Nirgrantha-2

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 35

MIA. Miscellany
H. C. Bhayani 1. INTERPRETATION OF SOME PASSAGES OF THE GAUDAVAHO* N.G. Suru has rendered a great service to the students of Prakrit literature by giving a careful English translation alongwith explanatory notes, of the highly important but equally difficult Mahākāvya, the Gaudavaho of Vākpatirāja, written about 730 A. C. Below I discuss interpretation of some of its verses and offer alternative renderings. (1) V. I. -OC-future-UTC-fua Here! Suru's translation : "(a white sacred thread) which was, as if, a fibre of lotus-stalk extracted while coming out through the belly of Vişnu." His notes : The white sacred thread is imagined by the poet as the lotus-fibre extracted and suspended over the body of Brahmă, as he came out of the belly of Visnu.' But that is rather the umbilical cord which is attached to the new-born child. (2) V. 7. a-tre-f31-1945M I Suru's translation : “ He had seized in his clutches a mass of clouds in His roaring fury." Rather it should be rendered as 'He had seized in his clutches a mass of clouds, being angry at their thunder.' The lion is conventionally described as roaring on hearing the thunder. (3) V.175. ista37. The verse describes the condition of the snakes burning in the fire of Pralaya. cisla3 in the expression isfa31-01-SM-fufc37- 14 is rendered by Suru with Sk. Mustaa, and translated as 'dancing'. But here is a37 is a variant spelling of fast, which is past passive participle of 75 = Sk. I to spread (PSM. s.v.; Prakrit Grammar, 8,4,137; DN. 5, 5). Fumes of smoke become pent up under the spread out hoods, not under dancing hoods. (4) V. 260. 2311
मग्गेसु गुरु-बला वेअ-गाढ-णिवडंत कोडि-टंकेहिं ।
उच्चरिऊणं व लिहंति जे टआरे खुर-उडेहिं ॥ The marching horses produce clapping sounds with their hooves, which also leave their imprints on the dusty road. This is described by means of an original Utpreksā. The horses as it were utter and write the letter ta with their hooves as they gallop along. The image is that of a learner of alphabets who writes a letter first pronouncing it loudly. In his Notes, Suru explains that the hooves left 'imprints' shaped like the Devanāgari * Gaudavaho, ed. N. G. Suru, Prakrit Text Series, no. 18. Ahmedabad 1975.