Jain Journal 1980 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 40

152
tesi nam daranam ubhao pase duhao nisihiyae solasa solasa salabhanjiaparivadio pannattao, tao nam salabhanjiyao10 lilatthiyao supaitthiyao sualamkiyao nanaviha-raya-yasanao nanamalla-pinaddhao mutthigijjha-su-majjhao amelaga-jamala-juyala-vattiya-abbhunnaya-pina-raiyasamthiya-pivara-paoharao rattavangao asiya-kesio miu-visaya-pasatthalakkhana-samvelliy' aggasirayoisim a s o y a-vara-payava-samutthiyao vama-hattha-gga hiy' agga-sala o isim addh' acchi-kadakkha-citthienam11 lusamanio viva cakkhulloyana-lesehi ya anna-m-annm khijjamanio viva pudhavi-parinamao sasaya-bhavam uvagayao candananao canda-vilasinio cand' addha-sama-nidalao candahiya-soma-damsanao ukka viva ujjovemano vijju-ghana-miriya-sura-dippanta-teyaahiyyara-sannikasao singaragara-caru-vesao pasaiyao java citthanti.
JAIN JOURNAL
This is how I would translate the passage: "On both sides of each of the doors, on the double flankers, 12 rows of 16 branch bending females on each side are arranged; well supported these branch bending females stand sportively, well aorned, with dresses of different colours, covered with different garlands; they have beautiful waists, which can be grasped by the length of a hand's grip, and breasts which are plump, fashioned, swollen, raised and round like a couple of diadems worn on top of the head, who have impassioned sideglances and dark hair, their hair is covered at the top with tender, spotless, ausipicious symbols.
"Their bodies are leisurely inclined against Asoka-trees and they seize the prominent parts of the branches with the left hand.13 (Fig. 3, branch of an Asoka-tree with its flower and see Figs. 1 and 5a-5c)
"They, who seem to captivate (the senses of gods and men) with the gestures of their sideglances, having turned their eyes aside, and who seem to exhaust themselves on account of embraces with their looks, whose features resemble the maturity of the earth, who have entered into eternal existence, who have faces like the moon, they, who are shining like a moon, who have foreheads like a half-moon with an appearance even more pleasing than that of the moon, they, who are shining like a meteor, with a splendour even more than the shining glow of the sun and the light-particles of the lightning clouds, whose dresses are beautiful, because they are like an abode of ornaments, they, who are gracious
.till... ...stand.'
This passage clearly refers to the Asoka-tree against which the salabhanjias are inclined, and not to Sala-tree. But of even greater importance for the interpretation appears to me the description of the characteristic pose of a salabhanjia: vama-hattha-ggahiya' agga-s a la 0,13 'by