does the tortoise feel no pa i n of we i g h t that he casts not Earth from off its back? Or does the I I I uminer of Day not tire that he should never rest from motion? Rather, a praiseworthy m an would be ashamed to gi ve up meanly his appoi nted task. The most sacred oath a good m an keeps is t o ful fi l l his promi se.
11. 18 D. H II Ingalls
85
Autumn Skies The skies, growing gradual ly peaceful, flow l ike l ong rivers across heaven. with sand banks formed of the white clouds and scattered fl ights of softly crying cranes; rivers which fi l l at n ig h t w i th waterl i ly stars .
Ill. 7 D. H H
Ingalls
* * * * *
Mudriiriikshasa • 1 09
BANA Harshacharita 86 The Horse
The horse on rising stretches backward his hind l egs, lengthening his body by the lowering of his spine; then curves his neck, head bending to his chest, and shakes his dust-fil led mane. In his m uzzle the nostrils quiver in search of grass. He whinnies softly as w i th his hoofs he paws the earth.
m5
D. H H Ingal/s * * * * *
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 87 T h e Trave l l er a t t h e Wel l
H i s gesture o f cupped hands i s from atar and not for dri nki ng water; he shakes his head in wonder at her beauty, not from slaking of h i s thirst; t� bristl i ng of his fl esh derives from pleasure, not from water's cool ness. The travel ler takes to strange behaviour when he sees the girl who tends the well .
514 D. H H Ingalls
*****
1 10
•
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
88 F o rest F i re The p u tT o f s m o k e from t h e forest fi re , h l ack as t he shoulder of a young huffa l o , c u r l s s l i gh t l y , s p rea d s i s broken fo r a moment, fal l s ; ,
t h e n gat h e rs its power gracefu l l y , and r i s i ng t h i c k ,
it s l ow l y l ays u pon t h e s k y 1 1 74
i ts t ransi ent ornaments.
/) 1/ 1/ Ingalls * ** **
From Subhashita Ratnakosha
•
111
DIVAKARA
From Sarngadhara Paddhati 89 The S pread of Fame
W hat is the use of gossip about what goes on in other people's houses? But I am not able to remain si lent, with my naturally loq uacious southern temperament: In every house, i n the markets, also i n the square or at a dri nking party, Your bel oved wanders about l ike a drunken woman-wel l ! She is Fam e ! 1 227 A K Warder * * * * *
1 12 . A
Treasllry ofSanskril Poelry
AMARU A marusataka 90 Love Poems
The day is surely better than the night? Or is the night not better than the day? How can I tel l ? B ut this I know is right: Both are worth nothing when my love ' s away.
1 25
John Brough
2
When the pet parrot i n the morn i ng starts chatter rather m uch of what he heard Of last n i ght 's tal k between the young sweethearts, The young w i fe does her best to check the bird, Em barrassed that the older folk should hear, And q uickly stops his beak, trying to feed The creature with a ruby from he r ear, Pretending i t ' s a pomegranate seed. To
16
John Brough
3
Wel l , but you s u rely do not mean to spend Your whole l i fe pini ng? Show some proper spirit. A re there no other men? What i s the merit Of faithfu l ness to one? But when her friend Gave thi s advice , she answered, pale with fear, . Speak soft. My love l i ves i n my heart, and he wi l l hear. '
70
John Brough
4
H e ' s stopped loving me no longer cherished i n his heart no m ore affection for me passes me i n the street doesn't know me A marusataka .
1 13
o fr i en d as I go on l ook i n g back
With
days from fa l l ing to pieces?
l on g i n g for those l ost
W hat keeps my heart
43
11' ,)' MCl' llin and 1. M MU.I'.I'on
5 She l et h i m i n
away from h i m i n her words She simply l o o ke d strai ght at h i m a s though t h e r e had never been She
did
not turn
there was n o anger
anyt h i n g between them
1 14 it ' S Menl '//l lilld .l M MO.l',\'o/1
6
Held
her
t i gh t
to me bre a s t s pre ssed flat a l l of her s k i n reac hed
a n d w i t h wan t ing a l o n e her clothes by t h e msel v e s fe l l down her l egs No d o n ' t oh
god d o n ' t too m uch oh yes s he wa s s a y i n g I coul d hard ly hear her after that d i d she fal l asleep did she d i e did she v a n i sh i nto m e d i d s h e totally dissol ve i nto m e .
40 /J' S ,1 1<'1'I1'I11 0I1d .l A! ,1 /a.l'.I'of1
1 14 . A
Treasury o(San.l'kril Poelry
7
To go i f you have real ly decided then you w i l l go why hurry two or three oh l ittle white stay whi l e I look at your face l i vi ng we are water running from a bucket who knows whether I wi l l see you and you w i l l see me agai n
1 63 W S. Merwin and J M Masson
8
How have you come to be so thi n why are you trem b l i ng why are you so pale oh s i m p l e g i rl and she answered the l ord of her l i fe a l l these th i ngs j ust happen for no reason s i gh i ng as she said i t and turning away to l et tears fall
50
w s. Merwin and J M Masson
9
Let my eyes, tremb l i ng, turn w hen seen by h i m ; l et the poor girdle s l i p and the bod i ce break from the heavi ng of my breast. Sti l l I shan 't speak again to m y sweetheart who is fal se; that is, unless my heart should burst withi n me from my silence.
1 46
D. H fI. Ingalls
Amarusataka . 1 1 5
10
A l l n i ght it rained, the d i stant skies thundered as he tossed and turned in h i s bed and eould not sleep. He sighed . H i s eyes fi l led with tears as he kept th inking of h i s young wife lying alone in bed . He wept aloud, he cried t i l l daybreak came. That was when the v i l lagers decreed. no travel ler shou ld be a l lowed to stay back at n i ght again.
13
Prili.l'h Nandy * * * * *
1 1 6 . A Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
DAN'PIN From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 91 Epigrams
Thi s your coral nether l i p i s l i ke a desert path, for whose heart, fa i r l ass, does it not make thirsty?
492
I 've made no money, gained no knowl edge, and won no merit. And now my time is up.
1512
D ll. Il lngalls * * * * *
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha
•
1 17
KUMARADAsA Janakihara1'Ja 92 The Quarrel
In their quarrel she pretended to be asleep unti l he shaking with passion started to take off her dress thief she said l aughing and boldly she bit his lower l ip
VIII . 52
W S Merwin and J M Masson
*****
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 93 As the W ind B l ows
As the wi nd blows, bearing drops of frost, the god of love, as though he feared the cold, hl\,'>tily enters the hearts of lonely wives to warm himself at the fire of their grief.
1 1 37
D. H H Ingal/s
*****
1 18 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
BHATTA NAAAYANA .
.
.
Venisamhiira 94 The Chal lenge
He who dragged the daughter of Panchala, weeping by the hair; who tore away her robe before the kings and elders; he from whose breast I swore to drink the blood l i ke wine has fal l en in my hands, 0 Kauravas. Come save h i m i f you can. ,
Ill. 47 D. H. H. Ingal/.\·
***** 95 Vengeance
Whoever, proud of hi s courage, carries arms in the Pandava troops, Whoever belongs to the Pandava c1an---<: h ild, adult, sleeper in the womb, Whoever saw that act or meets me, front to front, in combatI ' l l k i l l then al l i n my fury, even kill the Great K i l l er, Himself. I l l . 32 VN Misra, L Nathan and S I'atsyayan
*****
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 96 True Strength
It is in rain, when mad, that you uproot the waysi de tree; and wherefore thrash the l ake that blooms w i th lotuses? o best of elephants, we shal l admit your strength when you touch the mane of a sleeping l ion cub .
1072
D. lUl lnga/ls
***** . 1 19
SANKARA Saundaryalahari 97 In Praise of the Goddess
Slender as a streak of l i ghtning, composed of the essence of sun, moon and fire, situated above the six lotuses, the manifestation of you in the forest of great l otuses, those with m i nd free of stain and i l l usion who view it, mighty ones, experience a flood of supreme joy.
21
Let m y idle chatter be the muttering o f prayer, my every manual movement the execution of ritual gesture, my wal king a ceremonial circumambul ation, my eating and other acts the rite of sacrifice, my lying down prostration in worship, my every pleasure enjoyed with dedication of myself, l et whatever activity is m i ne be some form of worship of you.
27
Beari ng a mark of verm i lion so that the impenetrable darkness of your thick l ocks with the hosts of their beauties makes it seem l ike an imprisoned ray of the new-risen sun, may it bring welfare to us, as though the flood of beauty of your face had a channel to flow in, the streak of which is the part i n your hair.
44
Your right eye, because it has the sun as its essence, gives birth to the day; Your left eye, which has the moon as its substance, produces the n ight; Your third eye, which resembles a golden lotus s l i ghtly opened, creates the twi l i ght i ntervening between day and night.
48 W. Norman Brown
*****
1 20 • A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
Moha Mudgara 98
The S hattering of lIIusion
Who i s thy wife? Who i s thy son? The ways of thi s world are strange i ndeed. Whose art thou? Whence art thou come? Vast is thy ignorance, my beloved. Therefore ponder these things and worshi p the Lord.
8
Behold the fol l y of Man: In chi ldhood busy with his toys, In youth bewitched by love, In age bowed down with cares And always unm indfu l of the Lord ! The hours fly, the seasons rol l , l i fe ebbs, But the breeze of hope blows continual ly in his heart.
12
B i rth brings death, death brings rebirth: This evil needs no proof. Where then, 0 Man, is thy happiness? This l i fe trembles in the balance Like water on a lotus-leafAnd yet the sage can show us, i n an i nstant, How to bridge thi s sea of change.
4
When the body i s wrinkled, when the hair turns grey, When the gums are toothless, and the old man's staff Shakes l ike a reed beneath his weight. The cup of his desire is sti 11 ful l .
15
Thy son may bring thee suffering, Thy wealth is no assurance of heaven: Therefore be not vain of thy wealth,
Moha Mudgara . 1 2 1
Or of thy fami ly, or of thy youth A l l are fleeting, al l must change. Know this and be free. Enter the j oy of the Lord. Seek n eit her peace nor stri fe With kith or kin, with friend or foe. o beloved, if thou wouldst attai n freed om Be equal unto al l .
11
,
25
Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
*****
122 • A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
YASOVARMAN From Subhashitavali of Vallabhadeva 99
The Intolerance of Fate
The bl ue lotus which had charm simi lar to your eyes is sunk under the water, The Moon which imitated the radiance of your face, beloved, is screened by the clouds, Those white geese too, whose steps conformed to your walk, have gone; My fate does not tolerate even the mere diversion of your l i keness
1 366
A. K Warder
*****
From Subhiishitiivali of Vallabhadeva
•
1 23
SARAHA Dohiikosa 1 00 The Boatman
The body is the boat, the mind is at the helm, Fol lowing the words of the good teacher, hold on, 0 boatman!
Refrain Hey, boatman ! Hold on with a firm m i nd, There is no other means to reach the far side! The boatman guides the boat with a rope; Hold on and go naturally, not otherwise! On t h e
way there is danger to the boat, despite the heavenly bodies, For everything sinks in the waves of transmigration. Fol lowing the multitude i t rises in the cutting stream : says it attains the sky !
Saraha
38. ) ·4 A , K.
