Lilavaikaha

Author(s): K R Chandra, Ramniklal M Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 40

Lilävai-Kahā of Koühala
174. (This is the sea-shore where) the path of Airāvana, coming
out at the time of churning is indicated by Saptaparna trees with their branches with swarms of hùmming bees
surrounding them. 175. (This is the sea-shore) where, in the bowers of fresh young
Candana trees, the Siddha-couples enjoy the breeze scented
with the fragrance of cloves and cardamom groves. 176. There, making obeisance to Rāmeśvara, with whose foot
stool brushed the tips of diadems on the (bent) heads of
Gods and demons, I boarded a boat. 177-178. With a few attendants (1) boarded the boat which was
not nobly born and yet well-born, (or, removing the paradox,-not touching the ground and covered well with hide), which was without legs and yet skilled in walkióg well, (or, skilled in going in water), which was endowed with many qualities and yet mean (or, having many ropes and light or fast) and which was without friendliness and yet having many companions (or moving in water and coming in contact with many creatures), and in such a boat,
O king, when we had not yet crossed the ocean, suddenly 179. (as if) uprooting the forests of trees on the shores, choking
the quarters (lit. filling the mouths of quarters) and (as if) rocking the islands (or space between the islands) a
storm broke. 180. So the boat, lifted up on the heaving waters agitated by the
stormy wind was blown off to (lit. reached) the eastern
sea near the confluence of the river Godāvarī, 181. And there, with all its joints shattered on (being struck
against) a rough boulder it broke into a hundred pieces
like a bad undertaking. in 182. When that boat wrecked, together with all the boatmen cling
ing to (lit. sitting on) a wooden plank I was brought to
the mouth of Godavari 183. There, with my body aching due to continuous floating on
sea-water, I asked those boatment, "Tell me, who is where ?"