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Notes
255
when they wear the bright golden (745 vots) ornaments or Figures of speech as contained in the Poetry of these learned men, up above and down below their ears-शब्दालंकारs down below and अर्थालंकार up above.
982. When Lakşmi has found her abode with the highly worthy and eminent men, she never leaves them (TTCT HETETET). Hence (aut) when we find that she leaves them at all (
2 3 ) or that when they themselves (at gut a) leave her, how can we blame Lakşmi alone. These men, who, in their arrogance of detachment, discard her, are equally responsible for bringing upon themselves conditions of poverty. Construe the Gathā thus :महग्धेसु सिरी ण चला । तेण ते च्चेअ (तान् एव) जं (यत्) सा मुअइ, ते उण ते वं चिअ जइ मुअंति, इह तीए को दोसो।
983. Man's thirst (aut) or craving for wealth remains unsatiated, even after having acquired the highest forms (2003) of riches in abundance. The craze of a mountaineer stands unabated, even when he has reached the highest Himalayan peak and he asks, “I have reached the highest point on the earth. But for me, sky is the limit. Therefore tell me, what part of the sky have I reached ? (
Free fai a BITE ?). None whatever. I must still continue to go up and up in the sky. Cf. fai a TOTEA 3ITETER47 Titre 7 TT TTET:, 7 opatce: 1 Com.
984. The master-misers (fa faut GoT) offer homage to their tutelary Goddess Laksmi, folding their hands in supplication (Tataafs3rafos). The two hands joined in a Praņāma look like a closed lotus, of which the goddess is very fond. The Poet imagines that these misers arrange (Taifa) the respectful worship (CET) of the Goddess, as it were, built up in a heap of lotuses in the form of a multitude of folded hands. Cf. 46TfET FOTOT: प्रियाणीति कृत्वा कृपणा धनिनः प्रणामकृताञ्जलिव्याजेन तस्याः पुरतः कमलपूजां Taarifa for frate: 1 Com.
985. When mountains found that their trees were shorn of fruits and flowers (F4 TATET379TTA) and the birds whom they loved had departed from them (fafor3TFTHOUTOUTST), they threw themselves in the deep sea. Was it not an act of suicide (a fofie OT 438
a) on their part, when they found that the very purpose of their life is lost and that no longer would they be of use to any
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