*****
1 24 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
Warder
RAVIGUPTA From Subhiishitiivali 101 Wickedness
A low person w ho gets promotion first of all harms his master: For on the road the powder of dust fi rst covers h i m who rai ses it.
414
Because o f their natural vil lainy, even a good qual ity in bad men oppresses people, l i ke a fault; the scent of poisonous flowers nauseates minds, even when fragrant.
413
' H is body i s ca l m , there i s n o danger from h i m ' this i s not deci sive: Do not white wicks of l amps produce black soot?
2855
I t doe s
110t exist, it does 110t exist for long,
i f it
does
c x i s t for long it is i nc o n s is t e n t w i th its result: The anger of good m e n i s s i m i lar to the affection o r the worth l ess.
236
A. K Warder * * * * *
From Subhashltavali
•
12"
KOOHALA Liliivai \ 02 A M istress of Arts
[n front of that palace we saw a girl sitting on a delightful jewel led mosaic, Li ke the fortune of the garden grove. Engrossed in playing the vinii she turned her neck so that she glanced upwards And saw our flying chariot stopped in the skyway. And she spoke, rising to greet us with words of sweet syllables and not forgetting pol iteness, Good nature in her heart and bowing with a salute: "Ladies descend ! Come and see this garden palace l i ke the Nandana grove, I t ' s beauty made a courtesy of lotus flowers in their own place." When, sir, we had accepted comfortable seats, we asked that young woman, "Charming one, Tel l us who you are. Whose i s this hand ski l led in sketching various beautiful things on a leaf? And whose are these excellent viniis we see, with beautiful tones? And whose are these palettes indicating the entire col lection of arts, Their surface painted with beautiful mixi ngs? And whose, charming one, are these various weapons We see, decorated with sandal paste? And whose is this bookstand we see, slender one, piled with books? Tel l us whose is this excellent palace, like the abode of the Divine Architect?"
3 58·36 1 , 363·367
A.K Warder
1 26 . A
Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
GOVINDA Svayambhuchanda 1 03 Cattle in the Moon Light
Remai ning here and there at night having desisted from feeding. Their cheeks moving as they chew the cud, White and bri l l iant the herds of cattle are seen l i ke treasures of moon l i ght
9.5
A . K. Warder
*****
Svayambhuchanda • 1 27
BHAVABHUTI Uttara Rama Charita 1 04 Deep in Love
Deep in love cheek leaning on cheek we talked of whatever came to our minds j ust as it came slowly oh slowly with our arms twined tightly around us and the hours passed and we did not know it sti l l talking when the night was gone
l. 27
IVS. Merwin and JM Masson
*****
1 05 Great Hearts
Who can understand the hearts of the truly great, which are harder than diamonds and softer than flowers?
I L7 fJ H H fngal/s
*****
1 28 . A
Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
1 06 Mountain River These are the Southern Mountai ns, thei r h i ghest blue peaks supported by c l ouds, With the gurgl ing roaring of the waters of the Godavari in the i r caverns; These are the sacred confi uences of ri vers with deep waters, w i l d W ith t h e cl amouring o f turbul ent waves confused by repu l s i ng one another.
1I . 30
A . K.
Warder
* * * * *
1 07 The Bel oved S he is Heaven ' s b l ess i ng in my house, She is a sal ve of nectar to my eyes . Her cool hands when they touch my body Refresh and comfort more (han any l i q u i d sandal . Her arms around my neck are smooth as snow, Love l y as pearl - l ustre . How can she ever bri ng me anyth ing but happi ness? -Except for one th ing. How coul d I ever bear her loss?
I . 38 John Brough
* * * * *
1 08 B itter G rief Such bi tter grief as th is has cracked my heart, Which sti l l has not burst apart; And from my body, fai nting form the sm art, The senses do not depart.
Uttara Riima Charita
•
1 29
I nternal fires within my body blaze, And yet I am not consumed: Fortune has cleft me with a mortal wound, Yet stil l I l ive out my days.
Ill. 3 1
John Brough *****
Malati Madhava 1 09
Her G l ances
Her glances first came hesitant and sidelong, then soft and shy with love; a while they rested on me motionless, then slowly turned away. Her pupils widening behi nd long l ashes told of the admiration that she felt. My heart, poor thing without defence, was captured cut up, swallowed, and now is lost for aye.
1. 3 1
D. H.H. fnga/ls
*****
1 10
Med ley of Emotions
Snatching my beloved out of range of the knife blow of this brigand, through fate, observing her face grazed, l ike the crescent Moon by Rahu; How does my heart endure, weak with terror, melting with compassion, shaken with astonishment, blazing with anger, opening with joy?
V . 28
A.K. Warder
1 30 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
III The Proud Poet Are there any around who mock my verses ? They ought to know I don 't wri te for them . Someone somewhere sometime wi l l understand. Time has no end. The world is big.
1.6
v. N. Misra. L . Nathan and S. Vatsyayan * * * * *
Ma/ati Madhava • 1 3 1
VIDYA From Sub hash ita Ratnakosha 1 12 To the River Murala
Smooth banks of sand, thick shade of cane hungover the water, The rustle of cooling winds, bearing delicious sprayAll supplies for endless good times for the brave at loveTel l me, Murala, who dreamed up this marvelous notion? V. N.
809
Misra, L. Nathan and S. Vatsyayan
*****
1 13
To Her Friends
You are fortunate, dear friends, that you can tel l what happened with your lovers : the jests and laughter, all the words and joys. After my sweetheart put his hand to the knot of my dress, I swear that I can remember nothing.
574
D. H. H. lngalls
***** 1 14
Jumna' s Bank
Say, friend, if al l is wel l sti l l with the bowers that grow upon the Jumna bank, companions to the dalliance of cowherd girls and witnesses of Radha's love. Now that there is no use to cut their fronds to make them into beds for love, I fear their greenness wi l l have faded and they grown old and hard
808
D. H. H. lngalls
132
•
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
From SaduktikarfJamrita ojSridharadasa 1 15 Love i n the Countryside
H i d i ng i n the cucumber garden simple country gi rl shi vers with de s i re her lover on a low cot l i es tired with love she melts i nto h i s body with joy h i s neck t i g ht i n her arms one of her feet fl i c k i n g 3 neckl ace of sea sh e l l s hangi ng on a v i ne on t h e fence ratt les t h e m to scare off foxes there i n the dark
1 1 . 2 1 .4
H ', S ,\ f('l'lI ' il1 i1l1d J Al ,l fas.HJ/1 * * * * *
From Saduklikl.lrniimrila of.�ridhllradiisa
•
133
OAMODARAGUPTA Kuttanimata 1 16 The Harlot's Experience
A stupid young brahman, not clever, cruel in his exertions, for whom a woman is a rare thing, Set about me in the night: sudden death Pretending to be a lover.
392
Listen, friend, to the curious thing done today by a rustic lover; When I closed my eyes in the enjoyment of l ove mak ing, he said : ' She's dead ! ' and, fri ghtened, let me go!
398 AX Warder
*****
134 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
MuRARI Anarghariighava 1 17 The Lord of Lanka
Heari ng that Dasaratha' s sons were on the slope of Mount Suvela, with half his twenty hands the king of Lanka gladly cleaned his sword, and fi l l ed the four directions with the twanging of his bow; but sti l l the other ten were practicing their ski l l in tracing o n h i s painting board the tendri l lines VI. 1 7 of dark cosmetic worn by Sita on her breast. DH H Ingalls
*****
1 18
I n Praise of Valmiki
These phrases of Murari are l ike a trough beside a wel l ; the wel l : the nectar of Val mik i ' s verse, deep and delicious from its praise of a dynasty so bril liant as was Rama's.
I. 12
D.H H Ingalls *****
J 19 The Courtier
Halting of voice and l i mb, flattering the mighty, I have been made an actor in a farce. I know not what new comedy old age w i l l have me dance with these white hairs for grease paint.
111. 1
A narghariighava . 1 3 5
1 20 The Moon K nows
The moon knows by how much her beauty fai l s, Weighed agai nst yours, to bring the balance even. Look ! I n a vain attempt to turn the scales she adds as makeweight al l the stars of heaven.
VII. 8 1
John Brough * * * * *
136
•
A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
SiLA BHATTARIKA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 121 A Memory
My husband i s the same who took my maidenhead and these the moon-drenched nights we knew; the very breeze is blowing from the Vindhya hills heavy with scent of newly blossomed j asmine. I too am stil l the same; and yet with all my heart I yearn for the reed beds by the stream which knew our happy, graceful, unending bouts of love.
815
D.H H Ingalls
***** 1 22 The Messenger
"You are panting!" "I 've been running." "Your cheeks are fl ushed." "You won. He lost." "Your braid's loose." "Because I fel l at his feet. " "You look tired." "The amount of talking I had to do! " "Your dress knot's untied." "Oh, I was careless." "And what about your lips, dear, lying messenger, why do you think that they look like two faded lotuses?"
850
P.
Lal
***** From Subhiishita Ratnakosha • 1 37
ASAGA Vardhamanacharita 1 23 Pen Pictures
I n which in the evening the moonlight, white from the foam of ambrosia, e n te ring through a round window Was tasted on the jewel led mosaic I. 35 by a del ighted kitten desiring milk In the summer when the woods are twi sted by the flames of forest fires; remaining on a mountain in the fierce rays of the sun, H i s body dried up though his firmness does not waver for a moment here; xv. 1 06 The sage's endurance of heat proclaims his resignation. A . K. Warder *****
1 38
•
A Treasury of Sanskrit
Poetry
VIKATANITAMBA From Subhashita Ratnakosha 1 24 Recollection
At the side of the bed the knot came undone by itself, and barely held by the sash the robe s l i pped to my waist. My friend, it's al i I know: I was in his arms and I can 't remember who was who or what we did or how
572 Octavio Paz
* * * * *
From Subhiishitiivali 1 25 The Advice
Don 't worry about this young girl being very frai l . Have you ever seen a m ango-blossom break from the wei ght of a bee? You shoul d squeeze her When you are alone Very hard. And show no mercy. Sugarcane softly pressed does not yield its ful l j u i c e
.
1 40 1
J : s. Merwin und J M. Mas.wn * * * * *
From
Subhashita Ratnakosha . 1 39
From Subhashita Ratnakosha 1 26 R i ver of Beauty
Th is woman is a strange river of beauty: I n her. lotuses sway to the moon, And are those el ephant heads submerged? Banana stems l i e by the lotus stalks.
426
I '. N Misra, L Nalhan and S Vatsyayan * * * * *
1 40 . A
Treusury ojSanskrit Poetry
VALLANA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 1 27 The Month of May
The month of May is sweet; the forest lonely; you are young; and I am wel l equi pped and of the age when love is strong. So go your way. my sweet, or stay with me a while. The tattl e-tales a l read y have The evi dence they need .
1 693 !J. l l/I. inKal/s
1 28 When he had taken o ff my c l othes
When he had taken off my clothes. unab l e to g u a rd my bosom w ith my s lender arms, I c l un g to his very chest for garment. B u t w h e n his hand crept down below my hi ps . What was to save me. s i n k i n g i n a sea of shame. I I' not the god of love. who teaches us to swoon'?
568
t UI. H iIJgalls
1 29 Beauty
Beauty is not in what the words say but in that which they say without saying it: not naked. but through a vei l . breasts become des i rable.
