Gaudavaho

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

Page 569

272
Gaüḍavaho
1077. The shaded paths (1), coming down from the top of the setting mountain ar), are lit up, being overspread (3) by the setting sun's rays and thus they look like streams ( विसर ) of molten iron ( आयसरस ). The area of the earth's surface ( महीवेढ ) down below is darkened ( मइलिज्जिइ ), as the portion of the mountain up above stands illuminated.
1078. Flocks of birds (fa) had gathered in mass, perched closely together (fortaff) on the heaps of sands in river-beds. As soon as they fly away, the roundness (H) of these sandy mounds comes out into full view ( उब्वेल्लंति ).
1079. Over the roads of the city (3), the afternoons become grey (धूसर ) even when the sun is still suspended ( सालंब ) in the sky on the west. The reason for this aspect is the returning (for) crowds of dust-raising precious cattle (E), which had gone out to their pasture-lands situated at long distances ( दूरत्तण) from their city and hence coming back earlier even before sun-set.
1080. The excellent cows, white-skinned, have heavy haunches (गरुआ अमाण - जहण ), which slow down (3) their pace, although they appear to be going a bit rapidly (थोअमिवविअडगमणा ) in their eagerness to meet their calves. Another feature that serves as a handicap to them is the plump ( पीण) udders ( आपीण), which have started oozing milk ( पण्हुअ ). Cf. क्षीरपूर्णोधस्त्वेन च गुरुजघनत्वम् । धेनुधवल्यः धेनवश्च ता धवल्यः उत्तमगव्यः । Com.
1081. The Vindhya mountain is imagined to have two wings : one which makes for daylight and is spread over (affer) the world at day-break (f). At evening time, this wing is withdrawn and folded up (af) and the other wing, which brings in the shadowy coils (4) of darkness, is stretched out ( पसारेइ ). Cf. आदित्यपरिवृत्तिनिबन्धनोऽयं दिनरजनीविभागः । प्रदोषसमये च यस्यां दिशि दिवसपक्ष आसीत् तत्र दिवसपक्षसंकोचेन रात्रिपक्षः प्रसरति । Com.
1082. The bright glory of the Day is imagined to be the goddess Lakṣmi (fat), enjoying the pleasure of sitting and moving on the swing (as). The swing is made up of the network of sun's rays, like strings of a net, hanging down from the plateau or table-land of the setting mountain (afùces). These string-like rays are pink, like the lines on the knots of white, ripened reeds (जरढसर).