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people when absent from their sweethearts, the large, glorious, wandering headmark of the celestial sphere-beloved in heart and soul by Rohint1. Such was the glorious, beautiful, resplendent full moon which the queen saw. (38)
7. Then she saw the large sun, the dispeller of the mass of darkness, him of radiant form, red like the Asoka, the open Kimsuka, the bill of a parrot, or the Gungârdha2, the adorner of the lotus groups, the marker of the starry host, the lamp of the firmament, throttling as it were the mass of cold, the illustrious leader of the troop of planets, the destroyer of night, who only at his rising and setting may be well viewed, but (at all other times) is difficult to be regarded, who disperses evil-doers that stroll about at night, who stops the influence of cold, who always circles round Mount Meru, whose thousand rays obscure the lustre of other lights3. (39)
8. Then she saw an extremely beautiful and very large flag, a sight for all people, of a form attractive to the beholders. It was fastened to a golden staff with a tuft of many soft and waving peacock's feathers of blue, red, yellow, and white colours, and seemed as if it would pierce the brilliant, celestial sphere, with the brilliant lion on its top, who was white like crystal, pearlmother, Anka-stone, Kundaflowers, spray of water, or a silver cup. (40)
LIVES OF THE GINAS.
1 The commentators understand this passage (Rohinîmanahiyayavallabham) differently by explaining hiyaya by hitada, the lover of Rohini who did her mind good.
2 According to Stevenson: the red side of the retti seed.
Or if we adopt a various reading, mentioned in the commentary, payadiya, we must translate: whose luminous glory was set forth by his thousand rays.