1 705 Oclavio Paz
From
Subhashila Ratnakosh a . 1 4 1
ABHINANDA Riimacharita 1 30 Han uman leaps over the Ocean
The sun has been circled by his tai l , the moon has been pierced b y his crest, the clouds have been tossed by his m ane, the stars have been attacked by his teeth, he has crossed the ocean j ust with a glance, with i ts bright l oud la ugh i n g waves, he has traversed in al l d i rections the cruel fi re of the gl ory of the Lord of Lanka. -
xv. 64 A X Warder
* * * *
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 131 Country Scene
track, m arked w ith j uice from the crushed cane, fl ag of saffron c o l oure d dust; fl ock of parrots settles on the barley ears
The wagon
carries a
a
-
a l ready bowed with gra i n ;
swi ms alon g the ditch field to tank and on the river bank the good m ud cool s the herd boy from the sun.
a
school
of m i nnows
from paddy
282
D. H. H fngalls
*****
142. A Treasury olSanskrit Poetry
1 32 Friend s h i p A
friendship where one cannot act without restraint, where one takes no j oy in friendly banter and where one friend must ever fear the other: to such a friendsh i p one shoul d give wide berth. D. H. H.
1 295
Ingalls
* * * * *
From
Subhiishita Ratnakosha . 1 43
NA.RAYANA Hitopadda 1 33 On N o b i l ity
A l i fe which is wel l known to be Of learn ing fame and bravery, Though even of a moment's span, It is truly l ived by man. For even crows can long survive By eating scraps to stay al i ve
2.43
'This i s m i ne, and this i s not, ' Thus do the smal l-minded see. The large-hearted have always thought The world itsel f a fam i ly.
1 .7 1
A s cl ustel. of wi ld flowers do, The high m inded have but courses two: To be borne on every brow, Or perish on some unknown bough.
1 . 1 34
,
.
-
;/ N I) lIaksar
* * * * *
1 34 On Transience
From that very ni ght 0 King, When in the womb one comes to stay, A ceaseless journey w i l l h i m bri ng Nearer death each passi ng day.
4.86
Drifting on the sea's expanse, A s two logs wi l l meet by chance, And having met, wi l l part perforce Such is creatures' i ntercourse
4.74
,
.
1 44 . A
Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
Where d i d a l l the m i ghty go W i th caval cades of s p l endour rare? W i tness to the i r pass i n g show Even now this earth does bear.
4.69 A . N. D. Haksar
* * * * *
1 35 On Fri ends For eyes a salve of pl easure pure, Ever de l i ghtfu l to the m i nd,
In j o y and gri ef a partner sure, Such a fri e n d is hard to fi n d . Others one m eets everywhere, Fai r- weather fri ends for m oney yearning. For j ud g i ng i f they are si ncere, The touchstone i s a cri s i s burn i ng
.
1 .2 1 1
To you he speaks the l ovi ng w ord, B ut stabs you when your back i s turned : S uch a fri end one m ust gi ve up H e ' s cream atop a poi soned cup.
1 . 78 A . N. D. Haksar
* * * * *
1 36 On Governance The greatest gains w i l l not be won By deeds of dari ng ras h l y done, Nor by m i nds w h i c h conti n ue To ponder over w hat to d o . But success there i s bound t o b e I n prudence j o i ned t o bravery .
3. 1 16
Hitopadesa . 145
One who even guards a cent From ever being wrongly spent, As if a horde of gold it were; But w i l l spending millions dare When circumstances so demand, And do it w ith an open hand The goddess of prosperity Will never leave one such as he.
3 . 1 23
Power which i s arbitrary And that which law and scriptures guide, To each other are contrary And cannot in one place abide. Where can one for i nstance see A place both dark and light to be.
3 .97 A . N D. Haksar
*****
1 37 On Hunger
A woman w i l l her chi l d foresake When hunger's pangs she can 't evade, As w i l l the famished mother snake Eat eggs that she herself has laid: What sins will not the starving do? Men grown gaunt turn pitiless too.
4.60
A . N D. Haksar *****
1 46 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
1 38 Reflections Wealth not used for charity,
Or enj oyed as i t shou l d be ; Strength by which the enemy Is not put i nto j eopard y ; Learn ing of t h e sacred writ If one does not practi ce it; And the self which can ' t control I ts senses and its pas s i ons ' ro l e : What w i th these i s there t o do? (They do not serve their purpose true)
2.9
Who, on atta i n i ng affluence, Does n ot s uccumb to arrogance? When gi ven up to pl easures, who Can to tro u b l e bid ad i e u ? Who h a s n e v e r j i l ted been By women on this earth l y scene? Who escapes death ' s fearfu l sting? And w ho ' s the favouri te of the king? Which beggar ever gets respect? W h i c h m an is there who can expect, When fal len in a v i l l ai n ' s snare, To come out safe, w i thout a care?
2. 1 5 1
As obj ects on the h i l l s i de glow By nearness to the rising sun, The l ow l y gl itter even so With some good companion.
Pr. 46
A . N. D. Haksar * * * * *
Hilopadesa . 1 47
DAMODARAMISRA Hanumannii(aka 1 39 The Moon D i sgu i sed
The moon disguised in the red garb of the sun who had j ust set, stealth i ly stretched forth his arm to embrace the sun 's dear lotus. When the lotus recogni zed him by his chi l l and turned her face away, The moon' s old l ove, the l i ly, l aughed and turned h i m pale with shame.
1 1 .6
D. I I. H InRalls
* * * * *
1 40 The Arrows of Love
A l l your fi ve arrows have sunk upto the feather in my heart and there are burned together with my body in the fire of separation. A l as, poor Love, that being weapo n l ess you can no longer overcome the wor l d : See, only I shal l suffer whi le others l ive i n j oy.
V . 2 .1 O H 11. Ingal/s
*****
148 . A Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
RAJASEKHARA Viddhasalabhanjika 141 The Dancer
The damsel of arc h e d eyebrows. grace fu l l y c i r c l i n g as she w h i r l s the d i sk. constructs three p a r as ol s : w i t h her skirt of southern s i I k . w i th h e r bea uti fu l pearl nec k l ace.
and with h e r w h i r l i ng bra i d of h a i r
1 1 .9
.
H e r j eweled a n k l et s j i n gle s h ar p ly at e a c h prec i o u s step. the gi rd l e c h i mcs. t h e pearl ncc k l aces fl y h i gh. t h e row s o f goldcn b race l ct s c ry a l o u d : the
fai r-browed maid by
her danc i ng w i th the d i sk
has c a rried off my heart.
I!. 6 U fI ll fngall.1
* * * * *
1 42 G rowing U p N o l o n g e r do they l ea ve t h e i r l ocks d i sheveled, but study how to b r a i d thei r hair; t hey t e n d thei r teeth and k not their s k i rts. grow fo n d o f amorous prac t i c e w i t h their brow s : I h e m ot i ons of th e i r eyes b ecome o b l i q u e; t he i r w o r d s acq u i re a m b i gu i t y : each moment shows a progress i n coquetry as c h i l dhood s l i ps to y o u t h .
11. 5
0. U IJ fl1glll/s * * * * *
Viddhasiilahhaniika . 1 49
KSHEMIsv ARA Chandakausika 1 43 The Sacrificial Tree
On the trunk of the Goddess' s tree, where an imprint been made of five bloody fi ngers, Where these crows cry out, eager for the offeri ngs of the common people; After being shaken on the necks of dead buffaloes and cattle, bel l s are hanging W ith a shrill jangl ing pungent to the ears, with a wealth of old remains of flower offeri ngs.
has
IV, 1 2
A X Warder * * * * *
I SO . A Treasury olSanskrit Poetry
SIDDHA
Upamitibhavaprapancha Katha 1 44 The Beggar Unmeritorious
There was a certain starvel i ng with a big bel ly, named Unmeritorious, Who had l ost his rel ati ves, was fool ish, without money or energy; H i s body was weak with hunger: taking alms i n a broken pot He wandered ceaselessly wretched, bl amed at every house; Without a protector and his sides and spine sore from sleeping on the ground, A l l his l i m bs grey with dust, garlanded w ith a net-like rag, Beaten at every moment by multitudes of i nsolent chi Idren, I njured by the blows of sticks, fists and great clods . . . ,
He was mad, had fever, leprosy, scabs, dysentery, Was the hiding place of a l l d iseases, del i rious i n his agitati on and pai n . He w a s seen by good m e n a s a place for pi ty, h e was a cause of laughter to the proud, A house of play for children, an example of bad actions. I f he got noth i ng at al l he was only very distressed, But getting a m ere morsel of bad food contented h i m a s i f it were a k i ngdom .
Chapler I A.K Wardrr
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ANANTA
From Siirngadhara Paddhati 1 45 The Poet ' s Fame
People have passed, are pass i ng, w i l l pass On the earth, ful l of grief; Fame belongi ng to l iterature Remains without loss.
1 50 A . K. Warder
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1 5 2 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
KALASAKA From Subhiishitiivali 1 46
Love Recal led
Her eyes
hal f closed
i n drowsi ness, l anguid
w i t h i ntoxication, even now those sweet sy l l ables of the deer-eyed one, w h i c h are not mean i ngfu l , nor m ean i n g l ess,
how m u c h they sound i n my heart !
1 2 80 A X Wardrr
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From Subhiishiliivali
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153
BHOJYA DEVA From Subhiishita Ratnakosha 1 47
Apparition on the River Bank
She shakes her hai r and i n the chaos of her curls bright drops shine. She crosses her arms and studi es the growing freshness of her breasts. A cloth c l ings, translucid, to her thighs. Bending s l i ghtly. with a quick glance toward the bank, she comes out of the water.
1 1 60 Oclavio Paz
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1 48
The M ango G rove
Many and m any' s the time in the mango grove the hol l ow of my ear has drunk the cuckoo's song. Today, though, as the sound approached I shook in every l i mb. My heart was sad, a trembling seized my eye, Why thus, sweet friend, I prithce why?
350
{) H H Ingalls * * * * *
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ATULA Mushikavamsa 1 49 A March through Kerala
The King saw bananas on the outskirts of Kola with their leaves l i ke hands waved i n the wind As i f wishing t o obtain some support when they were exhausted by their excessive l oads of fruit. The Lord of the Earth rejoiced abundantly i n the vi l lages at the scent of the spl i tting buds indicati ng the b l o s so m s Of g ro v e s of betel and forests of c o co n ut suddenly brought by the wind. ,
In the ga ps i n the fences w ho s e colour was very dark with swarms of bees on the flowers of the creepers. The faces of the women looki ng at the army attai ned the s p l en d o u r of the moon observed in a gap in the clouds.
With t he i r c lusters of s h a ki n g flowers al l round. th e sugarcanes del ighted the eyes of the armies. Sporting hither and thither l i ke rows of cl umps of reeds of the chowrie bearers.
1 1 . 55·58 A .K. Warder
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Mushikavam.fa
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KSH EMENDRA Kavikanthiibharana .
.
1 50 The Poet
A poet should learn with h i s eyes the form of l eaves he should know how to make people laugh when they are together he should get to see what they are really l i ke he should know about oceans and mountains i n themsel ves and the sun and the moon and the stars h i s m i nd should enter i nto the seasons he should go among many people i n many places and learn the i r l anguages.
