Gaudavaho

Author(s): Vakpatiraj, Narhari Govind Suru, P L Vaidya, A N Upadhye, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 349

Gaüdavaho
( to it ) under the garb of clusters of fresh, auspious sprouts placed on its mounth,
467. Being courted, as it were, ( for a grant of favour) by the old, imprisoned gods with many a bow, thus resembling the white chowries being waved over it ( nectar-jar) by the attendant guards,
468. Being resorted to, out of their fondness for fragrance, by clusters of bees, as if by the crowds of creatures ( scorched ) black with anxiety (caused ) by the fear of death,
469. Shining by its side, resembling its own halo of lustre and thus looking like the round head of Rāhu, which remained full of life, even when cut off with His wheel by Visnu.
470. Our Master stayed on this sea-coast, where the gods ( stood ) in wonder to see the white nectar-jar coming out from the ocean.
· 471. He left (behind ) the paths over Marudesa where great elephants happened to be killed by haughty lions in an attack ( sampūta) (on them ) and where ( water of ) small wells was made turbid by his armies, crowding (to draw it from them ).
Janamejaya's Serpent-sacrifice
472. The directions with black, thick tails of comets foreboding impending (homta) dread for the nether world, appeared to be full of snakes fleeing in fear.
473. The path of the sky, strewn with flickering stars as a result of the portents occurring at that moment, appeared to be ( glittering), as it were, with hood-jewels, being offered to gods (as a bribe to save them ) by the frightened cobras.
474. Thickly covered (kalilā) with clusters of the straight (bodies of) lordly snakes wriggling out of the mouths of circuitous holes, it appeared that the (Lady ) Earth moved (in fright ), as it were, with her upraised locks of hair in the fury of bewilderment.
475. Strips of sloughs in rows were cast off by serpents, suffering from (premature ) old age through panic, being afraid, as it were, of being speedily burnt up.