Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 163

122
The benedictory verse in the play reads as
पणमह सुइ-राअ-हंसएसु हर-णअणेसु मुहंबुऊसुएसु । पअ-कमल-पहाविअं उमाए पढम-णइम्मि अवंग-भिंग-मालं || (CI. I.2)
In this verse, salutation is offered to the row of bees in the form of Uma's side-glances. The adjectival phrase 'पअ-कमल-पहाविअं' qualifies the substantive 'अवंग-भिंग-मालं'. It means that the row of Uma's side.glances rushed towards the lotus-like feet. And since there is no specific mention of a person whose feet are meant, the meaning has remained a bit obscure. Dr. Upadhyes has understood that the poet intends Siva's feet, while Pro Patawardhan feels a little uncertain about this, as his notes and translation show. Yet, in his translation, he could not help wondering, if the poet meant Uma's feet.
In my opinion, this benedictory verse, closely resembles in idea, with the benedictory verse of the Ratnavali. I quote the verse :
पादाग्रस्थितया मुहुः स्तनभरेणानीतया नम्रता
__ शम्भोः सस्पृहलोचनत्रयपथं यान्त्या तदाराधने । हृीमत्या शिरसीहितः सपुलकस्वेदोद्गमोत्कम्पया
विश्लिष्यन्कुसुमाञ्जलिगिरिजया क्षिप्तोऽन्तरे पातु वः ॥ (Ratnavali. I. 1) At this first meeting with her husband, Parvati eagerly hastened towards him, but turned back through natural bashfulness; She began to look down to her own feet !
This shows how it is appropriate to say that in Candaleha the poet describes the side-glances of Umā which rushed towards her own feet.
I now take up another passage which expresses a peculiar concept of Drakrit poets and which has not been satisfactorily explained by the two scholars. The passage reads like this
एण्हि एदस्स वीरुक्करसिरमणिणो कित्ति-जोण्हाहि ताहिं थोराआरा चओरा ससहर-मणिणो णिच्च-णीसंदमंता । उवेला सिंधु-वेला सई कुमुअ-गणा होति णिद्दा-दलिद्दा थेरादो णदठ-लज्जा विहरइ हरिणा चंचलच्छी अ लच्छी ॥ (CI. IV. 19)