I fl. 1 1
11 ' S Mcrll'in and J M. Mas.\'on * * * * *
151 PundarTka
When he heard the news of h i s death l ie stood without moving. Then he l et out a piteous cry Loud enough to break the stones of the mountai ns, Piercing his own l i fe. renderi ng h i m unconscious: o PLln�arlka! Even now, long past, when the deer remember it They drop the grass from the i r mouths.
25
11/ S Merwin and .! M Masson * * * * *
1 56 . A
Treasury olSansknl Poelry
SOMADEVA Kalhasarilsagara 1 52 The Merc hant ' s Daughter
To the beat of the drum the thief was led to the pl ace of execution, and the merchant ' s daughter R atn3vati sat on the terrace and watched h i m . l ie was gravel y wounded and covered w it h dust, but as soon as she saw him she was smi tten with love. Then she went to her father Ratnadatta, and sa i d : 'This m a n they are lead ing t o h i s death I have chosen for my lord ! Father, you m ust save h i m from the k i ng, or I wi 1 1 d i e w i t h h i m " A nd when h e heard, h e r fat her sai d : ' What i s t h i s you say, my c h i ld? Y o u ' ve refused the ti nest s u i tors, the i mages of the Love-god ! I l ow can you now des i re a w retched master-thief? ' B u t though h e reproached her thus she was ti nTI i n her resol ve, so he s ped to the k i ng and begged that the thief m i ght be saved from the stake. I n return he ofTered the whole of his great fortune, but the k i ng wou l d not yield the thief for ten m i l l ion pieces of gold, for he had robbed the whole city, and was brought to the stake to repay with his l ife. I !er
f�lther came home i n despair, and the merchant's daughter determ i ned to fol low the t h i ef in his death. Kathiisaritsiigara
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Though her family tried to restrain her she bathed, and mounted a litter, and went to the place of impalement, whi le her father, her mother and her people fol l owed her weeping.
The executioners pl aced t h e thief on the stake, and, as his l i fe ebbed away, he saw her come with her people. He heard the onl ookers speaking of al l that had happened, For a moment he wept, and then, sm i l i ng a l ittle, he died. At her order they lifted the corpse from the stake, and took it away, and with it the worthy m erchant' s daughter mounted the pyre.
X I I . 8 8 . 34-44 A L Basham
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A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
BILHANA
Chaurapanchasika 1 53 Memories of Love
Even now If my girl with lotus eyes came to me again Weary with the dear weight of young love, Again I would give to her these starved twins of arms And from her mouth drink down the heavy wine, As a reel ing pirate bee in fl uttered ease Steals up the honey from the nenuphar.
3
t�·. Powys Ma/hers
Even now, I remember her in love her body weak with fati gue swarms of curl ing hair fal l i ng on pale cheeks, trying to hide the secret of her gui It. I lcr soft arms cl ung l i ke vi nes on my neck.
Even now, I remember her: deep eyes' glittering pupils danci ng wildly i n love ' s vi gi l , a wild goose in our l otus bed of passion her face bowed low with shame at dawn.
4
5
Chaurapanchasikii . 1 59
Even now, I remember the wine-smeared l i ps she innocently l icked i n love, her frai l form, her wanton long eyes, her body rubbed golden with saffron paste and m usk, her mouth spiced with camphor and betel-nut.
9
Barhara Stolen Miller
I stil l remember and my heart aches. It aches all day and night. No, I w i l l never see again her beauti ful, ful l moon face aglow with a shine that humbles even the j asmine that once tamed my night
32 Pri/ish Nandy
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1 60 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
DHANESVARA Surasundari 1 54 When the Rains Came
One day when the new rains had thus arrived K i ng SuggTva, having ritual ly finished his meal, H i s body smeared with sandalwood, putting on silk, soft, smooth and spotless, H i s hand busied with betel, went to the palace of the Queen. He c l i m bed to the topmost fl oor i n the seven-storied palace; The Queen pol itely seated h i m on a precious couch. A fter pass ing a moment joking with his best beloved
He fel l asleep on the soft mattress covered by a white sheet. A nd then, his sleep destroyed by the thundering of the rai n clouds, He went out and sat on a cushion placed on a balcony. Then Queen Kamal a too sat on half the King's seat. Then the King spoke with a thri l l , cheerful in the power of joy: "At once the clouds (breasts) are del ightful, sporting strong l y in meeting me; L o o k , bel oved, the North has become l i ke you; Look,
slender one, the l i ghtning displaying hersel f in the clouds, tremulousness of your eyes, the waviness of your hair.
I m i tates the
A l so, beloved, look, through the wandering I ndra's herdsmen The beauty o f the rains is found fal l en, powdered over the surface of the
earth." At that time the Queen, bei ng d e l i ghted, said to the Kin g : "0
best of men, these rains have surpassed the rest of the seasons,
Surasundari . 1 6 1
Si nce, having abandoned separated lovers, they are giving happiness to the labourers, Cal ves, grass, herbs and so on as wel l as to the souls of lovers." Then the King said, sm i l ing a l ittle: "0 Queen, that is true: A proverb has arisen which is heard here in the world : Satisfied men earnestly see the oircle o f the directions a s satisfied. So, 0 Queen, being happy you think all are happy. Yet all seasons, 0 Queen, are a cause of happiness for people with merit, But for those without merit even the rains are a cause of unhappiness. Or rather look, beautiful one, in a half-built, dilapidated hut, Where a crowd of crying chi ldren is conspicuous in hundreds of pools of the tloods; Goaded excessively by his wife again and again, wretched, H i s body without protection, struck by showers of water, The hai r bristling in his pores, his li mbs shrinking in the cold wind, That poor man with great difficulty repairs the hut. Held by the ears, struck by heavy showers of water, Observe a donkey in the corner of a rootless, broken temple." 1 1 . 79·87, 94· 1 02 A . K. Warder * * * * *
1 55
The Shipwreck o King, as he thus told me his news, The captain cried out thus in fear:
"Men of the crew, and coxswain, stand by ! There's a dreadful portent, l i ke the face of Death, which
1 62 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Paetry
H as made a cloud the size of a winnowing basket into one over the whole sky: look at the skyway, As it makes a combination increasing at once, l ike a meeting of vi l lains, In a place i i ke that a most horrible portent i s produced: Soon i t causes destruction of ships, sailors with the stewards and the rest. " Heari ng such words from the man stationed at the top of the mast support, The crew were agitated, without hope of living. Then : The multitude of anchors was let go, the mast support was put flat And the shi p was al l covered with the mass of white sai ls. Meanwhile the sky was covered with a multitude of black clouds, A fierce wind blew, making the sea agitated; A l l round, a continual streaking of l ightning amazes l i ke the tongue of Death And the cl ouds thunder terrifyingly l i ke Death 's soldiers. The ship was carried away by the i mpulses of the waves of the ocean thrown up /by the rough wind, Though hel d by the multitude of anchors which rose through the power of heavy billows; She dri fts making play, rising and fal l ing, of being struck seducti vely By rubbing hands, through the incessant waves. And now in a moment whipped by the churning of the rough wind The anchors broke with a crack under the i mpulses of the waves. The ship let loose from its bonds by them, l ike an excel lent fi l ly, Ran impelled by the heavy impulses of the waves; Now flying up i n the sky l i ke a wizard woman who has mastered the sciences, Now fal l i ng down from the sky l ike a wizard woman losing her sciences;
Surasundari . 163
Now l ike a female snake struck with a stick she goes waving to and fro, Now l i ke a woman very frightened by a crowd she runs very fast. Through the l amentation of the loud noise em itted by all the planks as their bonds separated, She wailed as if afraid of imminent wrecking, deprived of a refuge; As if mad then whirling hither and thither in the ocean, I ncessantly splitting l i ke an un baked dish in the water; Her coxswai n exceeded, the crowd of hands confused and babbl ing, Her caravan of merchants frightened, the servants crying out loudly: As the crowd of people was hiding pieces of gold i n their loincloths and l i ps, The multitude of merchants was ski l led in garlanding their bodies with pieces of plank, A l l the people were beseeching the multitude of their family deities And the crew were throwing the cargo into the sea, The ship was attacked by a mountainous mace bordered with a guise of water And suddenly burst into a multitude of splitting planks. X I I . 1 88·20 1 , 205·2 1 0
AK *****
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Warder
JAYADEVA Gftagovinda 1 56 Song in the Melody Gurj ari
Sweet notes from his alluring fl ute echo nectar from his l i ps. His restless eyes glance, his head sways, earri ngs play at his cheeks. My hearts recal ls Hari here in his love dance, Playing seductively, l aughing, mocking me. A circle of peacock plumes caressed by moonl ight crowns his hair. A rainbow colours the fine cloth on his cloud-dark body.
My heart recalls Hari here in his love dance, Playing seductively, l aughing, mocking me. Kissing mouths of round-hipped cowherd girls whets his l ust. Bri l l iant smi les flash from the ruby-red buds of his sweet l ips. My heart recalls H ari here i n his love dance, Playing seductively, laughi ng, mocking me. Vi nes of his great throbbing arms circle a thousand cowherdesses. Jewel rays from his hands and feet and chest break the dark l i ght. My heart recal ls H ari here in h i s love dance, Playing seductively, l aughi ng, mocking me. H i s sandal paste browmark outshi nes the moon in a mass of clouds. H i s cruel heart is a hard door bruising circles of swell ing breasts. My heart recalls Hari here in his love dance, Playing seducti vely, laughing, mocking me. leweled earrings in sea-serpent form adorn his subl ime cheeks. H i s trail ing yellow cloth is a retinue of sages, gods, and spirits. My heart recal ls Hari here in his love dance, Playing seducti vely, laughing, mocking me. Meeting me under a flowering tree, he calms my fear of dark ti me, Del i ghting me deeply by quickly glancing looks at my heart. My heart recal ls Hari here in his love dance, 11. 2-8 Playing seductively, l aughi ng, mocking me. Barbara Staler Miller
Gitagovinda .
165
1 57 Song in the Melody Ramakari
Sandal and garment of yel low and lotus garlands upon his body of blue, In his dance the j ewels of his ears in movement dangl ing over his smiling cheeks. Hari here disports himself with charming women given to love ! The wife of a certain herdsman sings as Hari sounds a tune of love Embracing him the whi le with al l the force of her ful l and swel l i ng breasts. Hari here disports himself with charming women given to love ! A nother artless woman looks with ardour on Krishna's l otus face Where passion arose through restless motion of playful eyes with sidelong glances. Hari here disports himself with charming women given to love ! Another comes with beautiful hips, making as i f to whisper a word, And drawi ng close to his ear the adorable Krishna she kisses upon the cheek. Hari here disports hi mself with charm i ng women given to love ! Another on the bank of the Jamna, when Krishna goes to a bamboo thicket, Pul ls at his garment to draw him back, so eager is she for amorous play. Hari here disports himself with charmi ng women given to love ! Hari praises another woman, lost with him i n the dance of love, The dance where the sweet low flute is heard in the clamour of bangles on hands that clap. Hari here disports himself with charm i ng women given to love ! He embraces one woman, he kisses another, and fondles another beautiful one, He looks at another one lovely with smi les, and starts in pursuit of another woman. Hari here disports himself with charmi ng women given to love !
