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suggested shades of meaning which yield charm for the responsive readers. Hemachandra's method of unfolding the deeper and finer shades of meanings in poetically excellent verses is quite impressive. He says that the reading Bhiru retained in the last line, used for addressing the beloved of the Yaksa is quite appropriate and it is better than the reading Candi (Vide Locana pp. 232-33). But the same thing cannot be said with reference to the next verse (12) Nyancat etc. The verse, quoted from the Bälarāmāyaṇa (II. 19) describes graphically the different workings of the twenty eyes of Rāvaņa. Thus one is bent, another contracted, a third eager, a fourth is smiling, the fifth is full of significance, the sixth is partially closed, the seventh is turned back... the fifteenth dilated... and the last three eyes are full of tears, owing to specific feelings each eye is exhibiting a different expression. Now, obviously the figure of speech employed here is the Svabhāvokti, with which the author Rājasekhara presents a marvellous spectacle. But this striking pen-picture of the behaviour of all the eyes of Rāvana does not add up to much by way of helping the sentiment of love in separation, intended to be depicted here, as Hemachandra points out in the gloss. He remarks that though the Svabhāvokti is very well extended from the first line to the last line of the verse, still it fails to act as a handmaid to the sentiment of love in separation. Though Rāvana
ho was upset at not being able to win over Sitā describes his own condition with the words : 'Hanta! Hanta! Naikaprakaro madanavyāparah, yato mama Vaidehidarśanatah prabhrti' and goes on to state that owing to different feelings in his mind each one of his twenty eyes displayed a different activity, thus still the description, no doubt marvellous in itself, does not serve the purpose of the sentiment of love in separation, or the Poet's intention. Now, the Viveka Commentary intervenes, though it is customary for poets to describe eyes as reflecting different feelings in conformity with the different sentiments intended to be portrayed, as for example in the well-known verse - "Ekam dhyānanimilanänmukulitaprāyam dvitiyam punah....
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