Indian Antiquary Vol 47

SR No.: 032539
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 386
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 269

OCTOBER, 1918]
NOTES ON KALIDÅSA
253
the latter remains unintelligible whichever of the two arrangements of months we take as the basis of our calculation.
Can we conclude from this thau in Kalidasa's days the Púrņimanta arrangement was the one generally current and not the Amania one!
(4) Second difficulty. I have met with another difficulty, not in the Meghadúla but in the Raghuvansa. I have not been able to solve it and I wish to bring it to the notice of scholars with a hope that some one will be able to do it.
In the ninth Sarga of the Raghu the post is describing the Spring. The description opens with this verse
भय समावते कुसुमैनवस्तामिव सेवितुमेकनराधिपम् । H
T Tİ Hnyt nyergaft || ay 11 The difficulty occurs in the verse which follows -
जिगमिषुधनदास्युषितां दिशं स्थबुजा परिवर्तित वाहनः।
दिनमुखानि रविहिमनिमहविमलयन्मलय नगमत्यजत् ।। २५ ।। I give Mr: Nandergikar's translation of this verse: "Desirous of going to the quarter presided over by the Lord of Wealth (Kubera) the Sun, having his horses turned back by his charioteer, left the Malaya mountain brightening the dawn by removing the frost." The same phenomenon is similarly described in the 3rd Sarga of the Kumara-sambhava. The poet says:
कुबेरगुप्तां दिशमुष्परइमी गन्तुं प्रवृत्ने समयं विलजय । विग्दाक्षिणा गन्धवहं मुखेन व्यलीकनिश्वासमिवोत्ससर्ज ॥ २५ ॥
A second explanation of T is suggested. It is proposed to take the word in the sense, 'the best,' ic., the holiest. In Ashadha, the eleventh day of the bright fortnight is the only day which is observed as a holiday and a very sacred one; that should, therefore, be taken as the surface of Lohadha. In this rendering one difficulty is got rid of ; v. 2 is certainly rendered consistent with v. 118. But the other difficulty remains; the month Sranana is not pratyisanna to the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha, unless as I have suggested the arrangement of months is Parnimdnia.
In the case of TT4° also another interpretation is suggested. It is to be explained thus :- N : TA: HTH :
I n re TV Hi Sama is to be taken in the sense of coolnens', no 994 will mean on a cool day'. Even this explanation, however, is no way better in that it does not avoid the one or the other of the two difficulties. Even if the cool day' be the eleventh Tithi of the bright sortnight of Ashddha, Sravana is not pratyásanna to it. To avoid this if we take that day to be towards the end of the month, the period of four months as mentioned in v. 116 falls short of fifteen days at least. If however, the Perimanta scheme be accepted, this interpretation may be allowed by supposing that the eleventh day of the bright fortnight was perhaps coo when the Yaksha saw the Cloud, but then the necessity of assigning this meaning no longer exists as the ordinary meaning taken by Vallabha serves the purpose equally well or perhaps better.
It will be observed as regards these other meanings of T4 and . that whatever the mothug they are taken to have they do not render the verses consistent unless the Parnimdnta arrangement is accepted. I lay emphasis not so much on the meaning of the words and Tons on the fact that the verses yield consistent sense only when construed in a way such as I have suggested.