1 66 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
May al l prosperity spread from this, Shri Jayadeva' s famed and delightful Song of wonderful Keshava's secret play in the forest of Vrindavana! Hari here disports himself w ith charmi ng women gi ven to love! I . 38-45 George Keyt
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1 58 Song in the Melody Vasanta
In spring when tender Malayan breezes fondle the beautiful creepers of clove, And huts and bowers resound with the m ingled noise of bees and kok i l a birds, Hari here in the forest dwells, in eager dance with the women fol kIt is hard to endure being parted i n spring. my friend ! I n spring when the violent odour of musk i s the scent of the tender tamala sprout, When the colour of k imsuka flowers, the nails of the love god ' s fi ngers, tears young hearts, Hari here in the forest dwells, i n eager dance with the women folkIt is hard to endure being parted in spring, my friend ! I n spring when the love lord's golden staff is seen i n the colour of keshara flowers, When bees which come to the clustering piitala make that flower the quiver of l ove, Hari here i n the forest dwells, in eager dance with the women fol kIt is hard to endure being parted i n spring, my friend !
Gitagovinda . 1 67
I n spri ng when the blossom i ng mangoes thri l l to the clasp of the tremulous vernal creepers, When the Vri ndavan forest is cleansed by the w ater of Jamna meanderi ng through the wood. Hari here in the forest dwel ls. in eager dance with the women fol kIt is hard to endure bei ng parted in spring, my fri end ! Th i s. the description-the fore s t in sp r i ngti me deli ghtful threaded with phases of passi on, The purpose of which is t o recol l ect Hari. wel ls up in the u tte ra nce of Shri J ayadeva ,
.
lI ari h e re in the forest dwel ls, in eager dance with the women folkI t is hard to endure bei ng parted i n spri ng. my friend ! 1 . 2 7 . 29-30. 3:1-34
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1 68 . A Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
HARlBHATTA From Subhiishitiivali 1 59 The Wise and the Great
A wise man who has a mind to obtain a desired result, whether small or great, should not remain i nactive even for a moment: For, if the potter does not ceaselessly whirl the wheel with his stick, though the clay is there, there is no dish nor water jar. Del ight in things wel l said, no exaltation in fortune; action more able in producing for others; Insati abi l ity with good qual ities and respect for those possessing them : this is the hidden l i fe of the great.
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From Subhiishitiivali . 1 69
MANOVINODA From SubhiishUa Ratnakosha 1 60 Birds
The kite looking below turns his head obl iquely on either side, Slowly glides in a del icate cIrcle in the sky on his wings i mmobile; Subtle in feedi ng, after a long time, fal l ing sidelong most swiftly, Unexpectedly he hurls himself w ith trembling feet and head.
273
The wagtai l acts a little while near his beloved whose glance rests keen, her eyes motionless in the waves of tears of joy; I lis tai l l i fted high, legs in tempo, wi ngs quivering low, beak slightly loquacious with the sweet notes of intoxication high in his throat.
274
A . K Warder
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NAYACHANDRA SURl
Hammira Mahakavya 161
The Dancer on the Rampart
In t i m e
the
drummers beat �he i r drums,
t h e l utan i sts p l u c k e d
the i r
l utes,
the nautists blew the i r fl u t e s . The i r v o i ces i n tune with the shri l l n utes, the s i n ge r s sang the glory and fame of the b ra ve H a mmira . . . Then, the vine of her body entranci ng h e r l overs, awake n i n g passion with the glance of her h a l f- c l os e d eyes, to de l i ght the hearts of the courti ers, came Radhadevi the da n ce r , arra ye d for the dance. The q u i ve r i n g buds of her fi n g e rs m o ved in the dance l i ke te n d r i ls of a vi ne, t h r i l l i n g w i t h p a s s i o n . . . . A s the t i ps of her fi n ge rs bent, as though i n a c i rc l e, w i t h her grace and d e l icate beauty a l l o t h er g i r ls seemed h e r s l aves . The moon, i n t he g u i s e of the r i n g t hat t rem b l ed from t h e t i p of her ear, sa i d : ' Yo u r face is my l i keness, the de l us i on e ven of sages ! , A nd as s h e danced s h e st i rred t h e hearts of t h e young men watc h i ng t h e hearts which l ay l i ke motes of camphor under h e r feel . . . W ith her ges t u re s t h e neckl ace trembl ed on the t i ps of he r breasts l i ke a l o t u s twi ned i n the beak of a swan. W h en h e r b od y b e n t bac k l i ke a b o w i n t h e d a n ce l i ke a bowstri n g the bra i d of her h a i r stretched down to her heel . . . . A n d as she d a n c e d , at every beat of the r h yt h m , she turned her back on the Saka k i n g below.
fury of s o u l the Lord o f t h e Sakas s p o k e to hi s cham berl a i n : there a n y bowman w h o can make h e r h i s mark?' H i s brother said: ' Si re, there i s hc whom you formcrly t h rew i nto pr i so n , Ud9iinasif!lha-he i s the only man who ca n do it ! ' At once the S aka king had h i m brought and s t r u c k off h i s fetters,
Then i n ' Is
Ilammira Mahakiivya
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and arrayed the traitor finely, with double gift of affection. And t h u s appare l l ed he took the bow which none but he could draw, and the s i nner shot her, as a hunter shoots a d o e .
A t the stroke of the arrow she fai nted and fel l in the moat, as I ightni ng fal ls from heaven."
X I I . 1 3 ·32 A L Basham
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RUPA GOSVAMIN U.iivalanllamafJi 1 62 The Cowherd ' s Daughter
Oh friend you play in the m ud l i ke a c h i ld your blouse not even c over i ng your breasts your father the cowherd thinking you sti l l a c h i l d h as done not h i ng to find you a husband but then s u dden l y your eye l i ds leap us as you hear in the Vrinda forest the sound of K ri shna's fl u t e and you tremble with longing and show the whites of your eyes
35
/V S Merwin and .f. M. Masson * * * * *
1 63 I n Love That modesty the wei ght of it
that I feel before my pa re n ts I did away with hopi ng to be happy with h i m oh fri end oh friend all of you dearer even than my own b re ath i n g you were put to so much trouble so often I paid no attent i o n to the holy l aws taught to me Ujjva/anilamani
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by chaste women damn my obsti nacy wicked as I am I go on living thougr he pays no attention
p. 342 w S. Merwin and 1. M Masson
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Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
JAGANNATHA Rasagangiidhara 1 64 The Retort
"Small-waisted girl why are you so thin?" "Why do you concern yourself with other people ' s affairs?" "Tel l me nonetheless, and give me joy." "Go away, traveller, your wife wi l l tel l you;" J M. Masson *****
Bhiiminl Viliisa
1 65 A Word of Warning My s o u l I
tel l you, watch out. Don 't take up with that cowherd . Whose skin i s the hue of fresh rain clouds, the one who pastures H i s herd in Vrindavana. He's shrewd. He' ll charm you fi rst w i th h is sm ile, Then his l ooks. Your senses w i l l fai l, and then obl ivion. ,
VN
4. 1 6
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NILAKANTHA nlKSHITA Kalividambana 1 66
Satire on Physicians
There is no use of people in health and people with incurable diseases; the timid as wel l as those with prolonged ailments are the good fortune of doctors. Neither too much courage nor too much fear should be insti lled in the patient; in the former case, being rid of anxiety, he wi l l not pay; and in the latter too, because of loss of hope, he wi l l not pay. Let the medical prescri ption be whatever i t is; the diet restrictions should be severe; if he comes back to health, it is then due to the greatness of the doctors; if it is otherwise, it should be blamed on the violation of the diet-regulations. As ail ments spread and people die, doctors slowly educate themsel ves in the nature of diseases 23-25. 27 .
V. Raghavan *****
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A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
ANONYMOUS VERSES FROM ANTHOLOGIES
From Subhiishitiivali of Vallabhadeva 1 67
Do not go
. Do not go, ' 1 could say; but this is inauspicious . A l l right, go' is a loveless thing to say. Stay with me' is i m perious. ' Do as you wish ' suggests Cold indifference. An d i f I say ' I ' l l die When you are gone, ' you might or m ight not bel ie ve me. Teach me, my husband, what I ought to say When you go away. .
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My Love Although I conquer all the earth, Yet for me there is only one c ity. In that city there is for me only one house; And in that house, one room only; And in that room a bed. And one woman sleeps there, The shin i ng joy and jewel of all my kingdom.
1 476
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From
Subhiishitiivali of Vallabhadeva . 1 77
1 69
Love all y o u can
Love al l you can, Handsome young man. Day after day Youth steals away. Whi le you still live, Why should you give Death, for his share, Something so fair?
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From Paddhati of Siirngadhara 1 70
Gentle Deer Peaceful, the gentle deer untroubled graze: All that they need, their forest-home supplies. No greed for wealth nor envy c louds their days. BJlt these are only beasts, and we are wise.
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171
The Burglar
'Give me that bit of rag; or take the boy And try to keep him warm. ' 'The ground this side Is bare, and there's at least some straw at yours . ' The burglar who had quietly entered heard, Threw over them the ragged clock he'd l i fted Elsewhere, and crept away again, i n tears.
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John Brough
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A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
1 72 The Compl iment Bee, you fly so far around : Tel l me, have you ever found, Seen, or ever heard men tel l O f a fl ower to match the grace - Speak, and do not fear to te l l Of the gent l e l i l y ' s face ?
818 John Brough
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1 73 A Marvel o Poverty great powers you have gi ven me
1 see the whole worl d and nobody sees m e .
402
w.s. Merwin and 1. M. Masson * * * * *
1 74 The Teacher I wear no bracel ets golden as the aut�Jmn m oon ; I ' ve never known the taste of the l i ps of a ti m i d and tender young gi rl ;
I have never won, by sword or pen, fam e in the hal l s of time :
I wasted my l i fe i n broken-down col l eges, teachi n g i nsol ent, mal i ci ous boys.
1 469 Octavio paz
From Paddhati ofSiirngadhara • 1 79
1 75
The I nvitation
Traveler, hurry your steps, be on your way: the woods are full of wild ani mals, snakes, elephants, tigers, and boars, the sun ' s going down and you' re so young to be goi ng alone. I can 't let you stay, for I ' m a young girl and no one' s home.
810
Oc/avio Paz
1 76
Rai n i n the Fo rest
Water pouring from the clouds in the night of pal m forests large ears motionless they l i sten the elephants eyes half closed to the sound of the heavy rai n their trunks resting o n their tusks
1 161
W S. Merwin and J. M. Masson
1 77
A Come-hither Glance
Her hand upon her hip she placed, And swayed seductively her waist; With chin upon her shoulder pressed, She stretched herself to show her breast: With sapphire pupi ls burning bright Within the pearly orbs of white, Her eyes with eagerness did dance, And threw me a come-hither glance.
465 John Brough
1 80 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
OTHER ANONYMOUS VERSES
Suka Saptati 1 78
S pringtime in the Forest
The forest smi les, the buds are gleaming, it shines with mango blossoms teeming. Here rows of milk trees, branches bent with loads of fruit, so succulent; there rose apple and timburini in splendid clusters one may see. Here serried oleanders shine, there camphor spreads its fragrance fine. Here jasmine fai r and pepper vine there mango, sandalwood and pi ne, Champak, bakula, pomegranate flowers, palms and j uj ube trees in bowers by nets of climbing gourd entwined so thick- the sky one cannot find. The fruit is red on the karna plant, others the j ungle white rose flaunt; some are covered by the w i ld anise, and flowers bloom on sindur trees in festoons which entrance the mind with their glory incarnadined. I n blossom too are coral trees, high acacias scent the breeze; and other plants with blooms are dense, double jasmine charms the sense.
