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31H
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give-and-take. However, I think a conclusion of another kind is more justified in the present situation. BH makes it a point in several stanzas (nos. 41, 54, 72, 76, 90) to play down the value of physical ornamentation. This is accomplished sometimes by simply suggesting that the physical ornaments have no role to play, sometimes by contrasting a physical ornament with an abstract quality and sometimes by juxtaposing one abstract quality with another abstract quality, as the following three poems will show :
vaktram candra-vidambi, pankaja-parihāsa-ksame locane, varnaḥ svarnam apākarisnur, alini-jisņuḥ kacāyām cayah / vaksojāv ibha-kumbha-vibhramaharau, gurvi nitamba-sthali vācām hări ca mārdavam, yuvatişu svābhävikam
mandanam 1/90/1 "A face to rival the moon, eyes that make mockery of lotuses, complexion eclipsing gold's luster. thick tresses that shame the black bee, breasts like elephant's swelling temples, heavy hips, a voice enchanting and softThe adornment in maidens is natural." (Miller 1990:63) śrotram srutenaiva, na kundalena, dānena pāņir, na iu kankaņena / vibhāti kāyaḥ karuņā-parāņāṁ paropakāreņa, nu candanena /154/1 "The ear of a compassionate man is graced by the scroptures, not by pendants:
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