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30
Gaidavaho
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Elephants of the king's army
263. (The elephants ), who with their big trunks held over after being gracefully twisted, offer to Laksmi a pillow, as it were, (to rest upon ), as She lays herself on the couch of their huge tusks,
264. Whose nail-pieces (on their toes ) appear to be, even to-day, fragments of skulls imbedded (khattā ) in the sides of their feet), because of the fact that they had crushed the enemies' heads with their feet, turned and twisted (in the act of crushing),
265. Who, with their triple streaks of ichor flowing in a. zig-zag grace, arrange, as it were, Laksmi's hair in a fragrant, graceful, creeper-like braid,
266. Who drink, as it were, the blood-water of their rival elephants, completely floored by them and laid by their sides (pāsallia), with the help of lovely lotus-stalks, as it were, as the pointed tips of their tusks were thrust in the sides ( of the dead elephants ),
267. Who, with their flapping ears, soft and hairy like whirling chowiies, look charming, appearing as if (they are ) on fluttering wings, (wishing) to fly up with the idea of (having) a fight with heavenly elephants,
268. Who, with the watery streams of their ichor, give every day (an indication of the farthest limits of advance ) by fixing a tape on the ground, as it were, for his expanding Royal Glory.
269. Such victorious elephants of the King, with their darkish skin-colour hidden under the spread of white powder ( siapittha), march ahead of him, like clouds whose blackish aspect is taken away by the season of autumn.
270. And now came with their charm ( agghamti) little by little (i. e. gradually ) (winter) days, the swans cackling at midnight, the lotuses getting only slightly oppressed (with heat) (dūmia ) and the sun's light bereft of its bright strength (asūra).
271. The compact nights have sparse clusters of white lotuses on ponds ( kūsūra), moon's halo, unruined (unbroken), but pale, thick frost and cold mornings.
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