4 1 . 1 96·207 A . N D. llaksar
*****
,�uka Saptali • 1 8 1
Simhiisana Dviitrimsikii ,
.
1 79 Gnom ic Verses
Thirsty peacocks cry out in distress to the rain clouds, and the clouds instantly pour down streams of water for them. What is the cloud to the bird, or the bird to the cloud? Those who are in distress should not fail to ask, and those who are great-hearted should not fai l to give. Even though they may endure for long, sensual pleasures must i nevitably fade away. What difference does it make if people wi ll not give them up willi ngly? (f they cease on their own it grieves the heart immeasurably; but if they are renounced, it gives one the infinite happiness of peace.
VI.7
XVI.3
A . N D. Haksar
*****
1 82 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
A SEASONAL ANTHOLOGY
From Subhashita Ratnakosha of Vidyakara 1 80 The Six Seasons
Spring: Siivar'!i Bright chains of amaranth about their hips, fresh mango blossoms at their ears, the red
asoka on their breasts
and miidhavi within their hair, their bodies rouged all over with yel low pol len of the balcu/a: Such is our lasses ' costume; may its advent bring j oy to lusty lads.
Summer:
1 77
Yogesvara
The water of the pond is hot above but sharply cold beneath. When wayside wel ls run dry the travel lers come at noon, and, covered though it is with floating moss and muddy from the wallowing of buffaloes not yet harnessed to the plough, they sti r it with their arms and drink.
206
Rains: Bhavabhuti Now come the days of changing beauty, of summer's parting as the monsoon comes, when the eastern gales come driving in,
perfumed with blossoming arjuna and sal trees, tossing the clouds as smooth and dark as sapphires : days that are sweet with the smell of rain-soaked earth.
21g
Autumn: Visiikhadatta The skies, growing gradually peaceful, flow l i ke l ong rivers across heaven, with sand banks formed of the white clouds and scattered flights of softly crying cranes; rivers which fi l l at night with water-lily stars.
278
From Subhiishita Ratnakosha of Vidyiikara • 1 83
Early Winter.
Abhinanda
The round villages are charming now at day's end with threshing circles scattered on the common for treading of the heaped up rice; the dung ti res cast a ring of smoke that hangs low overhead from weight of frost.
303
Later Winter: Anon. The heavy snow is falling, not easy to distinguish among the smoke-grey damanaka trees, but for the ti re of dung it forms a tent of beauty. At dawn it hides the rising sun, and clinging to the travellers' furs, shows them all white of every l i mb.
307 D. H. H. Ingalls
*****
1 84 . A
Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
POETRY FROM INSCRIPTIONS The Mandasor Epigraph (436 CE) 181
The Weavers of Lata
. . . . In the land of Lata, the trees bend under the weight of their flowers. there are beautiful temples. royal hal ls. holy monasteries. But the world-famous craftsmen of Lata left that land of theirs and its wooded mountains. attracted by the good ki ng of this region. Despite the hardships of the journey, they c a me with great hopes to Dasapura- at first only in their daydreams. and then wi th chi ldren and kin . . .
They formed close assoc iations with thei r neighbors; day by day friendship grew. The ki ngs treated them l i ke the i r own sons. and they l i ved happi ly in Dasapura. A girl ca n be very young a nd pre t ty. gold at her neck, flowers in her hai r and betel in her mouth-yet the real be auty only comes when she puts on her pai r of s i l ks. And who makes the silk that adorns the land far and wide- soft s i l k. with a riot o f colours. a true del i ght to see? These craftsmen fro m Lata. Yet knowing that the l i fe of ma n , and wealth, however vast, are far more fragi l e than a petal blown from the ear o f a forest spirit, th ey made a firm and good decision, whi l e King Kumaragupta was ruling the earth,
The Mandasor Epigraph .
185
and Bandhuvarman was the lord
protecting the rich town of Dasapura: With the wealth acquired from their craft the gui Id of silk-weavers would have a temple built
a noble temple like no other, in honour of the blazing sun. In the year four hundred ninety three from the founding of the Malava tribe,
during the time of year when clouds begin to rumble in the month of Sahasya, in the white fortnight, the lucky thirteenth day, this place was opened, with hymns of praise. As long as Lord S iva bears his high pile of matted yel low hair and pure crescent moon within; as l ong as the bright lotus garland hangs
at V i shnu ' s shoulder, this noble house will last. By order of the gui ld and with true devotion thi s house of the sun was built;
and with great care the above was composed
by VatsabhaW.
Sheldon Pollock ** * * *
The Changu Narayan Pillar,
Nepal (464 CE)
1 82
The Queen and the Prince His wife was the grand Sri RajyavatT. She was the offspring of a pure fami ly, a LakshmI to his Vishnu with all her virtues. And he loved her more than life itself.
. . > the king had shed the lustre of his fame
< .
over this whole world, but then he left for the realm of the gods- it was peaceful, like a trip to
a pleasure garden- but his wife suddenly col lapsed,
1 86 . A Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
wild with the fever of gri ef < > utterly immob i l ized a woman who before separation from her h u sband was ever b usy with rites and rituals and the feeding of the gods. N ow thi s Queen Raj yavati'- cal l ed the king's wife but real l y his roy al power i ncarnatewas about to fo l l ow her husband, her thoughts fi xed on the othe r world She came to her son, Prince Manadeva, a man of fau ltl e ss conduct i n beauty l i ke the autumn moon and l i ke the moon a del i ght to all the people. The wo rds catching i n her throat, drawing s i ghs so s l ow l y , her face stai ned w ith tears, she said, with deep emotion, "Your father has gone to heaven. o my son, there is no reason for me to l i ve now that your father has passed away . My dear son, rule the ki ngdom, I w i l l take the path my husband took, before the day is out. . . .
.
,
"How cou ld I l i ve without my husband, held back by the hope which l ong years of mutual pleasure sti l l arouseof being reunited w ith him, when that could never be more than a dream or m irage? I am going she said with determ i nati on. But then her broken-hearted son touched h i s head to her feet in devotion and fi rmly spoke. ,"
"What use would I have for pleasures, what possible joy in l iving if I were parted from you? First I w i l l give up my l i fe- and only then can you go from this world to heaven." These words of h i s, moi stened with tears from h i s l otus eyes, were the cord s of a net that trapped he r l i ke a b i rd. And trapped she stayed
. . .
She/don Pol/ock
* * * * *
The Mandasor Epigraph . 1 87
The Merbabu Rock inscription, Java (e. 7th Century CE)
1 83 The S pring
Her younger sisters are the pure white lotuses, she gushes from the rock face here and from among the pebbles there, and there pours out her cold clean water, this spring that like the Ganga makes all it touches pure. She/don Pollock * * * * *
1 88
•
A Treasury of Sanskrit Poelly
Appendix
The Progress of Translation Translations from Sanskrit i nto English over the years have reflected both the scholarship and the sensibil ities of individual translators as well as the prevalent level of Sanskrit studies and the then ambience of Engl ish usage. Th is progression is i l l ustrated here by bringing together some wel l known translations of the same text, also indicating their years of pub l i cation. Detail s of the translators are given i n a separate l i st. The texts selected as samples are celebrated verses from the dialogue of Kiil idiisa's famous play Abhijniinasiikuntaia, original ly translated into Engl ish by the polymath Sir W i l li am lones. The first is Act 1 1 , verse 1 1 , i n which the hero, K i ng Dushyanta, descri bes his first encounter with Shakuntala, a girl from a herm itage, with whom he has fal len in love. . . . . . yet she did look at me, wishing to be unpercei ved; then she smi l ed. and started a new subject of conversation. Love is by nature averse to a sudden communication, and hitherto neither ful l y displays. nor wholly conceals, himself in her demeanour William lones. 1 789 towards me. She did look towards me, though she quick withdrew Her stealthy glances when she met my gaze; She smi l ed upon me sweetly, but disguised With maiden grace the secret of her smiles. Coy l ove was half unvei led; then, sudden checked By modesty, left half to be divined. Monier Williams. 1856
When I was with her, her glance was sti l l ci rcumspect, Though she would smile when 1 spoke of external things;
The Progress o/ Translation . 1 89
Modest her beari ngs: her love was not yet revealed, Nor was it quite concealed. John Brough, /965
Her eyes were caste down in my presence, but she found an excuse to smile modesty barely contained the love she could neither reveal nor conceal. Barbara Slo/er Miller. 1 984
The second sample is Act I V , verse 6, acclaimed by ancient Indian critics as a classic. In it Shakuntala's foster-father, the hermit Kanva, is saddened at her departure from the hermitage to join Dushyanta in his capital. This day must Shakuntala depart: that is resol ved; yet my soul is smitten with anguish. My speech i s interrupted by a torrent of tears, which my reason suppresses and turns i nward; my very sight is di mmed, - Strange that the affl iction of a forester, reti red from haunts of men, should be so excessive ! - Oh ! with what pangs must they, who are fathers of famil ies, be afflicted on the departure of a daughter! William Jones, / 789
This day my loved one leaves me, and my heart I s heavy with its grief; the streams of sorrow Choked at the source, repress my falteri ng voice, I have no words to speak; mine eyes are dimmed By the dark shadows of the thoughts that rise Within. my soul . If such the force of grief In an old herm it parted from his nursel ing, What anguish must the stricken parents feel Bereft forever of an only daughter? Monier Williams, 185 6
Shakuntala m ust go today; I miss her now at heart; I dare not speak a loving word Or choking tears wil l start. 1 90 • A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
My eyes are dim with anxious thought; Love strikes me to the l i fe: And yet I strove for pious peace I have no chi ld, no wife. What must a father feel, when come The pangs of parting from his chil d at home? Arlhur W Ryder 1912 .
My heart is touched with sadness since Shakuntala must go today, my throat is choked with sobs, my eyes are dulled with worry i f a disciplined ascetic sutfers so deeply from love, how do fathers bear the pain of each daughter's parti ng? Barbara Sloler Miller. 1984
The fi nal example is Act V, verse 2, in which Dushyanta, who has forgotten Shakuntala, is struck by a subl iminal memory as he hears another woman singing in the palace. Perhaps the sadness of men, otherwise happy, on see i ng beautiful forms and l i stening to sweet melody, arises from some faint remembrance of past joys and the traces of connections i n a former state of existence. Wil/iam Jones. 1 789
Not seldom in our happy hours of ease, When thought is sti ll, the sight of some fair form, Or mournful fal l of music breathing low, W i l l stir strange fancies, thrilling al l the soul With a mysterious sadness, and a sense Of vague yet earnest longing. Can it be That the dim memory of events l ong past, Or friendships formed in other states of being, Flits l i ke a passing shadow o'er the spirit? Monier WilIiams.
1856
The Progress of Translation • 1 9 1
Though you 're contented now, some lovely thing, The hal f-heard sound Of words in a song can conjure a desire from nowhere That your mind can 't grasp, because the life before is crying To the present l i fe what it has loved, but cries from very deep V N. Misra, L. Nathan and S Vatsyayan, 1 983
Seei ng rare beauty, hearing lovely sounds, even a happy man become strangely uneasy . . . . perhaps he remembers, without knowi ng why, loves of another life buried deep in his bei ng. Barbara Stoler Miller, 1 984
192
•
A
Treasury ofSanskrit Poetry
The Poets Abhinanda
Ninth century CE Pala court poet. Author of the epic poem Ramacharita.
