Nayakumarchariu

Author(s): Pushpadant, Hiralal Jain
Publisher: Balatkaragana Jain Publication Society

Page 30

THE POET'S EDUCATION
The description of the limbs of Nāgakumāra's body is in accordance with Varāhamihira's description of Mahāpurusalaksana (III, 4 see notes ), while the mention of the various fine and useful arts in III, 1, and the handling of amorous situations in other parts of the work presuppose a knowledge of works on erotics such as Vätsyāyana's Kāmasutra.
The kinds of flowers mentioned in the work are kamala (lotus ), kuvalaya or indivara ( blue lotus ), kumudini (lily), sthala-padma (ionidium suffruticosium), campaka and nrpa-campaka (sweet-scented calophyllum), jāti or malati (jasminum grandiflorum ), jūhi skt. yüthikā (jasminum aurieculatum ), ketaki ( pandanus odoratissimus ), punnūga ( ochrocarpus longifolium ), tilaka, bakula (surinum medlar), and mandāraka ( calotropis gigentea ). The kinds of grass mentioned are trņa, dūrvū, kusa and kaseru, the last as particularly dear to boars. Other trees and plants that have found mention in the work are, nyagrodha or vata (bunyan ) pippal ( ficus religioza ), sallaki ( boswelia therifera ), pilu (salvadara parsica), śol 1 (vaterisindica), sahakara or mākanda (mango), rūi (gigontic swallow-wart), kadali: (plantain ), ikşu and pundreksu (kinds of sugarcane) and drūksa (grapes). Among corns are mentioned sali or kalama (rice ), yava (barley ), yavanāla (great millet, mudga (green grain ) and lankeśa or canaka (gram.)
The domesticated animals mentioned are go (cow), Dhavala (bullock) mahişa (buffalo ), aśva (horse), gaja (elephant), bokkada skt. chāga (goat), karabha (camel) and khara (donkey); wild animals, simha (lion), vyaghra (tiger), kola (boar) and harina (deer) and birds hamsa (swan), vaka (crane), suka rincha or kira (parrot ), kokila (cuckoo), ghūra skt. grddhra (vulture),sikhi (peacock), and chakravaka (ruddy goose or duck). Of these, the elephants are said to be specially fond of śallaki. the goat of rui and camel of pilu (see VII, 2 text and notes).
Turning now to the poetic qualities of the work we find that it is full of beautiful similes and metaphors drawn from the whole range of Aryan mythology and history and frequently, and more effectively from the poet's own observation of nature and human experience. I shall here draw attention of the readers only to one or two typical and significant similes. The pitched up tents of Nāgakumāra's camp looked like the shaven heads of slave-girls :( VII, 1, 15 ). The Pāndyan princess did not like any suitor as a person with his mouth burnt with slake-lime (of his betel ) does not like boiled rice (VIII, 2, 6), Nágakumāra liked Laxmimati as a beggar Brāhmin likes the Sankrānti (an occasion for alms- giving IX, 2, 6); he was fond of her as a grammarian is of the derivation of words (IX. 2,9). The descriptions of the Magadha country and the town of Rajagrha (1, 6-7) of Pethvidevi as a bride (1, 17,) of the march of the army and its encampment (VII 1-5) and of the battle scenes (IV, 15; VI,14; VII,7; V111,15) are beautiful and fasci. nating. The poet is particularly fond of yamaka and slesa some striking examples of which are found in the description of the women of Rajagtha going to worship the Jina (1, 10), of the vicious horse (III,14,) of the feast given by Vanarāja (VI,9) of the resolve of Arivarma's warriors (VII, 6), of the arrows of Sukantha and those
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