Gaudavaho

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

Page 491

194
Gaüdavaho
The King Yaśovarman, in the course of his expedition, reaches the banks of the river Narmada. In a Kulaka of 6 gāthas, (460-465) the Poet refers to and describes the legend of the river Narmadā having fallen in love with the king Kārtavīrya, like a love-sick maiden and pining for him. Cf. HEUTETTI देवतारूपत्वान्नर्मदा नाम नायिका कार्तवीर्यार्जुने बद्धानुरागा सती राजर्षि तमनुससार। अयमपि च राजर्षिस्तां प्रत्यनुपजाताभिलाष इति तदलाभे संजात रणरणका । Com
460. The river Narmadā, imagined as a piping, love-sick maiden, is overwhelmed with a feeling of despair, displeasure or distaste. In her movements (9f4u ) in such a mood, the anklets make jingling sounds, hearing which the rows of swans glide along (Firesarit) to gather round her and then she looks at them with a steady gaze, born out of firm familiarity (fo3tufrast).
461. The pangs of her unrequited love constantly affect the happiness (EHT) of her mind and bring a darkened shade (HTATBİA) to her natural lovely complexion. This dark shade is, perhaps, on account of the juice of ichor bursting out (fostul TOT) on a small scale from the temples of forest elephants standing in the river-bed to enjoy a bath.
462. The loves torment heats up the body and, to alleviate the burning feeling, sandal paste is applied to the body, chiefly the breasts. This is done in the case of the 'maiden' Narmadā. These parts (3FITTS) of the body, thus, appear like sandy mounds (grass) emerging (747H7f34) in river-beds, when the flow of the stream becomes weak and thin, exposing the sands near the banks.
Note the perversion of the Utpreksā or Poetic Fancy. What should be the Upamāna is represented as Upameya and vice-versa. A case of faga-35a! The sandy mounds, for instance, should serve as an Upameya or the object of comparison with the bodily parts besmeared with sandal paste viz. the breasts, to be represented or fancied as an Upamāna or the Standard of comparison. The Poet, however, takes it in a reverse way. He visualises the river as a divine, love-sick maiden with all those conventional features associated with her and then tries to see them in the factual phenomena of the flowing river !
463. In her case as a love-sick maiden, her memory (3) plays a great part in her mind, building up (967) fantasies of