Amaru
Reputed
author of Amrusataka, the celebrated
collection of love poems dated to about the 7th century CE. Ananta
A king in 1 0th century CE Kashmir.
Asaga
Digambara Jaina monk from 9th century CE Karnataka. Author of the epic Vardhamana Charita.
Asvaghosha
Major Buddhist philosopher and
writer, dated to
the I st century CE. His most famous work is the biographical poem Buddhacharita. Atula
Author of the epic dynastic history Mushikavamsa from 1 1 th century CE Kerala. Court poet of the 7th century CE King Harsha of Kannauj . H is biographical work Harshacharita and romance Kadambari established him as the leading prose stylist of Sanskrit.
Bharavi
Author of the epic Kiratiirjunlya which is dated to the 6th century CE during the Pallava empire. Acclaimed by later critics and cited along with Kalidasa in the 634 CE A ihole inscription.
Bhartrihari
Reputed author of the well known Satakatrayam, the three centuries of verse epigrams on life, love and renunciation. Sometimes identified with the distinguished 6th-7th century CE grammarian of the same name.
Bhasa
Dramatist
praised
by
celebrated
later
writers
including Kalidasa and BiiI)a. Dated usually to the 1 st-2nd century CE. Svapnaviisavadatla is the best known of the plays ascribed to h im. Bha�a Naray�a
Author of the acclaimed 7th century CE play VelJisamhara about the Mahabharata war.
Bhavabhiiti
A major Sanskrit dramatist and poet, usually placed in 8th century CE central India. His best known plays are Uttara Rama Charita and Malatimadhava.
The Poets . 1 93
Bhojya Deva
Identi fied with the 1 1 th century CE king Bhoja of Dhara, who was wel l known as a patron of poets and a writer on poetics himself.
Bilhar:Ja
Poet from 1 1 th- 1 2th century CE Kashmir, author of Vikramimlcadevacharita,
about the deeds
of a
Karnataka ruler, and a col lection of love poems, Chaurapanchasikii . Dar:J�in
Well known critic and prose stylist, placed in 7th century CE Kinchipuram during the Pal lava empire. Author of Kiivyiidarsa a major work on poetics, and ,
the prose romance Damodaragupta
DiiSa Kumiira Charitam.
Minister of the 8th century CE king Jayipida of Kashmir, and author of
Ku��animata a verse novel
about the l ives of courtesans. Damodaramisra
Reputed author of the
1 0th century CE play
Hanumannataka on the deeds of Rima. Dhanesvara
Author of the Prakrit verse novel
Surasundari
probably from 1 1 th century CE Raj asthan. Dharmakirti
Celebrated Buddhist philosopher and logician dated to the 7th century CE.
Divikara
A noted poet at the court of King Harsha of 7th Century CE Kannauj .
Govinda
Writer from c . 8th century CE, whose Apabhramsa verses
are
quoted
in
the
collection
Svayambhuchandas. Hila
Satavahina dynasty king in the 1 st-2nd century CE. Traditionally regarded as the composer of the Giithii Sattasai, an anthology of Prakrit verses on everyday l i fe
and
love,
whose
individual
authors
are
unspecified. Haribha�a
Buddhist monk and writer dated to 1 2th century CE Kashmir.
Jagannitha
Poet and scholar associated with the court of the 1 7th century Mughal emperor Shahjehan. Author of the
poetical
works
Bhiimini
Viliisa
and
Rasagangiidhara, among others. Jayadeva
Author of the famous
Gita Govinda, a work of
devotional lyrical poetry from 1 2th century eastern India. Kalasaka
A king in I O- I I th century CE Kashmir.
194 . A Treasury a/Sanskrit Poetry
Kil idasa
Widely
considered
the
outstanding
poet
and
dramatist of classical Sanskrit. Usually placed at the Gupta imperial court in the 5th century CE, though there are several other opinions about his date and provenance. Kouhala
Or Kutuhala. Probable author of the 8th century CE Prakrit verse novel
Kshemendra
Li/avai or Lilavati.
Poet, polymath and prol ific author from
1 1 th
century CE Kashmir. Kshemisvara
Author
of
the
Naishadhananda,
plays
Chan4akausika
probably during the
and
1 0- l I th
century Gurjara-Pratihiira king Mahipiila's reign in west-central India. Kumiradisa
Author
of the
7th
century
CE
epic
poem
JanakiharafJa . which was lauded by later critics like Riijasekhara. Migha
Author of the 6th-7th century CE epic poem Sisupa/avadha, much praised by later critics.
Manovinoda
A poet found only in some anthologies. Probably from late 1 2th century CE Bengal.
Muriiri
Author of the play A nargharaghava, probably from 9th century CE Kashmir.
Niiriiyal)a
Compiler of the Hitopadesa collection of fables and verses under the Piila potentate Dhavala Chandra, probably in the 1 0th century CE.
Nayachandra Suri
Jaina monk, author of the Hammira Mahaluivya on the life and death of the last Chauhan dynasty ruler of Ranthambor, who was defeated by Sultan Alauddin Khalji of Delhi in 1 30 1 CE.
Nilakantha Dikshita
Proli fic poet from 1 7th- 1 8th century Madurai. His works include the epic SivalilarfJava and the satire Kalividambana.
Riijasekhara
Critic, poet and dramatist of the 1 0th century CE, often quoted in anthologies. Author of the plays Karpuramanjar; and Viddhasa/abhanjikii, and a work on poetics, Kavya Mimamsa.
Ravigupta
Buddhist philosopher of c. 8th century CE, quoted in various anthologies.
The Poets .
195
Rupa Gosvimi n
Fol lower of the
1 6th
century
saint Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu of Bengal. Anthologist and author of
Ujjvalani/ama'Ji. a work on poetics. Sankara
The great Vedanta philosopher, usual ly dated to the 8th century CE. He is also credited with some wel l known devotional poetry.
Saraha
Buddhist siddha and teacher of c. 8th century CE, regarded
as
the
author
of
the
Apabhramsa
Dohiikosa , a col lection of verses.
SivBn:li Siddha
A poet found only in some anthologies. S v etam bara laina monk from Srimila i n modem
Gujarat.
Author of the a l l egor i cal verse novel
Upamitibhavaprapancha Kathii i n 906 CE. Sila Bhattarika
Ni nth century CE poetess known only through anthologies.
Somadeva
Eleventh
century CE
Kashmiri
author
of the
Kathiisaritsiigara, the famous col lection of stories in verse. Subandhu
Author of Viisavadattii, a c. 6th century CE prose romance with 1 3 i ntroductory verses.
Siidraka
Sitavihana dynasty ru ler of the 2nd-3rd century
CE. His p l ay Mricchaka(ika i s wel l known in translation as The Little Clay Cart.
Syimilaka
Author of the sati rical monologue Padataqitaka ( The Kick), probably from the 5th century CE.
Val lana
Pila empire poet of the 9th century CE, also mentioned as Bal lana.
Vilmiki
Known i n trad i t i on as the iidi kavi or ' fi rst poet ' and
the author of the Riimiiyana. Th i s epic poem is ascribed to the period 400-200BCE.
Vatsabha�i
Composer of the Mandasor i n scr i pti o n , 436 CE.
Vidya
A Sanskrit poetess whose verses are avai lable on l y in anthologies, Placed in t h e 8th century CE, and also known as V ijji and Vi dyaki.
Vik a!Bn i tambi
N i nth
century
CE
poetess
acclai med
by
the
celebrated l ater critic Rijasekhara. V i sikh ad atta
Author of the 7th century CE political
Mudriiriikshasa
196 . A Treasury ofSanslcrit Poetry
and
Devichandragupta,
plays
drawn
respectively from the history of the Maurya and the G upta dy nasties . Vishnu
S iirmii
Reputed
compiler
of
the
Panchatantra.
t he
celebrated collection of fables dated to the 4th century CE. Vy a s a
The traditional author of the Mahiibhiirata. The kernel of this long epic poem is believed to have been composed in the 5th century BCE.
Yasovarman
Ide ntified with the 8th century CE ruler of Kannauj of
the
same
name.
Author
of
the
play
Riimabhyudaya.
Y o ges v ara
Piila period poet. praised by Abhinanda.
The Poets .
1 97
The Translators
Amold, S i r Edwin
Poet,
j o u rn a l ist
and
scho lar
( 1 832- 1 904).
His
translations from the Sanskrit include those o f the Hitopade.�a and the
Gitagovinda
and the Song
Celestial, a verse ren dering of the Bhagavadgita. A u robin do, Sri Basham, A rthur L.
Celebrated savant and I n d i a n nationalist ( 1 875- 1 950) I ndologist
( 1 9 1 4- 1 986).
Was
Reader
in
I n d ian
H i story, U n iversity of London , and Professor of Asian C i v i l i zat ion, Austra l ian N ational U n ivers ity. H i s m aj or work i s The Wonder that was India ( 1 954). I n do logist ( 1 9 1 7- 1 9 84). Was Professor of Sanskri t ,
Brough, John
U n i vers ity of Cambridge. Translated Poems from
the
Sal1.lkrit ( 1 968). Brown, W . Norm an
Indologist ( 1 892- 1 975). W a s Professor o f Sanskrit, U n i v ersity o f Pennsy lvan ia. I3ritish poet and trans lator.
Dent, Peter Dutt, Romesh
C.
Admin istrator and scho lar ( 1 84 5 - 1 909). I n d i an C i v i l
Se rv i ce 1 87 1 - 1 89 1 . H is verse translations from the ,
Ramayana and the Mahahharata were !i rst publ ished i n 1 899. P r e s id e n t I n d ian National Congress, 1 899. ,
E d gre n A. Hj a l mar ,
Swedish Sanskritist. His trans lation of Kalidasa' s Shakuntala appeared i n 1 894
G erow, Edwin
Professor of Sanskrit, U n i vers ity o f Ch icago . I I is p u b l i shed works include Indian Poetics ( 1 977).
G i tomer, Dav i d
I nstructor
in
the
Departm ent
of M iddle East
Languages and Cultures, Columbia U n i v e r s i ty New ,
Y o rk .
G r i ffith, R . T. I ! .
Was Principal, Benaras Col lege. Trans l ated Hvm/lS of the Rig Veda ( 1 889), and of the Sama Veda ( 1 9 0 7 )
H aksar, A .N . D .
.
Former Ind ian d i plomat who has tran s l ated from t h e Sanskrit t h e , Da.ia Kumara Charita the Simhamna Dviitrim.�ikii and th e Shllka Sap tati among others
w o rks
.
1 9 8 . A Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry
H ume. Robert E .
Was Professor of the History of Religion, Union Theological Semi nary, New York. Translator of The Thirteen Principal Upanishads ( 1 92 1 ).
I ngalls. Daniel H . H .
Was Wales Professor of Sanskrit, Harvard University. His works incl ud e a translation of the Subhiishita Ratnako,j'ha of Vidyakara ( 1 965).
I sh e r wood . Chri sto p h er
J o h nston. E . H .
