________________
142
KAMSAVAHO
clothes, becoming lighter than ever and having become pure on account of the washing away of its dirt, enters into the possession of] Vāsudeva.
10. With white robes put on, his body, which is blue like the Tamāla tree and which is attractive with a shining girdle of gold, shines brightly, as does the peak of the Blue-mount, beautiful with its slopes bright with gold, on account of the rays of the moon.
11. Then he sees a certain humpbacked lady whose appearance was attractive to the eyes though her slender body was bent and who was as it were the (bent ) bow of Cupid.
12. Going nearer, Hari asks her who was gradually coming (to him ) carrying in her hand a jewelled pot, full of saffron, that was followed by bees.
13. “O young girl of crooked glances (lit., eyes ), whence do you come, [and] how is it that your body is bent ( like this ]? O (you) of beautiful form, to whom are you slowly proceeding to give this soft saffron ? • 14. Then she speaks ( in reply]: "On me strongly works the adverse power of fate that has produced even in my body (that) crookedness which is known [to exist ] in the heart of women.
15. O handsome one, [just ] hear, I am a modest artisan residing in the king's harem; and I am going to the mansion of king Karsa in order to give him [ this ) saffron.
16. Tender is this your body and ( quite] fragrant is this saffron-paste; so let your honour alone accept this, because the meet ing of the like leads to happiness."
17. Thus Krsna and Rāma, with (their ) limbs fully anointed with the saffron given by her, glitter like Sinduvāra tree with flowers and buds lit up ( lit., being touched ) by evening twilight.
18. Slowly catching that lotus-eyed (woman) at her chin with his tender hand, Krsna then made that humpbacked lady straight with her moonlike face turned aside with obvious bashfulness.
19. Just as the crescent of the moon, though curve in the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
