Gaudavaho

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

Page 556

Notes
259
(afagfé), appears to show (atas) that the body has now turned into a veritable alms-bowl (Topita), which is so imminent ( 31THOOTT) because of old age and which leaves him poor and destitute forcing him to beg. Cf. $25:: thcfchii atea refo97fes#lfcffeTTTEUTET HAT I Com.
1001. In old age, the body develops freckles or black spots (fres 37). These are, as it were, the black shade (140 CPUT) of the hair, which, with ripeness of age (FTUITA), gets worn out or disintegrated and discoloured (Houfeuriat) and falls down all over the parts (ITE) of the body in big thick dots.
1003. The whitish grey fluid (9fessi), a sign of old age, flows from the breasts of the young lady of the house (fruit) under the guise (forgot) of milk-stream, as they (breasts) are affected by the onset of pregnancy (TOHTITA), which powerfully attacks the youth (sifarrocaut) of the lady; and the man, her lover-husband, looks at this flowing grey substance in a very depressed and disconsolate state (faat) of his mind.
1004. Everything that we have or try to do is fraught with difficulties and dangers (विसम) and is without any pleasure (विरस). As a result it is all unhappiness and definitely no happiness ( fazt UT OTTH). If we say that no unhappiness (579THTT) is happiness, (just as no disease is health), that too is not correct. (Cratat ATRAT GUT UT). Therefore this so-called happiness also is misery and nothing but misery. The poet gives here his pessimistic outlook on life, mainly influenced by the tenets of Buddhism.
1005. Continuing in the same strain, the Poet affirms that what we see roundabout as the so-called universe is the Form(STTTT) manifested by Non-existence (TTT). “The world is an illusion
(TIFFAPT),' says the Vedāntin. 'Everything is void,' ( Th) would say the Buddhist Mādhyamikas. The sky appears blue from the surface of the earth. But this is just an optical illusion ( 317 Trufucaf31). There is nothing like a concrete blue substance up above. It is all void and empty space.
In a Kulaka of 5 Gāthās ( 1007-1011 ) the Poet tells us how God Śiva assumed the form of a lion to test the heroic strength of the King.
1007. The loose mass of Siva's matted hair gets itself transformed into the lion's mass of the mane ( 919), with