Novel ist, p l a yw r i g ht and poet ( 1 904- 1 986). British scho lar o f Buddh i s m , best remembered fo r his translation of the Buddhacharila of Asvaghosha
( 1 93 6 ) . Jones, S i r W i l l i am
Li nguist, j u r i st a nd p o ly math ( 1 745- 1 794). Fo und ed the Asiatic Soc i et y in Calcutta, 1 784. F i rst translator from S a n s k r i t of ,�akunlalii ( 1 789),
Gila
GOl'inda
( 1 792) and Manusmriti ( 1 79 4) . Keyt, George L a / . P.
N oted S r i La n k a n artist and poet . Poet
t eac h e r , whose
and
st i m u lated
Indian
Writers Wo r k s h op has
creative
writing
Tran scrcator of Sanskrit Love l.yrics
in
E n g l i sh .
( 1 966) and
oth e r
works . l .e M et: . J ea n
Born in Franer. 1 9.1 1 . S t u d i ed S a n s k r i t at Co l u m h i a U n i vers i t y . a n d t a u g h t at t h e Cooper U n i o n for t h e
A d v ancement Tra n s l ated
lV' asson , J . M o u s s a i e ff
of
S c i ence
and
A rt,
New
Y or k .
11\'/IIlls ti'oll1 th£' Rig V£'da ( 1 975 ) .
Was Professor of S a n s k r i t . U n i v e rs i t y of To ro n t o .
ira n s l ator, w i t h W . S . M er w i n . of -";ansAril l. o ve
ro£'t!'v ( 1 97 7 ) . r-.. 1 a t hers. E . Powys
D i s t i n g u i s h ed t ra n s l ator of Sansk r i t . A ra h i c . Ch i nese a n d J a panese
verse.
Mehrotra A r v i n d K r i s h n a I n d i a n poet. whose works i n c i u dr Nille ["closures ( 1 975 ).
Midd/I.'
Earlh
( 1 984)
and
Th" A hsent
1'1'(/\'£'1/£'1' ( 1 99 1 ). M c rw i n . W . S .
A m e ri ca n poet , p l ayw right, tra n s l ator a n d P u l i tzer
P r i ze w i n ne r .
M i l l er. I3arhara Stoler
Was Pro fessor o f Ori en ta l Studies at Barnard College, C o l u m b i a U n i vers i t y . / ler t r an s l at i ons i ncl ude the Gitago llinda of J ayadeva ( 1 979) and The Hermit and
thc M i s ra. V i d y a N i was
Love
Thief( 1 978).
Taught Sanskrit and L i ngu i s t i cs at u n i vers i t i e s i n Agra, Go ra k h p u r , Bcrk e l cy and Seat t l e . N oted w r i t er
The Translators . 1 99
on Indian culture and philosophy, and former Chief Editor, Navbharat Times. Vice Chancel lor, Dr. Sampurnanada University, Varanasi . Nandy, Pritish
Poet, editor and member of the Rajya Sabha.
Nathan, Leonard
American poet, Professor of Rhetorics at the University of California, B erk el e y .
Pandit, Ranjit Sitaram
Indian scholar (d. 1 944) whose translations include the Ritusamhiira of Kalidasa and Kalhana 's Riijataringini.
Paz, Octavio
Mexican poet, scholar and diplomat ( 1 9 1 4- 1 995). Winner of t h e N obel Prize for Literature, 1 9 9 0 .
Pollock, Sheldon
George V. Bobri n skoy Professor of Sanskrit and 1ndic Studies, University of C h icago . H i s books include Aspects of Versification in Sanskrit Lyric Poetry
( 1 977). Prabhavananda, Swam i
Monk of the Ramakrishna Mission w h o w o rke d l o n g years in California and tran s lated several Sanskrit texts.
Raghavan, V.
Was Professor of Sanskrit, an em inent S a ns k rit i st
U niv e rs ity of Madras, and
.
Rajan, Chandra
Taught Engl ish Literature at Lady Shri Ram College, Delh i University and at the U n i versity of Western On ta ri o, Canada. Her translations include the Complete Wurks uf Kalidasa, volume I, and the Panchatantra.
Ramanujan, A.K.
Poet, s ch o l ar and translator, ch iefly of classical Tamil and Kannada poetry ( 1 929- 1 993). A u t ho r of The Interior Landscapes ( 1 967).
Ryder, Arthur W .
American Sanskritist ( 1 877- 1 938). H i s include Shak u ntala and other writingl ( 1 9 1 2) and Panchatantra ( 1 925)
tran s l ations (l Kalidasu
Swam i, Shree Purohit
Indian scholar who collaborated with W.B. Yeats in translating The Ten Princ ipal Upan ishads ( 1 937).
Vatsyayan, Sacchidanand
Distinguished Hindi poet, novelist and critic ( 1 9 1 1 1 987).
V ivekananda,
Swam i
Famous saint, scholar and Indian n ationalist ( 1 8631 902).
200 . A Treasury ofSanskrit Poetry
Warder, Anthony K .
Professor
Emeritus
of
Sanskrit,
Uni versity
of
Toronto. Author of the multi-volume Indian Kiivya
Literature. W i l l i ams. S i r M. Mon ier
Indologist ( 1 9 1 8 - 1 899). Was Boden Professor of Sanskrit, Oxford Uni versity.
His Sanskri t- Engl ish
Dicti onary (I 89Q) i s sti l l current. Yeats, W i l l iam Butler
Irish poet ( 1 865 - 1 939). W i nner of the Nobel Pri ze for Literature, 1 92 3 .
The Translators .
20 1
Endnotes I n trod uction
I.
,
A . B . K e i t h A H i sto ry of Sanskrit Literature, Oxford U n iv ersity Press, London, 1 94 1 .
..,
Sri Aurobindo, The Secret of the Veda, Sri A urobindo B i rth Centenary
,
,
L i brary Pon d i ch erry 1 972 3.
,
A . W . Ryder, Kalidasa: Shakuntala and Other Wr i t i ngs Dutton & Co, New
York, I 9 1 2
4.
,
Octav io Paz, I n Light o f A s i a The Harville Press, London, 1 997, tr. E l iot
,
We i nb erg e r 1 997 5.
A . L . Basham, The Wonder that was India, Random House, New York, 1 954
,
) ,
6.
Lin Yut ang The Wisdom of n d ia Random House, New York, 1 942
7.
Quoted i n Barbara Stoler M i l ler, The P lays of Kalidasa : Theatre of
e
Memory, Columbia Un i v rs i ty Press, New York, 1 984 8.
.
SlIbhiishila Ralnakosha of Vid y ak ara Translated by D . H . H . In galls as A n A n th olo gy of Sanskrit Court Poetry. H arvard Oriental Series. Vol . 44
9.
Catha Sal/asai (Cathasapta.sati) of H iil a , c .
1 st-2nd century C E ;
SlIbhashita Ratnakosha of V i dy ak ara, c . 1 1 t h century C E , Bengal;
Sadllktikarnamrita of Sridh aradasa, c . 1 205 CE, Bengal; Paddhati o f
;
Sarngadhara, c . 1 3 63 CE, R aj as than Subhashitavali o f Val labha Deva,
r
c. 1 5th ce n tu y CE, Kashm ir.
Verse Excerpts 7.
I n d ra is a pro mi nent Vedic god, often identi fied with thunder and the onset of rain . In one legend he slays the c l oud-dragon Vritra to release the
,
w aters . Tvashtri, another Vedic d e i ty is associated wi th bu i l d i n g and
e
n.
construction . Dasa and Pan i r fer probab ly to groups of demo s 1 0.
Split nuts of the v ibhitaka tree were used as dice for gambl ing. Here th e y
are called ' the brown ones ' . The tree has been identi fied as
Bellerica.
202 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
Terminalia
12. 22.
Soma was the potent j uice of an as yet unidentified plant u sed in Vedic ritua l s . In a game of dice with his cousin and adversary the Kuru prince Du ry odhan the Pandava king Yudhishthir staked and lost his brothers, h imse l f and finally his queen Draupadi, who was then summoned to the Kaurava assembly. Duhsasan is the brother and Karna the friend of Duryo d han . B h ima and Arj un are Yudhishthir's brothers. Bhishma, Drona and Vidura are Kuru elders. Abhimanyu the young son of the Pandava prince Arjun and his wife Subhadra, was surrounded and slain during the Mahabharata war. Salya, S ak un i and J ayadrat ha were among the w arr iors opposin g him along with Duhsasan, cf. 22. Pritha better known as Kunti, was t he mother of the Pandava princes, cf. 22. U nknown to them, their enemy, the Kuru warrior Karna, was also her son born of the sun god Surya. The moth e r is the queen V idura exhorting her son, disheartened by defeat, to tight again . The acc o unt is relat ed by K u n ti to Arjun. Savitri, the wife of Satyavan was with him when he was overtaken by death whi le ga t hering wood in the forest . As re counted in 3 I to 3 3 , Rama considered it his duty to go into exile and leavc the kingdom of Ayodhya to his broth er Bharat in ful fi llment of a pledge made by his father. His wi fe Sita, and another brother Lakshman, insisted on going with him. Unsuccessfu l in persuading him to relent, Bharat beggcd Rama for his sandals, so that the k ingdom may be governed in h is name t i l l he returned. During their forest cxile, Sita was abducted by the Rakshas king Ravana and taken to his island kingdom of Lanka. Rama's dcvotcd friend, the ape Hanuman, located her there in a grove of Asoka trees. Yasodhara is the wi fe of t he S akya prince Siddhar1 ha. Ch andaka is the loya l charioteer who drove h im to the forest when he re noun c ed th e world. Mara is the Tempter and embodiment of Desire who tried in vain to d i stract S i dd ha rt ha from his p e nan c e and m e di tation wh ich led even t ually to his Enlightenment descri bed i n 43 . Living i n exile, the Yaksha, a kind of demigod asks a cloud to go to his celestial home and deliver to his beloved wife a message g iven in 5 9 . The ma rri a ge of the goddess Uma with the great god S iva is described in th is epic poem. King Dushyanta recalls his m c eting with the herm i t maid Shakuntala, when they fel l in love Pururava se arche s in the forest for his beloved wife, the nymph U rvasi who has disappeared. ,
,
,
24 .
25.
26.
28 .
34.
37.
40. 42.
,
,
,
,
58. 60. 65.
,
.
66.
,
Endnotes
•
203
81 94.
J 1 0. 1 1 7.
1 1 8. 1 30 . 140.
1 5 8. 1 65 .
Valmiki and Vyasa are celebrated as the authors respectively o f the epics Ramayana and Mahabharala. Draupad i was a Panchala princess. She was humiliated by Duhsasan, as recounted in 23. Bhima, who swore vengeance at the time, captured the Kaurava prince during the Mahabharata war. Rahu is a legendary planet which causes eclipses of the sun and the moon . The sons of Dasaratha are Rama and Lakshman. They m arched on Lanka to rescue Sita, earlier abducted by Ravana, the king of Lanka, as mentioned in 37. Ravana has twenty arms, equally adept in the martial and the fine arts. cf. 8 ! . cf. 37. The god of love traditionally wields five floral arrows to sm ite the heart. Hari and Keshava are other names of the divine cowherd Krishna, also described in 1 56 and 1 57. cf. 1 5 8. The cowherd is Krishna.
204 . A
Treasury o/Sanskrit Poetry
