Prakrit Riddle Poetry

Author(s): Nalini Balbir
Publisher: Nalini Balbir

Page 6

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ABORI I Amstamahotsava Volume
“If the mother-in-law said : Dear girl, put up a lamp in the chamber of your dear consort', why, then, does the (girl) with a charming face look at her heart and laugh ?” (VL)
Or :
“ If the mother-in-law said : Give some light in your husband's bedroom (= the nuptial bedroom )', why, then, does the experienced lady (prodha = Sk. praudha), look at her heart and laugh ?” (GRK)
According to the commentator the lady thinks :
“My mother-in-law wants me to give some light in my heart. My lover's bedroom is in my heart. Wondering how she can do that, she looks at her heart."54
But the reading of the GRK (prodha-mahilā instead of muddhadamuhi) might suggest another type of interpretation where the lady would think of some special means to attract her lover (?).
The most popular stanza is undoubtedly VL 622. It is the only one of this type to be quoted (with eventually slightly different wordings ) in alamkāraśāstras, namely Bhoja's Srngāraprakāśa and Sarasvati kan thābharaņa ( 11th cent.), as well as Sobhākaramitra's Alamkāraratnākara ( 12th13th cent.).:6 (iv) jai devarena bhaniyā “khaggam ghettuna rāule26 vacca,
tā ki sa muddhada-muhi hasiūņa paloae sejjam? (VL 622)
"If her young brother-in-law said to her: Take the sword in your hand and go to the king's palace', why, then, does the lady with a charming face look at the bed and laugh ?”
C
.
The Vajjalagga's commentator and Bhoja ( on Sarasvati kanthābharana 2. 370 ) offer a similar explanation of the situation,
“The young lady looks towards the bed in order to mean : He (viz. my brother-in law ) has seen red-dye on my feet and other signs indicating
24 iyam svasur mama hrdaye dipakaṁ dapayati. priyasya visas tāvan mama
hrday.. tasmimś ca dipakah katham diyata iti hrdayāvalokanam, VL p. 171. The different texts are conveniently found in V. M. Kulkarni, Prakrit Verses in Sanskrit Works on Poetics : No. 121 p. 65, No. 56 p. 351, No. 145 p. 573. rāulam in Bhoja's works; räaulam in the Alamkāra-Ratnakara. cd: ta kisa muddha-inuhiä saanammi nivesaai ditthim in the AlamkāraRatnakara and tā kim sevaa-vahue hasiūna valoiam saanam in Bhoja's Works,